MRSA

[hopefulmama]

Hi all.

Feeling a little low. I’d been off of the doxycycline due to liver stuff for about 2 months, optimistically researching immune pathways and T-helper cells… when without warning I developed what I thought was a spider bite. Stupidly popped the sucker and within 12 hours was in intense pain, chills, sweats, etc. The pain in my leg woke me in the night. My husband convinced me to wait it out a few days (in hindsight, this was foolish) before seeing a doctor. When I finally saw the GP (actually, his PA) she advised 2 days of hot soaks, followed by 7 days of Keflex if that didn’t work, followed by 28 days of doxycycline if the Keflex didn’t work. Cellulitis and boil spreading rapidly.

I made it to day 2 of the Keflex – which made me feel about a thousand times worse. Called the GP himself, and he told me to switch to doxy and go to urgent care in 48 hours if not better. Went to urgent care 48 hours later, and they cultured the boil. Took me nearly a week to get the culture results back but today they came in. So sad – MRSA, but one that is apparently sensitive to doxycycline which explains why the infection has gotten much better. The boil is still there though.

I am honestly depressed. I wonder if I did this to myself by taking doxycycline for nearly a year. I keep trying to help my immune system find balance but what if I am just screwing things up more and more? Anyway I’ve been back on the doxy 100mg BID daily now for 8 days and hopefully my liver is holding up ok.

My understanding of MRSA is that once you are colonized with it, you carry it forever. I was already a staph carrier (since 1997) so I wonder if this is just the same staph I’ve had all along and perhaps it developed a resistance. I’m so worried about transmitting this junk to my three small kids, and the stress of this news is making me feel even worse than I did.

It just seems like it never ends. I try so hard to eat well, drink clean water, take tons of supplements, exercise, and pray – but I haven’t yet found my path to wellness. Between the mycoplasma, yersinia enterocolitica, staph, strep, MRSA and possibly lyme and babesia, I feel outnumbered and really tired. My husband continues to feel that there is nothing wrong with me despite all of the doctors and diagnoses, and I am confused.

Am I the only person on this board to experience MRSA? Does anyone know if it can be vanquished or if I will face this now forever? Did I do this to myself with the doxycycline?

Thank you so much for listening.

Best wishes and I truly hope all of you are having great success with your health.

A

[Trudi]

@hopefulmama wrote:

I wonder if I did this to myself by taking doxycycline for nearly a year. I keep trying to help my immune system find balance but what if I am just screwing things up more and more?
It just seems like it never ends. I try so hard to eat well, drink clean water, take tons of supplements, exercise, and pray – but I haven’t yet found my path to wellness.

Hi Andrea–
So sorry to read this. If it helps any, a day doesn’t go by that I don’t second-guess myself in my treatment decisions. Although I do base my decisions on the facts presented, so I know I’d still be doing what I have done–hope that sort of makes sense.

Try not to be too hard on yourself.

Take care,
Trudi

Lyme/RA; AP 4/2008 off and on to 3/2010; past use of quinolones may be the cause of my current problems, (including wheelchair use); all supplements (which can aggravate the condition) were discontinued on 10/14/2012. Am now treating for the homozygous MTHFR 1298 mutation. Off of all pain meds since Spring '14 (was on them for years--doctor is amazed--me too). Back on pain med 1/2017. Reinfected? Frozen shoulder?

[PhilC]

Hi Andrea,
@hopefulmama wrote:

Did I do this to myself with the doxycycline?

Probably not. You may have had it for years and just didn’t realize it because it hadn’t caused any trouble until now.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[dianne-sunshinecoast]

dear andrea, so sorry to hear you are going through so much , you are such a fighter, and a very kind giving person , i do hope you get some relief soon. i will pray for you …love di.

[Krys]

@hopefulmama wrote:

..the culture results back but today they came in. So sad – MRSA, but one that is apparently sensitive to doxycycline which explains why the infection has gotten much better. The boil is still there though.

…I wonder if I did this to myself by taking doxycycline for nearly a year.

Andrea, I’m so sorry about this new development.
I second with Trudi and with Phil.
Be kind to yourself. You always do very thorough research. You saw marked improvement with doxy, at least in the beginning. You may never find the reason for acquiring mrsa, but out of whack immune system certainly did not help. And doxy did help you with lowering bacterial load. Whether the immune system got further weakened with prolonged usage, in spite of greatly lowering the bug load, it’s impossible to tell with 100% certainty.
And if mrsa you got is sensitive to doxy, then I myself would think that doxy cannot be the reason for getting it.

I read multiple times how herbs can help with abx resistant bacteria. Stephen Buhner explains in his “Healing Lyme” that bacteria cannot develop resistance to herbs because the biochemical composition of herbs is just too complex (as compared to pharmaceuticals). Herbs work slower than abx, sometimes they have to be taken in combination and over extended period of time. But they do work! As abx work faster, I’m so glad that doxy is helping you!

