[jbug]

I just got off the phone with my allergist and she is going to call my GP and get his opinion as to if she should send me to an infectious disease specialist. She is stumped as to what antibiotic to give me. She has tried me on 2 different ones and I have had reactions to both of them. I don't remember why she had to change the first one but the tetracycline is giving me explosive poop. So she is going to call my GP to see what he recommends. My allergist just impresses me more and more every time I have to deal with her.

But if I have to see the infectious disease specialist what should I expect. The reason I am on the antibiotic is because I have MRSA. She found out because she swabbed the snot in my nose and it came back positive for MRSA as well as in my wound on my belly. So I know that is highly contagious so anytime anyone has to do anything with my wound we make sure they are aware that I have tested positive for MRSA and to be sure they wear gloves. But I am not sure what to expect when and if I have to see this doc.

Jan

[Fresia]

I've never been to one but have worked with them and a friend has gone to one personally. Same work-up like any other ofc visit to get your history and current symptoms; records should be forwarded so this will help. There will probably be a brief exam depending on symptoms. He/she may order lab testing or other testing depending on what they decide and discuss with you. Just like any other visit to a GP.

Wishing you the best as you move forward in your care and treatment.

[(JD)]

OH (((jbug))) this is a very serious infection. I'm so sorry, but glad that the doctor identified it.

MRSA does not respond to most antibiotics. And even when you find one to counter it, if you miss a dose by a short period of time (hours?) it may regroup and then not be responsive to that antibiotic again.

I saw an infectious disease specialist after I received my recluse spider bite. My MD wanted to be sure it wasn't something else.

He was just like any other doctor, just specializes in infectious diseases and how to treat them. The hardest part was sitting in the waiting room, knowing I wasn't infectious, wondering what everyone else had.

Please be very careful ... you need to become a hygiene freak, imo. The MRSA is very easy to pass along to someone else.... especially in the home. Wear gloves when you clean your wound....and wrap up and throw away anything that your gloves or bandage comes into contact with... keep your hands away from your face too.

I know you're a pretty smart person, and probably know all of this. Please don't take offense. The hospital gave my mom MRSA and then discharged her to a nursing home that didn't check labs daily... it's what killed her within two weeks. (The medicine they give for MRSA destroys the kidneys.)

I've heard that taking about 500 mg of Tumeric a day will fight the disease, and allow that wound to heal...if you want to try the natural route.

[lynn P.]

I'm sorry you're so sick (((jbug))). Take Oil of Oregano(available at vit/health food stores) in addition to what the doctors give you - it's antibacterial and antiviral. You should also be taking Zinc which is good for skin. Are the using 'silver nitrate' in bandages or cream? I pray they get this under control - I think you should be in the hospital, I think.

[ECHOES]

An infectious disease specialist is just what you need. They are specialists in dealing with very serious infections like MRSA, and up to date with knowledge about treatment options so you can get the antibiotic that will work for you.

MRSA patients belong at home, to keep the infection from being spread.

I hope you feel better soon, jbug. Keep us posted, okay?
I'll be thinking of you and wishing you well xo

[jbug]

Originally Posted by lynn P.

I'm sorry you're so sick (((jbug))). Take Oil of Oregano(available at vit/health food stores) in addition to what the doctors give you - it's antibacterial and antiviral. You should also be taking Zinc which is good for skin. Are the using 'silver nitrate' in bandages or cream? I pray they get this under control - I think you should be in the hospital, I think.

It is an option later on down the road to use the silver nitrate if I don't get better just using the wet/dry bandage. When my home health nurse comes to see me he will send notes to my doctor as to how I am doing but my doctor thought I would do fine with the wet/dry bandage.

Thanks for the info on the oil of oregano and zinc I hadn't heard those were good for healing as well as infection relief.

Jan

[lynn P.]

Originally Posted by jbug

It is an option later on down the road to use the silver nitrate if I don't get better just using the wet/dry bandage. When my home health nurse comes to see me he will send notes to my doctor as to how I am doing but my doctor thought I would do fine with the wet/dry bandage.

Thanks for the info on the oil of oregano and zinc I hadn't heard those were good for healing as well as infection relief.

Jan

Hey Jan,
I just wanted to clarify - the Oil of Oregano should be taken internally. It can be used on minor wounds as a anti-bacterial but it stings and isn't for serious wounds like yours. I pray this infection gets better soon and please keep us informed of your progress.

I just wanted to share what happened to my daughter when she was 4. She got a small surface scrape on our wood floor(knee). I put peroxide and wasn't concerned at all. About a week and a half later, I was helping her pull up her pants and she screamed out crying. I looked at knee and it was red and swollen around the scrape - it was closed and looked like a pimple. I called her pediatrician and went in immediately.

Her doctor lanced the wound and he said it was 'cellulitis' and I was lucky that I brought her in. He said it could have spread and possible lead to amputation He put her on 2 weeks of antibiotic treatment. I was shocked that something so serious could come from a minor scrape.

[jbug]

Wow lynn that is amazing that something so serious could come from such a little thing.

I am not too surprised that this happened because when I had my gallbladder out they told me I got a staph infection and put me on some strong antibiotics and again when I had my gastric bypass. So who knows I might have had MRSA then too they just didn't identify it as that.

