I want to understand exactly what MSRA infection is....as I have a nephew in critical condition and has recently contracted this infection.

Brenda,

I am not a medical professional and my knowledge of MRSA is limited to only the news I come across. To learn more about it, I'd start with http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Aresist/mrsafaq.htm which says, in part:

"Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as "staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Occasionally, staph can cause an infection; staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these infections are minor (such as pimples and boils) and most can be treated without antibiotics (also known as antimicrobials or antibacterials). However, staph bacteria can also cause serious infections (such as surgical wound infections and pneumonia). In the past, most serious staph bacteria infections were treated with a certain type of antibiotic related to penicillin. Over the past 50 years, treatment of these infections has become more difficult because staph bacteria have become resistant to various antibiotics, including the commonly used penicillin-related antibiotics (1). These resistant bacteria are called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

Staph bacteria can cause different kinds of illness, including skin infections, bone infections, pneumonia, severe life-threatening bloodstream infections, and others. Since MRSA is a staph bacterium, it can cause the same kinds of infection as staph in general; however, MRSA occurs more commonly among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
MRSA infection usually develops in hospitalized patients who are elderly or very sick or who have an open wound (such as a bedsore) or a tube going into their body (such as a urinary catheter or intravenous [IV] catheter). MRSA infections acquired in hospitals and healthcare settings can be severe. In addition, certain factors can put some patients at higher risk for MRSA including prolonged hospital stay, receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics, being hospitalized in an intensive care or burn unit, spending time close to other patients with MRSA, having recent surgery, or carrying MRSA in the nose without developing illness (3-6)."

I wish I could be of more help. Best of luck with for your nephew.

I have friend with MRSA, she caught it from her daughter from a staph infection on the skin, how contagious is it, and should we be concerned around small children, she is not in the hospital but is taking a strong, specific antibiotic, and bathing in a medication. Should we avoid her?

my massage therapist was recently hospitalized for several days on iv therapy for a systemic staph infection after a knee injury--he had a large black sore on his cheek, with noticeable swelling on that side of his face--he has been giving my wife and i massages throughout all this--my wife did not know any of this and says it is dangerous for him to be working--so far we are healthy, but--are we at risk--we don't want to have massages until he is well--how long will this be--he thought he was well after his iv treatment but--evidently he was not--Help, please, thanks

Our son will be 3 years old in July. Starting in November he started getting severe ear infections and has been on every kind of antibotic possible. Finally at the end of April, we had tubes put in. That was on Wednesday, by Saturday both ears were draining with blood and infection. He was diagnoised with MRSA,after 3 weeks of drainage. He was hospitalized for a couple of days and sent home with an antibotic, ZYVOX, which still isn't helping. They upped his dose yesterday but he still has alot of drainage. We are at our wits end and running out of options for our little baby. If anyone has any kind of advice or suggestions please email me. I'm not sure what kind of questions to ask doctors and need some help, please!!
Thank you

I had a comment for nancy diaz around her son who had tubes put in his ears and developed staff msra was hospitalized for a few days and then sent home on Zyvox. I have been told for a fact that there is NO WAY to treat staff msra except for IV antibotics!! I developed staff msra and we aren't quite sure where it came from. I know that I had a toenail removed from my big toe over a year ago it never healed right (it had a callus under the nail) One day my daughter gave me a pedicure and about 2 weeks after the pedicure it was all red swollen and infected. We did the normal soak and squeeze and it seemed to be fine. 2 weeks later it was all full of that gross puss again. the doctor cultured it and it turns out it was staff msra. I go on IV antibotics. Well in the meantime I ask her to culture my nose about 5 days after being on the antibotics because I have had a sore in there that hurts and won't heal for several months. (I also had been in the hospital a few months ago having surgery for bladder cancer! Long story short as possible I have staff msra in both places and have been told that the minimum I should be treated is 4 weeks on IV antibotics. I am not clear if it is because I have a metal plate and screws in my neck along with a metal pump for pain in my stomach and they don't want this to go to any of the metal in my body or if this is standard procedure. I do have some knowledge medically and know that you don't treat mrsa staff for only a few days on IV antibotics no matter if you have metal or not. So why was this child only treated for a few days and is still sick? I think he needs more treatment why doesn't the mother go to an infectious disease specialist? My feeling is her child still has untreated staff and has a health care professional that doesn't know what they are doing? What is the standard protocol for staff msra or does it vary with every case?
Nancy Levine, Dana Point, california

I am 7 months pregnant and just found out today that a co-worker has the MSRA staph infection. It is a very small office with only 4 of us so obviously I have been exposed through drinking glasses, toilets,etc. My concern is for my unborn child and the effects.

My son had an accident in April and spent 6+ hours in theatre. He was OK for two weeks in hospital then became infected with MRSA. He was on Vancomycin intravenous for four weeks, came home, back in with another infection and back in again now with a further outbreak. He has two open wounds on his thigh and buttock that are proving difficult to heal up. He has had a further 8 operations washing the wounds out to try and cure it.
There are metal pins and plates in his hip and we are given to understand that the metal does not help. At the same time his elbow was injured and plated but no infection there. The metal is needed to repair the broken bones and joints.
It is rife in hospitals in the UK but is largely unpublised and that any patient undergoing surgery is at serious risk.
What is the answer?
Too little money spent on hospital cleaning?

staph is a serious issue and it requires aggressive treatment. Just ask any sports medicine physician. However, the best approach is to take all steps necessary to KEEP ATHLETES FROM GETTING THE INFECTIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Proper treatment of non-porous surfaces with a highly effective disinfectant keeps transfer of infections down.

In the Pasadena Independent School District, they turned to saniVex(tm). It is an EPA approved HIGHLY effective surface treatment (it is not a drug or therapy for the athlete) that broadly kills microbes including staph.

It burst onto the athletic field last year in the sport of wrestling with major programs like #1 Oklahoma State indicating that it had a major impact on keeping athletes in action AND REDUCED THE MEDICAL EXPENSES OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE YEAR BY ~40%.

Contact saniVex Technologies Inc. for more information. www.sanivex.com

My son is a ery multiply hndicapped young man and has had MRSA for about 5 years. It has laid dorment since then. I adopted him 3 years ago not knowing what MRSA was all about. Now I have found out that it has come back to being very active again. Swabs are positive and active in his urine, skin and nasal. He is coming home from the hospital tomorrow and I am a wreck. Ive watched how sick he has been for six weeks and I worry for everyone else. I want him to be safe and everyone else as well. Any advice or support is welcome

I was hospitalized in Janurary of 2003, I had back surgery which I stayed in the hospital 23 days due to complications, which I developed MRSA.Since then I have had a big toe amputated with bone infection, pneumonia 3 times and had a Bronch done which they washed out my lungs but I am also on oxygen 24 hours a day. They are still trying to find out about my lungs. I was a fairly healthy 58 year old and now I am at the point of death. Can anyone offer any suggestions.
Thanks,
Barbara Jones
BarbaraJ12@AOL.COM

I don't think there is a simple answer. I searched the internet for answers when my son was infected. I am no expert but if you are treated with antibiotics it surely kills or diminishes natural immunity to fight infections.
Would not the best thing to do be to try and build up this natural ability to fight infections?
But how?
I did discover a site selling and giving information about a honey that can help. It is only available from New Zealand but it can be dispatched worldwide.
The address of the site is http://www.manukahoney.co.nz
If anyone else has the answer please let us know.
Brian

My husband recently developed a boil under his arm, after about 5 days, of him squeezing it, and trying to lance it himself, he finally went to the doctor and had it lanced, at that time they swabbed it, it came back MRSA. He was treated with rocefin shot, and keflex, His would appears to be closing and healing properly, He does state that is feels fatiqued all the time, other than that, he seems normal. Does he need further treatment? More testing? Is the immediate family at risk from contact of any bodily fluids?

I don't quite understand this infection, does it start out a staff infection then develop to MRSA?

I work in the health care profession, and around MRSA patients, could I have brought it home on my clothes? Please help us understand this.

Further developments with my son. he has been having pain in his leg and more dificulty walking. He was sent back to hospital and has seen another specialist. He had more x rays etc and has now been told that the MRSA has eaten into the bone around the screws holding his hip together and they have come loose. He must remain immobile for 2 months, as far as possible, in the hope that the bone will grow and knit together.
If this does not work he has problems as there is insuficient good bone left in his thigh to insert an artificial hip.
It seems that it is not possible to completely irradicate the MRSA infection no matter what antibiotics he takes although they will help.
We just live in hope that he will eventually get well but have been told it could take up to 2-3 years.

Brian

I never intended this post to be a discussion forum for people affected by the infection, but I'm certainly happy everyone is using it as a means to air their problems and difficulties.

Here's some stuff I pulled from my membership at Medscape.com ( http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/442256 )

"The antimicrobial therapy of S aureus has long been complicated by the ability of this pathogen to become resistant to commonly used antibiotics.[25] Indeed, few microorganisms can equal the ability of this pathogen to acquire resistance. Among the mobile pathogenicity islands described by Dr. Archer are those that carry multiple resistance genes.[4]

When Dr. Levine discussed vancomycin treatment failure, he quickly pointed out that true treatment failure is hard to define.[1] There are, however, a number of reasons that vancomycin treatment may fail. These most recently include vancomycin-resistant strains of S aureus (VRSA), which has been reported at this ICAAC. In addition, vancomycin/glycopeptide-intermediate strains (VISA/GISA), tolerant strains, and heteroresistant strains may result in failure.[26] Finally, poor intrinsic activity of vancomycin and glycopeptides in general as well as poor penetration of these agents into tissues such as lung[27] or CNS and into abscesses[28] and/or vegetations[29] are other factors that may result in failure.

It is clear that initial antimicrobial therapy in patients with S aureus bacteremia should include an antistaphylococcal beta-lactam agent such as nafcillin or ampicillin/sulbactam. If methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) is suspected, vancomycin should be added, not substituted, for the antistaphylococcal beta-lactam agent.[29] Should the isolate prove to be VISA/GISA, the beta-lactam agent and vancomycin should be continued. If the isolate proves to be MRSA, many would continue both agents as well. If vancomycin is used alone, a high area-under-the-inhibitory-cure predicts an improved clinical outcome. Basically, this means that if the MIC is 1, a higher dose of 1.5 g every 12 hours may be needed.

Addition of gentamicin in an in vitro infection model suggest that 2 g of vancomycin per 24 hours plus gentamicin ( once a day or every 12 hours) provides the most rapid rate of kill.[30] Clinical studies are needed to confirm this. Addition of other agents such as cefepime has been studied in the same in vitro infection model and has proven more effective than vancomycin alone, but this also needs to be validated by clinical studies.[31] Finally, this in vitro infection model has been used to evaluate several antimicrobial agents on VRSA.[32] Of currently available agents, quinupristin-dalfopristin was the most active and was more active than linezolid. Hopefully, our future clinical experience with VRSA will be limited."

Registering at http://www.medscape.com/ is easy and free and they have some very in-depth information available, such as a healthcare certification series from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education called "Preventing Health-Care?Associated Infections Caused by Staphylococcus aureus." Go check it out and do a search for staphylococcus aureus.

I have read all the previous messages posted on this board and I'm still unclear as to exactly what MSRA is. I have recently found out that my brother has developed this infection after a prolonged hospital stay. I am also worried about the risks for people who have been in close contact with it as I have spent the past 2 months visiting him in hospital.

This comment if for Nancy Diaz. I am in the same boat as you right now w/ my son. He is 17 mo old and had his second set of tubes put in a little over a month ago. Right after they were put in his right ear (which was the ear we weren't even having as many problems with) became infected withing the same week after surgery. Our doctor has drained his ear every week since then and has changed ear drops every week with him. They finally last week took a culture of his ear and sent it to a lab. He calls me today and says it shows MSRA. I was not sure exactly what this was and he said he wanted to try an oral antibotic on him for 1 week and if it did not react then to IV's on him. I spoke to my family shortly after speaking to him who are all nurses and they all about came unglued when hearing that. I called him back and said lets just go on w/ the IV part and skip the other. He went into telling me he would have to have the IV treatment for 6 weeks and there are a lot of side effects. He was naming them off but to be honest I was so beside myself at that point when he said 6 weeks I can not recall all the side effects he named off. Anyways after discussing this with him he is now calling my peds doc. to discuss with him and I will find out tomorrow forsure what we will do. I read your comment and thought wow someone going through exact same thing and thought maybe the Lord directed me to this web page to just relate with you as mothers. It is so scary and just like you just about to go crazy with this. We have tried everything and he has been in the office every week for check ups on it and having his ear drained. If anyone can give me some information on the side effects I would be greatful. My son had his first set of tubes at 6mo and did great, so I thought. They still felt he was having too many infections so 10mo later they said ok too many lets take the plastic tubes out and put in the titanium tubes in. Come to find out his little body was rejecting the plastic tubes. I know feel like this all has not helped because now our little baby is dealing w/ such a serious infection from what it sounds like. I will keep your son in my prayers

Amy Devine

Me and my best friend live next door to each other. My 11 yr old came up w/ a spot on her arm that went bad. It was treated w/ oral anti's and I drained it (w/ gloves on). Then my 11 month old got an ant bite on her leg that did the same thing only it had to be cut opened and drained. She was treated w/ anti's as well. Then it spread to my neighbors house, where EVERYONE in the house had had atleast one if not more, and my 11 yr old and 11 month old have had it more than once since then. WE have all taken every precaution possible and it keeps surfacing? Do we all need 6 weeks of IV's anti's to get rid of it? Only 1 person hasn't gotten any and that is my 6 yr old?

Everyone in my house has had the same problems, except me. I use to have staph when I was a child, but mine was never like a bole. In 1983 I was bitten by a brown recluse spider on the back of my right leg and then I contacted staph in the hole on my leg. I had to stay in the hospital for seven days receiving antibiotic shots every six hours until the staph went away. Then the doctors cut a big chunk out of my leg and stapled it back together. The next day I got to go home.In 1989 I was having sinsus problems and had to have polyps removed from my nose. I was told I had staph and was put on antibotics. The doctor said the staph infection was eating away at the bone around my eyes and going up to my brain. He had cleaned all of the infection out of my head and the antibotics cleared up the infection. 1997 my stomach started having small sores. I could push on them and they would drain. Then they would go away. This went on for about a year and now I do not have them anymore. I still get staph in my nose and have to take antibotics. The doctor says my sinsus still look good even though I get staph in my nose.

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/s293242.htm

This worked after our "Hell on Earth",3-months and tons of antibiotics that didn't work.
But after 2 years, a
trip to the local "Wal-Mart" reinfected us.

So we're back on it again. Cost? $5.00

DISCLAIMER...I am NOT a Dr. and this is NOT "medical advice"...use at your own risk..Don't make-true the old saying "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"!!

Barbara,
I read of your plight. My wife and I were infected 2 years-ago by my working on a computer in a home where the lady-of-the-house had a horrible cough. She had just returned with her husband from an LA hospital where he was treated for prostate cancer.

After being sick as dogs for months on Cipro and penicillin, Lincocyn shots, etc, we found a web page from Australia that gave us a cure.

This worked for years (without having to treat again), and now a trip to the local Wal-Mart precipitated a reinfection! My wife is healed but I still have some "devils" hanging-on.

I cannot seem to find the website now, but anyway, here's what to do....

1) Get Tea-tree oil and Eucalyptus oil from any local Health Food store...

2) Get a little "lamp ring" that fits over a standard light bulb. These have a channel in them for the oils.

3) Drop 20 or-so drops of each oil in the ring and turn-on the lamp. Stay in the room for several hours breathing the vapors with the door closed. The fumes are pleasant and really knock-Hell out of these Staph devils!

Do this as-much as you feel you need to recover....Spread the word!!

Again..This is not "medical advice"...You get that from a "qualified" Doctor, which I AM NOT...USE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND DISCRETION

Hi,
I am worried about my newphew also, he is 10 and has had tubes so many times we cant even keep up with it, and now antibotics just dont seem to help at all, one visit to the dr his ears are great and the next week, well here we go again, his ears are so bad that his parents cant even get insurance on him, now the dr says he has boils/staph F inside his ears, the dr want's to scrape his ears in Monday. he is on steroids now for the infection and I am afraid he won't be able to hear much longer and what kind of ill efects will the staph infection have on him?

My brother was just diagnosed with a MSRA infection in his ankle. His foot is huge, too big to wear shoes. He also has an open wound on the ankle that won't heal for the last 6 months. The hospital doctor said 6 weeks of IV antibiotics. Will he have to walk and lay around with an IV bag or can he use a heplock on his wrist? Will these antibiotics work? I'm not sure what drugs they are prescribing but they said there was only one drug that could cure MSRA. Does all of this sound normal? TIA

My husband started having what he called "knots" at the base of
his skull and they have moved around to the side and top of his head. We went to the doctor and he diagnosed lympheniditis...he was given an antibiotic but only got worse with high fever and
sweating. We went to the ER and he was diagnosed with staph on his head(he scratched an area on his head and it became open sore). He also works in a hospital.
He was given IV antibiotics in the hospital an hour or so and sent home on oral antibiotic...now he has a "swelling on the side of his head" that seems to move around. If this is symptomatic of staph it seems strange..anyone have any answers or advice?

My husband and I had a wreck Sept.21,2002
A boy hit us head on. My husband had a broken
left femor, a broken right arm, and a crushed
right foot. Went through 3 surgery's then
14 days later a guy from rehab dropped him
and broke his left hip he went 20 days with
a broken hip before they knew it was broke.
He had to have another surgery. He came home
but was in pain he stayed on pain pills. He had rem. arithris and he thought it was that.
All at once he had a place come up on one of the scars on his hip. It got bigger they decided to do a bone scan, he had infection
in the hip and femor.they drained the spot.
He had to have surgery to clean it out and they found infection around all the hard
ware in his hip and leg. He spent 16 days
in the hospital. And now going back to
out patient every day for 32 days for
antibictic's. The doctor don't tell us
anything. He has two open holes in his
leg and hip they clean out everyday and
repack it. Can anyone tell me if there
is an end to this????????

Hello: I was wondering if anyone could tell me how many sports related cases of MSRA there have been in North America in the last year or so?

For MRSA or any other disease or illness. There is a phenomenal new product on the market that every man, woman, and child on the planet should be taking! It's NOT a drug, a vitamin, a mineral, or an herb! It's ALL NATURAL, has no side effects, and is as cheap as a cup of coffee a day to take! It BALANCES your immune system and allows your body to do what it naturally wants to do...heal itself! This is the only product of it's kind IN THE WORLD! Please e-mail me for more information at: IChooseHealth@frontiernet.net

Brenda

Brenda, does it cure cancer, fight athlete's foot, and reverse male pattern baldness??? Your product sounds so dreamy!

I bet it even helps with erectile dysfunction.

*gag*

Ad people.

Drizz, 20 years of research and development and over 133 worldwide patents tell the story. If you want to actually do some research into this product, e-mail me directly,and I will be happy to provide you with the technical website that we send doctors to.

Brenda
IChooseHealth@frontiernet.net

Regardless of whether or not your product works, you are still using his blog as a platform for advertising. Very poor form.

Dear Hiigaran: If you follow your logic, if you came across people who were suffering and asking for help and you knew about something that could possibly help them, you would just look the other way and ignore them. Not, THAT, I would consider very poor form!

Brenda, if you followed his logic, the analogy would be you walking by someone's home, hearing them talking about MRSA, and then entering their home to leave a basket of glittery promotional material in their living room. Without asking for permission to do so.

This discussion is threatening to take the post off topic. I will refer to my comment policy and leave it at that.

