Reoccurring Staph

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  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
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    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    I agree with what Aaron said above. You should have been told if it was MRSA or not. A few years back (around 5 years ago), right after I lost all of my weight (around 70 lbs), I went to Belize and cut my foot while swimming with sharks (not something you want to do). Got out of the water, obviously, but also the foot cut led to a what I thought was just a boil/ingrown hair on my butt. After a week, it was the size of a softball and I went to my family doc who informed me it was MRSA. Don't want to go into the details but it involved basically him lancing it right there and I've experienced some nasty things before injury wise, but this was probably the closest I've been to torture. I would not wish this on my worst enemy (draining an infection while badly infected).

    Anyway, enough of the details - nasty stuff that MRSA. Took 3 rounds of antibiotics and it didn't go away while I got progressively sicker and sicker. I read up a LOT on MRSA infections and the only people that truly got rid of it (some people have them for years and the stuff can live on your furniture for a long time!) pretty much used a multi tier, holistic approach. After 3 rounds of antibiotics, I had it. I got Tea Tree Oil, I got some Manuka Honey and I took Allicin pills. I also stopped (and I mean completely) any sugar/sweets in my diet and ate a completely alkaline diet. Lots of greens, lots of leafy vegetables, very, very little starch (basically keto but not a ton of meat either).

    I was also extremely cautious with my family. At the time, my high school aged son/daughter lived at home (and my wife). If they developed anything suspicious, we immediately put Allicin cream/gel on it or Tea Tree Oil and it went away. I put Tea Tree oil in all of my laundry. Any bandages have to be handled with extreme care (like biological waste). I took baths with Tea Tree Oil. Over around 3 weeks, all the MRSA breakouts went away without antibiotics. There are other antifungals that are natural too - SF-722, Monolaurin, Caprylic Acid. The most important thing, though, was diet. I avoided coffee/tea too. If you use sweetener, only stevia (absolutely no others, they are acidic as anything while Stevia is alkaline). No soda (which I never drank anyway) and no fruit juice or fruit either. Basically, limited lean chicken and fish, limit animal fats, lots of coconut oil, olive oil, nuts are OK but eat much more veggies. Look up a pH diet. I know the science behind it is iffy but I swear I tried everything before I turned to this and it's the only thing that worked for me. Five years later, no signs of ever having MRSA and my family doc told me it had gone "septic" -- entered the blood stream and wanted to place me in ICU, so it was very serious at the time. Staph, is a nasty bacterial infection. Good luck with that and I'd consider consulting a Holistic doc or an infectious disease doctor. There are also new lights that kill bacteria as well. You might look at those too.

    Spot on.
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
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    HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
    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....

    These are all just regular doctors or nurse practitioners.
    I agree. It’s why I’ve been persistent.. because it’s persistent!
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
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    dbanks80 wrote: »
    Do you wash your bath towels often?

    After every use.
  • blissglitch
    blissglitch Posts: 10 Member
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    faithrainbow1 wrote: »
    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.

    That is some quality advice. Thank you. I will definitely talk to her (the doctor) about getting this done.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I think about 30% or so of the general population carry staph on their skin, it is pretty much everywhere. On your skin its harmless, in your skin it causes boils and possible disfigurement, in your blood is where you get into trouble. Hospital PPE and sterile technique is largely built around avoiding introducing that omnipresent staph into an open wound or exposing someone who is immunocompromised because they are at risk of serious infection or sepsis.

    What is strange here is that staph can only really colonize and infect an open wound, so unless you have unhealing sores on your skin it'd be odd to have multiple different infection points. It seems more likely that you just never fully treated or got over an initial infection.

    You mentioned a doctor wanting to blame diabetes. The only connection I can think of there is that diabetics often have a long time healing wounds and as a result can have long term cuts or abrasions that can act as sites of infection...no idea if that is the case with you or not.

