My mom has MRSA staph in her sinuses

[Lovedtodeath]

She had two benign tumors, fungus and MRSA. I am so scared. Does anyone have experience with this?

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

MRSA colonizes the nares, so if anyone has MRSA anywhere, it will be in the nares. It is also possible that a person could test postive for MRSA colonization in the nares and simply be a carrier.

 

My fellow ICU nurses and I always joke that we would all be positive for MRSA if ever someone swabbed our nares. MRSA is simply staph that is resistent the broad spectrum antibiotic that is usually used to kill staph. It does not ordinarily cause problems in someone who does not have a weakened immune system. In the hospital setting, someone with MRSA is usually given Vancomycin, which is an antibiotic that is effective against some strains of MRSA.....because of the overuse of Vanco, however, some MRSA strains are being found have developed resistance to Vanco.

 

MRSA can be hospital acquired or community acquired. Some people with MRSA colonizatin do not require treatment, especially if they do not have an associated infection (such as a skin abcess, etc.)

 

Here's a link to what the CDC has to say about MRSA

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_MRSA.html

 

I can't comment on the tumors (other than to say benign is good) or the fungus, as there are many types of fungi and most are treated with an antifungal, either topical, oral or IV.

[Lovedtodeath]

Thank you for trying to help me feel better, but I am not relieved. Could you see what you think of her condition in light of the rest of the story?

 

My mom (60 years) was not swabbed for it. They found masses of dark brown substance that was full of MRSA during the tumor removal. Plus my mom's immune system was compromised enough that she has caught spinal meningitis about a year ago, followed by a long duration of bronchitis, and has never fully recovered. Does that change matters for her?

 

We had a friend with MRSA in her back. She was on so many antibiotics that it was similar to chemo, she had a hole cut out of her back the size of a hotdog bun and had to have a wound vac for over a month. This is why I am very concerned about this. You are saying it is usually not that scary? Or it usually is not that scary if found by swabbing the nares?

Edited February 6, 2009 by Lovedtodeath

[LNC]

Our family has been colonized with it for years bc of several medical issues and exposure. I've had it show up on urinalysis while pregnant and had to be treated. My son has had it diagnosed with a bronchoscopy twice, my oldest son has had it diagnosed from skin things AND by sepsis from his port. We all did fine -my son with sepsis was immunocompromised at the time - about 10 years ago before it was as common as it is now. They used vancomyacin (sp?).

 

Now I hear ladies at church talk about their kid's cuts infected with MRSA. It is so much more common than it used to be. Our family has been "colonized" for years, and has made it through several infections. I'll pray for your Mom!

[Lovedtodeath]

Thank you!

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

Thank you for trying to help me feel better, but I am not relieved. Could you see what you think of her condition in light of the rest of the story?

 

My mom (60 years) was not swabbed for it. They found masses of dark brown substance that was full of MRSA during the tumor removal. Plus my mom's immune system was compromised enough that she has caught spinal meningitis about a year ago, followed by a long duration of bronchitis, and has never fully recovered. Does that change matters for her?

 

We had a friend with MRSA in her back. She was on so many antibiotics that it was similar to chemo, she had a hole cut out of her back the size of a hotdog bun and had to have a wound vac for over a month. This is why I am very concerned about this. You are saying it is usually not that scary? Or it usually is not that scary if found by swabbing the nares?

I really was not trying to make light of the situation, at all, and hope it didn't seem as if I were. Just trying to pass on some general information about something that I am familiar with. I cannot comment on your mother's specific medical situation other than to say having a parent in the hospital is a very stressful situation and my heart goes out to you. I hope you find excellent medical care for her, and that all the medical professionals you deal with are compassionate and competent.

:grouphug:

[TraceyS/FL]

My grandma picked up a staph infection during some eye surgery, it's resulted in 3 sinus surgeries trying to get rid of the infection. The last one they sealed her upper sinus cavity and packed it with meds. That has helped - but it's been a horrid experience for her. Having a good ENT makes all the difference - she figured that out after farting around the first year.

 

The original set of doctors would NOT culture it to to treat it properly either, so we think that what was really treatable at the onset, has turned into a monster.