I googled “mrsa herbs” and quite a lot of solutions came up: herbs (Pau D’arco, Echinacea, Andrographis, Astragalus, Olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, …), garlic, colloidal silver, tea tree oil, etc.
http://www.twofrogscenter.com/mrsa_zilla.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/465527-oral-herbal-remedies-for-mrsa/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/255115-how-to-cure-an-mrsa-staph-infection-naturally/
http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=419

You have a great team of doctors, including naturopathic ones, they are bound to have answers about how to make sure mrsa is gone for good.
Sending you many warm wishes and prayers, Krys

[BG]

Andrea,

Your current MRSA infection is susceptible to doxycycline therefore taking doxycycline for nearly a year previously could not have contributed to it because if it had, you would have a doxycycline-resistant form of MRSA now.

I don’t think the medical community fully understands MRSA. It can reside harmless in the nose for decades or it can manifest as a life-threatening infection and everything in between.

My father is disabled with dementia and resides in a long term care facility. He was diagnosed with MRSA many years ago and has had severe infections from it in the past. After treatment with appropriate antibiotics, he no longer shows any signs of it. I’m sure it’s still lurking somewhere in his body but he hasn’t had a MRSA infection for years now (it’s been so long I no longer recall the last time he had a MRSA infection).

I wouldn’t stress out about it. As long as it’s properly identified and treated, you should have no problems.

Best wishes,

Barb

[Krys]

For anybody interested:

While checking geranium for digestion, I’ve accidentally found on anandaapothecary.com that it treats mrsa, especially in combo with lemongrass. It was only mentioned there, and for those interested, it was advised to search PubMed. So, I did.
It’s just the first one, about GSE and Geranium oil: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15555788

A combination of Citricidal and geranium oil showed the greatest-anti-bacterial effects against MRSA, whilst a combination of geranium and tea tree oil was most active against the methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (Oxford strain). This study demonstrates the potential of essential oils and essential oil vapors as antibacterial agents and for use in the treatment of MRSA infection.

“MRSA + essential oils” on PubMed gives 59 abstracts.

http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/Article/Aromatherapy-Science-Update–Treating-MRSA-with-Essential-Oils/989531

It’s interesting that no single essential oil has been found in all the research to be superior to synthetic antibiotics, but blends of essential oils have been.(…)
A complex blend of eucalyptus, tea tree, clove, lemongrass and thyme essential oils was reported to successfully treat individuals with MRSA infections. The blend, diluted in alcohol, was topically applied to two individuals…–the result was complete eradication of MRSA infections. In a third individual, the MRSA was present in bone structure…Using a slow-release system, the essential oil blends also resulted in complete eradication of the infection.

Lots of interesting reading on Earth Clinic and quite a good reason to take your Turmeric! 😉
http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/MRSA_questions.html

When we are scared and depressed (and all of us experience that), everything looks dark. I’ve supplied those links only to show that there are always solutions, we only need to find them and apply them, usually after doing much more research about the details. I’m sure there are many, many more solutions….to all the problems we experience.
Warm wishes, Krys

[A Friend]

A,

Edit: More links are being added at the end oi post. Hope they will be helpful.

I’m so sorry you are going through this difficult and trying time. It’s late, so tonight I’m just going to mention that Dr. Linus Pauling (and several other giants in orthomolecular medicine) have written very impressively about Vitamin C supplementation for many areas of chronic illness. I’ve been reading a thick book by Dr. Pauling (and getting a very extensive education on things I’ve not known enough about).

Am pasting below the link I just found and thought might encourage you and possibly be helpful. It looks like all of us could well be Vitamin C deficient, especially since we humans cannot make it in our bodies. When I recently went to an ACAM physician for some help in revamping my supplement schedule to address some big problems that have appeared over the last 8 or 9 months, at the top of the list was very large doses of Vitamin C and ideally including Citrus Bioflavinoids. The powder can be very efficient, as it can be added to water, tea, etc. and taste is not a problem.

http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n12.shtml

Will try to give you a more inclusive link soon that gives a wider list of benefits.

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_events/news/2011/07-14-ohsu-scientists-discover.cfm
(About this discovery of a new role for Vitamin C in the Eye — and the Brain is dated 07/14/11. There are other diseases mentioned in the paper. You may have seen previously that I began reading Dr. Pauling’s book about two weeks ago, but gave it to someone who needed it more acutely than I did. Just received the one I ordered, and am back to reading it, and not jumping around in it…lol

And a link to a list of books with other writing, etc. on the work of Dr. Linus Pauling and others:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss01/books.html

The information I have been learning seems to be VERY relevant to my own problems. I mentioned before that I had seen a knowledgeable holistic MD with other degrees, and on his recommendations for me was high-dose C, along with some others that I’d completely overlooked. Some of us need lots more Vitamin C than others, but all of us here may need lots — not for me to say. And when we have a relatively low intake of it, we don’t show signs of “scurvy”, but we can still not take in adequate and needed amounts. [At one time, the human could manufacture his own Vit C, but something caused that to change.]

