Anybody else out there dealing or dealt with MRSA (staph)?

[Can_U_Help]

I had a culture of an absess on the calf of my leg which recently cultured positive for MRSA. I am allergic to sulpha so I was perscribed tetracycline because the bacteria showed sensitive to it in the sensitivity test. I am having a lot of problems that I think may be from the tetracycline but no absolutely sure (nausea, rash, extensive swelling in my feet). I'm just looking for others who are dealing with getting through MRSA or who have had it in the past and are willing to share their experiences. This is a very complex diagnosis to understand. I've had people tell my you can get rid of the strain of bacteria (MRSA) although it is very hard to because it is so resistant and others tell me you can never get rid of it once you have it you will always have it. I would really like to talk with some other people who have dealt with this infection first hand. If anyone out there wouldn't mind sharing their knowledge, symptoms, etc I'd really like to hear them.
Thanks.

[Can_U_Help]

I was wondering what should I be doing as far as cleaning this abcess/sore on my leg? My doctor said wash it with antibacterial soap and put neosporin (triple antibiotic ointment) on it. I have had people tell me that if I keep putting the ointment on it it wouldn't heal up. That's not true is it? I would think the ointment would help it heal up quicker right? That's what triple antibiotic ointment is supposed to do I thought. RJ said her doc told her to use peroxide, so it shouldn't hurt anything to put alchohol on it right? Anybody out there who has had this type of staph (MRSA) that can tell me what they used for the sore would help me out a lot.
Thanks.

[Can_U_Help]

Thanks for the response RJ. I have been getting a lot of run around too. I get really frustrated and just want to scream sometimes but I know that won't do any good. I have not had staph in my eyes and I pray I don't that sounds extremely painful. I feel for you. As for what I have been told, I have a sister who is an RN and a sister-in-law who is an LPN they both told me that everyone has staph that it is a bacteria that is on the skin but there are different strains of bacteria and some of those (MRSA) have become resistant to antibiotics. I have been running around and around in circles on this because I found literature on the MN Department of Health website which says that MRSA is curable but it must be treated with the right type of antibiotic to kill it because it is resistant to most (a couple being penicillin and amoxicillin). That's why the culture and sensitivity test is crucial in effectively treating the bacteria with the right type of antibiotic. Your sore should most definitely have been swabbed and cultured along with a sensitivity test. I don't have insurance and my doctor had treated this once before with levaquin without a culture/sensitivity test of the abscess to save me out of pocket medical expenses. This time she also offered to treat with levaquin and skip the culture and I was adamant that we do the culture so we would know what we were dealing with and exactly what we needed to do to take care of it. Good thing I did too because the levaquin would not have worked. You need to be very adamant too if this comes up again. Don't let them tell you that a culture isn't really necessary because it is very crucial in dealing with certain types of staph bacteria. If your doctor refuses find another one, it's your health and you are the one suffering. You deserve to get better. I know I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. This is miserable to deal with and understanding it will drive you insane. The doctors have told me that this is curable and you can get rid of the bacteria but it takes a long time for most people and in some cases (like mine) when the patient is allergic to the good drugs that really knock this bacteria on it's behind (sulpha drugs) it will take them even longer to get rid of it. I am now on my second round of tetracycline and I swear I think I am having a mild reaction to it. Did you have problems like hives, red dots, swelling feet or extreme nausea while you had the sores? I really don't want to stop taking this stuff. I have 4 more days and I will have finished two rounds of this antibiotic and I really don't want to stop taking it if it will work to kill this bacteria so I don't have these abscesses anymore. But my feet swell really really bad now. The hives and red dots have pretty much gone away but the swelling and nausea are raging and I don't know if it's something mild I should overlook or if I should be concerned. I have taken 62 of the tetracycline so I want to think that if I were going to have a life threatening reaction I would have had one by now but I still worry about it. I sure wish this would just go away and never come back. The last outbreak I had I didn't feel this bad for this long but I wasn't on an antibiotic this strong either. The antibiotic you are on might kill the staph and that would be wonderful. But if you start having anymore outbreaks with the sores I would definitely find a doctor who would culture them for me. The thing that is so important about the culture is they can test the bacteria for sensitivity to antibiotics so that they prescribe the right antibiotic to kill the exact type/strain of staph that you have. That culture has to be done to effectively use the right antibiotics unless you just get lucky and hit the right one by taking a shot in the dark. I sure hope this one works for me because the other one it was sensitive to was like 300 a prescription and I have no insurance. So I pray this one works and I don't end up having a sever reaction to it. If I come across anymore info I will let you know. Thanks again for the response.

[RJ233]

I have had problems with staph for over a year. My pcare dr has handled most of them. He gave me Keflex, and said to use perioxide, and hot compresses. Well, I kept getting them. He said I was culturized and it would show up on a swab from my nose. He said it was contagious, though my husband never got it. I had one in my rectum and then it went to one eye. The eye doctor said everyone has staph on their body, it is a bacteria, but some people are more subseptible to break outs. He gave me eye drops. The staph that appears to look like a boil moved up and down my left eye and had cluster heads. I went back when I couldn't get one to open (I had had about 5 seperate places, clear it and another would pop up). He couldn't get it open either. I had been using gel peroxide. He went on vacation and what do you know but I woke up with both eyes covered with staph in the lash line. I had drops again. The drops actually soak into the eyeball. One staph spot was under my eye lid and it was irritating my eye ball when I would blink. Well, they healed up. My eye doctor told me it wasn't contagious. I don't know if it was a particular type because of the area or what.

I even called an infectuous disease dr. They only work on a second opionion referral. They said it would not show in my blood without a breakout and if I had it in my blood it would affect my vital organs, such as kidneys.

I talked to my insurance company nurse practioner. He said it should have been swabbed and blood drawn and evaluated from the beginning. It will show up in the blood as everything shows up in your blood if it is in your body.

I could never get my p dr to even lance one. He would make me suffer with those things until I could get them open myself, and use peroxide. So I still really don't have an answer and they don't seem to agree on everybody has the germ on their body or they don't or if it shows in your blood or not.

I have a good eye doctor so I do have faith that he tells me the truth as he knows it. I also think that the insurance company would have a well educated person on their staff, because they want you to be healthy (less cost). I still don't have any answers because they were never swabbed or my blood tested, but if I get another one, my primary dr will swab it and take blood or someone else will. The Keflex did not help as far as clearing my system of it, but right now I am on an antibiotic for a urinary infection, so I have not had any problems. Wouldn't it be something if that cured it since it is for bacterial infection?

I really don't think they are that educated on staph. It seems to have become a problem in the last couple years and is a strain that they don't know much about. If you find out anything please post it. I need some answers too.