"I reserve the right to delete any comment I wish as this is my property you are commenting upon, but I'm pretty laid-back so it isn't likely to happen unless you are some psycho idiot jerk. Oh, and unless you have my permission to promote your good or service, don't waste my resources and encroach on my property. Unsolicited advertisements will result in comment deletion and banning."

Some of these posts sound a lot like Hidradenitis Suppurativa......

And I agree with Drizz ...if the so called cure you peddle is so great than just post the damn link instead of trolling for email addresses.

Anyone interested in learning more about Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) may want to visit my site
http://www.frontiernet.net/~ruthb/index.html
or my HS page at http://www.frontiernet.net/~ruthb/HidradenitisSuppurativa.html

Thanks for the blog!

If an infected person touches something how long does the
virus stay on the object?

My husband had something like a boil on his right wrist which he tried to squeeze .. few days later it looked worse so I told him that he needed to get into a doctors office or go to the emergency room and if he did not i would pick him up and take him. He went, only to be told that he would have to be admitted and stay in the hospital because he needed to have surgery on the spot. They lanced it but got nothing so they went back in and looked more leaving a hole on his wrist the size of a quarter, which I am told that he will have like this for the rest of his life. Today I go to see him and he tells me that he has MRSA and will have to stay in the hospital through the weekend. I cried, having 4 young children and them wanting their father it is hard. My point is, I have boils galore under my arms which that is all they are, and he gotten one on his wrist and had to be hospitalized for it and have 2 surgeries so far. I gotten tested for MRSA and was told that I was just a carrier for the MRSA and that that was all I was and that I most likely given it to him by direct contact. He is now taking an antibotic and depressed like hell wanting to come home and be with us. I do realize that this is not contagious but having 4 young children and him with this huge open wound I prefer not to take my children there because I am afraid as they are daddy's kids that they will touch the open wound and get MRSA or something. I am a bit confused though and wish someone would help me, talk to me atleast like I am human and not a child.

I have been battling with abscesses for 19 yrs. They call it hidradenitis suppurativa. This past 9 months has been real bad with infection in groin area and as of 6 mo ago they started getting in my armpits. The doctor i go to refuses to believe that I.V antibiotics such as genta/vanco will do any good. Im now on Accutane for this and dont feel its working. They refuse to do culture on the pus as well! I findthis an outrage! She tells me, Well, we've tried everything!! Well, i disagree, for one, they havent did any tests to see if im mrsa! Many many yrs ago a gyno did needle aspiration to culture and it came out with s. aureas/klebsiella/e. coli/and others i cant even remember. My own pharmacist said i probably needed iv genta or vanco for this! What do you think? Im so miserable and sick of massive pus infections that dont respond to stuff like z-pac/flagyl/doxy/erithro/ect..

Lavonna...

Two months ago I developed abscesses/boils in my armpits, groin area, etc. The first one I ever had was in my nose. One doc was sure I had HS but I went to another who cultured one of the armpit ones and it came back MRSA. I'm all alone so can't go in for 6 weeks of vancomycin and am allergic to almost all antibiotics. They had put me on Levaquin without testing for two months which was useless. After the holidays, they want me to start Clindamycin which upon testing for sensitivity shows it will work on this MRSA staph almost as good as vanco. Lots of horrific side effects so waiting until after holidays to begin treatment. They also often use Ripafam WITH Clindamycin (it can't be used alone) orally vs vanco if MRSA now. Seems there are lots of huge outbreaks of this skin type MRSA in otherwise healthy people now...didn't used to be. I have the boils in my armpits, nose, groin, elbow and now I THINK one growing on my face which freaks me out. Also one that looks to be starting in my MOUTH! Bought some tree oil to try. I've NEVER had anything like this..until October. Get one of those boils CULTURED for sure!

Husband had spot on elbow looked like a insect bite or an ingrown hair (on an elbow?)... 1 week later the whole arm appeared cellulotic from wrist to mid bicep. ER- admitted- IV Vanc, Zyvox, then Bactrim. Ortho Surgeon opened, drained, cultured and debrieded.discharged after 48 hours..culture grew MRSA.whirlpool treatments X 1.5 weeks....begining to heal..no bone or joint involvement. Then I (while he is healing) present with the same looking spot mid forearm...started on a WED, went to DOC on Mon, said go to ER. ER PA cut and cultured, nothing to drain and gave Bactrim DS bid X 10 no culture results yet. WWWWWhat is going on? Are these sores errupting from within or are they probable spider bites that introduce the Staph aureus into the body? How can this be avoided? We live in Texas...DFW area. We are tired of the ER!

To: Terri. I went to the ER for the huge abscess in my armpit. They did culture on it for anaerobic/aerobic. He put me on cleocen until culture was done. My question is, if i have mrsa will this culture reveal this? Im one of those that has been treated over and over with useless ant's for YEARS without cultures! The doc in the ER couldnt believe they wont do cultures on these abscesses it get!

I am 51 and just got out of the hospital with MRSA. I was put in the hospital because some places on my body leg, underarm and 2 places on my waist one on each side got these soars on them and had to be lanced.I was in hospital for 6 days but no one can tell me how I got these soars or what caused them.

was bitten by brown recluse spider around Dec 20, 2003. Saw doc december 26th with huge (size of orange) abscess on left leg at bite site (never saw spider) and took Bactrim 500mg for 14 days. the bite cleared nicely, like a miracle, but now, 3 weeks later, have group of 4 or more huge abscesses in armpit. Doc gave Keflex but after day 3, the infection is worse and arm is swollen and red to the elbow and armpit is swollen with fluid next to breast. Is this from the spider bite, the bactrim, or one of my many nicks and scratches that I always have, or from shaving, as the doc suggests. I am 37 and never had an abscess before the spider bite. the pain is severe and relentless. have had 2 near fatal internal infections in my lifetime and am frightened. thank you.

my boyfriend was diagnosed with MSRA last year. He was in hospital due to problems with sores on both legs, which he has now lost. But he has been told that the virus may never leave him, and is still in hospital now becasue of it

Hi, I'll appreciate any advice you can muster up.

My mother (age 65) had knee replacement surgery in Sept 2003. Within a week of surgery she had a staph infection and was placed on Vancomyacin and stayed 5 weeks in hospital where she had 4 surgeries to place antibiotic beads in the leg. When she left, supposedly the staph was gone. She very uncomfortable and the question is arrising in the minds of two hemotologists at two hospitals that she still may have staph that's attached to the metal knee replacement yet neither has conclusive evidence. She had 4 blood transfusions during her stay, and her red and white counts are borderline low...and don't seem to want to rise to normal.

We need to know where to go from here but feel we are getting conflicting advice from doctors. Mayo hospital says it's possible there's a staph infection and suggest taking the metal knee replacement out for six months and then place in a new one.
Walter Reed Hosp. surgeon says there's not a staph infection but the hemotologist says there might be on the metal but to her blood counts not rising. Staph isn't showing in her blood because of the antibiotics she's been on for urinary track infections, vaginal infections, ear aches...

Can you offer any advice on where she should go for a definitive answer on whether or not she has a staph infection on the metal, and then what she should do --
She has diabetes and I don't want her to lose her leg.

Should she do some home remedies like Enchonea (sp?) and zinc, or do another full course of Vancomyacin in combination w/ another drug instead of removing the metal knee. She went through so much, we'd hate to see her go through it all again if it can be avoided.

Much thanks for your thoughts.
Vicky

I have a huge absess on my underarm from an ingrown hair that i squeezed. it isn't the first one and i am pretty sure that if i refrained from squeezing it, they would never get as bad as this. What is a home remedy i can use????

I am a 27 year old female from New Mexico. I was currently diagnosed with a staph infection just approximately a week after my knee surgery. I had a reconstruction of my ACL in my left leg that was injured during a skiing accident in March of 2001. I was 6 weeks pregnant at the time and couldn't undergo surgery. I finally decided to do the surgery January of 2004. I was shocked to find out that I had gotten an infection. It was a day surgery that only took a few hours and was released back home. When I came home I was instructed to use a CPM (passive motion) to move my knee, about 10-12 hours a day. I was also told to put a little pressure, by walking on my left side day by day. A few days later I started to not feel so well. I had told my doctor/surgeon that I wasn't feeling right and my leg was still very swollen. A week later the staples and stitches came out and my doctor decided to drain my knee. He drained about 100cc's just to relieve the pressure and thought that would do the trick. It didn't.. He had also sent the fluid for cultures. Suprisingly, later one came back positive. I was in and out of the emergency room and all I was given was the occassional demerol and morphine injections and ice packs, still no progress. A few days later, Jan 29th, my doctor finally decided to admit me to the hospital and was put on a morphine drip, because the pain was so bad and I couldn't even put my foot down on the floor. My doctor told me that I might have gotten infected. I ran fevers constantly and always nauseated. I lost about 30 lbs. in just 1 week. What a way to lose weight. It was a very painful experience for me. I finally went back into surgery on the 30th of January to flush out any bacteria that was in there. That same day I was put on an antibiotic called Vancomyacin. They told me that it was the strongest antibiotic there is that fights infections and that I would have to be on it for about 4-6 weeks. A picc line was inserted two days later and since I've had this picc line in my left arm. In February, mid week I went AMA from the hospital. I was getting tired of staying in the hospital and missed my fiance and my four children. I almost had the picc line removed, but luckily I didn't. They continued my dose on a outpatient basis, but every 12 hours given in over a two hour time through the picc line. It's been really rough lately. My fiance had to quit his job just to take care of me. My knee is getting better little by little and still going to physical therapy. I get several blood tests every week to make sure the Vancomyacin dose is just enough and a C-Reative Protein and Sed Rate to make sure the infection levels are going down. The swelling in my knee is going down little by little. I'm slowly improving in walking and bending my knee. I hope to have my job back sometime in April. Vancomyacin is a very strong antibiotic, it could sometimes get you nauseated and if given at a fast rate, it could hurt your blood vessels and your picc line. You could also get what is called "Redman's Disease" where the skin turns red from the medicine being infused quick or if you have a reaction to the Vancomyacin. I believe it expands the blood vessels. If you are put on this antibiotic, from my experience, it is just best to finish the dose. Especially if it involves getting an infection from surgery involving anywhere near the joint area, you might end up with another infection that causes you to replace the whole joint, or arthiritis, rarely even can cause someone death. My heart and prayers go out to those who are/have suffered with an infection, causing them to be put on this antibiotic. I hope that I have been some type of help or inspiration to someone out there. God Bless!

IN JULY 2003 I CAME DOWN WITH ANOTHER SINUS INFECTION AND HAD THE HORRIBLE SINUS SURGERY FOR THE 3RD TIME IN 10 YEARS. THIS TIME WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST. I WAS SENT HOME AND TWO DAYS LATER I WAS UP AND DOWN WITH A HIGH FEVER AND WENT TO THE ER. THEY TOOK BLOOD AND SAID IT WAS A STAPH INFECTION. WELL TWO DAYS AFTER THAT THE DOCTOR WHO DID MY SURGERY CALLED AND SAID HE DID A CULTURE WHILE IN MY NOSE AND SAID IT CAME BACK AS MrsA. HE TREATED ME WITH LEVAQUIN ANTIBIOTICS FOR 14 DAYS. I FELT BETTER FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS THEN RELAPSED WITH ALL THE SAME SYMPTOMS. WENT BACK AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME THING. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, AS OF NOV.2003 TIL NOW, JUST WENT BACK TO DR YESTERDAY, SHE LOOKED IT UP AND I HAVEN'T BEEN HEALTHY FOR MORE THAN 3 WEEKS IN 4 MONTHS. I'VE HAD PNEUMONIA, BRONCHITUS AND SINUS INFECTIONS ALL TOGETHER. I DON'T KNOW IF IT EVER WILL GET BETTER. NOT TO BRING ANYONE DOWN IT'S JUST SO DEPRESSING.

I gave birth to my 2nd child Sept 2002 by c-section and in Oct 2002 I had a small abcess under my arm which I drained and went on without giving it much thought because I thought it was an infected hair folical from shaving. In Nov/Dec 2002 I had 2 more (1 on leg and 1 on neck) which the doctor diagnosed as spider bites and treated with Bactrum. But, another one (on chin) came in Jan 2003 and was cultured MRSA Staph. I was then treated with Bactrum and Rifampin. Another one came in March 2003 (between legs) and the local Infectectious Disease Expert put me on Bactrum and Rifampin for 1 wk, 3 wks off, 1wk on , 3wks off and 1 wk on. I was clear til July when my daughter was hospitalized and the Infectious Disease Expert said that if the sores (both between my legs) are draining lets not worry. Yeah right! Had another sore between my legs in January which was treated with I can not remember the antibiotic - but it ws not cultured. Another one appeared in February 2004 on my chin and was cultured MRSA Staph again. I started bactrum and after 2 days it got better and on the 3rd day it turned and starting swelling more. I was hospitalized, had to be sedated and the sore was drained and packed with antibiotics and I was put on Vancomycin IV for 3 full days and sent home on oral Zyvox for I think 2 wks. I have had 2 more nose cultures and they are still negative for MRSA so far. Hate to scare anyone but after 8 of these huge boils I am scared that I will never eradicate this staph from my body. If you know anything more please let me know. I even contacted an attorney to persue legal action against the hospital and they insisted that it could have been community acquired since no apparant sore was on the c-section cut itself. I think that is FALSE - where did I get this if I never had it before and it is not like I am unclean. Having a newborn my hands are so dry from washing them it is unbelievable. Not to mention that since this started I tossed makeup 5 times, bought new washclothes, new sheets, new comforters, new pillows, rewashed (sanitizing well) all my clothes, wiped/dusted everything with clorox wipes and all clothes that can not be washed in Clorox are washed in "Extra Pine". I smell like a walking disinfectant sometimes. I welcome suggestions or comments as there is not a lot out there on MRSA Staph and how to get rid of it - are the doctors just in the dark. I am worried that I will see it return.

My dad broke his arm before christmas 2003. he had it operated on and had plates and pins put in. he got an infection within 3 days of leaving hospital. They put him back in and had the drip for 1 day and night. They sent him home. By the end of feb they decided the bone hadnt knitted and they needed to re-operate, take the pins and plates out, replacing them with more and mixed a "bottled bone" with scrapings of his bone to hopefully knit the bone back together.

A week later, he had another infection. His doc gave him antibiotics to take at home and 4 days later decided he should be on the drip every 6 hours in hospital.

They say his bone is knitting well now and that as soon as the bone is ready they have to take the pins and stuff out as he has "golden staph" in the metal and it wont heal til they are taken out.

They are going to let him come home and have a home nurse come everyday, I presume to give him the antibiotics.

Will this heal properly or is he likely to be stuck with more and more infections?

My nan dies from this infection about 20 years ago and my mum is freaking out.

please help me???

thanx
jo

have an employee with MSRA, how long would this infection last on items he may have touched and will clorox disinfectant kill the germs that still may be lingering?

My son came home with a "boil" in his armpit. Took him to the er because he was in severe pain. they gave him cephalexin and sent him home. no culture done. About a week later I developed 2 "boils" and my son also got 2 more. We both saw our doctors who did do cultures and was diagnosed with msra. 4 days later , my other son now has a "boil" on his cheek. How did I stop it from spreading? I've been using clorox and lysol to clean, is it sufficient enough or do I need something stronger? We luckily caught this "disease" early and are being treated. We hope and pray this will not be prolonged.

MY COMMENTS COME THROUGH A RECENT MRSA SCARE THAT STARTED IN MY NOSE, AS A PIMPLE AND IN NO TIME WAS SWOLLEN TO MY EYE. I WAS HOSPITALIZED UNDER ISOLATION FOR MANY DAYS. I DON'T YET KNOW WHAT MY OUTCOME WILL BE BUT I DO KNOW THAT GOD IS MY SAVIOR AND IF I AM TO EVER OVERCOME ANYTHING IN MY LIFE IT MUST COME THROUGH HIM. SO AS I LAY THERE FOR ALL THEM DAYS THIS MAY,2004. I PRAYED FOR GOD TO DO WITH ME AS HE WILL? THAT IS WHAT I PLAN TO DO, IS GODS WILL! HE WILL PROVIDE ALL WE NEED....THIS I HAVE TO BELIEVE BECAUSE HE (GOD) SAYS SO....HEY HE HAS NEVER FAILED ME YET.SO I HOPE THAT SOMEONE FINDS SOME COMFORT IN MY THOUGHTS BECAUSE, WHEN I READ YOUR LETTERS, I FELT YOUR PAIN....GOD BLESS US ALL.....HE IS THE ONLY HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU WILL YOU PLEASE PRAY FOR ME?????? I KNOW IT WORKS THROUGH NUMBERS LOVE,DEBI

Can you please send me more information about this outbreak? Many thanks!

My daughter had tubes put in her ears when she was 14 months old. The following month the left ear started draining, after several antibiotics failed, they cultured it and found MRSA. We went to infectious disease at a children's hospital. She went on Zyvox for 21 days. During this time her right ear started draining MRSA. They removed the tubes and we did more Zyvox. Finally, they put in a pic line to administer vacomycin. We did this 3 times a day along with Rifampin orally. She did this for 5 days and just had a pretty bad allergic reaction to the vancomycin. We were blessed to catch it soon enough before it got too bad. They removed the pic line yesterday.
This is a frustrating road to be on. We are now looking for the next step. We see a new doctor tommorrow. Is there any one else who has been here and done this? What do you do from here?

I posted back in April 2004. We found a disinfectant called SaniVex that we used all over our house and in our vehicles to elimate the bacteria. I found it online with search of "SaniVex". I learned of it via research on the net and the use of it by a few school in Texas. Give it a try! I also used lots of lysol and clorox to disinfect everything. We continue using antibacterial soap for showering and all white clothes and sheets are washed in clorox. Things fade some but I figure it is worth the effort. I never want to be so sick again. In addition, my doctor had the entire family take bactrum and we also swabbed our nose with bactrum cream it for a month. Then he cultured my nose for 3 months to make sure I did not have any lingering MRSA. So far I am clear since that last one in February 04.

I just stumbled upon this website after looking for information about this infection. I am 20 years old and was just diagnosed with MRSA this past week. I have had the infection for 26 days but they just now figured out what it was. I was hospitalized and put on Vancomyacin through an IV. Fifteen minutes after it was going through my body I had an allergic reaction. They said that I could no longer have it and put my on Zyvox. I had surgery to drain the absesses because I had more than one and I am at home now and reading all of these storys and they are very discouraging. Has ANYONE had this infection and taken the medicine and had the MRSA lay dormat in their body. I was just wondering. I am scared out of my mind right now and feel so young for something like this to happen. Please do comment. I really need some hope! God Bless.

my husband had triple heart bypass november last year been to theater three times since wires came lose week after opp than wound kept absessing removed two wires ehich may of caused it abseesed again removed all wires absessed again been or vax machine in hospital for three weeks now needs plastic surgery to fill hole or cavity in coos hole in chest wi=ont heal keeps gettind bigger still in hospital waiting yet another op for this he has the s.a. of the mrsa docter tells me anyone advise me what to expect over opp ect any one else had same problem

I had a boil that emerged last year overnight after scratching what I thought was a bug bite on my left calf. It developed cellulitis and was very painful. I finally went to a physician for treatment, thinking it could've been a bite from a brown recluse spider. They gave me a Z-pack for 5 day treatment, and it seemed to heal. Now, a year later, I am sitting on the 6th or 7th boil that has emerged and developed similar cellulitis. I went to my family physician on our health plan, who dismissed it as an ingrown hair. She gave me a five day treatment of Cipro, which has not helped.

