Oh No! I Have MRSA!

[Ringer]

So apparently I ended up catching MRSA which I always assumed basically only affected those with a compromised immune system. Well, I'm almost 25 and supposed to be at the prime of my life! Just when I thought I would be clear from health issues after my appendicitis, I get this bomb dropped on me.

About a week ago I started getting a few small red bumps on my stomach. I figured, well, it's a strange place for a pimple but there's a first time for everything. I probably tried to pop the stupid thing and made things a lot worse by doing so. After that, I started noticing a bump on my hip, the back of my neck and one on my chest. By this point I knew something was up so I started researching boils. Most boils basically run their course within a week or so and I figured I'd do the same. But, I showed my mom and she suggested I go to the doctor anyway. I stopped there last Friday and he took a culture from one of the boils I have on my hip. Driving to work today, I got a call that it was MRSA.

(MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It may also be referred to as multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA). The organism is often sub-categorized as Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) or Hospital-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) depending upon the circumstances of acquiring disease, based on current data that these are distinct strains of the bacterial species.
MRSA is a resistant variation of the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. It has evolved an ability to survive treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics, including penicillin, methicillin, and cephalosporins. MRSA is especially troublesome in hospital-associated (nosocomial) infections. In hospitals, patients with open wounds, invasive devices, and weakened immune systems are at greater risk for infection than the general public. Hospital staff who do not follow proper sanitary procedures may transfer bacteria from patient to patient.

I received a prescription for an antibiotic (Bactrim) and am going for a check-up on June 20th. If my antiobiotic runs out by this weekend, doesn't June 20th seem a little too late for a check-up? Anybody else have experience with MRSA? I don't have a fever or anything so do you think I am out of the clear and no need to worry so much? Anybody want to do a body swap with me?

 

[Valjean]

Relax, you'll probably pull through. Resistant Staph is not necessarily any more virulent than any other flavor of Staph, it's just hard to knock out with the usual antibiotics.

You might want to be careful about spreading it around, though. Wash your hands well before touching things others will be handling, &c.

 

[Ringer]

Relax, you'll probably pull through. Resistant Staph is not necessarily any more virulent than any other flavor of Staph, it's just hard to knock out with the usual antibiotics.

You might want to be careful about spreading it around, though. Wash your hands well before touching things others will be handling, &c.

Thanks, Seyorni! I actually thought of you when making this post and figured you'd respond since I believe you are a nurse and know quit a bit about this particular infection. My ex-girfriend was a nurse and I know she said they would have to take certain precautions and have special training to deal with Staph patients.

 

[Hope]

Ouch! That doesn't sound like fun. I'll pray for a speedy recovery.

 

[3.14]

it is a very resistant bacterie but since it was discovered it can't do much harm anymore.

precautions:

when you feel worse go to docter asap
watch out when touching somone els or yourself
shower more often
check on the internet if you got the right meds
have fun
and eat healthy

 

[michel]

Our local hospital has anti bacterial alcohol gel every ten yards down the corridors; having spent time in hospital with marie, I must have used a couple of bottles......

As Seyorni has said, I don't think you are in much danger; in fact MRSA has been overtaken, I believe by another "nasty":-

University of Glasgow :: Archive :: August
MRSA – Many different bacteria can be caught in hospital but the most notorious is MRSA - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA was relatively rare in the early 1990s representing only about 1-2 per cent of serious infections caused by this species however this figure rose to more than 45 per cent within 10 years.
MRSA can cause an extremely wide range of serious disease such as pneumonia, septicaemia, bone infections and toxic-shock. The antibiotics that can be used for the treatment of MRSA are more limited as a result of its resistance to various antibiotics. Many of these antibiotics have serious side effects that can complicate treatment.

C. Difficile - Clostridium difficile is the major cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea. More than 30 people died in 2005 and 2005 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital after an outbreak of the infection.
Clostridium difficile is commonly found in the large intestine and infections usually occur following long-term antibiotic therapy that kills other bacterial competitors allowing Clostridium difficile to take over. It produces two major toxins that inflame the colon causing diarrhoea.
Contamination of the hospital environment from this source is key in causing and prolonging outbreaks as the bacteria produces spores that can survive on wet or dry surfaces in hospitals for long periods.

Clostridium difficile can be readily treated using vancomycin or metronidazole but it is not killed by alcohol handwashes used by healthcare workers to prevent the spread of MRSA and other infections and is best dealt with using soap and water.

 

[Comet]

I hope it all works out okay for you... I'll be thinking about you and hoping for a good outcome as well.

 

[Valjean]

Our hospital is currently phasing in a program to screen everyone admitted for MRSA. We already have MRSA positive patients on just about every unit in the hospital. With universal screening I expect numbers will skyrocket and I'll be spending half my time donning and doffing gowns & gloves.

I'm thinking of investing in companies manufacturing isolation gowns -- and little bottles of alcohol gell .

 

[lizskid]

MRSA has been around for a long time, it's just now getting "Known". You had surgery, you got a staph infection. Unfortunately, this is fairly common. Take all the meds as you are supposed to. You ARE in the prime of life and in line to fight this well. Peace.

