Klebsiella Pneumoniae

[skye000]

Hi I did a HVS and the doctor found klebsiella pneumoniae, heavy growth after rounds of antibiotics. I started taking levofloxacin for seven days for a moderate growth. Did a swab, still moderate growth. Then the doc gave me two shots gentamicin and two shots ceftriaxone and then it turned into a heavy growth. I have burning, discharge, pain and my cervix was badly infected. The infection cleared in my cervix but I still have heavy growth. I am now taking Cefuroxime. Will this bacteria ever die? Does anyone know if heat can kill it? Like if I put a heating pad down there. Im desperate. Im taking 2 probiotics a day. I don't even know I got this bug so high up in my cervix.

[mkh9]

skye000,
We are not doctors on these forums. But  as a microbiologist I can give you some advice. As I  mentioned above they don't usually treat bacteria  that are  normally from the intestines or anal area, that gets into the vagina, because it is usually considered a contaminant from wiping the wrong way or just incidental, not an infection. But  since you say there was pus or white blood cells in high amounts then it should go away with antibiotic treatment. There are some  strains of Klebsiella that can be resistant to antibiotics. If they did a culture and antibiotic sensitivity test your doctor would know that and treat you accordingly. So it should go away after that. It should not come back if they gave you the right antibiotic. Meaning, if the bacteria was sensitive to that antibiotic that particular bacteria won't come back.  Bacteria are unpredictable in general though. In that if you  have bad hygiene or some how contaminate  the area with anal bacteria is possible to get it or another bacteria again. It sounds  like you got yours from pregnancy and the damage that does. After taking antibiotics you should probably take probiotics for about a month if that is okay with your OBGYN. I would bring these questions up with them as well.
Regards,
mkh9

[mkh9]

Well, since you had bleeding since the LAP it could be from that. Or hormonal. Just be sure to check that you don't get anemic or iron deficient.
If you feel overly tired get a Complete blood count and a iron and ferritin done.
Take care,
mkh9

[dharanya1519]

hi I know this is a old post but I need a help from you people if you are still able to see the post. Recently I have been diagnosed with klebsiella in my vaginal wall pus after 9 months of vaginal delivery. they drained the pus and put me in antibiotics and I am worried that it will come back so please give me some information on this in detail if you would that would be great since I couldn't get much information in Google

[mkh9]

dharanya1519,
see message below. I accidentally wrote it to skyooo but it was meant for you.
mkh9

[skye000]

Hi I don't take any birth control. I am 31. Well I do have polycystic ovaries but I didnt think that was any cause for concern because I have had it a long time and it never caused unusual bleeding. I doubt that has anything to do with it. I want to mention that I did a laparoscopy last year to see if I had endo but I don't have it and since then I have had this kind of bleeding. Sorry to confuse you even more with more info. I always felt that the lap surgery was the reason I have unusual bleeding and infection since u can get these bugs from hospitals. BUt there's no way to prove that.

Other than that there was nothing else wrong cause I don't have fibroids. Guess it can be a hormonal imbalance too but I feel its this infection causing it. Ive expressed all these concerns with several docs so they aware of everything but nobody knows for sure. They all keep reminding me that I am a healthy person and that i am worrying too much. But I clearly have a problem. Once again thanks for taking an interest in my case.

[mkh9]

Yes if you have a good doctor she probably would have checked for BV. But, the reason I asked about BV is you can get a yellow discharge and have abnormal bleeding too. Also, the bleeding do you take birth control pills? If so they could be the wrong dose of hormone and cause abnormal bleeding. Or you could have a hormone imbalance. I don't know your age but uterine fibroids can cause this as well as cysts and so forth. I think your doctor would have found if you had a polyp. Also, a dysfunction of the ovaries can cause bleeding due to decrease in progesterone and endometriosis. So, it depends. Have you mentioned this to your doctor? If not you should bring it up when you see her.

Also, if you have a cervical infection with the Staph or uterus infection (not the vagina)  called cervicitis it can cause abnormal bleeding.  I'm just telling you what I know. So, I am not sure whether the staph is vaginal or cervical at this point. Maybe you can discuss this with your doctor. Have you had any fever through all this?
Take care,
mkh9

[skye000]

I did a pap smear. It was normal. My hvs showed no trichmonas. I didn't know u had to ask them to do BV tests? Wouldn't it show up on the HVS report? My doctor would have checked me for that first. She is a good doctor. I haven't had the symptoms for pelvic inflammatory disease. I have a problem with my period bleeding non stop though. My last period finished last week and was going for two weeks and a half. And today I saw that it started again. Something not right. Im married and haven't been with others.

[mkh9]

I wonder if you also have been tested for bacterial vaginosis or BV? This would be a test for Gardnerella vaginalis and some other bacteria and an imbalance in bacterial flora. Also, pelvic inflammatory disease? Also, trichomonas? These can cause a discharge and the symptoms you mention too. Don't know if you had any exposure where you could have gotten an STD? But if so that could cause PID.  It is good to get informed. Women don't always show the usual signs and symptoms men do.
mkh9

[skye000]

Yes I was getting a yellow discharge but not so much now. So the antibiotics did something. I don't get any pelvic pain but I do have discomfort inside my vagina. It burns like crazy, and feels swollen sometimes and when my cervix was infected that was the worst feeling. It was puffy and swelled up and it felt like it hanged down inside there. Made it difficult to walk properly. That's what I don't what to have happen again. I don't douche. I had recently started using a wash that gave me relief with the burning etc but the doc told me to stop using it. I only use mild soap now sometimes just warm water.