I believe both of these are cases of MRSA, as it seems to be epidemic here in the Houston area. I have never had anything like this on my skin before in my life. I am originally from PA, moved here in 1996. Now, this week I developed a fever off an on,I feel achy all over, and my joints are hurting. What is strange, I had a C-Section (first time operation) 2 years ago with my son, and it seemed after that I have had this weird pain off and on in my joints. Family physician thinks it's a touch of arthritis...rx'd Celebrex. Maybe the operation is where it could've entered.

Does anyone know a Dr. in Houston (north side of town) who will take my symptoms seriously and help me get treatment?

SOMEBODY PLEASE ADVISE ME!!!!
I have always been extremely healthy and happy my entire life -(played sports in HS, was HS homecoming queen, softball scholarship to college, just got married 18 mos ago, etc.) and in March of this year I developed a "boil" in my groin area. (I haven't even been to a hospital in years, so I didn't get this from one...) It got huge and painful, and I went to the Doctor and was told it was probably just an infected hair folicle or something. He put me on Avelox by Bayer as an antibiotic and told me to take one per day for 10 days. I did. The boil was already so big that the next day after the visit, it opened up and bled very dark red blood and pus and it was very gross. It drained for about 24 hours and then healed up beautifully. About 2 days after I stopped taking the Avelox, I got another boil. This time on my rectum. (of all of the lovely places to get one!) It also got large, I called the Dr and he gave me 10 more days of the Avelox. That one also opened up, bled and drained, and healed nicely with in 4 or 5 days. After that, I got, yet another one on my buttock. This one was the largest of all and got enormous. I was so frustrated with the doctor's obvious lack of knowledge that I got on the internet and realized that I was dealing with was, without a doubt, Staph. I called my old doctor from North Carolina, (I just moved here to Florida about 4 months ago), and told him my symptoms and what had happened so far. He prescribed me 10 days of Clindamyncin. I took them and that boil opened up and bled the very dark red blood for about 3 days and pussed, and finally closed up. (That one still has a nasty bruise left behind.) I thought maybe that was the end of it, but as soon as I stopped taking the antibiotic, another one started appearing on my rectum. (again!!!) I also noticed another suspicious lump forming on my groin area, (again!!!!) I called a new doctor, and told her everything I have just told you. This was about 2 months ago. She gave me an antibiotic shot in the butt, and told me to come back in a week. The two that I had forming went away, but before I even got back to the doctor, I had a new one forming on my inner left thigh. She gave me another antibiotic shot, and this time prescribed me 20 days of Amoxi/Clav 875-125. 2xday. The one that was forming never opened up, and yet it is a bad bruise. I have finished the 20 day regimin, and still have a new boil that has appeared on my upper right buttock, which has drained a little, and I have a new one on my left buttock and now a knot is forming under my arm. I have done everything I can to get rid of this. Warm baths. Antibacterial Soap. Dressing the wounds. You name it, I have tried it.
I tell you all of this background to tell you this: I AM SO FRUSTRATED OVER THIS STAFF INFECTION, I AM ALMOST READY TO KILL MYSELF!!!
With additional research on the net, I realize this is MRSA, as no antibiotic has gotten rid of this. I don’t have insurance, and I am too broke to go back to the Dr.
I have read everything I can get my hands on about Staph and have come to the conclusion that conventional medicine sucks. Has ANYBODY out there found any ‘wholistic’ or herbal remedies? I have read about tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and colloidal silver. Have these things worked for anyone? If so, would you please write me and let me know exactly what kind and how much to use?
I am so depressed, I don't want to go anywhere or do anything, and I don't even want to walk outside so that I wont have to get sweaty since I am trying so hard to stay clean. My once perfect body is now covered with the brusies left behind from these boils. I just want to feel better. PLEASE. Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Julie (julie5817@yahoo.com)

To Julie:

Hi Julie, I just developed a staph infection myself in the last 2 months. I too am I newly wed who got married in March of 2003, and I'm 22 years old. I too have been EXTREMELY HEALTHY all my life. These are really turning out ugly as I have kleoid scars, so every single one of these things are scarring my body with dark red bumps, so I can identify.

I'm currently on 250mg of Keflex, 4 times a day. It's not doing a thing so far. I've been taking it for a week and have had new bumps develop while taking the pills.

I have asked several people about the Mesosilver (one woman in my office who had one last year, she tried it and it worked to heal them properly w/o bruising and everything) she said it's the only thing that helped her.

Instead of doing anything rash, i.e. killing yourself, try something else! You can get the Mesosilver for 30 bucks, or go to your local drug store and buy the tea/eucalyptus oils and see what happens! You aren't the only one who is going through this right now. I'm about to try the oils treatment and see what happens, as it's way cheaper than the Mesosilver.

Don't give up hope!

On July 12,2004, my sister-in-law laid to rest her only brother, Brad. He had a herniated disc, and severe arthritis. He had gone to the emergency room two or three times in one week, twice by ambulance. He was unable to move, and his mother could not lift him herself. Each time he was treated for arthristis pain, and released. He even went to St. Louis where he was given a shot in the area of his herniated disc. Brad started running a high fever (103+) the same evening that he had ben given the shot in his back. His mother called the doctor, and was told that the shot could not have possibly been the cause for the fever, since it had not had time to work yet. On Saturday the 3rd of July, Brad's, mother took him to the doctors office were she insisted on seeing the doctor on call for that day. She had to argue with the nurse in the office, who told her to take him to the ER. Finally,after seeing the doctor and telling him of her concerns, the doctor agreed to admit him to the hospital. He wasn't improving, so they sent him to Springfield Memorial Hospital on July 5. This was the day that brad turned 55 years of age. His mother saw him twice a day,and said he wasn't doing very well, and that he was in tremendous pain. On Tuesday morning, he was talking and visiting with his cousin for about an hour, then within one hour, his mother received a call saying that he had quit breathing. He had been placed on life support, and in which he never regained consciousnous. The doctor in Springfield told the family, that he was perhaps the sickest person in the hospital. Every part of his body was infected with Staph infection. His kidneys shut down, having to have Dialysis, his heart,lungs and liver were all being ravished by the Staph infection. Brad passed away on Friday July 09, 2004. Brad left behind three children, and one adopted child. The whole family is asking where did he get this, can it spread to the rest of the family? We would like to know. Brad was a thin person, but during the week prior to being placed in the hospital, Brad lost 21 pounds. We too, were wondering if the doctors had tunnel vision and were just treating for pain, not the root cause of it. We are still in non-believe that it is over or is it?

Carolyn,

I am so sorry to hear of your family's loss. It is a rough enough time for your family right now that having to worry about someone else getting staph is quite burdensome. You family may find the most information with an infectious disease doctor. To Rachel and Julie- you are definitely not alone. It has been very frustrating to me- I have never really been sick and never had antibiotics and now feel like an expert on them. I aquired MRSA (methicillan & penicillan resilent staph) after being in the hospital giving birth to my first child 3 months ago. (I think it entered my body because I had a catheter). I ended up with a breast abscess and paranychia (abscess on finger). I have been on different antibiotics and the last one was clindamycin. I thought I was over it but now I been having nosebleeds- and I think it is related. Also my husband got boils on his arm about 3 weeks ago and just a few days ago my baby girl got little pus filled bumps on the back of her head. He was on clindamycin and it appears to be healing okay. The pediatrician now put her on clindamycin this Saturday. Over the course of this whole ordeal I have seen several doctors and they have all been quite incompetent and not very knowledgeable about staph (although they think they are). My husband & I have an appointment with an infectious disease doctor later this week to try and get some answers. If I find out anything helpful I will post it. As others have stated it is very important to wash your hands frequently, wash linens frequently and in hot water, and use anitbacterial soap to bathe. Apply peroxide and neosporin to any scrathes, cuts, bites, etc. as soon as you get them to help kill the bacteria. Inspect your skin frequently for any type of boil, red swelling, etc. Also check to see if your notice your lymph nodes swelling or develop a fever (this are signs of your body fighting an infection.)If you get an area that does not improve go to your doctor for them to drain it and insist on a culture. I haven't seen a dermatologist yet but have heard that a really good one can be helpful so you may consider them if you don't see an infectious disease doctor. I wish I could be more helpful but like the rest of you we are trying to figure it out ourselves.

Don't know if my condition of some 50 years ago would be the same, but while serving in Korea, I developed some 52 boils over an 11 month period. Knees, cheeks, rear cheeks, armpits, groin - you name it. At that time all the medics would do was lance the boil when it developed a "head", treat it with a salve to help it drain. The medics always said the same, that it was an ingrown hair problem. As quickly as they started, they stopped. ?????????

Julie,
Reading your post brought me to tears. I felt like you were writing my biography. I am female, almost 22 years old. About 2 months ago, I developed a boil underneath my right butt cheek. I went to the doctor and was given Keflex. It got rid of it pretty well after some NASTY draining. Then, while on a week long Alaskan cruise 3 1/2 weeks ago, I started getting another boil on my right butt cheek. Since I was on a cruise, I couldn't get to a dr. By the time I did, the boil was ENORMOUS and the infection had spread to my right eye (causing a stye), right ear (soreness and blood coming out) as well as the lymphnode in my right groin. I think this is the suspicious lump you spoke of. The dr. said that the infection 'mirrors' itself.....my groin lump was on the same side of my body as the boil was, as well as the eye and ear being on the same side. This time, the dr. gave me Augmentin and lanced the boil. Now, only a few weeks later, I have another boil on my left butt cheek. Now I'm taking Avelox which doesn't come generic. This is all costing me a fortune and I am SO sick of this! My boyfriend just told me he had a boil in his groin area a couple of weeks ago. I called the doc, and he said it could easily be passed back and forth betweens us, so my boyfriend is going to the doctor today and will probably get some antibiotics that way we can try to get rid of this between us.

Does anyone know if there is hope for staph or MRSA? The doc said I had a staph infection, but didn't do a swab, so I guess I can't completely rely on that diagnosis.

Tristina and Julie

The next time you get a boil, please insist a culture be taken. If your doctor refuses to do it then go to another doctor. There is no way for him to know what drug will work to kill the bacteria if he has not taken a culture. You need to know what type of staph it is and what specific antibiotics the staph bacteria you have is susceptible to. Otherwise you could keep getting them because the bacteria is never killed off. Anyone having staph should also get your doctor to prescribe phisohex (an antibacterial liquid soap) and bactroban (an antibacterial cream). You can use the cream on the area. However the most important place you should use the cream is in your nose. If you have staph you may become a carrier (or could have already been one) and it lives in your nose. The infectious disease doctor recommended using bactroban twice a day for 7 days in the nose. He recommended phisohex for 5 days and to use all over you body (external only- avoid eyes, mouth, etc.). You want to make sure you kill the bacteria if it has colonized on your body. I think the doctor can take a swab of your nose to see if you have it there. As I wrote in an earlier posting, wash linens in hot water and frequently. Also, Julie amox/clav is amoxicillan (a penicillan drug) and not effective for MRSA. You also need to insist on a culture for your boils. Anyone having boils, pustules (smaller pimple like) or abscesses (larger and deeper in the skin) should insist on a culture and make sure you get the results. I hate to say it but do not blindly trust your doctor to know what they are doing (unforturnately- I had to go to several before I was finally told the proper treatment). If you doctor seems to be reluctant to take a culture, give you records, or listen to you or take your concerns seriously, etc.- please seek another doctor. Don't keep going to a doctor that leaves you more frustrated, in confusion about what you have and feeling helpless. FYI- I just recently found out about probiotics from my baby's pediatrician. She recommended this to help counteract the side effects of antibiotics. Probiotics are sold in health food stores (like Whole Foods) and are active cultures like you find in yogurt but in a pill. For all the women out there trying to avoid a yeast infection from antibiotic use this may be the way to go. Hope this helps someone.

Thanks so much Lynn.
At my last appointment, my doctor basically let me know that she had pretty much done everything for me that she could come up with and referred me to a doctor at a hospital to try the vancomycin IV antibiotics. I don't have insurance that covers that kind of thing, so I am only looking at that idea as a last resort. I am going to find another Dr and demand cultures and testing. I will get her to prescribe me some of the phisohex and bactroban and see if that will help. It is so nice to hear from someone that has some really good advice. I am also ordering something that is supposed to help strengthen your immune system. Hopefully, with any luck, these things will help me take charge of this 'thing', instead of IT taking charge of me. I am so tired of feeling helpless and hopeless. Many of you have written me after my original posting and your words of encouragement have meant more to me than I can express. (and if I haven't gotten back to you yet, I promise, I will. -my computer time is very limited....) Take care, and God bless.
Julie

Julie...
I would do the Vancomycin if I were you... I too have MRSA and was given Vanc. I unfortunately am allergic to it but I have heard many people who it has helped. The mediciation that helped me [and was recommended by an infectious disease doctor] was Zyvox. It is a new drug but will dramatically help you. I was sick for a long time with these absesses and I finally feel like I am in the clear. I have not had any symptoms in over a month. Also, DO NOT DRINK OR SMOKE on the medicine. It will lower the effectiveness of it. You should do EVERYTHING the doctors tell you to do. It is easier to treat if you get it taken care of in the early stages. Take vitimans. I hope that some of this helps you. I DO feel better as compared to all of these discouraging stories. There is light at the end of the tunnel. :)

Hello, my husband had a sore on his ankle turn into cellulitis very quickly and was hospitalized for four days, during which he got some type of IV antibiotics. The infectious diseases doctor put him on six weeks of vancomycin immediately after this hospitalization. He also went for twice weekly leg wraps because of poor circulation. Since that time, he has had three more instances of boils appearing overnight and becoming extremely infected. We went to the ER for two of them because it was the weekend and we had to get something done very quickly. The other ones were in his armpit and we went to the dermatologist to have them drained. The PA in the dermatologist's office was the most informative person we have talked to yet. She said that the infection (MSRA) dwells in the nose and the rectum. She prescribed Bactrim, and said to put a swab in the nose 2-3 times a week and also to dab a little around the anus at the same time. She said to do this for a month. Also, she said whenever even the tiniest scratch or sore appears, to apply Bactrim religiously. It has been over a year now, and he has had no problem since that time. However, our 19 month old grandson has had two abdominal boils recently, and the second one was cultured and shown to be MSRA. The pediatrician gave us a sheet of instructions which said to swab nose and anus with Bactrim, and also to swim in chlorinated water frequently as well as adding some Clorox to the bath water. He also stated that if one person in the household has MSRA, every person in the household has MSRA. I recommend that anyone with MSRA see an infectious diseases doctor, but also to persist with other doctors until you are satisfied with the results. This goes for any medical problem, not just MSRA. If your doctor does not answer your questions sufficiently, or makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, just keep going to other doctors, or other health professionals. I have a chronic neurological condition, and am on my 4th neurologist. He is awesome, and helps me in every way possible. It took ten years to find him, but now I am getting the care I deserve. I hope this post helps someone who is looking for answers in regard to MSRA.

Can you help me with some information. I just had gall bladder
surgery and also had to have a biposy done on some very large
knots that are on the outside of my stomach. When the report came back from the biposy the doctor told me that I have what
is called a staph skin infection. He told me that no matter how well you clean, this type of infection is very hard to clear
up. In January pf 2004 I am going in to have surgery and have these knots removed. He put me on medication called Septra DS
that I have to take two times a day. I did not know that a staph
skin infection can ause knots to grow. These knots are very large and have grown together and are very ulgy. I may even have to have skin drafts. The concern that I have an my doctor
has also is if I get an infection. They will give me medicine
to help prevent an infection, but sometimes you can get an infection anyway and if the medicine does not clear it up it can
kill me. Do you have any information of this kind of staph skin infection. Thank you.
Glenda Straley
e-mail: stralsnow@aol.com

I do not have any medical background but have been told that "Olive leaf Extract" helps to heal from staph...may be someting to look into..I was told a lady had it and was better in 2 months....i do not have any clinical or homeopathic knowledge just hear say but maybe it does help....

Thank you all for so much information. I was diagnosed with MRSA yesterday. I had surgery a month ago and believe that I was already carrying the ugly beast. (I work in a nursing & rehab center and we see a lot of it coming from the hospitals - I also had surgery in Brazil and the hospital is rated the 3rd safest in the world for infection) During my 2 week recouperation before I returned home to Texas, I continued to feel weak, feverish in the evenings, etc. My surgical wound began to drain at about 8 days - also, very normal for this type of abdominal surgery. I continued to feel tired, weak, fatiqued, feverish.... you all know the story. Last week I went to my doctor's PA and requested that she culture the drainage, just in case. I received the call yesterday that it was positive for MRSA. She has prescribed Bactrim & Rifampin and is making a referral to a wound care clinic for treatment with a wound vac. Has anyone else experienced this vac treatment? I am anxious.... my husband is a Type I diabetic and if he gets this we will NEVER get him healed. My wound is at the bottom of a 5" incision, but I am very sore (bruised feeling) at the top of this incision (the area where the lower edge of your bra sits) - also this area is warm, hard and hurts to touch. Is it probable that the infection is traveling?? or am I being paranoid?

I had Sinus surgery on 7/1/04 and thing have gone from bad to worse. I have had an infection for 4 months(not including the infections before the surgery). I have been diagnosed with two different types of staph but the current one is MRSA. I have taken Zyvox and currently on Leviquin. My last Leviquin was Saturday and the infection went out of control again on Sunday. My doctor keeps saying I need another 10 days but at this point I an concerned what all this medication is doing to my body. I teach and have a 4yr old child, I fear that I will accidently pass this on to someone. My doctor does not seem concerned about this but after reading the entries, I am scared for m child and students. It is strange but things like this affect so many aspects of your life, my marriage is suffering. My husband wants me to go to another doctor but I am not sure what to do. Where do I turn at this point.......

Cara,

It has been a few months since my baby, husband and myself all had MRSA. You can read earlier postings. I think you have reason to be concerned for your family and students. Your doctor should also be concerned since this can be passed through contact. Part of the reason it passed from me to my family was because several doctors did not take our concerns seriously and give us preventive methods. Please listen to yourself and your husband. You are worried and need to seek someone else- I cannot emphasize this enough. When in doubt go to someone else- don't be worried about appearing paranoid or like you don't trust your doctor. Trust me your health is way more important. A good doctor should also not be offended and want you to feel confident about your treatment. I don't know anything about Zyrox but was on Levaquin for a few days and the infection proceeded to get worse. This doesn't necessarily mean it isn't right for your particular infection. Please make sure any doctor you see gets a culture and goes over the results (lets you have a copy of them) and explains why they are choosing that particular drug. Some drugs are more effective than others and it will depend on your infection. You definitely need to take precautions like frequent washing of hands, linens, etc. you especially need to do this around your child and students. I would also look into a cream (like bactroban) for your nose in addition to the oral meds. But you will want to check with a doctor since you had sinus surgery. I know it is scary but do know for some of us it will be something you get through fine and will soon be an unhappy memory. You just don't often hear of the positive outcomes since we don't always follow up. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Julie and Rachel,

Tea tree and euculyptus will work, but don't purchase them from the drug store, as oils sold at the drug store or health food stores are not Grade A therapuetic, they are usually grade C and lack the healing properties of grade A. YOu are right doctors do not know everything. I have been struggling with a problem on my skin for 3 months and they still do not know what it is SO I am going to use my oils on it, I gave their way every chance and no cigar. Tara

My girlfriend has had MRSA for two weeks. She has had 2 boils cut and drained. She is on a sulfer antibiotic now. It is working.
I am very afraid of getting though!!!!! Is it possible and how can I keep from it?????????

Had surgery to remove a piece of bone and a couple screws put in late August of '04. Perhaps not related, don't know, but foot had started getting better, but is now swelling again and bruised looking.