I see my family doctor on Tuesday as my allergist is at a loss for how to treat me now. She has thrown all she knows what to do at it and either I can't handle it or it just doesn't go away. What I think is kind of ironic is the last antibiotic (tetracycline) gave me major diaherria (sp) and now that I need to give a stool sample I can't give one because I was taken off of it and haven't pooed LOL. I am thinking about going back on it just so I can poo just so I can give the stool sample. I know I shouldn't and won't I'll figure out some other way too poo.

But thanks for the info.

Jan

[(JD)]

To my knowledge all US hospitals test for the MRSA upon admission, so odds are they gave it to you at the last visit.

Please take good care of yourself!

Yes, call around to other allergists. Generally they can only make serum if the medicine is in a liquid form already, but I haven't checked in the last year or so to see if they have progressed in this. Someone might have the capability to make the desensitizing dose you need.

[shezbut]

Hi jbug,

The MRSA is tricky to treat, because it is resistant to almost all antibiotics doctors typically use. MRSA is treated very seriously in and out of hospitals. Every precaution is taken to prevent an outbreak from occurring.

You could take a laxative (or 2) to provide the stool sample.

As I recall, the MRSA does require stronger doses for a longer period of time. Perhaps going into a hospital, for proper treatment (of the infection and your wound/s) would be allowed. I know that they don't want to introduce the germ to other patients, but you have to be treated! The benefit of treating it inside of a hospital is knowing that it will be done quickly and safely....rather than waiting for specialists to talk to Joe, etc. They also know a LOT about transmission of the disease.

If you are suffering symptoms of the disease, you have to be treated now.

[krzyk101]

jBUG, I am so sorry that you contracted MRSA but an infectious Disease Doctor specializes in just infections. I had to go to one when they found both staph and strep in an inclusive skin cyst.

The sad thing was at the ER I am the one who insisted they do a swab of my wound or they never would have found the staph, I am now battling another strain of skin infection and myself pray it is not MRSA, I may find out more when I see my family doctor who wants me back in his office 10 days from when he prescribed me Bacrim DS.

I am glad you will be seeing an Infectious Disease Doctor, he had me to trim my nails way back so as to not be able to get any infection underneath them, and I would try not to do anything but write all these suggestions down and hand them over to the specialist for his approval. I would also as I was told avoid touching any open wound on your body as it can make it spread to other parts of your body by even itching it.

Wishing you good health and good care by this specialist and hope you feel better soon, take care kk101

[eskielover]

I had an infection on my upper thigh right where my hip is on the back of my leg. I remember scratching that area when I climbed over one of our wooden dog fences, but never thought more of it until I found this huge hole in my skin there. Went to the urgent care about it & they took x-rays to make sure the infection hadn't gotten into my hip. They set me up with an IV & I had to go back for 2 weeks of IV treatment every day rather than put me in the hospital for it. IV antibiotics is sometimes the only way to get the stronger dose of antibiotics needed for bad infections like that.

I know personally I am allergic to most antibiotics. Keflex caused my tongue to swell the last time I took it 5 years ago with the picc line they started for my IV nutrition got infected & I had to leave the hospital for my mother's funeral. That was a scary feeling. Penicillin caused me to break out in a rash.....which was better than the reaction my daughter had to it. All her joints got so stiff from the penicillin that she couldn't even walk....while during that reaction she had a craving for bleu cheese dressing which ended up causing the reaction to be even worse......had to start her on steroids to counteract the stiffness. We had to carry her to the bathroom while we were on vacation because she couldn't even walk. I just pray that I don't get sick or need any antibiotics or any meds as far as that goes with all the bad reactions I have.....I see it runs in the family.

MRSA is nothing to fool around with & can definitely be fatal if not treated quickly & thoroughly.

[splitimage]

MRSA is very serious and Hospital's are hypervigilant around it. I contracted MRSA when I was in the hospital back in 06. I don't remember what they put me on but it cleared it up. I didn't even have any open wounds, I was in the hospital detoxing, but my roommate had several open wounds and got it, so they tested me and bingo I had it too just from being in the same room as her.

That hospital has since really ramped up thier infection contol as well as their electronic records. I went into a satellite of the main hospital to their urgent care centre for x-rays after a car crash and when they took me back my chart was flagged that I had had MRSA and they put me in the infectious disease isolation room, even though I was just there for x-rays.

I really hope that the Dr's can figure out how to treat you quickly.

--splitimage

[jbug]

I saw my GP today and he doesn't think I need to see the Infectious doctor and doesn't think I need to be on an antibiotic after all. He looked at my wound and said he didn't think it was serious enough. So I guess we will just have home health take care of it and go from there. Not sure how that is going to work since home health only comes once a week now. I guess if mom thinks it looks wierd we can have home health come take a look at it.

Jan

[sunrise]

Can they take a sample of the bacteria and test if for sensitivity/resistance to different antibiotics? Then they could start using ones that it is sensitive to and hope to find one that you can tolerate. I think the infectious disease specialist will know how to proceed and it is a good suggestion your allergist had to call one. I'm sorry your wound is still not healed. What a time you've had.

I had surgery two years ago and my wound got infected in the hospital (not MRSA) and took a couple of months to heal. They had to try me on 3 different antibiotics before one worked. I remember after the first two, the doctor then did the culture and tested it for sensitivity to a panel of antibiotics. Then she could choose an effective drug. Before that, she gave me the first two antibiotics "hit or miss" style.

[Perna]

The Mayo Clinic has what questions to ask/what info the specialist will want:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrs...ur-appointment

Nasty old staph germs; leave jbug alone!