Reoccurring Staph

blissglitch
blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have struggled with "breakouts" forever. (Like. Dime-size boils. Especially durring my sport seasons.) They finally went away once a doctor recommended I use Dial or an antibacterial soap instead of my usual, popular, super-smell-good kind. Recently, the outbreaks have resurfaced. Not quite the same but definitely staph. (YES, I WENT TO THE DOCTOR LIKE A GOOD GIRL.) I would take a round of antibotics, use a topical cream, "recover" for about a week or two, hop back on my grind, then it would resurrect. This has happened at least four times now. I am SUPER cautious at the gym and CANNOT figure out where this is coming from. Under doctors orders, I havent been back in a month and it's driving me nuts. (Enough that I am posting on MFP..)

Is there ANYTHING I can do to speed this up and/or avoid it in the future?!

On top of washing my hands frequently and using doctor recommended soaps and topical creams, I've ALWAYS wiped equipment down with Lysol wipes, and changed bedding at least once every three days.

For the love of all things sane.. Please help!
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Replies

  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
    Are hair follicles involved? I know someone whose reoccurring problems resolved after laser hair removal.
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    blissglitch wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Are you immunocomprimised in some way or have some reason why there would often be breaks in your skin? S.aureus itself is sort of everywhere so it is hard to avoid. Reoccuring staph can be caused by a failure to eradicate an initial staph infection so that it crops back up again and again, but I assume your doctor would have discussed that with you or investigated further by culturing and checking for resistance. Not sure why you going to the doctor is in all caps, I am guessing because you don't want commenters suggesting you go to a doctor...that said though given the severity of MRSA and the potential of developing it with constant infection means you might want to check in with a doctor again. Regardless you are probably better served by consulting with your physician rather than consulting with strangers on a fitness forum.

    The guy I was training with kept assuming I was self diagnosing because it kept coming back. I wanted it emphasized that I had actually gone to see a variety of doctors because I know some people don't always read thoroughly.

    I hate forums but finally brought myself to search for the topic and create when I couldn't find one. I'm hoping someone, somewhere has been through something similar and can offer a piece of Mine-Quit-When-I-Wore-Purple-On-Thursdays type of advice.

    This is the best Hail Mary I have.

    So you doctor just "Shrugged" and said "oh well" at a reoccurring infection? I would hope they would take it more seriously than that. If that was honestly your doctor's response perhaps seek a second opinion then. Something like repeated staph infections could well indicate that you have a continuous infection that is just resurfacing, if that was the case despite antibiotic treatment that could indicate a drug resistant variant which you definitely do not want to mess around with. I'm sure you are bothered by repeated infection but you seem like you are taking it as something inconvenient and bothersome rather than life-threatening which is exactly what MRSA can be.

    Honestly might be the last piece of advice you want to hear but keep seeing doctors until you get one that will help you. Forum post isn't going to cure a bacterial infection.



    I AM seeking other professional opinions. I’m just asking for some suggestions on something I might could improve in the mean time. For instance, someone outside of this forum suggested I try a probiotic. I don’t know if it’ll help at all but I’m willing to try.

    At this point, you’re right. I do see it as a major inconvenience. I keep seeing doctors. I keep getting the same options, the same half hearted responses. I still take it seriously. I still watch for signs that I’m told to watch for.

    I. Just. Don’t. Know. What. Else. I. Can. Do.
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
    goldthistime wrote: »
    Are hair follicles involved? I know someone whose reoccurring problems resolved after laser hair removal.

    I’ve had it everywhere at some point. Shins, thighs, upper arms, waist, back, chest. That’s a good theory though. Thank you.
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    Could it be this https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/painful-skin-joints/hidradenitis-suppurativa, but with a propensity for the wounds to contain MRSA.

    My family had a long bout with MRSA and it took a two month treatment of antibiotics combined with a new towel daily and washing with Hibiclens (an antimicrobial wash). Traditional antibiotic soaps OTC don't kill MRSA. Super rigorous personal hygiene and we were able to eradicate it. It took a LOT of work (both hubby and my son were having recurring infections), but the whole house was treated on antibiotics.

    I've been using Hibiclens every other day going on two weeks now. It has helped quite a bit!
    No one I've ever lived with (family, roommates, husband) has ever gotten this. I did notice the link advised seeing a dermatologist which is what this last doctor told me too. (The waiting lists for seeing a derm in my area without a doctor's referral is sometimes two months or longer.)

    Thank you for this!
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    blissglitch wrote: »
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    Could it be this https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/painful-skin-joints/hidradenitis-suppurativa, but with a propensity for the wounds to contain MRSA.