Maybe two days after surgery, light but angry-looking red strips right at top of each leg (groin area). It was dry, but I thought maybe yeasties, so took some Diflucan. Rash went away. Several weeks later it was back, so went to OB-Gyn, who pronounced it yeasties, gave me Mycolog II cream. A week later back at his office w/pustules covering pubic area AND the red is covering larger area. Doc says it's still yeasties (And he said that part of "it" looked better, but it's not on HIS scrotum!) He told me to keep using the cream and to take Keflex for the folicullitis. Upon me requesting it, he gave me a couple more Diflucan. I looked the cream up on the net and found that "acne-like bumps" are one of the first side effects of it, so stopped using it.

A week after that went to my regular doctor's office and saw a PA who said, and he appered to find it repugnant, that I had jock itch. He gave me a clotrimazole and steroid cream that actually seemed to work, but then I started getting these small pimple-looking bumps here and there from my navel to my knees AND the rash back with a vengeance - just a bright red, no reasied areas, that burns badly - like someone has slapped me A LOT! I'm not sexually active, so puzzled as to how this happened in the area it has, but whatever. PA also told me I'd have to see a dermatologist if the cream didn't work.

Three weeks later still no improvement, only worse...now trying to go further down my leg. Called ALL the dermatologists listed for my insurance carrier and none can see me until January.

Went to my regular doctor this time, running 100 fever and feel just beaten-up, tired, etc. I really like my regular doctor, but he came into the room, and without so much as a precursory glance at my rash, starts writing a perscription for something he says "...will take care of it." At that point I said "Will it take care of it no matter what it is? If it's cellulitis with staph, will it take care of it?" To that he said "Take care of what?" I then pulled out my pages-long list of dermys who couldn't see me until January and the doctor goes and makes a phone call and WHALAH...I have appointment two hours later! Of course, had to pay to have appointment made for me, but at least getting some action.

Dermy seemed puzzled and so did his PA. That made me feel a bit better!!! They cultured one of the pustules and biopsied one of the bumps by cutting it out...should have had them do all of them!!!

On-call doctor called me and left his HOME NUMBER(!) for me to call him ASAP. Turns out it's MRSA. Hmmm...didn't know what that was/is. Do vaguely remember something about it from microbiology... He wrote me a perscription for sulfa that I started last night and said to get in contact with regular dermy on Monday.

No one else in my household has gotten this junk, and I am hopeful they won't as I've been very, very careful since I didn't know what it was/is.

My questions, and I don't see these addressed above: Did anyone else get a flat rash with it? This burns badly - very similar to a sunburn that burns worse when hot water touches it. Sometimes it is bright red and sometimes nearly invisable, but painful either way. If so, what can I do to lessen the pain? Also, after reading above and information on other sites as well, is sulfa the answer? I'd taken two rounds of Keflex with little and temporary improvement. Also, could it be tied in with the surgery? How about blisters I had in my throat a month or so ago that came back as non-strept? Any answers will be appreciated.

I had blisters to pop and all healed but one. Now treating it as venous ulcer with staph. It's painful with bioburden drip. Been to many doctors all diagnosing me with their specialty inclusive of HepC & chronic cirrhosis of liver. Yet, it all started from this sore. Just got out of a 5-day hospital stay. Swelling down but pain is unreal. Allergic to penn. now on cefuroxime pres. by Infectious Specialist. What can be done? I thought the nose bleeds were from liver disease! Had this now for 8 months with no healing, lots of swelling, pain, and levinquine worked until body resisted. Using a steroid topical that also worked on another sore but does cause small bumps that itch mucho. Sore has gotten bigger, deeper with skin around it looking dead. Please help me too!!!

I'm going into an NHS hospital in 3 weeks time for an operation. Very nervous about contracting MRSA, esp after reading the posts here, but am taking defensive action. I have started taking echinacea as it boosts the immune system. I've read that you can't take it continuously for more than 8 weeks, so if anyone decides to take it, please be aware. I will take with me to hospital some antiseptic wipes and a blend of the these essential oils: tea trea, eucalyptus, clove and oregano as they apparently have antiseptic properties. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid catching anything nasty and will be able to return to work as soon as possible. I've also been advised to take my own toilet paper to avoid germs and not to put my bare hand on the toilet handle. It seems hospitals are a germ warzone and I'm going in as prepared as I can be.

I recently went into the hospital because of diarrhea and while there I had a colonoscopy. I received meds by vein and mouth. I got home feeling better. About 2 weeks later, I thought I was having a vaginal yeast infection. Guess what?! Staph. I'm finishing my last 14 day of Septra DS and Monocycline HCL 100mg. I'm still burning in my private area and near rectum. Do I need an infectious disease doctor? I'm really worried. Anybody out there have this problem? I'm afraid to touch or kiss my family. Please help.

I have been suffering from boils off and on for 3 long years. Recently I have them all the time on my legs. My legs are covered in keloid scars. I think i've taken every antibiotic known. My doctors tell me they are bug bites...yeah right. I am an extremely clean person. If there were a bug infestation in my home, i'd certainly be the first to notice.
About 8 months ago my then 14 month old began to get boils in her arm pits. Now she has one by her rectum. Her pediatrician put her on antibiotics and it went away, now its back. I'm taking her back to the pediatrician tomorrow.
I now have a 2 month old and am fearful of passing this MRSA staph to him. None of my doctors I see seem to recognize what is going on.
Why doesn't anyone see the danger and obvious consequence with this? Any advice would be helpful.

I contacted mrsa in the hospital having weight loss surgery; it is present inside of me, which freeks me out!!! I am allergic to most antbiotics--there is one left that can help, but the doctors don't want to give it to me because I may need to use it for future needs etc.I have had my stitch sight opened and drained--and so, the surgeon cleans it out and then closes the area where the surgery scar is located on my midruff area.
Any suggestions?? I am so angry that I got this in the hospital!!! Does anyone have any experince with getting medical compensation???

saylacylic acid aids in healing these infections used topically on sores almost over night aka wart remover i stumbled across this due to being infected along with friends we swear by it a really great product wih a mixture of s. acid sulfer and calamine is called bye bye blemish this works almost immeditely but burns like heck for a second i swear by it

When I was 17, I woke up to find an itchy sort of bump below my eye. This, I thought to be a spider bite. At the time I was living in Biloxi, MS and there are many many insects there if you know what i mean. But, unfortunately despite my trying to drain it because it continued to get bigger and bigger, i realized i need to go to the ER. I was hospitalized at the military hospital because i was married at the time to a man in the service (yes at 17). This was in 2000. The site had to be drained daily and i was on vancamyacin introvenously. they found MRSA in the infected site and feared it might spread to my brain through my eye. This did not happen however and they did not find MRSA in my blood or nose. After 10 days i was released with a pic line where i had to get intravenous meds for about 14 more days. The infection went down and I have not developed MRSA since. HOWEVER I have been plagued on and off by small absesses of staph infection either from pimples or cuts since then. They do not contain MRSA, at least, so far, but are simple staph infections. Mostly I can drain them and do not require a visit to the doctor or antibiotics. However, they are very annoying and unsightly. When they get on my face I freak out because I have to go to college and work and who wants to look like a puss-filled walking zit?

Anyway, I have read that people with sugar disorders, poor circulation, and weakned immune systems in some way are prone to these kinds of infections. I also have Grave's Disease, which happens to be an autoimmune thyroid disorder, and I have a slight blood sugar irregularity which may lead to diabetes later on if I am not careful with my diet. The point is that I notice I do much much better when i avoid sweets and soft drinks which are very high in carbs.

Take vitamins, try to stay healthy and you can try certian herbs like Echinacea and Goldenseal which have been proven to boost the immune system.

I developed little pimples over my chest and back after taking Z Pac. Is this a side effect or some staff infection.

I had a baby by c-section 5 months ago and through the negligence of OR staff not letting the father scrub and put on gloves to cut our babies umbilical cord I developed a serious staph infection. I knew the same day something serious was wrong. The nurses and doctors would not listen. They kept telling me if I got up and moved around the next day after surgery I would start feeling better. I couldn't move. The pain from any motion or cough hurt immensely. It was more than a surgical pain. Anyone with relatives with this pain, especially the young who cannot speak for themselves need to understand the magnitude of pain that is involved with a staph infection. It wasn't until a week and a hundred complaints later, as well as a 20-pound weight gain that my incision bursted open and I was taken back to the hospital that anyone believed me. I was given double antibiotics, double pain medicines, had my incision cut open more to be cleaned and drained. I was so upset at them that I refused to stay in that hospital away from my baby. I was on an IV, but they gave me two antibiotics (Biaxin and Levaquin) to take at home with my home health nurse later that evening. I was also on morphine at first then later percocets and 600 mg ibuprofen. When my home health nurse came to pack the incision with medicated gauze she cleaned the wound by using a syringe filled with half peroxide and half saline solution. This helped tremendously. I had to have this procedure done twice a day for a month. I would like to advise not using this around the eyes or other areas without a doctors okay. I am not sure how that solution would affect those membranes.
Also, when you are taking an antibiotic it is a good idea to eat yogurt because the good culture in yogurt helps out the antibiotic bacteria. It may not be a medical known fact but this does help. Taking vitamins to help the weak immune system helps as well. Vitamin C is good and vitamin supplements.
I hope this helps.
My nephew recently got a staph infection unrelated to myself with boils that busted and became infected and required surgical cleaning. And as we speak my sister who treated her son is on her way to the hospital next to my house for staph in her face which she was diagnosed at a clinic last night with and is having her eye drain excessively, so she will probably be admitted. She tended my nephew and he has been in recovery for 2 weeks. Now she has it and practiced cleaning her hands and wearing gloves. I am meeting her there in just a moment, but wanted to tell you this because we are all in the same boat and need to help one another. I got online to check out staph infection around the eye and near the brain so if anyone has input let me know.

Goodluck and God bless.

We have a 12 year old daughter who had acl reconstruction in Nov. 04. To date she has had 5 additional surgeries to wash out the staph infection that popped up 10 days after surgery. We have had the hardware removed, the acl graph removed, and seen an infectious disease doctor. We have checked her into a children's hospital and they have revealed that the infection is in the bone. To date we have done IV antibiotics, oral antibiotics, and there have been 5 different antibiotics so far. We go in for another wash out in 2 days and possibly another a few days after that. Our problem is that she has chest pains about 5 to 10 days after the PICC insertions. We have had 2 PICC lines and had to have them pulled out. No one can tell us what is causing the chest pains. We are going on 6 more weeks of iv clindamycin and tryin a nonlatex tubing PICC this time. Has anyone had this problem or heard of this? Please help.

I am a 30 year old white male. I have a large swollen(painful and redness)pocket in my left arm pit. I have never had any problems like this before. This started about 3 months ago. It started as 1 large smollen pocket in my right underarm and 2 in my left underarm. They all went away after about 8-10 days, but my left under arm things are recurring. just one at a time. They get so big(about the last knuckle of your pinky finger big)and potrude like a large pimple until it ruptures and bloody puss comes out. VERY PAINFUL! I can push into the cavity of my under arm around the swollen "pocket" and it goes as deep as I can push into my body. After a hot shower and around the 4th day this thing pops and drains.(smelly infection type puss)Im sorry for being gross but I am really scared. What should I ask my doctor to do for me? Should I go during the "dormant time" or when its ready to rupture? It hurts to let my arm hang at my side. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated....Kameron

I am a 30 year old white male. I have a large swollen(painful and redness)pocket in my left arm pit. I have never had any problems like this before. This started about 3 months ago. It started as 1 large smollen pocket in my right underarm and 2 in my left underarm. They all went away after about 8-10 days, but my left under arm things are recurring. just one at a time. They get so big(about the last knuckle of your pinky finger big)and potrude like a large pimple until it ruptures and bloody puss comes out. VERY PAINFUL! I can push into the cavity of my under arm around the swollen "pocket" and it goes as deep as I can push into my body. After a hot shower and around the 4th day this thing pops and drains.(smelly infection type puss)Im sorry for being gross but I am really scared. What should I ask my doctor to do for me? Should I go during the "dormant time" or when its ready to rupture? It hurts to let my arm hang at my side. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated....Kameron

Hi everybody. I am the same Julie from the July 2004 posting. I am doing pretty well now and would like to share what has helped me with my MRSA staph. (Boils, yeast infections, tiredness, etc.) Since my July 2004 posting, by which time I had taken rounds of Clyndamycin, Avelox, Amoxi/Clav 875-125, all were of little or no help. I moved to a new city in August, 2004 and was blessed to finally find a doctor who was more familiar with MRSA than all of the other doctors I had seen up to that point. She did a nose culture, and a culture of a boil that she lanced and drained for me. (which I HIGHLY recommend for anyone who thinks they have MRSA) It came back positive for MRSA. She prescribed Bactrim DS, which I received as the generic version, SMZ/TMP DS 800-160 mg tablets. I took 2 per day, one in the morning, one in the evening. This was the only antibiotic I had taken up to that point that I didn’t have ANY new boils pop up while I was taking it. I only took it for 30 days the first time. Again, when I got off it, a few days later I had a new couple of boils pop up, this time, one on my buttock, and one right on the end of my nose. (gosh, was that one painful – as well as embarrassing) I went back to the doctor and this time and she gave me 30 days of the Bactrim as well as Bactroban Cream, (Mupirocin Calcium Cream 2%), which is only available through a prescription. I was told to use a q-tip to apply the cream deeply in my nose twice a day to kill the MRSA in my nose. (The nose is where it colonizes or lives) Since I was still having problems with yeast infections, which is common in people taking constant antibiotics, she prescribed me Diflucan, the one dose yeast treatment pill, and she gave me a prescription for Nystatin Cream, which I used twice a day as well. This time, it cleared up my boils, and I got rid of the yeast infection, had no signs of the MRSA, and felt great the entire time I was on the antibiotic. After I got off it, this time I went about 4 weeks without a recurrence. However, I got another boil about 2 weeks before Christmas. I was upset, but still hopeful that this Bactrim could get rid of it. Again, I went back to the Dr, this time she put me on the Bactrim for 60 days, told me to use the Bacroban cream twice a day until the tube was empty, (which I still haven’t used all of it- there’s a lot in a tube.) I also had the yeast again, and took 3 doses of the Diflucan. (One dose a day for three days.) and I also took the Nystatin cream 2 x a day til the rash was gone. This time, I have been off of the antibiotics for about 2 months. I have no signs of the boils, and I feel pretty hopeful they won’t come back. I can’t say they are gone for good, as it is too soon to tell, but I am doing well and hope that what my Dr prescribed for me will help someone else.
This last paragraph is only a couple of my opinions about MRSA after my own experience and research:
I have done A LOT of research and have found that Homeopathic doctors in Europe have used hydrogen peroxide injections and fresh cranberry aloe juice with 8 drops of food grade hydrogen peroxide to help their patients. I find it interesting that straight cranberry juice helps get rid of bladder infections when I get them. Anyway, it is also a good idea to eat LOTS of yogurt (no sugar added) while taking antibiotics to replace the ‘good’ bacteria in your body. From what I understand, antibiotics kill both the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ bacteria in your body. We need ‘good’ bacteria for many of the functions of the body. I also noticed that I seemed to develop boils during times when I was highly stressed out. I am somewhat of a ‘high-stress’ person, and I honestly believe that when you have ‘dormant’ MRSA staph in your body, it erupts when you get really stressed out. That is just my opinion. So try to stay as calm as possible and I believe that regular exercise helps with stress. Lastly, I believe sugary foods, candy, cake, sodas, etc. aren’t good for you in regular life, but they are the worst thing for you when you have MRSA. I completely eliminated sodas from my diet (including diet sodas ) about 2 months ago and feel it has made a huge difference in my health and my body’s ability to deal with the staph. It was hard, as I was a ‘soda–aholic’, but I believe it has helped me heal. Drink AT LEAST 10 8 OZ GLASSES OF WATER A DAY INSTEAD. Well, I hope my experience helps someone else, and if so, maybe it was worth it. I will try to keep in touch with this website and let you know if I have any more problems or suggestions. Good luck and feel free to e-mail me if you just want to ‘talk’ to someone who understands what you are going through. God Bless, -Julie Ramsey (julieramsey1969@yahoo.com)

Hi everybody. I am the same Julie from the July 2004 posting. I am doing pretty well now and would like to share what has helped me with my MRSA staph. (Boils, yeast infections, tiredness, etc.) Since my July 2004 posting, by which time I had taken rounds of Clyndamycin, Avelox, Amoxi/Clav 875-125, all were of little or no help. I moved to a new city in August, 2004 and was blessed to finally find a doctor who was more familiar with MRSA than all of the other doctors I had seen up to that point. She did a nose culture, and a culture of a boil that she lanced and drained for me. (which I HIGHLY recommend for anyone who thinks they have MRSA) It came back positive for MRSA. She prescribed Bactrim DS, which I received as the generic version, SMZ/TMP DS 800-160 mg tablets. I took 2 per day, one in the morning, one in the evening. This was the only antibiotic I had taken up to that point that I didn’t have ANY new boils pop up while I was taking it. I only took it for 30 days the first time. Again, when I got off it, a few days later I had a new couple of boils pop up, this time, one on my buttock, and one right on the end of my nose. (gosh, was that one painful – as well as embarrassing) I went back to the doctor and this time and she gave me 30 days of the Bactrim as well as Bactroban Cream, (Mupirocin Calcium Cream 2%), which is only available through a prescription. I was told to use a q-tip to apply the cream deeply in my nose twice a day to kill the MRSA in my nose. (The nose is where it colonizes or lives) Since I was still having problems with yeast infections, which is common in people taking constant antibiotics, she prescribed me Diflucan, the one dose yeast treatment pill, and she gave me a prescription for Nystatin Cream, which I used twice a day as well. This time, it cleared up my boils, and I got rid of the yeast infection, had no signs of the MRSA, and felt great the entire time I was on the antibiotic. After I got off it, this time I went about 4 weeks without a recurrence. However, I got another boil about 2 weeks before Christmas. I was upset, but still hopeful that this Bactrim could get rid of it. Again, I went back to the Dr, this time she put me on the Bactrim for 60 days, told me to use the Bacroban cream twice a day until the tube was empty, (which I still haven’t used all of it- there’s a lot in a tube.) I also had the yeast again, and took 3 doses of the Diflucan. (One dose a day for three days.) and I also took the Nystatin cream 2 x a day til the rash was gone. This time, I have been off of the antibiotics for about 2 months. I have no signs of the boils, and I feel pretty hopeful they won’t come back. I can’t say they are gone for good, as it is too soon to tell, but I am doing well and hope that what my Dr prescribed for me will help someone else.
This last paragraph is only a couple of my opinions about MRSA after my own experience and research:
I have done A LOT of research and have found that Homeopathic doctors in Europe have used hydrogen peroxide injections and fresh cranberry aloe juice with 8 drops of food grade hydrogen peroxide to help their patients. I find it interesting that straight cranberry juice helps get rid of bladder infections when I get them. Anyway, it is also a good idea to eat LOTS of yogurt (no sugar added) while taking antibiotics to replace the ‘good’ bacteria in your body. From what I understand, antibiotics kill both the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ bacteria in your body. We need ‘good’ bacteria for many of the functions of the body. I also noticed that I seemed to develop boils during times when I was highly stressed out. I am somewhat of a ‘high-stress’ person, and I honestly believe that when you have ‘dormant’ MRSA staph in your body, it erupts when you get really stressed out. That is just my opinion. So try to stay as calm as possible and I believe that regular exercise helps with stress. Lastly, I believe sugary foods, candy, cake, sodas, etc. aren’t good for you in regular life, but they are the worst thing for you when you have MRSA. I completely eliminated sodas from my diet (including diet sodas ) about 2 months ago and feel it has made a huge difference in my health and my body’s ability to deal with the staph. It was hard, as I was a ‘soda–aholic’, but I believe it has helped me heal. Drink AT LEAST 10 8 OZ GLASSES OF WATER A DAY INSTEAD. Well, I hope my experience helps someone else, and if so, maybe it was worth it. I will try to keep in touch with this website and let you know if I have any more problems or suggestions. Good luck and feel free to e-mail me if you just want to ‘talk’ to someone who understands what you are going through. God Bless, -Julie Ramsey (julieramsey1969@yahoo.com)

a poster above named Richard tried to include the link to the abc.net.au site with what seemed like a cooky antecdote for MSRA. Well, it's was true(meaning the article not the cure)! With more persistent digging, I was able to find the documnet he was making reference to. I have included it in my post header, but just in case, here it is as well:

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s293242.htm

I am not sure how credible it is, but I do agree with something that is widely known in the interview...the reason why we don't know more about home-type remedies is because it doesn't involve any major drug companies and loads of profit. sorry, I don't mean to paint a conspiracy theory, but damnit, I hear about this all the time in different forms of media.