Dr. Pauling’s book, along with other articles I’m reading, are certainly educating for me. Again, it seems to be I’ve overlooked the basic and most essential elements that I very much needed. My hope is that one day all physicians will be educated in orthomolecular medicine, as well as what they have been taught today. There is a grave conflict at work today in the medical community, in my opinion, that has led to unnecessary suffering and has run up medical costs. I personally have spent 20 years reading/studying and trying to figure things out. And, am glad I have, for I believe I would have been 6-feet under if I had not learned what I’ve learned.)

Best to you all,

Hang in there. You’ll find your answers.

AF

[A Friend]

@BG wrote:

Andrea,

…..I don’t think the medical community fully understands MRSA. It can reside harmless in the nose for decades or it can manifest as a life-threatening infection and everything in between.

My father is disabled with dementia and resides in a long term care facility. He was diagnosed with MRSA many years ago and has had severe infections from it in the past. After treatment with appropriate antibiotics, he no longer shows any signs of it. I’m sure it’s still lurking somewhere in his body but he hasn’t had a MRSA infection for years now (it’s been so long I no longer recall the last time he had a MRSA infection)…..
Best wishes,
Barb

EDIT 2: The link below doesn’t open to the video, but it does open for Barb in the PM I sent to her. If anyone wants the link, I’ll be glad to PM it. AF

EDIT: Added below

We tried it and it worked in the PM… so pasting the link about Alzheimer’s here:
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 6:35 AM
Subject: Coconut oil watch to the end – A Real Eye Opener!

Coconut oil watch to the end – A Real Eye Opener!

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.a … JO190v1_WS

Barb, I came to this topic to paste a link for Andrea, and saw your comment about dementia. A cousin who is a veterinarian, and a student of natural medicine, shared a link with me about a lady MD whose husband had Alzheimer’s and she researched to find something to help him. The link, which I’m sending to you in a “PM” gives a video/audio link with the lady physician and her husband, detailing what she learned and what she did. He is improving significantly. I would paste the link here, but discovered if I deleted the e-mail information of the person who sent it to him, the link did not work (may have something to do with PDF) . The key factor in her therapy for him was/is coconut oil. An independent search might find it. I’ll see if it shows up that way.
Best to you and your dad,
AF

[cavalier]

I had MRSA – back in 05 – I have never had it back again since then – but I had it in places – so deep it had to be cut out of me with a drain for the deepest one. I was building our house then & it was hard to sleep & it just got bigger while waiting 2 wk’s to see my doc but the 1st one had been in existence by 2 months by then – my PCP sent it off to get not sure now culture or biopsy but regardless it was the 1st time he ever called me back so fast said he had a apptmt with a surgeon could i get there in a 1/2 hr – I knew he could not get it all out but had no idea it was this. Surgeon said do you want surgery today or tomm. i was like what?! He said I dont know how you are standing & doing things & too big a risk I was lucky this had not gone septic. I was supposed to be moving that week – i said maybe Jan – this was end of Nov. He said no I told him i would think on it – came home looked it up & called back had surgery the next day. I still have the 3 scars but knock on wood never had it back again despite my immune picking up just about everything else. This is around the time I figure i got SD. I have had Shingles 9 times in 18 mo’s & Parvo 16 both confirmed by Titer IGg. I was told could get it back – in 2009 i had surgery they posted i had a contagious disease a flag on the door due to my disclosure of this – nurses due to privacy assumed HIV – not but my doc said why is this flag up I said due to MRSA I had it once – I cant remember what test he ran but it showed I was clear of the virus not carrying it anymore am telling you this as i had heard too once you have it always a carrier but evidently not in my case. I was NOT on ANY AB’s before I got the MRSA – I would think the Doxy may have helped to stall or poss. keep it from being maybe worse.

Anyways that is the scoop for my experience with MRSA – my immune did go way down for a year after it really kicked the stuffing out of me before i felt a bit stronger – I had to work on my immune Cholestrum etc
Best – Jill

[A Friend]

Andrea,
I just went to a saved document in my Word files, and noticed I’d save information about a doctor who treats MRSA and what he has written. The saved excerpts in the Word file are impressive. Hope it will be helpful. I have a lot on non-denatured whey protein research and use, a type product which Dr. S references on the site below. Take care of yourself.
AF

http://drlarrysosna.wordpress.com/about/

[hopefulmama]

I just want to thank you all so much.