Yes its alot to think about but I will take your advice and keep taking the probiotics and wait a little. Guess I have to give it some time to work. I wash my hands like crazy now before and after using the bathroom. Thanks again for your interest and help!!!

[Sfn526]

I have recently been diagnosed with this same bacteria in my labia.

Your post is old and I was wondering if you could give an update? Did you clear the bacteria? And if so, what worked? Was this causing your pain or do you still get pain?

Thanks in advance.

[mkh9]

I think it is possible you got folliculitis (infection of the hair follicle) from the rectal area. Although as you can see people do get it in the vaginal area too. Try a topical antibiotic like triple antibiotic ointment, if you are not allergic to it, about 3 times a day for a week and see if it goes away or gets better if not see your doctor. Wash any underwear in hot water and wash hands frequently and any clothes that may have gotten contaminated with it. I am not a doctor but my opinion is this  helped me with an infection with another bacteria on the labia it may help you.
regards,
mkh9

[Sfn526]

Thank you

[mkh9]

After considering some more about your case. Normally they don't treat vaginal cultures that come up with organisms like Klebsiella (or other Enteric bacteria that normally reside in the intestines). They don't really consider them a pathogen. Yes it is resistant. But it may have come from the intestines via stool contamination. So make sure you keep your hands clean since this is such a resistant bacteria. I think this is why the doctors are reluctant to give you so many antibiotics because they are going to be more of a harm to you. I think this will go away on its own. You can get tested off and on to see if goes away.Take the probiotics for a few months and see how it goes.  If you don't have symptoms from it. I wouldn't worry about it. If you do have pelvic pain then retest.

However the cervix and the uterus can become infected. So the question here is how well did they collect the HVS? Was it free of contamination from the vaginal walls? So that is something to discuss with your doctor. If they think it is the cervix or uterus that can be infected then it is important. If it is just the vagina then you don't have to worry too much. A lot to think about..
mkh9
mkh9

[mkh9]

Yes that is odd that the bug was sensitive. Well, havign a vaginal infection isn't as bad as a blood infection or a lung infection. It is more of a nuisance. You can actually have Klebsiella in your vagina without having an infection but it is usually in low numbers compared to the normal vaginal flora (bacteria). I wonder if you shouldn't just try the route of probiotics for a while. Maybe a month and then reculture then. By taking all these antibiotics you also risking getting an infection with Clostridium difficile. This bacteria can reside in your intestines without you having a problem and then when you take a lot of antibiotics it will overtake your intestinal flora and the toxin will cause you to have terrible diarrhea and so forth. It is very hard to get rid of. Do you douche? if you do I would stop. The vagina is self cleaning on the inside. Just clean the outside as usual. It is about maintaining good pH. Do you have pelvic pain or any discharge or any symptoms from it?
mkh9

[skye000]

How many days after the antibiotic should I wait before doing another swab?

[skye000]

Hi. Thanks for your reply. No I am not self medicating. My lab report showed that the bacteria was sensitive to all the antibiotics I have taken, that's why the doctor gave them to me. They showed good susceptibility.  So it is mysterious as to why it has not worked. I feel like they should have given me enough for a week or two weeks or something just to clear it. The doctors aren't acting like its something to worry about though because of where it is. But ive read how dangerous this bacteria is.

There are white blood cells showing but I cant say if it is high. Cant understand what the value means. I am worried. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with this bacteria in my privates.

[mkh9]

Hi and sorry you have this problem. Klebsiella pneumoniae can be multidrug resistant. So it can be resistant to all of the Beta lactam type drugs such as all cefalosporins : Ceftriaxone and Cefuroxine are of this type. It is also resistant to fluroquinolones such as Levofloxacin. And, can be resistant to Aminoglycosides such as gentamicin. So they should be doing sensitivity testing in the lab to tell you which drugs it is sensitive to.  It doesn't look like they are doing their job.

I hope you are not self medicating. The drug you are now on probably won't work but you can finish the course of the one you have and see. I would ask the doctor if the laboratory has done a sensitivity test to check for carbapenem resistance. Did they check for resistance to the antibiotics you have been taking or is he just giving you drugs without testing them. A lot of doctors treat that way and cause a lot of bacterial resistance. That is part of the reason we are all in this mess together.

So, the thoughts are to take combination therapy for a strain this resistant. Some examples are: doripenem plus polymyxin B plus Rifampin
or Tigecycline plus colistin plus garamycin. I would like to know if your smear done with the culture had a high white blood cell could too.

No I would not use a heating pad it won't work and you may end up just burning yourself. Probiotics can't hurt but this will probably not kill off the infection. Use one that has 10 billion live organisms. Such as Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria.  The intestines carry this organism and can be introduced into the vagina by accident when wiping and sex etc. Most women have some degree of gram negative organisms like this one is. It happens to be a virulent one. Let me know if you have any questions.
mkh9

mkh9

[Bright5]

Hi. Sorry sorry to jumping in. I'm writing here because I too have vaginal Klebsiella and I definitely could use some help right now. I have multiple chronic diseases and I'm immune depressed being on MTX and biological therapy. I was feeling ill so I underwent a vaginal swap for both candida and bacteria infections and the results came out positive for Klebsiella. With that same sample they tested different antibiotics and turned out that Ciprofloxacin was the most effective one. I'm now at my 15th day of therapy with it but my symptoms still very strong, what should I do? Given the microbiological studies on my sample I know the therapy must be the correct one for me but I'm worried by the fact that, despite the Ciprofloxacin I'm still feel unwell and I'm in pain. Thanks in advance to whomever is going to give me an hand. - Ann.