I sure wish that we could get away from commercialism.
I pray that this helps someone or someone(s).

Dapre'.

My husband had mrsa, does it ever go away or come back for any reason. My husband is a parapalegic. He has bed sores. He was in the hospital for a flap a couple of years ago and he got mrsa he is allergic to Leviquin. Is that the only one that will help the infection? He is in the hospital right now what are his chances of getting the infection again? He is coming home tomorrow how will I know if he has contrated it again? What are the signs and symptoms to watch for? Thank u for your advice to me and others. Kimberly Betts

I've been dealing with MRSA for about 4.5 months now. In January of 2005, I got the spider bite everyone talks about and within a week I had to have a half-inch abscess removed from my left hip. Having not cultured the site, four physicians incorrectly diagnosed the site as a brown recluse spider bite.

Following the January incident, I had several small infection sites around the original site - perhaps 5-6, each of which slowly went away on their own and did not require medical intervention. The January physician proscribed Cipro following the surgery - it did nothing.

In late March, anther site developed on my left buttock and hip. The "bite" occurred on a Monday morning. By Wednesday, the abscess was about 1/2" with a hardened area of infection about 3 inches across. I saw two physicians on Wednesday, was proscribed Bactrim DS (double strength) antibiotic. By Friday, I returned to the doctor - the site of abscess had grown to well over an inch and the surrounding area of redness and hardening covered about 8 inches.

Finally, my mother in Atlanta found information on MRSA and told me about her findings. I printed several documents from the CDC and brought them to my office visit. To my surprise, a new physician saw me on Friday and immediately told me that she suspected MRSA. I was transferred to the emergency room where an initial surgery was performed, followed by a second surgery on Sunday. Throughout my hospital stay, I received 5 IV treatments of Vanco. I was in the hospital for four days total. Late Monday, I was discharged only to find myself in crisis several hours later after suffering a severe allergic reaction to the Leviquin. My doctor told me to begin taking the Bactrim DS again.

I have another surgery tomorrow (the third on this site) to drain the remaining infection from the site. However, the infection has stopped spreading, and the fever and chills have gone away. Although the remaining infection site has steadily reduced in size, it was decided to treat the remaining infection aggressively and again operate on the site.

Following my hospital stay, I also began using bactrum ointment once a day in my nose. I have a test next week to determine if the nasal colonization has been affected by the ointment.

Having finally found a physician that has done his homework, let me pass along the following tips to everyone he discussed with me...

1. Keep Purell or some other hand sanitizer in every room - use it all the time;

2. Make sure your soap (both hand and bath) are antibacterial and wash your hands like hell;

3. Wash your sheets as frequently as you can... best I've been told at this point, 25 minutes of hot water washing seems sufficient to kill off the stuff. (I rotate three sets of sheets - and wash them once a week). Same with clothes - don't re-wear stuff several times & wash EVERYTHING in hot water;

4. Use an antibacterial spray (like Lysol) and spray down your bathroom following every use. I spray the toilet, the sink & the shower, I also spray the kitchen sink once a day;

5. Once a week or so, shower with hibaclens or try tea tree body wash (check out this medical study - it found that tea tree soap was as effective as hibiclens in killing MRSA on the body...but not in the nose...and much less harsh on the skin).

Here's the site...

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WJP-4C47M7T-D&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2004&_alid=268414916&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=6884&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2a764f1aa8ec326a338bcad294c4a605

6. Use disposable razors and throw them away after you use them;

7. Shower with a new towel every day and don't keep hand towels hanging in the bathroom - Either use paper towels that are single use & disposable - or wash the fabric towels after every use;

8. Use antibacterial dish soap and soak dishes for 20-30 minutes.

This may be repetitious for many of you, but I figured I'd pass along what I've learned so far.

Good luck to everyone.

-Jason

I was diagnosed with msra just lately. I have had this since Dec 2003. It started out like something crawling on my skin , I developed bruises , rash, fevers, sweats, chills, slimey mouth, thick salvia that I couldn't spit out almost. I ache all over,have times that it feels like fire ants stinging me . I have really bad headaches ,my finger nails and toenails get infections ,they end up looking deformed almost and my nose drips at times.I was told I had been spider bitten at the emergency room . I went to 19 doctors 15 of which practically told me I was crazy 4 doctors that said we don't have this kind of stuff in this country . those told me it was Bioterrorism .My mother and husband also had this stuff. I had virual infection and bacterial infection. I have spent thousands of dollars going to Drs. in Ark,Texas,& Louisianna We were told we had parasitosis due to fact we had the crawling sensations . I passed a larvae in a urine specimen and then the doctor believed me . It was an oriental rat flea larvae. I had had such a bad infection and felt like I was dieing. I lost 40 lbs and was a nervous wreck because of the stress and pain. I contracted this from my pet of 9 years, she got it from under a bldg in mothers back yard . Stray,wild cats had been living there and the dog chased them out of the yard. My dog had just had a bath and was clean up to this point. After the dog came in the house we noticed she looked at her paws and then would bite and chew on them . She would lay on her back and frantically move back and forth trying to scratch her back. We started having symptoms 2 weeks later and we still have them currently. I 've been several times to the Emergency Rm. and to the hospital stayed over a week twice and had antiobiotics in Ivs and orally . Just before all this started happening to us there had been some muslems picked up in Dallas that were supposedly going around with plans of poisoning the water supply systems. One doctor told us this was something made up of many things. The Doctor Germ that worked for Saddam Hussien could of possibly made up this stuff. She worked for him for many many years and some of the pictures of people that were killed in Iraq did have sores on them that looked like these. It is possible that something could be spreading by way of our pets and infecting us. Nearly every American has a pet and most stay in the homes. I had to get rid of my dog and she was my best friend and like a child to me. It 's been over a year now and I still hurt and tear up over not being able to keep her. She had developed these sores and infection also . The veternarian didn't even know what they were at that time. Then this past year we have been diagnosed with Msra and told there is no cure for it. I need surgery and have been told not to persue it due to the infections could kill me. I have been taking MSM, Vitimin B complex, Biotin, Inosital(Niacin,Flax seed oil, Vitimin E ,Multivitim, and Mineral Supplements , Drinking Noni Juice,taking apple cider vinegar andZinc plus oderless garlic 7200mg a day . Taking Alegra to help with symptoms in sinis as much as lpossible. , Taking laxatives to stay cleaned out , and drinking lots of water and cranberry juice, eating as healthy as possible and using triple antiobiotic salve on the sores ,also a prescription salve of Triamcinolone Acetonide ointment usp.0.1% We were also told we had another diagnoses with this at first called Neuro Cutaneous Syndrome caused from toxins so they said. We had anthropod parts identified that came out of our pores in our skin. One was a rat flea , a gnat,and a horned fly and thrips. Some fiber like things . We have enlarged pores,with skin ripples or waves also.This whole mess has been like a trip to the twilight zone. I would never of believed anything could have been this tormenting and worrisome. I wouldn't even have believed it possible to happen if not having to wittness it first hand. By the way the humane shelter set traps in my mothers back yard and caught 9 stray cats that were all infected with this same stuff and were pregnant,they were euthanized plus 2 big possums were caught too and the same done to them. There is a big drainage ditch behind my mothers property and the city doesn't control the undergrowth like it should. The neighbor next door had lots of junk in his yard and had rats and they attracted the cats. Mother didn't have any pets. I always took my dog every where with me and this stuff robbed me of the best friend I had and I will never have another pet due to this. It has affected my eye site also and overall health, I have aged in appearance at least 15 years, my skin is scared and I keep anemia and have to take 3 Feosol Iron caplets daily and Vitimin C daily too on top of all the rest. If any one else has had the same symptoms please email me too.We bathe daily , wash hair daily, change and wash linens daily and wash clothes daily . It is a full time job fighting this just to exist and it is a poor existence. We pray alot too.Our county Health Department now has Bioterriosm employees we have contacted congressmen, and represenatives also sent letter to the president. After all the letters that is when we got Bioterrorism people at the county health dept. I don 't know about URL's I have only had computer short time and no formal training on it.

www.germcrimes.us

Action: On April 12, 2005 the doctor told my mother that it is in Gods hands. If it is in Gods hands the Hospitals and Stock Marketers need to start praying because if my dad dies the video of the unsanitary conditions in the cardiac ICU where he was at and the name of the Houston, TX hospital will be all over the internet their worldwide reputation will be Slam-dunked!

Solution: Most hospitals and healthcare workers are not going to whistle blow on each other because of Medicare, lawsuits and the stock market etc. If healthcare workers were under a Microscope 90,000 Americans would not die each year from hospital-acquired infections and it would not add nearly $5 billion per year to our nation's health care costs etc. Each patient needs to have a webcam that their loved ones could check on them from the web with a password this would solve most of the problems!

Story: On February 24, 2005 at a worldwide known hospital in Houston, TX in the cardiac ICU if I would not have video-taped the unsanitary conditions where my father was located at he would be dead today from resistant germs. I know the truth and the hospitals will not be able to sweep their errors under the carpet any more. When the healthcare workers notice what I was doing they became helpful with my dad and called in two doctors. Latter that night when we went to check on my dad his bed sheets was super clean and the sink was spotless. Know one should have to suffer and die because some healthcare workers do not follow Proper hand sanitation etc., to prevent germs from spreading to other patients. The next day I called the health department they told me it was a good thing what I did because it put the ICU on full protocol what they should have been on all along. I only fear God not man and I will not stop until the whole world knows the truth about hospital-acquired infections. My dad was infected with MRSA and it is in his blood (sepsis), but I think it is VRSA and they just don’t want to admit it. Ever since my dad was infected I have be studying about germs and a few of the laws on the Internet. On April 12, 2005 the doctor told my mother that it is in Gods hands. If it is in Gods hands the Hospitals and Stock Marketers need to start praying because if my dad dies the video of the unsanitary conditions in the cardiac ICU where he was at and the name of the Houston, TX hospital will be all over the internet their worldwide reputation will be Slam-dunked!

Dennis E. Poole Jr. menace@germcrimes.us

I have had several break-outs of boils on the past 6 months. I have had about ten on the top of my thighs, two on my head, one on my arm, two on my ankles, and now a particularly painful one on my knee.
My freind broke his leg about a year ago and it never healed. The doctors didn't know what it was, so he just kept having to get surgeries. Well, it turns out that he has a staff infection and that was keepimg it from healing. We didn't know it until the end of last summer; after he had been swimming in my pool several times. My aunt gets staff, my sister gets sfaff, and now I believe that I have it. I am 15 years old and I don't know how contagious this virus is. can someone please tell me?

Has anyone had MRSA that doesn't present as a skin issue. I have been sick for about 6 weeks with what started as bronchitis. I was treated with Biaxin, inhalers, decongestants and a dose of steroids but did not get any better. Then I got a raging case of conjunctivitis and a sinus infection on top of the bronchitis. Two rounds of Levaquin, chest x-rays, sinus x-rays and a sinus culture later, it has been determined that I have MRSA in my sinuses. The ENT has put me on Septra DS and wants to do a CT scan of my sinuses in two weeks to be sure the infection has cleared. What I've read about MRSA has alarmed me somewhat and I wonder if waiting two more weeks is wise. While I am much, much better than I was even a week ago, I'm still fatigued and still cough constantly. My eye is still healing. Interestingly, all of these symptons seemed to have affected the right side of my head and chest. I've read about MRSA causing pneumonia. Anyone have any thoughts?

I'm an 18 year old female with a mother that is only 43 and has had 9 back surgeries, a branagan cage put in her back, and two different sets of rods put on the sides of her spine. She went about a year with her lower back hurting her, then it got to the point that when she was laying in the bed she had to lay on her side because when she would lay on her back or stomach her fingers and legs would start to tingle and go to sleep so laying on her side made it ease up enough to fall asleep. What she didnt know at the time is that she had 2 bludging dics that were pinching her spinal cord and causing her fingers and legs to go numb. She had an MRI and proved that there were bludging dics. Then she was scheduled to have back surgery to remove 2 dics. They took out 1 but the other one was petrified, so they left it alone. That night when she was sent home, it was Fourth of July and she heard some fireworks outside and went down the stairs into the living room to see what was going on and tripped on the staris landing face down on the tile floor infront of the front door. She then went back into the hospital and found out that the petrified dic shattered into pieces into her back and caused another dics to bludge. So she had another surgery and they clipped a nerve that caused her to have foot drop in her right leg. They went into her back again to put rods on the side of her spine but then later on she was allergic to them and had to have them taken out. Then they found some titanium rods that she should not be allergic to, but out of all people, she just had to be allergic to everything. After having the second set put in it was okay for a while. She later found out she had gotten staph infection because they kept going into her back through the same open wound. They never gave it time to heel, and the doctors would staple her up but have to take those out because she was allergic to ALL METALS. She died twice but came back. She has had a lot of pints of blood given to her because her white blood cell count was so low. They put bone in her lower back from the bone bank to try and give her back some durability because she is missing so many dics. She was out of the hospital for 10 months and on April 27, 2005 had to be amitted back into the hospital because for a week and a half she was running a fever of 101-103. Her staph had laied dormit for those 10 months. Then she went outside to smoke a ciggerette and the pollen was bad and so are her allergies, that she ended up having her allergies act up on her and started to run the fever. Now she is still in the hospital 3 weeks later and her feet have swollen up because her body has no other place for the staph infection fluid to go, so they placed a drainage tube into her left side by her kedney to drain the staph and after a while he took it out because the drainage stopped, and now she is getting hardness around her heart which has never happened before. Her veines in her arms are so little because of the potinet medicines that are going through them and she has a picc IV in her left arm that goes into her heart. (Which is scary) I love my mom and she has been through so much, only 43, divorced because her sorry ass husband cheated on her in the middle of staying in the hospital for a year and a half, and having to live in a wheelchair for probably the rest of her life. I know that I worte quite a bit, but she has been through a lot and I want people to see that your not the only one having a hard time. I'm about to start college and I'm watching over my mom, I just need some help. I need some advise of a good doctor that has a heart and just isnt out for money. I live in Shreveport, Louisiana. My mom is a very strong woman but there are just some things you can't do all by yourself. PLEASE e-mail me.....if you have any suggestions or comments.

Where can someone buy this tea-tree oil concoction??

Our son was just diagnosed with MSRA and it appears the culprit is High School Wrestling. We live in Southern California and our Physician said he has seen at least three or four cases in the last couple of months. He referred to it as "Wrestler's Disease" but also said if it were football season he would have referred to it as "Football Player's Disease". Very new and expensive antibiotics were initally administered with no effect. Once finally diagnosed, surgery was performed in order to drain and treat. Antibiotics were then the continued course of treatment.

My son is in prison for a felony,that involved 3 boys whom were attacking him,and the other boys got off scott free..My son is very healthy young man and good morals and etc.,nearly little over a month ago he hadn a very seriuous ear and sinus infection they refused him antibotics,now 2 1/2 weeks ago he had a pimple type thing on his back it brkoe open and terrible sutff came out of it it got to the size of 1/2 a tennis ball,they found he has mrsa,I have done some checking and it can come from ear and sinus infections if not treated prperly.I am very worried about him cause he is so miserable,and was in isolation for 2 weeks ,mo showres,etc,etc.I feel that the prison should be found neglegent because they ignored his prevoius infections.I also understand the" only",antibotic that will help isVacomyaein,I am at a lose as what to do .Please any info would be very much appreciated.Sincerly,Susan

Back in December I noticed this zit type thing on the back of my thigh. Over the course of two days the hard red part had grown to be the size of a softball if not larger. I was in a lot of pain so I went to see the doctor at my school. I didn't know what it was, but wanted to treat it ASAP. She put me on Trimeth and within a few days the area was ready to lance. I had grown a peanut M&M size pus bubble on the back of my leg and it burst...that's how we knew it was ready. Anyhow that one healed up and I took the rest of my Trimeth antibiotics and also Bactroban in my nose for a week. She got a culture done and it, sure enough, was MRSA. 3 months later (March) I developed a second and third infection. The first one was on my eye brow. I thought it was just a zit, and after I talked with my sister and told her exactly what it was doing (she would often get zits there and said it was exactly like what I was saying) I was certain it was just a zit. Well, with in a few days I had developed this very painful zit on my side. I knew right away that it was a staph infection. I could just feel it. It took a little bit longer to develope than the one on the back of my leg, but it sure hurt more. I was able to squeeze a HUGE amount of pus out of my eyebrow. Once I got the one on my side, I realized that the one on my eyebrow was most likely staph too. Scary thought. Well we put me back on Trimeth and Bactroban and it all cleared up. Well just the other day I felt a bruise on my leg. I looked at it a little bit later and saw a zit and I knew right away that I had developed yet another staph infection. It's small, but painful and red. I went to the same doctor and she put my on Trimeth again. She didn't make it sound like she would have to lance it, but it has grown a pus filled head and I'm afraid she may have to.
I have a few questions or concerns. I asked my doctor why I keep getting these every three months and what I can do to get rid of them. She said that she was going to consult an infectious disease doctor and see why the bactroban isn't clearing it up. She can tell that I'm worried and don't want to deal with these again and again. She said I may need to be on a month long antibiotic and would probably develope a yeast infection. I really don't want to deal with one of those.
I'm also concerned about whether my children will be prone to getting staph infections. I don't plan on having kids soon but I'm afraid that they will get them (like what if I have one while I'm pregnant, are they more at risk?).
Does MRSA ever completely heal up? I'm just really tired of it and I've only been dealing with it for the last 6 months. I just don't want to deal with them every 3 months.
I'm a fairly healthy person. I don't get sick much and when I do it's just a cold here and there. I lived in the residence halls here at school, which may put me at risk,but no one else has gotten these.
The staph infections are getting smaller everytime I get them, but still not to the point that I can get rid of them on my own and not have to go to the doctor.
Any comments or answers would be much appreciated.

WEll...
I am one of the folks that have'nt had any types of surgeries and avoid hospitals as much as possible. (I avoid Hospitals and clinics out of fear of catching something worse than what I went in with.) Before this past January, that personal rule of mine had served me well.

I've always been suseptable to acne 'downstairs', oddly enough, always on my right cheek. Around January though, I developed an itch about an inch from my anus. To make a long story short, this 'itch' evolved into an all out, pus leaking(and very painful)infection.

I've never had anything like this happen to me in my life. I thought I had caught some weird cancer or something...I felt filty, unclean, and became really depressed. The depression seemed to make it worse.