 

One of the best things that has kept her from having to have more surgery is using a sinus rinse daily. The NeilsMed sinus rinse is what she is using that doesn't dry out her sinus and keeps her going. She still has the infection - it shows on X-Rays of her sinuses in some spots, but it really made a HUGE world of difference. Her doctor started her on it after a convention he went to.

 

:grouphug: I wish i had more actual details, but i don't. I just know that she wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Tammyla]

:grouphug:

[Laura K (NC)]

She was our homeschool cross country coach this past year. Not only was the fact that she had it kind of shocking, but also the fact that anyone she had been around in the past three months was at risk.:blink: She cares for an adult quadriplegic who lives with the family there, and they are watching him carefully, but he hasn't contracted it. (And her husband and daughters have been picking up the slack with outside help.)

 

My friend's treatment has been an ordeal, yes, but the disease is curable. With your mom's history they will be more careful with her than they had with my friend. My friend was in the hospital a few days with the infection on her hand. I imagine they would keep your mom longer than that to ensure that they do everything they can. But 60 isn't old anymore! Your mom can get through this. My mother-in-law had meningitis and sepsis and emphysema at the same time and even the doctors were skeptical, but she pulled through it. The body is an amazing thing, capable of far more than we know.

 

God bless your mom, and help the doctors who care for her.

[Lovedtodeath]

To everyone: Thank you for sharing support and information. What is very, very strange, IMO is that they are now doing nothing but putting her on oral antibiotics and a nasal ointment. No shots of antibiotic, no IV, nothing. She is at home and has been since an hour after surgery. She is on a charity health care plan. She was already doing the sinus rinses, so that is good. I am actually worried that the surgery she had will make it more likely to spread. She sure feels much worse since then.

 

Just trying to pass on some general information about something that I am familiar with.

 

I was trying to compose my reply in a polite way. I hope it does not seem like I was upset with you. I just realized that I had shared very little information. We have since found out the difference between MRSA colonization and infection, which I think was part of what you were trying to say. It is definitely an infection, unfortunately. :(

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

To everyone: Thank you for sharing support and information. What is very, very strange, IMO is that they are now doing nothing but putting her on oral antibiotics and a nasal ointment. No shots of antibiotic, no IV, nothing. She is at home and has been since an hour after surgery. She is on a charity health care plan. She was already doing the sinus rinses, so that is good. I am actually worried that the surgery she had will make it more likely to spread. She sure feels much worse since then.

 

 

 

I was trying to compose my reply in a polite way. I hope it does not seem like I was upset with you. I just realized that I had shared very little information. We have since found out the difference between MRSA colonization and infection, which I think was part of what you were trying to say. It is definitely an infection, unfortunately. :(

We're good (as in, no hurt feelings, we're on the same page, etc)....hugs to you & your mom!

[Guest kacifl]

My nose was inflamed, infected, swollen. I went to three doctors all mis- diagnosed the condition. Although on antibiotics, it wasn't clearing up. Two months into this ordeal, an ENT told me it was 'staph'. He then asked me if I worked in a hospital. I knew then, this doc was on to something. He told me to clean my nose three times a day with hydrogen peroxide. Within 2 weeks my nose healed. I guess if this happened today, the infection would be more serious.

 

You might ask your mom to mention this to her doctor. I don't know if it is safe to use peroxide with a netty-pot to get it into her sinuses, but the doctor would know. In the meantime, we are praying. K

[hsmomof2boys]

My nose was inflamed, infected, swollen. I went to three doctors all mis- diagnosed the condition. Although on antibiotics, it wasn't clearing up. Two months into this ordeal, an ENT told me it was 'staph'. He then asked me if I worked in a hospital. I knew then, this doc was on to something. He told me to clean my nose three times a day with hydrogen peroxide. Within 2 weeks my nose healed. I guess if this happened today, the infection would be more serious.

 

You might ask your mom to mention this to her doctor. I don't know if it is safe to use peroxide with a netty-pot to get it into her sinuses, but the doctor would know. In the meantime, we are praying. K

 

How did you use the hydrogen peroxide, with the Netty-pot, or by just swabbing inside the nose area with a q-tip? Did it dry out your nose?

 

I like hydrogen peroxide and use it for a lot of things (including soaking my vegetables, along with apple vinegar and vegetable wash).