    Regardless though bottom line is if you have a persistent currently active bacterial infection you should be in a hospital, that sort of thing can go south quickly if untreated.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
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    Recently we went through this with my oldest son. The sores were so bad that they left huge craters in his body. We thought at one point that he might lose his arm, that's how bad the infection was. The first time doctors gave him the usual antibiotics and creams, ect...ect. Then not long after that cleared up he had a breakout on his chest. This time it was serious, temperatures, pus, infection, so he was hospitalized in the ICU. He did end up having MRSA, and in fact was told that everyone carries that in their body just not everyone becomes a carrier. Anyway come to find out he has a disorder in which he will have this for the rest of his life and will have to continue treating with antibiotic creams, washing with herbiclens and using the nose drops. I am sorry but I don't recall what the name of the disorder is called but it has to do with the immune system and was told he was born with it. I sure would seek other medical persons because it is life threatening and if it reaches other organs it can kill you.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    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?

    Oh yes. We did the nose ointment, too.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    janisseshirley wrote: »
    Recently we went through this with my oldest son. The sores were so bad that they left huge craters in his body. We thought at one point that he might lose his arm, that's how bad the infection was. The first time doctors gave him the usual antibiotics and creams, ect...ect. Then not long after that cleared up he had a breakout on his chest. This time it was serious, temperatures, pus, infection, so he was hospitalized in the ICU. He did end up having MRSA, and in fact was told that everyone carries that in their body just not everyone becomes a carrier. Anyway come to find out he has a disorder in which he will have this for the rest of his life and will have to continue treating with antibiotic creams, washing with herbiclens and using the nose drops. I am sorry but I don't recall what the name of the disorder is called but it has to do with the immune system and was told he was born with it. I sure would seek other medical persons because it is life threatening and if it reaches other organs it can kill you.

    Yeah pretty much everyone is exposed to staph constantly...only ends up a problem if you have open wound or are immunocompromised in some way. I dont know that everyone carries staph (certainly not MRSA), but a lot of people do...for most they wont know because there arent symptoms. Sorry to hear about your sons condition, that is rough. With diagnosis and treatment though sounds like it can be controlled so that is good.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    I think about 30% or so of the general population carry staph on their skin, it is pretty much everywhere. On your skin its harmless, in your skin it causes boils and possible disfigurement, in your blood is where you get into trouble. Hospital PPE and sterile technique is largely built around avoiding introducing that omnipresent staph into an open wound or exposing someone who is immunocompromised because they are at risk of serious infection or sepsis.

    What is strange here is that staph can only really colonize and infect an open wound, so unless you have unhealing sores on your skin it'd be odd to have multiple different infection points. It seems more likely that you just never fully treated or got over an initial infection.

    You mentioned a doctor wanting to blame diabetes. The only connection I can think of there is that diabetics often have a long time healing wounds and as a result can have long term cuts or abrasions that can act as sites of infection...no idea if that is the case with you or not.

    Regardless though bottom line is if you have a persistent currently active bacterial infection you should be in a hospital, that sort of thing can go south quickly if untreated.

    people with compromised immune systems can also have slower healing times. I have RA and notice slower healing times for many things and I was tested for diabetes and nope dont have it.
  • kip63
    kip63 Posts: 3 Member
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    I totally agree with Aaron_123. His advice is consistent with training and experience in sound medical knowledge. I would suggest your best option is to consult an Infectious Disease physician. They are up on the latest algorithms of treatment. Press your Family Practice doc to refer you to that specialist. If he/she won't refer you, then find out from your Medical Center who their Infectious Disease physician is and make an appointment to see them. He may have an N.P. (Nurse Practitioner) who is trained as the Infectious Disease Nurse. That nurse may be the best person to begin helping you.
  • kip63
    kip63 Posts: 3 Member
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    I was an operating room RN, recently retired, but worked in the OR for 36 years. My forte' was Orthopedics and yes, like mij140, we dealt with MRSA practically every day. Of course, we wore protective clothing and always utilized precautionary techniques. Every one of our patients (both Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasties) went through a rigorous pre-op MRSA protocol in a effort to protect them from getting wound infections. Aaron_K123 is correct on how devastating an infection, especially MRSA, e-coli, c-diff or other insidious bacteria can reek havoc on post-op results. It's not the best subject to talk about, but you must "take the bull by the horns", BlissGlitch. Demand and/or impress upon your husband to become an advocate and participator in your care. It is imperative that you take care of yourselves, because your fastidiousness on this issue may save you from future difficulties to you, your children and/or your loved ones. Seriously, keep up the good work of finding an infectious disease physician to help you.
  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
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    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    mij140 wrote: »
    I’m an inpatient registered nurse and I deal with MRSA on a regular basis. Please push for an appointment with an infection disease specialist. If you’ve been seeing the same PCP and you’re still getting recurrent infections...it’s time for a change. Best of luck to you.