I avoided the Hospitals for as long as I could. I cleaned it, tried to squeeze it, but it was no use. I ended up going to an emergency room here in Long Beach, CA, where they lanced it and gave me a perscription for Bactrim, and Vicadin for the pain.
The Bactrim did it's job, but unfortunatly I had an allergic reaction which caused me to break out in hives.

(Oh yeah, to make things worse, I caught some type of 'flu' while
waiting for them to drain my backside. I literally started
coughing as soon as I walked outside the ER.)
After the wound was lanced,I asked the doctor what it was that I had. the only thing he could tell me was that it was 'common' in Long Beach. And that I would probably catch it again. He also made a comment about prisons...I was too sore to catch everything
he said. All I could remeber really was that I felt really filthy and sore. The table that they had lanced me looked like they sacrificed something on it. And the only thing more painful for me besides that walk home, was the bill I received a week later.
The wound cleared up. The cough, which is unrelated but notable, clear two months later.

So now a few months have passed, and what I thought was an insect bite on my right cheek had become an all out, tennis ball sized infection Pus and all. I avoided the doctors this time, not having any clue as to the whats and whys. I kept it clean, religiosly so, and rinsed it with hydrogen peroxide. Eventually the 'membrane' that had housed the infection 'ripened'and gave easily,I was able to remove it from my side while I was in the shower. (Pretty gross, huh?) Once removed, It left a hole about an inch around and an inch deep. Suprisingly enough, it did'nt hurt. (As an aside, I dont relly recomend doing this. This is just how this happened to me.)

I rinsed it with Hydrogen Peroxcide and used Tea tre oil and neosporin and bandaged it,
Over the past few weeks I have sucked down all sorts of homepathic remedies...with the exception of the silver that a few of the bloggers mentioned. Honestly, I never felt this healthy. I think my mother would be amazed at how many vitamins I now suck down on a daily basis.

But you know what? Yesterday I got another 'mysterious' spider bite, and the wound that was healing normally has begun to
harden ,the area around it is now red and irritated. WTF?
A friend of mine confided that he had had 8 different staff infections on his hands and finger in the last year. And this guy is really clean so that scares me. The staff virus seems to like my glutes. It seems that once you are infected that it recurs in areas close to the initial infection.

I'm allergic to most atibiotics, and I refuse to live my life in a plastic bubble.
What erks me, is that the Dr. at my initial lancing seemed to know what it was, but did'nt tell me the facts. Just paytched me up enough to get me mobile until my next infection. If staff is common here in Long Beach, as the dr. had said, then why is'nt this being treated like the epeidemic that it is. I will not spend another dime on hospital visit.

If I find a 'natural' treatment that works for me, I will be sure to post it.
So down to the witch doctors and herbalist I go. Thanks for having this blog up. Its good to know that I'm not alone in this mess.

Good luck everyone!

I had both knees totally replaced at the same time on September of 2002. After recovery period, I was pain free and able to play tennis three times aweek and as time went on was riding a bike painting walls, dancing, and in general was functioning without any restrictions, or discomfort. A week ago
On June 5 2005, it came on very suddenly with no advance warning, my left knee had pain and in a short time could not stand on that foot, had to use a walker and hop on my good leg. Next day went to the emergency room, knee was swollen and red hot. X-rays were taken and no damage detected, the doctor drained almost a cup of fluid from my knee, the lab results were that I had a Staph infection . The next day the Orthopedic doctor performed surgery on my knee making three cuts around the knee and and irrigated and flushed the area. had a few drainage tubes in the hospital from the incisions to a collection container. Had intravenious for five days in the hospital with all kinds of antibiotics. Right now I am home with a IV line in the underside of my arm and the tube runnining into a vessel in my chest.
I am having a nurse visit me once a day to administer the medication thru the IV line, this will continue for six weeks, the IV takes about twenty miniutes. In addition I also take an antibiotic pill called Levaquin
that I have to pay for expensive with co-pay it's $9.00 a pill. Right now I can move around the house using my walker. I seems to be getting better but have to lick this infection.
My question is has any one out there had success in fighting off Staph infections? I sure as hell don't want to go thru another replacement.Most of the posts here indicate very few success with staph infections after total knee replacement, is there any positive results out there?
IRV.

-------------------------

My daughter has been dx with MRSA in her ear. I have never heard of such a thing. My knowledge of MRSA has been in wounds and people who had been in the hospital. My daughter has not been in the hospital and has not had a wound or any problems. We find out what the course of action is for treatment tomorrow. The physician says she will probably need IVs. Is IV treatment always six weeks? millie

This is a continuation of my post from the 11th. I went to a local herbalist and told her my woes. As I said before, the wound on my bum had began to get 'infected' again. And two more bumps had started to form around the same general area. (My butt had seen better days, that's for sure...)

Anyhow, the herbalist told me that I had to not only get rid of the infection/virus but to streathen my immunity so that it does'nt happen in the first place. She went on to explain that a lot people that are very healthy have staph present on their skin, but never get sick from it. She recommended the following, all for various reasons...she went into a lot of very clinical language that went over my head, but I will try my best to paraphrase...

First off, I had to kill the infection and start the healing process. She recommended I take Oregano Oil, in pill form.
(The active 'constiuant' in the oil , called carvacrol, is what helps kill the bacteria. If you buy this oil, whatever the brand
you should make sure that it's carvacrol content is standardized at 70%. The different bottles of oil will have this imformation
printed on their labels.)I bought a bottle of 60 pills for about $15.

She then recommended that I use a mushroom compound in pill form, which is a mixture of 16 different types of mushrooms. She said that this would help streangthen my immunity. She went on to add, that I could get the same effect from buying mushrooms(Shiitake, Reishi, Maitake...) boiling them down with lots of onion and garlic, and making into a type of soup. (yum.) I dont think that it would work with a standard white mushroom, just the exotics.
I bought a bottle of 60 pills of the mushroom complex for around $14.

She then recommended that I drink an herbal infusion made with nettles at least once a day for the redness and inflamation. She had no fancy packaged herbal tea for me to buy, just loose leaf at about a $1 an ounce. I bought two ounces of the dried nettles.
As for other teas she said would help, she recommended rosehips, alfalfa and astragalus.

Epson salt bath would help with the redness and inflamation.

She also recommended other options, which I will add at the end of my post. I just have to say that after a week of this treatment I am almost completly healed. (Which is a big deal to me.) I saw a drastic improvement in the first few days, and now I can sleep without bandages on my backside. The wound is completely scabbed over. The other two bumps have since subsided.

I recommend to anyone with a case such as mine to go see a good herbalist. Not a 15 year old that works part time at your local GNC, but an actual licenced herbalist/nutritionist. I spoke with my mother about this, and was suprised to find that SHE has had an infection on the back of her head for the last month. She has no idea what it is, and the doctors have'nt been able to help her. My doctor had told me Staph is 'common' here in Long Beach. But they dont seem to have a way to get rid of it. If this bacteria is here to stay, and is present on 'most' people's skin, should'nmt more attention be paid to this now common occurance?
Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now. Below is my herbalists complete perscription for me. Good luck everyone.

*Oregano Oil 1cap 4x a day
*Mushroom Tabs 1-2 caps 2x a day
*Vitamin C 3-5 grams a day (helps rebulid damaged tissue)
*Epson salt baths (Frequency at your own discretion.)
*Herbal teas - Nettles, rosehips, alfalfa and astragalus
*Garlic and Onions, lots.
(note: My herbalist told me that I could bake a half of onion, and while its still warm put it on my wound. She said the effect would be comprable to an epson bath soak.)
*Blueberries, fresh or unsweetened frozen varieties, could be eaten once a day. The blueberries apparently help with healing the skin.
She also suggested eating carrots, sweet potato, tomatos and dark greens like spinach.
*Last but not least, she imformed me that it was important that I try to eat very plain food while I healed. So that means I have to decrease the amounts of sugar and salt from my diet. No fried food. No Junk food or processed foods.
She said too much sugar,even in the fruit I eat can be counter active to my healing process. I then asked her why the heck did she suggest the blueberries then? It's because the benefits of the fruit outweigh any detrimental effects. Fruits like bananas, peaches, and mangos should be avoided as they are mostly sugar. ANd if you drink juice, make sure that it's actually 100% juice. Not a juice cocktail. Cocktails generally are anywhere from 30 to 50% juice, the rest is sugars and other stuff.

Again, good luck everyone. This has been a good start for me. And I hope that some of this helps you. Thanks.

Hi all
I thought I had it bad!... thank you so much for this site wow
now I know the name of what i have been fighting for the last year..
I allready hav health issues [blood clots, poor circulation, thrombisis in my legs], I tell you this not to whine but to point out that if any of you ever get 'new' symptoms, do some research and see a Doc. [of a herbalist, doc first] anyway last july I slept outside and woke up with pain in my right leg swolen veins [what i assumed was a new phelibitis attack] so I wraped it up like I had done before, by that evening I had the "spider bites" in two places on my right calf over the next month it would not heal and opened into ulcers the size of a half dollar ans a nickel respectivly.
It took me six months of washing treating bandaging ETC. and and amazing amount of pain (I was useing my leftover pain meds from years back just to sleep or burbon)(not together!!!) before I finaly when to a 'doctor ?'! I was broke so I whent to a county of Los Angeles clinic. They gasped and were shocked and were clueless. but I got some Keflex and took my vitamins and saw the surgon who thought maybe a a skin graft [i think he wanted some practice] I almost ran [limping] from the place not to return.

What I did do [this does have a happy ending] was get help for my circulation problems with blood thinners(not for most people) took wirlpool baths with lots of clorine put hydroperox on the wound a lot , slept a lot, ate lots of herbals and vits and after 12 months they are closed. left a heck of a scar though. but a new one has opened, but now i know wat to do

1.bath alot use clorine [lightly , it can burn] thewater should feel slipery = 2-3 times /week
2.wash your clothes alot especialy socks and undies, disinfect them, dry them hot or in the sun [UV RAYS],this kills all th nasty microbes
3.wash,wash,wash,wash your hands like a doctor does (the good ones) ask one to show you! [I was pre-med]
4. tripple antibiotic is good but let it get some sun if you can.
5. Herbals work! Herbals work! see the entry s above this one
6. get the antibiotic give it a try, sometimes different people respond diferently to them
OH YES --- wet wipes with water & alcohol or lysol or perox. wipe the injured area and your tush
and your other equipment and wipe the door knobs in your house they are the most common carrier [my wife was a pre-k teacher with the healthist kids
A side benifit to all this healthy living is that you will boost your imune system
and you probaly wont catch the flu or cold virus
[did I mention "lysine" an imuno-booster amino acid]

We are in the middle of an MRSA nightmare. My 3 year old developed 2 painful boils on his bottom and was given Cephalexin. He had to take this medication orally 4x/day for 10 days. His boils didn't heal until the end of his treatment. Two weeks later my 4.5 year old son developed a HUGE nasty boil on the back of his calf. Horribly painful. It popped and a huge red, bloody, pussy mass came out of it. I took him to the doctor and he was prescribed the same medication as my younger son. However, I asked the doctor to please do a culture on the boil because I wanted to know what it was. She called back three days ago and told me it was MRSA and that it is running rampant in our community (San Pedro, CA a suburb of Los Angeles). She didn't tell me that it was staph. I just found out now reading this site. I am so worried. My husband and I have three boys (4.5 years, 3 years and 11 months) and I just had a full abdominoplasty 2 weeks ago and I'm supposed to be reclining for 4 weeks. Great. So now my boys are on a sulfa-based antibiotic (called Septra) and we all have to put Mupirocin in our noses 2x/day for 5 days. I had to buy Hibiclens soap from the pharmacy (surgical soap) and we have to bathe in it and wash our hands with it for one week. I was also told by the doctor to use clorox bleach on all of our bedding and clothes. I took the extra step of cloroxing every toy in our house, every surface (floor, counters, toilets) cloroxing every stuffed animal. Our house wreaks of bleach which is probably not very healthy for us either, but the alternative is worse. I am very disheartened hearing how resistant this infection is to treatment. My doctor called the CDC directly to ask what we should do to treat this infection. How scary is that? The doctor said I don't have to tell everyone who has been in contact with us to get treatment, because only skin lesions or boils harbor the staph, and it lives in the nasal cavity. Gross. I just feel fortunate that we have hardly been around any of our friends for a month because of my recent surgery. However, we have seen three friends and they all have four year old kids. I called them all to warn them. Good luck to all of you dealing with this. I couldn't get a straight answer from my doctor as to how this spreads. It seems highly contagious and that it can be caught anywhere (park, store, hospital, etc.)

Having just gotten results of a culture done last week[MRSA] on a possible spider bite in my left groin, I realize how lucky and blessed I am [after reading all the previous posts!] that my doctors had the foresight to treat it aggressively. After the initial onset of a very red, angry painful bite I consulted my dr. within 36 hrs. Bactrim DS 2x daily for 30 days was the initial RX, along with hot, wet compresses 3x daily. It was lanced, but only bled. During the next 24-36 hrs, my temp became more intense, the pain increased, and I felt very unwell with sweats, weakness, faintness. The lesion itself went from the size of a small marble to the size of a large plum; got darker red [almost purplish] in color, and the areas surrounding it got red, hot and very swollen. And painful. The hot compresses stung & hurt; but it started draining a bloody-serous fluid the 3rd night. The next morning, I went back to the doctor who cultured it, expressed as much pus as they could without killing me, and added Rifampin 300 mg. 3x daily to my regimen, and to continue the Bactrim. I was taking Aspirin every four hrs. for the fever, and I think it also helped my pain level.I have been living with RA [Rheumatoid Arthritis]since 1980, so I live with pain pretty much on a daily basis...Now my DX was changed to "Cellulitis, secondary to infected insect bite" I was told to stay home from work for 3-5 days, longer if necessary. I had to go back to work on the 3rd day [the 7th day after the onset of symptoms]. I have continued to mend and feel better day by day. I have been using Witch Hazel on the site twice a day, and Tea Tree Oil shampoo on the site once daily. I am highly allergic to insect bites, especially chigger bites. I discovered that Tea Tree Oil seems to heal them almost immediately; whereas before I could look forward to days and weeks of intense itching, swelling and general misery. I take Echinacea, Vitamin C, E, and a multi vitamin for people over 50. So far, so good...

My heart goes out to all you people so much. I'm also one who was "sick and tired of being sick and tired". If I can just give some advice in all humbleness and honesty. What many of you are doing is killing yourselves with all the medications you're taking.

The body needs natural stuff to heal and restore itself. When you put in manmade chemicals and antibiotics you are only masking the problem and making your body sicker. I know...I was there. I am now healthy and have more energy than I've ever had in my life. I'm 46. At one time I felt like I was 146....Now I feel like I'm in my 20's again.

I discovered what so many of you are talking about. The doctors only treat the symptoms of your illnesses. They TREAT the disease, not CURE it. There's no money in curing you, they want to treat you and keep you coming back and back.

I broke free of the cycle of doctors, sicknesses, medication blah blah blah and found out what God had put into nature that was MEANT for the human body to help heal itself. I am now taking three things....and I am SOOO healthy now. My BP is the lowest it's ever been, my cholesterol is normal, my pre-diabetic condition is non existant, my chronic fatigue has vanished, my headaches are gone, my skin rashes have cleared up, my allergies are gone, my yeast infections are gone.....I could go on and on. I feel like a new creature.

Know how it happened? I did LOTS of research and then decided to try the three things that seemed to help the most people get over the most illnesses in the shortest amount of time. Here's what I take.

Olive leaf extract (capsules) 2 with each meal. (I believe someone mentioned this before) Standardized to between 18% to 20% oleuropein. This stuff is AMAZING. Talk about fixing my thyroid problems!! It's also nature's antibiotic. My daughter started taking it when she went off to college. SHe is now a senior, having spent 3 1/2 years in a dorm and hasn't had so much as a SNIFFLE in all that time...and she's the one who used to always get sick at CHristmas...not anymore.

Risotriene - this is stabilized rice bran. I know it sounds pretty benign...but man oh man what a difference. Read about it. It's God's gift to the human body. It's the most nutrient rich food on the planet. I felt a difference after just 2 days. Your body needs strength to heal and overcome illness, this will give it what it needs. I swear to you I now sit around and wonder what I can do next because I have so much energy (and that's coming from a woman who used to have trouble getting out of the bed in the morning and couldn't walk a flight of stairs without feeling like I was going to faint)

Acidophilus - You know what this is. It's the good bacteria that is SUPPOSED to be in your body that all the antibiotics have killed off. It's one of the reasons you keep getting sicker and sicker is bacause you've got NO good bacteria in your colon any longer. I take 4 gelcaps a day.

That's it. It's changed my life. Literally, changed my life. It was there all along. Completely healthy and affordable. Who knew?? God I guess. He put it there.

I say all this to say that my son in law came down with MRSA on his chest. It turned into a thing the size of a saucer over his left breast. No antibiotic would touch the stuff and the abcess turned into a cyst the size of a kiwi under his nipple. He had to have it cut open and the doctors literally scraped it out while he screamed. He had to have it packed with gauze stuff, but it wouldn't get well. He was told he needed to go on IV. I told him bullcrap. Start taking the stuff I'm taking, but in higher doses to knock that MRSA on it's butt.

Long story short. He did. And he didn't even have to go back to the doctor to close the wound left on his chest. It closed by itself and all infection is gone. He hasn't had anymore problems since. No more outbreaks of any kind. He continues to take the 3 things in an elevated dosage for a while just to be sure, but then he's going to cut back and take what I'm taking just to stay healthy. He got this MRSA while surfing down at Galveston. YUCK. He's lucky it wasn't the flesh eating kind.

Anyway, that's my story, I hope it will help someone. I feel for all of you. BUt there is HOPE. I can't guarantee you anything. I'm only telling you what happened to me and mine. But look at all the money you've spent on doctors and medicine so far. Ain't it worth a shot??

Good luck
Janet

Update:
Oh so my doctor told me to use Hibiclens for the next year as my soap. I have to scrub it for 3 minutes when I shower. Apparently that is what they use for surgical soap and should disinfect my body.

I keep getting them. Now it is basically once one heals another pops up.

I recently came across this program offered by Pfizer(manufacturer of Zyvox). It will provide individuals who have a perscription for Zyvox and are WITHOUT insurance (and meet income guidelines), a 30 day supply of the medication for only $5. I learned about this program for my mother who is a RN. Unfortunately I had already paid for my perscription (without insurance- for a 10 day percp. was $640.00)
After pricing this medication with all pharmacies in my town, this was the cheapest price I could find for a 10 day perscription. Pfizer (the manufacturer of Zyvox) has a toll free number (888-327-7787)you can call and inquire, enroll and receive necessary information needed to be eligable for this discount. I figured there may be others that also had this problem and could really benefit from this program. I also called my doctors office and gave them the phone number-(it sure would have been nice if they could have had that info at the time of my visit)
FYI-I was diagnosed with MRSA-my doc originally perscribed this(Zyvox) in a 14 day supply(which cost about $900 without insurance). I told him i didn't have insurance so he wrote my a perscription for 500mg of tetracycline 4 times a day for 10 days (which only got rid of it for a short period of time). Then when it came back he perscribed Bactrum DS 2xs a day for 7 days (which -ended in the same result-it returned after a short time)
So the last resort was to fill the perscription for Zyvox @$640.00-I mean it cost $640-it had to work-right?
So i took this medication and the damn MRSA returned... not sure if I needed to take it longer or if any of these antibiotics really work-I have been using all natural remedies and they seem to work the best (these remedies are listed in an above comment)
I got the Zyvox as a last resort-and when it didn't work -I found this website as a last last resort-it turned out to be more helpful and ALOT CHEAPER!!!!!!!! Well if you do decide to try the Zyvox and don't have insurance please look into the program offered by Pfizer -if Zyvox doesn't work for you, you can use the money you save on all the other remedies you'll probably have to try before you will gid rid of this persistant, relentless and unmerciful MRSA

I came down with my first episode of MRSA in the summer of 2004. My doctor at the time prescribed Keflex 500mg 4 times a day. It went away only to return a short time later. The doctor put me on Keflex again thinking it was just an infection and would go away. Finally by the third outbreak I went to a Dermatologist who took a coulture and opened up the area. It had not only traveled up my leg each time, this time I could hardly walk and the doctor put me on Bactrum DS. I was also prescribed the medicated soap PhysoHex along with a cream. It has gone away for now, but everytime I get a pimple or ingrown hair I am in fear of this coming back. They do not know why or how I keep getting this. I am open to anyone who has information that could help in finding a way for this not to return.