Krys is right that sometimes when things seem very dark, everything looks scarier than it is. I don’t have a lot of support at home for the medical challenges I’ve had – mainly because my husband believes that if you focus on a health problem you give it more power. He’s a lot healthier than I am, so maybe he’s onto something. Anyway our dynamic is complex when it comes to health issues, even with our kids (when they are sick).

That’s why it means so much to me to have the genuine kindness and support of this group of caring and genuine people – all of you understand just how mentally exhausting it can be to experience chronic illness and fatigue – but look in many cases mostly normal so that it’s harder for folks on the outside to feel compassion.

The MRSA will be ok. It will, because I won’t rest until I find answers – and I’ve been researching tirelessly since even before I knew for sure it was MRSA. I just had a feeling it was. Anyway, I had already tried poultices, garlic, turmeric and manuka honey(and Keflex!) before going to urgent care and it just kept getting worse and worse. I’m not sure why, but the cellulitis was spreading rapidly. So, for me, doxycycline has once again been a lifesaver. Things are improving steadily I think.

Since posting last, I’ve received two pieces of information that help shed light on my situation. First, and very luckily, I received the lab report from the hospital which shows that although I have MRSA it is only resistant to Penicillin G and oxacillin. There were seven other antibiotics that it was susceptible to – not just the tetracyclines but also clindamycin and many others. It was very relieving to see that even if for some reason the doxy does not pull through for me, there are many options. So my kind of MRSA is not nearly as bad as they can be.

Next, my pharmacist shared with me that she has had 3 other cases of MRSA in our neighborhood within the past two months. So clearly it is out there right now… in my community. I may have been carrying this same staph for years… or I may have picked it up from one of my kids or their school, or even the grocery cart at the local store. Wherever it came from, it may actually have been a recent acquisition during the two months I was off of doxycycline and especially during that washout week when I went off EVERYTHING that keeps me going.

The pharmacist agrees with all of us that the doxy couldn’t have paved the way for this MRSA because if it had, it would not be susceptible but rather resistant. So that is good news.

To be honest, I’m not sure if anyone ever cultured my impetigo over the years to find out what kind of staph I carried. I’ll try to find my old records, but I don’t think they ever gave me penicillin for it. I actually think the first time I got it back in 1997 they gave me Keflex but then when I got it again in 2005 the doctor told me that Keflex no longer worked and I think she gave me either a sulfa drug or doxycycline. Either of which would cover MRSA. So, Phil may be right that I could have had it for a while and maybe it never caused big problems for me before.

I’ve been taking garlic baths with epsom salt which seem to really help. Contacted the local MRSA specializing naturopath in our area today that A Friend suggested, so maybe he’ll be able to help. Will see my LLMD Dr. Y next week so will ask her opinion as well. There are many way to skin a cat and something is going to work. I’m sticking around this joint! 😀

Thank you again so much for everything. I am reinvigorated and hopeful – and who knows, life is funny. I’m back on the doxycycline now at 100mg BID daily and perhaps there is an important reason for that, beyond the MRSA. Sometimes we need a little shove in the right direction; maybe the MRSA was mine.

Warmest wishes. I hope you are all thriving and healing with every passing day… and I hope I can be there for you too, if ever you need a friend or a support.

A

[Krys]

Andrea,
I hope you have already managed to forget your brush with MRSA and that you do not need any further weapons.I’ve accidentally found that Terminalia Chebula (Haritaki) is good for MRSA, and I thought it would be good to add it to this thread.
http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/361-haritaki
Medical research:
Antiamoeba:…
Antibacterial: …An aqueous extract from Terminalia Chebula strongly inhibited the growth, sucrose induced adherence and glucan induced aggregation of Streptococcus mutans. …Gallic acid and its ethyl ester, isolated from Terminalia chebula displayed potent antimicrobial activity against several bacteria, including methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (Sato et al 1998). A crude extract of Terminalia chebula is reported to have potent and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against human pathogenic Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria (Phadke and Kulkarni 1989).
Antifungal
Antiviral
Vulnerary
Cancer
……

It turns out it also works as a biofilm buster:
http://www.goodbyelyme.com/free-articles/biofilm/infiltrator

I have only been using it as a part of Triphala for its aid in digestion, assimilation and elimination. I have bought Haritaki separately on Amazon but never used it on its own. Tonight I was checking if it works against Candida and the above (1st) link popped up. As it can be used as eye-drops, as an enema, for mouth ulcers, I believe a poultice applied to the skin should be helpful, too.
Googling “Haritaki poultice for MRSA” gives quite a few links, which I regrettably do not have time to read now .
I hope you are doing great and have already forgotten about MRSA.
Has your doc lanced it and cleansed it up?
Warm wishes, Krys

[Author]

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