 

[Valjean]

MRSA has been around for a long time, it's just now getting "Known". You had surgery, you got a staph infection. Unfortunately, this is fairly common. Take all the meds as you are supposed to. You ARE in the prime of life and in line to fight this well. Peace.

Possibly not that long, lizkid. MRSA and other resistant bugs are products of our antibiotic saturated culture.

Capabilities like antibiotic resistance tend to be metabolically costly, thus, in the absence of periodic exposure to antibiotics the resistant bacteria can't compete against more robust, non-resistant strains.
MRSA would largely die out in the absence of widespread antibiotic usage.

 

[michel]

Possibly not that long, lizkid. MRSA and other resistant bugs are products of our antibiotic saturated culture.

Capabilities like antibiotic resistance tend to be metabolically costly, thus, in the absence of periodic exposure to antibiotics the resistant bacteria can't compete against more robust, non-resistant strains.
MRSA would largely die out in the absence of widespread antibiotic usage.

I agree. My wife and I have always tried to "get by" without antibiotics unless they were really necessary, as we did with our children; this despite the fact that various doctors we have seen have been prepared to dish them out to all and sundry as a general cure all.

But that is not the whole story; goodnes knows how much we have been consuming in the meat that we eat (and maybe the milk that we drink?).

 

[Ringer]

For those of you care (at least it's something to read), I will be going to the doctor for my check up to see if the antiobiotics have done their job. It seems like all of my boils were healing quit nicely shortly after being on the antibiotics. But, I just noticed another bump that's right below my belly button. I went to itch my belly button area a few days ago and something hurt and when I looked, there was a red bump starting to form. The next day it started to look very similar to the few boils I had when I first went to the doctor - the red pump with the formation of puss in the center. I wonder if this means they'll have to take another culture and if I still have this in my system, do another round of antibiotics. Just when I thought I was done with this....

I guess it's call MRSA for a good reason :sad4:

 

[Comet]

Man, that sucks. I hope it stops there and doesn't get worse. Hopefully the doctors will find a treatment that will work for you. Thoughts and prayers still...

 

[Ringer]

Another update...

Went to the doctor this morning and believes I still have the nasty bacteria in there. He gave me a prescription for the same antibiotics but gave me a few other things as well. I have a special soap I'm supposed to shower with (Hibiclens) along with an ointment I'm supposed to put in my nostril twice a day for 5 days (Mupirocin). He also shoved those long Q-Tips up my nose and swabbed all around to get more cultures. I'm using the soap for 1 month and need to see him again after that. If that still doesn't fix it, on to an infectious disease control center for me. I know something like this is trivial compared to what many of you all go through but thoughts and prayers are always appreciated. I've read some cases of people that have to go through antibiotic treatments for months at a time and still have issues and I'm praying this will not be the case.

 

[Comet]

Man.... what can I say to all that? Except, I hope this soap and antibiotics work for you. Have they done a white blood cell count to see if the infection is improving?

 

[Ringer]

Man.... what can I say to all that? Except, I hope this soap and antibiotics work for you. Have they done a white blood cell count to see if the infection is improving?

Sorry didn't see this for a while....

No they haven't done anything like that and am not sure why.

UPDATE: Have another boil on my chest now and since my doctor was not at the office, another doctor recommended I go on my 3rd round of antibiotics until I meet with my doctor on the 17th. Something tells me I'm going to have this for a while.

 

[Comet]

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully your doctor will get back to town and figure something out for you. I know how it is, I'm on my 3rd medication for my knee and the doctors still can't figure it out or find something to help. It is frustrating! Hang in there!

 

[Ringer]

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully your doctor will get back to town and figure something out for you. I know how it is, I'm on my 3rd medication for my knee and the doctors still can't figure it out or find something to help. It is frustrating! Hang in there!

What issues do you have with your knee?

 

[Comet]

What issues do you have with your knee?

Just had my 2nd surgery back in February. It is over 130 days since the surgery and the doctors can't get the swelling to go down. We've done blood tests for a million things or infection, tried steroid shots to the joint, and now my 3rd medication.....

Needless to say, nothing has helped. Though this last stuff seems to help the pain, just not the swelling. None of the 3 doctors I've seen or been sent to can figure it out. Most everybody else is telling me they left something in me durring surgery or messed something up badly. Who knows at this point?

I understand your frustration though: Every month DOCTOR/MEDS and the result of REPEAT PROCESS!

 

[Ringer]

Just had my 2nd surgery back in February. It is over 130 days since the surgery and the doctors can't get the swelling to go down. We've done blood tests for a million things or infection, tried steroid shots to the joint, and now my 3rd medication.....

Needless to say, nothing has helped. Though this last stuff seems to help the pain, just not the swelling. None of the 3 doctors I've seen or been sent to can figure it out. Most everybody else is telling me they left something in me durring surgery or messed something up badly. Who knows at this point?

I understand your frustration though: Every month DOCTOR/MEDS and the result of REPEAT PROCESS!

Sounds like you have it worse than me. With all of the knee surgeries going on every day, I'm surprised you have something that nobody has had before. Can they at least tell if it's some kind of fluid or scar tissue from the surgery? If it means anything to you, I'll keep you in my prayers.