Dan Armendariz

my 73'yo diabetic Dad got MRSA either from nursing home(won't admit it) or HMO hospital (won't admit it, either). Started out as the typical 'bug bite' looking 'bump' and turned to cellulitis (about the size of a dinner plate on his upper leg within 15 days, spreading in patches to all other parts of his body, including back, ears and arms) accompanied by a general fungal infection. The medical profession tries to pretend MRSA's not as serious and as contageous as it is - it took me 6 doctors and 5 'use this cream' visits to get him admitted to the hospital to get his infection under control and even then, they couldn't get rid of him fast enough - 4 day stay. Whoopie! Board and Care refuse to take him back and private-pay Nursing services want 25% more to come into the home to help me take care of him. His HMO refuses to provide Home Health Care, saying it's 'custodial care' and they don't provide for that - no insurance policy does. Seems to me if the health profession would CLEAR everyone that has MRSA, then it wouldn't be a wide-spread problem - but I guess 6 weeks of IV-treatment hurts their bottom line and, repeat visits, and more 'customers' who buy drugs and creams that don't work, thru their pharmacy, by more and more MRSA-infected people DOES increase their bottom line - the louses !

Here's What I've learned:
1) MRSA FORMS A BIOFILM IN THE BODY on any plastic or metal in the body - thereby setting up a permanent residency, unreachable by antibiotics which can't penetrate the slimy biofilm - once your obvious symptoms have cleared, you're still a incubator for MRSA, so the best defense against repeat attacks is to build up your immune system with good nutrition, plenty of rest and Howard-Hughes-=like obsession with cleanliness.

2) MRSA CAN LIVE ON ENVIRONMENTAL SURFACES FOR MONTHS (doors, carpets, doorknobs, toilet handles, toilet paper rolls, faucets, car seats and upholstery, etc. ) so, if someone in your family has MRSA, go to Costco or other warehouse-type retailer, and buy a Case or two (or three) of Lysol, and a case or two (or five) of Purel (or some other waterless-hand disinfectant) at the same time you buy your case or two of Clorox. Lysol the jeepers out of EVERY surface in your home at LEAST once a day (don't forget to spray headboards, dresser drawers, shoes, carpets, wood floors, etc). (important not to forget about walker/wheelchair/crutches too). Use Purel like your life depended on it (it does). While you're at it, also buy several cases of disposable gloves and 'exam gowns' - you'll need them.

3) MRSA LIVES ON CLOTHES, so those with an active draining infection must wear a fresh set of clean clothes EVERY day - worn clothes should be handled with gloves and put in plastic bag BEFORE leaving room where taken off, AND washed in Clorox bleach (NOT non-clorine all-fabric type "bleach") (don't forget to Lysol every surface the clothes touched - bedspread, floor, chair, etc) Tie or hold the plastic bag shut BEFORE you carry it thru the rest of the house to the washing machine

4) MRSA LIVES ON SHEETS and BLANKETS - Bed linens that come in contact with any wound leakage MUST be changed EVERY DAY, immediately washed in Clorox bleach AND dried in a hot dryer. (bacterial growth goes from one to four million in about 4 hours). Once the oozing/draining has stopped, continue to wash the bed linens every other day or every third day - again, putting in a plastic bag BEFORE leaving the bedroom and always using GLOVES. Spray non-washables (blankets, bedspreads, bedskirts) with Lysol every day.

Wear a DISPOSABLE GOWN AND GLOVES when handling sheets or body-fluid soiled clothes AND put all contaminated items into a PLASTIC BAG *BEFORE" leaving the room AND put them DIRECTLY into the washing machine AND wash in HOTTEST water you can. (body fluids include, blood, diarreaha, urine, saliva, nose discharge)

5) MRSA LIVES IN YOUR WASHING MACHINE - the washing machine should be run with Clorox bleach in it, for AT LEAST ONE wash AND rinse cycle AFTER you remove the clothes, and BEFORE you wash all other laundry. If you don't, you just transfer the bacteria from one person's clothing to another (bet the doctor didn't tell you that, did he?). Most preferable, and most timeconsuming, is to wash the MRSA person's clothes OUTSIDE in a separate tub, partly line dry in the sun and then ALSO dry in the dryer for AT LEAST 20 minutes (don't forget - wear GLOVES).

6) MRSA LIVES ON EATING UTENSILS - so, again, when the MRSA person finishes eating, their plates, cups, glasses, eating utensils go into a separate wash basin with CLOROX to soak for 10 minutes or so, and KEPT SEPARATE from the rest of the family's eating utensils (one doctor told me a dishwasher would be sufficient to kill MRSA, but, if MRSA can live in a washing machine, then it sure can live in the DISHWASHER !! ) (during active infection, you can make your life easier by using paper and plastic - put into plastic bag, tie, and take out to trash container after each meal)

7) MRSA LIVES ON YOUR SKIN, - every day of active infection, entire body should be washed with Phisodex (prescription, at $25/bottle) (one bottle lasts about a week) or some other anti-bacterial soap - don't forget your scalp and behind the ears - and scrub! you need to break up the biofilm that the MRSA forms and you can't do that by gently patting your skin or being wimpy - pretend you're Howard Hughes and wash EVERYWHERE !

8) MRSA LOVES TO LIVE IN YOUR NOSE - all doctors will recommend using Bactricin (over the counter and very cheap) or Mupirocin (rx only and very expensive) twice a day for a week, then one week a month for...forever I guess. (squeeze a small amount on q-tip, spread inside LOWER nose - don't jam the q-tip up your nose) When the MRSA person blows his/her nose, WASH hands, and don't touch any other part of your face until you do, ESPECIALLY your eyes!

9) MRSA LIVES ON INANIMATE OBJECTS IN THE HOME (Tv remote, car keys, broom handle, coffee table, favorite chair, etc) so when handling any item handled, touched, or worn by a MRSA person with an oozing infection, wear GLOVES and, even then, wash hands afterwards for at LEAST 20 seconds and Lysol the jeepers out of those surfaces, too. If you're lucky enough to have two bathrooms - let the MRSA person use one, and the rest of the family use the other until the oozing or draining has stopped and the infection is 'healed'. I've found that Clorox Clean-up (spray) is good for spraying down the shower curtains and walls, and bathtub, as well as the sink and tile floors (you might wanna don a disposable 'exam gown' to do this so you don't clorox your nice clothes - i've lost 5 blouses so far to bleach spots !! )

10) try NOT to vacuum your home while the MRSA wound is draining or oozing - if you have to, then wear a MASK while doing it, and wear a MASK AND GLOVES to immediately remove vacuum cleaner bag, put the vacuum cleaner bag into a larger plastic bag, tie it closed and IMMEDIATELY put into outside trash, then Lysol the jeepers out of the furniture AND take a shower yourself, since as you vacuum you will stir the MRSA bacteria up into the air of the room. (don't forget curtains and lampshades and air conditioning vents). Same for dusting - put dust cloths into plastic bag and gallop out to the trash can with them as soon as you've finished dusting)

I know this sounds like a lot to do, but, MRSA isn't a very nice bacteria and it's a persistent little bugger. The MRSA person may NEVER be 'clear' from MRSA, especially if they have plastic or metal in their body, but, the above steps can help prevent other family members from getting it, becoming 'carriers' and passing it back to the original MRSA person. I've been doing this entire routine for a few months now, all Dad's clothes are starting to look very bleached-out and faded, and another hour's worth of housework has been added to my already short day, but, at the very least, I can brag, I've got the cleanest house on the block ! Good Luck everyone and God Bless :-)

I just got out of the hospital yesterday cuz of MRSA I was put on a amtibiotic and it seems to be going away for now..Im a carrier of the infection.. Im going to the childerens hospital for it...they had to cut a 3 inch hole in my leg .. he cut it then stuck his 2 fingers in and swirled them around it hurts soo bad.. if you want to know anymore about my case just email me..

Hi,
I am currently dealing with somthing that i have realized is out of my hands and was hoping to get some advice. about three and a half years ago i noticed some infections in my upper inner thigh. i was worried about them but remembered that my armpits had done the same thing when I had began shaving them, since i was shaving this same area of my leg i just assumed it was the same thing and it will go away. worried, i had it checked out and was told that it was what i assumed, infected hair folicles. Not satisified, I had a friend who is a nurse look at them and she agreeded that they were infected folicles as well. It is now 3 and a half years later and I am still in a constant battle with the "boils" on my inner thighs and they have left some pretty gruesome scarring. I guess my question is, does this sound like a staph infection or possibly somthing else? I have never been on medication for it and have really been in denile about it even being a problem. I could really use some advice.
Thanks
Shay

One more thing about my situation, These boils seem to be confined to my upper, inner thighs. I had one a bit further down at one point, but it was written off as a spider bite. Is a staph infection typically isolated to one area and is it normal to have one for three and a half years without noticing any other problems. and one last thing, is there a connection with Staph and hearniated discs?

Shey~
Have you had your boils tested for MRSA? Have the doctors ever said you may have hidradenitis suppurativa? You might want to do a search for Ruth's hidradenitis suppurativa page
Best wishes.

My husband got 2 abcesses in his private area in July 2005 that an MD doctor tried to operate on in his office and was unable to complete the process. That was a whole horry story in itself.

The next day, his regular MD was upset about the other doctor trying this in the office and sent him directly upstairs to a surgeon. Long story short........he ended up having surgery in a hospital and was discharged 3 days later. He had almost healed and had completed the antibiotics. Within a few days he got what we thought was a spider bite on his ankle and one on his elbow and one on his stomach.

His regular MD told him it was a staph infection that was in his blood system and he checked his heart immediately and thank goodness he said that it hadn't affected his heart. He gave him more antibiotics.

When he completed those, he had more places coming up in his private area so the doc referred him back to the surgeon. The surgeon put him on different antibiotics and told him he needed to see a infectious disease specialist. None of these doctors informed us of MRSA by the way -NOR- did they do a culture.

Thank goodness that we know a retired nurse that told him to go back to the doctor, ask for a culture and a sensitivity test and later a dentist that he knows told him the same. That is the only way to get rid of many staff infections especially the MRSA (the antibiotic resistant ones).

When we asked the surgeon for the culture, he said that it's not their normal procedure to culture staph infections but that they would and his office set an appointment with the infectious disease specialist (in another county).

The specialist diagnosed him with the MRSA and has given him the correct antibiotic to take care of it (hopefully). We still have many questions and this has been a very daunting task for us since neither of us have a medical background.

How are you suppose to know what you need to ask these medical people for and quick enough before an infection gets out of control? It has been really upsetting to us to say the least.

I just wanted to post our story so that hopefully this will help some of you in dealing with your doctors.

Now that I have had time to read so much on the internet, I see where this is running through the hospitals, athletic locker rooms, schools and many other community places.

It is scary to me that the medical professionals aren't doing more to culture these people immediately when these symptoms come up in the beginning. We also have gotten practically no instructions on how to prevent spread in our home or in contact with others.

Remember: ASK for a culture and a sensitivity test. They can tell what strain of staph it is and what antibiotic can kill the bacteria. Otherwise the antibiotic that they give you might just take away the symptoms for awhile but then come back. Also, some people have to have them intavensely to get rid of the MRSA.

I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS SITE AND HAVE BEEN READING ALL OF THE POSTS, I UNFORTUNATLY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO READ EACH ONE OF THEM, HOWEVER I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS IF THERE IS ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER. MY HUSBAND IS DEALING WITH MSRA NOW FOR THE 4TH TIME THIS YEAR AND ALSO CAN SYMPATHIZE WITH THE WAY YOU ALL FEEL, HE TOO, IS VERY SICK OF DEALING WITH IT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE DOCTOR HAS GIVEN HIM THE BODY WASH AND NASAL SALVE TO GO ALONG WITH THE ANTIBIOTICS, AND WE (OUR DAUGHTER AND MYSELF) WERE INSTRUCTED TO USE ALSO. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET PREGNANT NOW FOR ABOUT A YEAR, AND WERE SUCESSFUL TWICE, BUT WE LOST BOTH PREGNANCIES, AND NOW WE HAVE JUST GOT TO THE POINT OF WANTING TO TRY AGAIN, EMOTIONALLY, AND MENTALLY AND HE AND I WERE JUST WONDERING IF MSRA WOULD/COULD POSSIBLY HAVE ANY REASON BEHIND OUR LOSSES. WE JUST DON'T WANT ANY OUTSIDE REASONS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN, I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, HOWEVER IF THIS IS DEFINATELY SOMETHING THAT COULD CAUSE A REPEAT OF THE PAST, I DON'T WANT TO EVEN GET OUR HOPES UP. SORRY FOR BEING SO LONG WINDED, BUT MOST OF THE TIME DOCTORS DON'T REALLY WANT TO TELL YOU ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THERE IS NO MEDICAL REASON, WHICH MAY BE TRUE, WE ARE JUST CURIOUS. THANK YOU!! CHRISTY

It has been extremely helpful to read all of the post in reference to MRSA infectious staph. I have been unable to find anything that has helped with my Husbands condition that he is now suffering from. I sympathize with all of you who have the MRSA infection and am really concerned about my Husband getting well again! EVER..
HE is presently in the Hospital being treated with the one antibiotic that is supposed to cure or suppress the disease that has invaded his blood stream. The drug is vaco....He is continuously having the interveinous drips to try to control this invasive blood infection. HE had a minor heart attack two weeks ago and had heart catherization and then a stent implanted in one artery...not the main artery but one behind his heart, the procedure took only 45 minutes and he recovered quickly. The only side affect that he had was some body weakness due to being put to sleep during the surgery. HE had the surgery on Wednesday and the Cardiac doctor released him on Thursday afternoon to come home with instructions to attend physical therapy twice weekly and gave him some exercises such as walking , etc. to help give strenghten his body after the implant. He was doing exceptionally well when he arrived home ,also on Thursday night he was feeling great....this continued until Friday PM about 6:00, he started complaining with his right shoulder hurting. I put a heating pad on it, thinking that he must have slept a certain way and gotten a muscle twisted. But as hours progressed he became so ill that he was unable to even let me touch the right shoulder. IT began in his shoulder blade and extended downward to a very severe pain about half way down his back on the right side. HE then started diahrrea and vomiting and began sweating. By this time he was crying out in pain and my grandsona and I could no longer lift him to go to the bathroom . He attempted to pull himself up with his left arm and when he did he crumpled off the bed into the floor and I immediately called 911 and an ambulance arrived in about 5 minutes. When they lifted him, he screamed and was unable to move his shoulder and his right arm. I was very concerned that it was his heart. A blood test was preformed and his enzymes were elevated but not at a high point. HE has no chest pain. He was immediately transferred by ambulance to the Hospital in Oxford, Ms. where he had his heart stent implant and put in ICU and given demerol for pain. They run blood tests, a body scan , etc. and was unable to find anything alarming except that his white blood count was elevated. He was kept on Demerol for four days with me insisting that they find out where the pain was originating from and what was causing his critical condition. Eventually they did a culture and it tested positive for MRSA, so they began antiobiotic treatment and continued the demoral pain medication which kept him comletely knocked out....After a couple days and my insistance they finally contacted an infectious disease Doctor in Tupelo, Ms. and he advised the Cardian doctor to put him on the current treatment with the one antibiotic that is not resistant to the MSRA staph strain. He is still in the hospital, however he has been moved to a private room and the Doctor says he will have to undergo this Antiobiotic drip for about 4 more weeks. HE DID NOT HAVE THIS MSRA INFECTION WHEN HE ENTERED THE HOSPITAL , so it was definitely picked up in the surgery room, the surgical procedure or the ICU unit where he stayed for 6 days. They deny responsibility and the Cardiac Doctor is hemhawing around trying to determine what to do next. They have suggested that he go to a nursing home...which I will not allow . My husband is military retired and we have insuranc that covers all medical expenses not covered by Medicaid.
I am at a loss on what to do , and what to know about this terrible disease. How does it get in the blood stream, how long does it remain there, does it lie dormant and then return, does it attack other organs...I know nothing at all except what I have read. The Doctor refuses to contact me, I am disabled myself and am on oxygen and have other health problems...Can anyone please let me know what to expect in the future and what steps can be taken to protect my family from contacting this Staph infection....I have read a lot on the internet but most of it is confusing...Please email me at this address:
rejoycebas@bellsouth.net.
Thank you so much and may God bless you and work miracles with your suffering.
Joyce

I wrote before with the details of my husband's MRSA diagnosis.

My husband was given an oral antibiotic Batrium by the infectious disease specialist which showed up as one of the antibiotics that would take care of the MRSA but it did not!! He was on that for 3 weeks. I have been getting information from another infectious disease doctor from NY and she says that only the Vancomycin by IV should be used immediately for MRSA and the patient should have an Echo Cardiogram to determine if the bacteria has affected the heart valves especially if the bacteria has been in the blood stream.

This infection can get into the blood stream and if it isn't brought under control quickly, it can become dangerous because the infection can settle in an area of the body and start damaging the organs or bones. It can deteriorate the bones, damage the heart valves, go to the brain as mennigitis, or to the lungs and cause pneumonia and can also cause re occurring terrible skin boils, lesions that look like spider bites and are very painful. Some start out like a pimple and rapidly grow large and are very swollen and painful. Cellulitis (these skin sores) can start comiing up in different places.

The pus from these boils or sores are very contagious so it is important for family members to not come in contact with the dressings, bed clothes, or towels, etc that has been used by the patient and everyone needs to wash their hands often with antibacterial soap and the patients clothes and bed sheets, etc need to be washed in hot water and bleach.

Another thing that the doctor told my husband is to NOT to take baths because the water can transfer the bacteria from one site to another opening such as a mosquito bite or cut that he might have on his body.

Now FINALLY, he has been put on Vancomycin IV Outpatient everyday for the next 4 weeks. The infectious disease doctor said that the MRSA can be cured and it isn't one that lies dormant but it is a tough bacteria that is very difficult to kill. Also, the blood levels have to be monitored to see if the bacteria is being erradicated (wiped out) and to make sure his kidneys are ok during this process.

It is also really important to do all that you can to build the immune system of the patient because the antibotic that kills the bad bacteria also kills the good bacteria in your stomach. So probiotics from the health food store is needed and a very healthy diet of good nutrition and lots of vitamin C.

This is a very serious condition and anyone who has it needs to get to an infectious disease specialist right away. Don't wait because it won't go away and it is nothing to play around with. One guy we know lost his leg. Don't let the doctors keep giving you oral antibiotics that just makes it go away for awhile only for it to come back. This bacteria can get stronger as it keeps warding off more and more antibiotics. They take a culture from the pus of the sore and can tell what antibiotics can kill the bacteria but it needs to be IV and Vancomycin has been proven to kill MRSA bacteria.