    While I agree with everything you (and Aaron) are saying, my family (my sister, niece and sister in law are all nurses) is filled with nurses. All of them were basically useless to me. My sister, who ran a well known heart surgery unit said basically, "after you have MRSA, you'll always have it". They told me just keep taking the antibiotics prescribed and hope for the best. Well, there are people that have had staph infections for years and years. I wasn't about ready to accept that personally. I've had no sign of MRSA or staph now for over four years. While it took patience and a total diet change to fix it, I did. It's incredibly hard to get rid of (assuming that's what it is). You have to attack internally and externally and be meticulous.

    I'd work with an infectious disease specialist but also take diet and add in Holistic treatment too. I'd still have it likely if I hadn't taken matters into my own hands.

    That is awesome I am really happy for you!
    My husband is a nurse in the trauma/post op unit, and he would back up what you say.
    So glad you were able to resolve such a scary condition. :)
  • staraly
    staraly Posts: 54 Member
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    Another angle to think about is having a healthy gut microbiome. The microbiome is responsible for about 80% of our immune functioning and there is an increasing amount of research linking an unhealthy biome to many illnesses. Also, I remember an episode of The Food Hospital (British TV show) which featured a woman with severe boils who had a heck of an improvement in her symptoms through a specific diet to support her gut and therefore her immune response. Something to think about anyway.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
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    @ Aaron, no question, without the antibiotics I'd have been dead. Antibiotics, though, also destroy your microbiome (something just mentioned) and you're right, I did have recurring staph even months after taking vancomycin. As you yourself mentioned, a certain part of the population carries it around and I couldn't completely get rid of it until the complete change of diet and behaviors. Perhaps it was reinfections on my skin only, not sure, but they have found that MRSA can live for up to six months on furniture.
  • koda0071
    koda0071 Posts: 40 Member
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    I have had three bouts of serious staph infection the first one a little more than a year ago. I didn't really notice what was going on with my lower leg and within 24 hrs of first noticed symptoms (high fever) my lower leg was red, swollen, hot to touch and lymph nodes in groin were the size of an egg and painful. It was late Friday afternoon and urgent care wanted to rule out DVT since I had no prior history and needed ultra sound to do that. I was admitted into the hospital for the weekend for an US, given IV antibiotics for infection, and they did blood cultures. It can rapidly cause serious problems so don't leave it unchecked. It came back two times afterwards about 2 months apart and switched legs, but was still in my lower leg from ankle to calf muscle area. The second and third time I recognized what it was before it progressed and was give oral antibiotics to combat it. I was nasal swabbed to check for MRSA carrier, came back negative. After the third time I was determined to figure out how I was either coming in contact or why I was susceptible. My first question was how I was coming in contact if it was from an secondary source. As already stated here, we all carry staph on our skin it just needs a way in to take hold. Broken skin of any kind will do. I still evaluated my possible contact sources which are many since I work in and around an autopsy suite at the hospital and my wife is a nurse. I used hibiclens wash on my legs, I figured it would not hurt, but it is not something I use continuously now. I started to make sure any clothes that I wore or my wife were immediately put into the wash after a days or nights work. Given the location of my infections I was curious if the pants leg touching floors or touching my shoes was getting it on my lower legs so I am more cautious about those things now. I think the biggest issue I had was poor circulation and the swelling in my feet and legs due to my weight and lack of physical activity at that time was maybe a bigger culprit. If staph was and is on my skin and the skin is stretched to the point it provides a micro break in the skin barrier it had a entry point. My poor circulation was not helping my own immune system tackle the problem either. Since that time I have dropped 120 lbs through diet and exercise and my legs are no longer swollen and the skin looks much healthier in my lower extremities due to better circulation. I still take the same precautions with possible contaminated clothing and use hand sanitizer on my hands and arms after using gym equipment that I have to touch. I do not wear shorts in the gym (not blessed with pretty gams so most people are grateful) so my legs don't come in direct contact with gym equipment. I have not had another bout in almost 10 months and I am hoping this trend continues.

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