    My family had a long bout with MRSA and it took a two month treatment of antibiotics combined with a new towel daily and washing with Hibiclens (an antimicrobial wash). Traditional antibiotic soaps OTC don't kill MRSA. Super rigorous personal hygiene and we were able to eradicate it. It took a LOT of work (both hubby and my son were having recurring infections), but the whole house was treated on antibiotics.

    I've been using Hibiclens every other day going on two weeks now. It has helped quite a bit!
    No one I've ever lived with (family, roommates, husband) has ever gotten this. I did notice the link advised seeing a dermatologist which is what this last doctor told me too. (The waiting lists for seeing a derm in my area without a doctor's referral is sometimes two months or longer.)

    Thank you for this!

    We had the whole family go through the antibiotics treatment and the cleanliness protocol because we assumed it could be anyone in the house who was carrying it to the others. It took a LONG time, couple months, to really feel like we had nipped it in the bud.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited February 2018
    I assume they put you on a 10 day course of methicillin or some other beta lactam antibiotic? Do you remember what antibiotic they prescribed? Was it topical or oral? It is possible you might have a systemic infection which would require the big gun, vancomycin.

    Did they do a culture test to assess resistance factors?

    I'd really advice you against just doing what people suggest or what you think of doing, they aren't doctors diagnosing your actual condition and things you do at home can undermine an actual treatment.
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    blissglitch wrote: »
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    Could it be this https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/painful-skin-joints/hidradenitis-suppurativa, but with a propensity for the wounds to contain MRSA.

    My family had a long bout with MRSA and it took a two month treatment of antibiotics combined with a new towel daily and washing with Hibiclens (an antimicrobial wash). Traditional antibiotic soaps OTC don't kill MRSA. Super rigorous personal hygiene and we were able to eradicate it. It took a LOT of work (both hubby and my son were having recurring infections), but the whole house was treated on antibiotics.

    I've been using Hibiclens every other day going on two weeks now. It has helped quite a bit!
    No one I've ever lived with (family, roommates, husband) has ever gotten this. I did notice the link advised seeing a dermatologist which is what this last doctor told me too. (The waiting lists for seeing a derm in my area without a doctor's referral is sometimes two months or longer.)

    Thank you for this!

    We had the whole family go through the antibiotics treatment and the cleanliness protocol because we assumed it could be anyone in the house who was carrying it to the others. It took a LONG time, couple months, to really feel like we had nipped it in the bud.

    I'll second everything she's said, as we went through the same thing, plus had to stick mupirocin ointment up our noses daily with a q-tip (because some people are nasal carriers). Sounds like you are getting reinfected after every round of treatment somehow. Have they cultured it out to confirm or exclude MRSA?

    I agree. It's making me wonder if maybe my husband IS carrying it but maybe not showing any signs?
    I haven't been asked to stick anything up my nose yet though.
    I've taken blood tests but haven't been told anything about if it was MRSA or not. I really don't know if they even actually tested for it. I know she did a full blood count (and A1c because she was determined to tell me I was diabetic). Other than that she pretty much just looked at it and said that is what it was. Some of the others didn't have me test at all.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    edited February 2018
    I'll echo that I wasn't suggesting you stick q-tips up your nose just because some random on the internet said so! Upon rereading it sounds like I was :tired_face: Just sharing the protocol we were given when diagnosed properly with MRSA.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,051 Member
    Are you working with an Infectious Diseases doctor or just your regular MD? If just your regular MD, time to fight for an ID visit and get some proper testing done. Infections can be extremely serious - time to be your own advocate and fight for a real diagnosis as it sounds like you're getting shrugged off. Since this isn't the first go around, and what they have been prescribing obviously hasn't solved the issue, something else needs to be done.

    If it is an infection that is causing open sores and wounds, it could far too easily end up becoming a life or limb threatening condition.

    Also how and why it's being such an issue for you should also be addressed and looked into....
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    Do you wash your bath towels often?
  • faithrainbow1
    faithrainbow1 Posts: 54 Member
    I had an antibiotic resistant infection about a year ago. In researching it, I discovered that a significant number of people are a symptomatic carriers of MRSA bacteria. Several months later, in preparation for an operation, they tested me to see if I was a MRSA carrier by swabbing my nose and armpits (I wasn't). All this to say that 1) yes, it's possible for your husband to be a carrier and reinfecting you, and 2) maybe both of you should, in. Fact, get your noses swabbed.
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    I'll echo that I wasn't suggesting you stick q-tips up your nose just because some random on the internet said so! Upon rereading it sounds like I was :tired_face: Just sharing the protocol we were given when diagnosed properly with MRSA.

    Definitely not!

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