I pray for good results for us all. I can't believe our hospitals haven't done a better job at preventing the spread of this and getting this under control and also the doctors are not providing the correct treatments for this so it is just getting worse and people are being seriously hurt and some are dying and spreading it to others. I am absolutely shocked and angry at our health care system!!!

Dabber, thank you so very much for the information in reference to MSRA infection. It has given me more insight to the disease. However, I am still confused as to how this staph infection invaded his blood stream with no pre existing history of the disease. HE had no open sores, boils, or any healh problems except arthritis when he had the heart attack. His blood tests showed no elevation of the white blood cells which indicated that he had no infection before his heart catherization and stent implant. He had two or more blood tests before his surgery, one at the local hospital that was not equipped to do the Heart surgery so it is apparent that he contacted the MSRA staph infection in the hospital. Our health care system does not monitor infectious diseases as they should. It is really bad when everything has gone well during a surgical procedure, as my husband had and they end up with this destructive MSRA infection in the bloodstream. I have not been tested for MSRA but it is likely that I have contacted it due to my being in contact with his body fluids before he left home to go to the Hospital. I do have some unusual sores on my leg and arm that formed from old scratches that had healed a long time ago. This may be staph but due to my health I have not been able to go to the Doctor for a test or culture.
In reference to a culture to determine what type of infection that my husband had, it was three days before they did a culture and determined that it was MSRA. The ICU ward immediately put him in insolation and as I stated before in the above post they put him on demerol for pain and simply ignored my insistance that they do all tests available to determine what type infection he had and where and how he contacted it. His Cardiac Doctor would not even call me to discuss his condition and my only child living, a daughter finally insisted that she talk with his Doctor who provided almost no details about MSRA or its effect on his internal organs. I wanted to move him to a larger hospital where he would have access to an infectious disease Doctor, but his Cardiac doctor said he would consult with him as how to treat MSRA. So apparently, this Hospital which is well known and in the town near the campus of The University of Mississippi was responsible for his contacting MSRA. Of course they will deny responsibility and I would like to find out how to contact the proper procedure to report this to the State disease control department. I feel that if the ICU wards and the Surgical rooms are not reported that MSRA will coninue to spread and of course when it enters the blood stream it becomes a very serious matter.
My husband has been advised that he will probably be transferred to an extended care facility in our home town without even contacting me. I refuse to allow him to be put in a nursing home but will allow him to be transferred to a better equipped facility where he can recieve Physical therapy and his vancomycin drips. I have no faith in this Doctor or Hospital at all that he is presently in and would be very willing to see him sent somewhere to try to cure this disease or at least get it in remission. I understand that it can be controlled but that the disease remains in your system and could return again in the future. In other words I had a healthy , active and healthy husband and now he is unable to even walk , has no appetite, is on darvon for pain in his right arm and the Doctor's say he has gallstones..which he did not have. He is a military retiree so we have the Government, "Tricare for life" insurance that pays what medicaid does not take care of. My only desire is to see him healthy again and for him to get out of this Hospital and into a facility that knows what they are doing! His condition is getting a little better, but he is still very weak and unable to walk and is in a very weakened state.
Thanks again for the information and if there is anyone out there who has more information please contact me at my email address. Also is there a support group anywhere that has been formed to better understand what others are going through?
God bless and try to keep the faith.
Joyce

http://tinyurl.com/9qylx

Joyce, Here is a website I found on some of the latest info for MRSA and how hospitals have covered this up for years. If you wander throught the site there is an area where you can report your story to them.

This is so tragic and so much of this could have been avoided. I'm like you, I want my husband to be healthy again too and it has been one battle right after another getting appropriate care for this. He has had no medical illnesses prior to this.

I sure hope you can get to the doctor and get a culture too Joyce, you sure don't want to let this get into your blood stream which can happen if you don't get treatment. Take care of yourself...

Good Luck to you!! Dabber

In San Francisco, MRSA has become quite common. I've had repeated, relatively isolated run-ins but know several individuals for whom it quickly got out of control. Many have been near amputation. However, if you know to watch-out for it, AND YOU TAKE A FULL COURSE of antibiotics in addition to the use of the other two items I mention below - you can essentially beat it.

SF HAS FOUND AN EFFECTIVE COMBINATION OF ANTIBIOTICS -

I was unable to read through all the posts but i did not see mention of 4 things everyone should know about if dealing with MRSA:

DAILY
#1) Hibicleanse, Hibicleanse - in a green bottle, can get it at Walgreens, a little pricey BUT WORTH IT - MRSA can live off the body for 5 hours, it's essentially everywhere in this city - I wash my hands with Hibicleanse frequently each day and when showering hit what seem to common trouble spots for people (inner thighs, hairline, back neck)

TELL YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THESE IF SHE/HE DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THEM (my understanding was that the news had not spread East quickly)-one was used to treat TB, they are potentially obscure antibiotics to some in the medical community
#2)Keflex (Sulfameth/Trimethoprim) in combination with #3)Rifampin

#4)Bactroban - a cream that you can use on soft tissue, in the nose or on any "spot" that you suspect may be MRSA infected - if you can get some of this to have around the house, it can keep something fairly minor from spiraling into something major if you use it right away

Be well and good luck - this is some scarry, nasty stuff - --

Use regular Dial soap.

chigger bites lead to raw skin that won't heal for 6 months.

My 20 month old son recently developed MSRA over the holidays. He had boils on his behind. The doctor popped one to take a culture and in the meantime put him on Augmenten. This was on a Friday. Needless to say, the culture came back positive for MSRA last Thursday and he's been on Bactrim suppressant for 9 days. We're interviewing new daycare providers and one said she read somewhere that he would not be able to work anywhere in the medical profession because he's had this. Is this true?? Can anyone direct me to more information. He has his check-up on Monday.

I have read every one of these posts. I do not have mrsa and I pray that i will not get it. I feel really sorry for all of you who have gotten this. I will also make sure that i pray for each one of you. I believe God has the answer for the cure. He created us and He has the hand book that we need to go to to get the answers on how look after this body He has created that we live in.

I have not gone to a doctor since Aids came into view because I didn't believe that the offices would be clean enough. I thought that because you cannot see a bacteria that you really don't know if there are none there. so i haven't taken any chances.

This last summer I was between homes and had a small accident that caused me to go to the er and with in 2 months they scared me that I had cancer and did a biopsy without my consent. They told me in the office that they were going to examine me and they actually gave me a biopsy. I thank God that I forgave them and never went back to find out what they found. The nurse told me that it was negative.

There are lots of incidents with doctors that I could tell you before I got wise and stayed away from them.

When I was 27 I started reading about foods that heal the body. I came across a book written by Adele Davis called "Let's Get Well". Since then I have used the formula in that book and have been healed of everything that I have ever had including having my back go out so that I couldn't get up off of the floor. I am a healthy 66 now.

When I found out that shingles had more to do with eating sugar than it had to do chicken pox, I stopped eating sugar products at Christmas and never got it again. After holidays is when people get shingles.

When ever I feel the least bit sick I get my Adele Davis formula out and take it for a couple days and wala! I also know that garlic and onions and of course yogurt and Brewar's Yeast are healers. There are so many things that we can do without killing ourselves with bleach.

I hope that everyone will be able to find this book. I got it in the 60's. If anyone would like me to write out the formula please send me an email or may be I will be able to get permission to post it here. I really believe that we have to go the food road for this one. Evelyn Valentine

Drink lots & lots & lots of water. Also make sure to eat a very heatlthy diet & not over-eat. I am not a doctor or an expert by any means, but i had a horrible case of MSRA all over my body & found following this the only way to be rid of it. Our bodies have our own ( and the best) infection fighting system , and when you overburden the body with overeating/ or an unhealthy diet, without enough water ...it can't flush out the infections/toxins in our body. Along with adequate sleep. Also personally I found "antibiotic baths" helpfull. Where basically i would just add a strong antibacterial soap to a hot bath and soak, but not for to long as baths have been rumered to help it spread to other parts of the skin. And of course anything else you can do to boost you immune system is helpfull such as vitamins & and type of exercise. Be sure to inform those around you about how to protect themselves and make sure those infected do whatever they can to keep it from speading with better than usual hygeine habbits.

Hope this is helpfull to someone & my well wishes go to all those suffering from this

I hear that Tea Tree Oil at least 10% solution 3 to 4 times daily is quite helpful. Best to you all.

I may have a product than can help, all I know is a family I was talking to has a 3 year old son who got msra and had it for almost a year. They got rid of it with a product from Oasis Life Sciences the products is MeteBerry they gave their son one half ounce (it is a juce)thee times per day and in three days the infection was gone. You can go to my URL and try it www.oasislifesciences.net/davism28 all products from Oasis are 100% plant base nutrition supliments that boost your bodies immune system. I hope it helps!!!

Mike Davis

I had both of my hips replaced in 2000. I am a 47 year old female. In March of 2003 I developed 2 sores on the side of my face close to my ears. They were very painful and sore and had fever in them and kept draining. Finally cleared up. Then I developed a few more on my face. I finally had one that swelled up the whole side on my face and was so painful, I was sick. My PCP sent me to a surgeon immediately and 4 hours later, she lanced and drained the absess and there was a hole in my face the size of a nickel with packing in it. She said it was staff. I have outbreaks from time to time. Went to see a dermotologist and she told me it was folluclitis (inflamation of a hair follicle) WHAT AN IDIOT I had already told her I had staff due to the culture the surgeon did. I told her I did not agree with her and I never went back. Right now my Rt hip is been having some pain and my whole right leg is aching and my ankle is throbbing like crazy. Now I am scared that it has gotten to my hip, the metal and all. I am going to my dr today and if I dont get any satisfaction, I a, going to the ER for immediate bloodwork and scans. I sure do not want to die from this stuff. I believe it originated from my brother. I had to move in with him after a divorce and after I had my hips replaced. That was May 2001. He had some ugle bumps that looked like spider bites and I blamed it on his skanky unclean bedroom. He blows his nose constantly, everywhere, the kitchen, living room or where ever he is. I hate touching anything he touches. I hate for him to be in the kitchen. We only have to share a shower. I have 1/2 bath to myself. I have purchased my on towels, washcloths, white so I can bleach them and I hide them in my closet. I dont like to use his phone or handle his remotes or sit where he has sat or basically touch anything he touches. He washed his on clothes in a washer that we share. He throws so many whites in there at one time that there is no way in hell that they are getting clean. He does use bleach if it is available. I am going to spray the tub with bleach cleaner and run bleach and hot water through the washer so I can wash. This is so gross. I know without a doubt that I got it from him. He is nasty. Makes me sick. I have a bump on my face now that has been there for over a week and it is throbbing and I can see the core of the infection in there. I have antibotic cream that I put on it. I have been on cephaflexin and clyndamycin for a tooth infection and root canal. Then on Levaquin for a sinus infection and have had a yeast infection from hell. I am tired of this crap. I try to be clean, but when you live with somebody who is constantly blowing their nose and spreading the germ, it seems hopeless. Going to Dr today, wish me luck.
Lisa

I too have had staph and still do to an extent but it is well under control.

The only things to help me have been Echinacea and Probiotic dairy supplements.

The best is Greenridge Echinacea triplex which contains all 3 species of echinacea and works very well, take about 20-30 drops 2-3 times a day and you will notice a big difference.

Also by having the probiotic drink it also boosts the immune system, apparently in particular immunoglobin A which is the bodies first line of defense against infection.

Both of these help me alot, I was once totally covered in red, itchy spots, now they are few and far between and getting less and less.

The worse thing for the staph seems to be coke or any type of soft drink, it flairs it up really badly.

Hope that helps.

Our son was diagnosised back in May of 2005 with MRSA he was hospitalized for about 9 wks. on IV antibiotics. This was a hospital that had a infectious disease control wing only for such cases. We were told IV was the only way to clear the MRSA. It now Feb. 2006, he has had no reaccurences at all. He has had regular blood checks since leaving the hospital. I believe he is very blessed to have been in a hospital that had a very clear understanding of this infection. Just info from my life to maybe help others dealing with this.

to tell you about my cases,while i was at work i smashed my finger and got a blood blister,1 week later i was in hospital with iv antibotics, which had no effect, so i had surgery which a circle the size of a half dollar and all the way to the bone was removed,left with a gaping hole in my hand.monthes later all was good, until six big knots appeared under my arms, this time no surgery they cut me six times 3/4 of inch deep under my arms, then finnaly all better. and now i had a pimple on the edge of my nostril the next day my lip is 4 times the normal size with severs pain, went to er and was giving the same 3 kinds of antibiotics and sent home, 2 days later my lip is so big my mouth cant open. im wondering why no surgery to get rid of it maybe cause i have no insurance anymore,but the town i live in has 27 cases at this time, the infection has been tested and is confirmed to be antibiotic resistant. i was wanting to know when if ever will this stop, i am 32 yrs old and never had anything like this, until last 7 months i have had 3 times.and the pain is very severe this time being on lip and dr give vicodin and antibiotics and sent home,which neither works worth a shit.
can somebody explain this infection better to me and how to stop for good thank you , jamie

I have had a 3 year bout with MRSA and been on every antibiotic listed (execpt vancomycin). I had to go to the E.R. twice due to swelling in my neck caused by the massive outbreaks.

This is what finally worked for me and others I know with Community Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staph -> CA-MRSA:
(note- ALL steps must be done for total success!!!)
1. HAVE CULTURE TAKEN OF WOUND!!! ONLY way to know which drugs to take. (eg: staph vs strep, type of staph, etc.)

2. Mupirocin Ointment (Bactroban) on ALL outbreaks 3 x's daily

3. Doxycycline 100mg 2 x's daily For 1 Month

4. Bactrim DS (Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole) For 1 Month

5. Wash wounds, hands, and any infected areas with Clorhexidine (Hibiclens) religiously at least TWICE a Day for 1 Month.

6. Clean and Bandage all weeping wounds. Re-Bandage as needed daily. Sterilize all "changing areas" after each use and treat used bandages as toxic waste!

7. Change and clean clothing/bedding in contact with infected areas daily. Only use towels once.

8. Sterilize bathroom/shower/sink as much as possible.

9. Drink massive amounts of water and eat healthy. Very important.

10. GET 7-8 HRS SLEEP EVERY NIGHT!

Good Luck. These 10 steps have been a God-send for myself and everyone else I have seen follow them with MRSA. I wish it didn't take me 3 years and thousands of dollars to find this combination. This is a good web sight for some general knowledge of MRSA: www.rangelmd.com/2005/12/ community-acquired-mrsa-primer.html

Keep a good work man!

An update:
My husband finished 4 weeks of home IV Vancomycin mid Dec after many months of oral anitbiotics. He had to have a central IV line put into his chest for this. The Vancomycin did not cure his MRSA.

So he has gone back on Bactrium with the nose ointment from another doctor because the infectious disease doctor would no longer see him because we couldn't pay 1/2 his bill of $2,700 for the Vancomycin. Between the doctors and hospital, we now have bills flying in totalling approx $30,000 and he is still not well. We don't have health insurance. This new doctor (an MD) gave him another prescription for Rifampin (it's affordable) to take if more places begin to come up. He said for him to take another round of Bactrium along with the Rifampin and it would be very strong antibiotic similiar to Vancomycin strength. So that will be our next step if it comes back. We are on pins and needles right now.

It's is so difficult for him to take the oral antibiotics, he just stays nauseated. He has bouts of flu symptoms, headaches and heart burn too.

Oh, After we begged, the infectious disease doc finally wrote him a prescription for Zyvox. The month supply he wrote comes to $4,500.........!!!!! and he still refuses to see him without 1/2 of his bill paid and we can't afford the Zyvox.

The bactrium has made his new place go away but for how long we don't know.

Also, I want to mention that the IV nurse said to spray the shower with Clorox water and let it dry before using the shower again. Clorox water has to sit on a surface for several minutes to kill bacteria so it's best to just spray and let it dry.

I have been using alot of the alcohol based skin cleansers in addition to washing my hands with anti bacterial soap. Computer keyboards are one of the biggest traps of bacteria.

Also the MD doctor told me to use the nose ointment for 7 days too. This is the first time I've been told to do that. He said that it is was fine for us to share the same tube of ointment but we are using separate ones just to be on the safe side. He also said to put the ointment on any places that come up.

My prayers for us all.....

ive had it since march 2005.its contagious it will kill people and my life is in jeopardy now since it has infected my blood and become systemic.bleach doesn't work use lysol disinfectant spray with anti bacterial agents.i've tried everything and nothing kills it.it has developed into a superbug that has an amazing"fitness level".i went from getting a common cold every 2 yrs and healing a simple cut in a matter of a day or two.
to being sick all the time and having a cut swell out of control taking weeks in order for it to heal.i'm just glad that i do have the awareness of not spreading it to anyone.staph infection has ruined my life.i would wish this bacteria on no one!doctors are idiots make sure you get a second opinion or sue the hack that can't cure you.

Look up on search engine "Len and Joe" for possible extra support remedies. Tell them Morris referred you, cause I order from them too.

My dad is in the hospital. He has had open heart surgery. Since he has been there he has gotten MRSA. It is in his sternm and leg. The dr. took part of the sternm out and cleaned the wound but now it is back with a furry!! He is going to have more surgery today to clean the wound. He is 72. Can he overcome this or are we looking at death in the end? Any information we would appreciate.

MRSA is serious business. My healing practice utilizes natural healing techniques. No prescription drugs are able to address the task of ridding the body of this "super bug". In order to become whole again, you must rid the body's organs,cells,bloodstream, muscles and fat tissues of the toxins causing disease. The germs are aggressive and "smart" enough to adapt to prescribed drugs. Drinking spring water is crucial. Whole foods - no junk food, are only to be ingested. Ingest only natural sweets ie., fruits, etc. Build the immune system internally. Use only products externally which draw out toxins and have natural ingredients. For more info send an email...

Garlic Will Kill Mrsa. Order Allimed. I Did. Nothing Else Worked. Had Five Antibiotics In 10 Weeks. The Hospital Sent Me Home N Told Me To Live With It. Google Allicin.

Garlic Will Kill Mrsa. Order Allimed. I Did. Nothing Else Worked. Had Five Antibiotics In 10 Weeks. The Hospital Sent Me Home N Told Me To Live With It. Google Allicin.

MY DAUGHTER IS 8YRS. OLD GOT A BITE OR SOMETHING FULL OF PUS AND DRAINED IT. TOOK HER TO DOC. NEXT DAY NOT ENOUGH BACTERIAL CULTURE CAME OUT NEG. TOOK ANTIBONTIC SEPTRA. A MONTH LATER. ON THE SAM LEG . SHE COMES TO ME, LOOK MOM ANOTER BITE THE FIRST ONE NO ITCHING SECOND ONE JUST A LITTLE ITCHING . DOC PUT ON SEPTRA AGAIN HAS REACTION TO IT IS AND IT NOW USEING A ONT. HEALING SLOWER. IT HAS US FREAKED OUT. DOC. SAY'S GO TO SCH. GO TO SOFTBALL PRACT. I AM SCARED TO GIVE IT TO SOMEONE. THE DOC. SAYS ITS OK TO . ONLY WITH CLOSE FAMILY. NOW READING ALL THE NOTES IAM SCARED FOR MY 8 YEAR OLD. DOC SAY SHE HAS MSRA. WITH OUT A PROOF OF CULTURE.

this website may be helpful http://www.auscan.net/newsletter2.html

It is being called Australia's gift to the world

My son was hit by a car. He came home from Valhalla with an external fixator on his leg. He is now in the hospital again with staff infection throughout his body. The doctor either wants him to go to albany or westchester to see a pediatric infection specialist. Is there any good Native American or herbal medicine to kill off the staff infection. I am beside myself. Please help.
Sandy