[hsmomof2boys]

I remember coming across something about using tea tree oil (mixed with another oil) in your nose for MRSA infection. I don't remember exactly where I read it, so I googled "MRSA nose tea tree oil" and came up with a lot of interesting information. I also like tea tree oil and use it for a lot of things.

 

I got the following informaiton from this website:

http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/health/healthnotes.php?org=pcc&page=newswire/newswire_2004_05_27_2.cfm

 

 

Tea Tree Oil: Natural Treatment for Serious Skin Infections

By Kimberly Beauchamp, ND

Healthnotes Newswire (May 27, 2004)—Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) preparations may be as effective as drug therapy for the treatment of certain staph (Staphylococcus aureus) skin infections, reports the Journal of Hospital Infection (2004;56:283–6). At this time in which increasing antibiotic use is giving rise to more resistant strains of bacteria, identifying treatments for infection that don’t depend on antibiotics is an important finding.

Staph is a bacterium commonly found on the skin and in the nose of healthy people. Though it mostly causes only minor infections, occasionally staph causes more serious diseases, such as pneumonia. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of infection that does not respond to methicillin (Staphcillinâ„¢), the type of antibiotic used to treat most staph infections. MRSA infections are usually mild and limited to the skin and nose, but they may also lead to life-threatening blood or bone infections that are very difficult to treat. Most MRSA is spread by direct physical contact with infected people. Hospitalized people known to have MRSA infections are isolated to help prevent spreading the infection to others.

Tea tree oil has been used historically to treat both bacterial and fungal skin infections. A natural antiseptic, tea tree oil has the ability to kill many bacterial strains, including MRSA. The new study compared the use of tea tree oil preparations with drug treatments for MRSA skin infections. Two hundred twenty-four people took part in the study. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either (1) standard medical therapy appropriate for treating the infection or (2) tea tree oil. For nasal infections, the treatment was either mupirocin 2% nasal ointment or tea tree oil 10% cream, applied to the affected nostrils three times per day. For wounds and leg ulcers, the treatment was a daily application of either silver sulfadiazine 1% cream or tea tree oil 10% cream. For widespread areas of infection, the treatment was a daily application of either chlorhexidine gluconate 4% soap or tea tree oil 5% body wash. All treatments were continued for five days. To assess the presence of MRSA, participants’ infected areas were swabbed before the study, and again on days 2 and 14 after treatment began.

The drug therapies successfully treated 49% of MRSA infections; tea tree oil cleared 41% of MRSA infections. The difference between these success rates was not statistically significant, which suggests that the tea tree oil was as effective as the drug therapy. Mupirocin ointment was significantly more effective than tea tree oil at treating nasal infections, but the tea tree oil preparations worked better on other skin sites and ulcers than the drug treatments. The tea tree oil treatments were well tolerated, with no adverse effects reported.

Tea tree oil is a viable alternative to antibiotic treatment for MRSA skin infections. This finding is especially important as bacterial resistance continues to increase and infections become harder to treat. As of this writing, there have been no reports of MRSA resistance to tree tea oil.

 

 

 

Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. She is a co-founder and practicing physician at South County Naturopaths, Inc., in Wakefield, RI. Dr. Beauchamp teaches holistic medicine classes and provides consultations focusing on detoxification and whole-foods nutrition.

[Mommyof4ks]

Vanco worked here too for it.

 

Clyndamicin (sp) is another one that I have heard works and it is oral.

 

We also used tea tree oil in our noses which helps to kill the colony (something that antibiotics alone does not always do). None of us test positive for it at all now. We also used hibacleanse (sp) (strong antibacterial soap) on the rest of our body until the infection was gone. I am not an advocate for antibacterial soap, and we don't use them on a regular basis, but MRSA can be very dangerous if not taken care of. Probiotics help the body replenish the 'good' bacteria also which will help the body fight off the infection.

 

We will pray for your mother.

[Guest kacifl]

This was over 20 years ago, but the dr. told me to use swabs. It didn't dry my nose out. Now, when my nose gets a sour smell, I use the swabs and peroxide again. It will come about ever year or so. It seems to kill the colony. I will definately look into Tree Tea oil.

 

Also, every so often, but gums will bother me. I will then swab peroxide around the sore areas. It take a day or two but they clear up. My husband works at the hospital. This year he started developing sores or something in his nose and used peroxide and he was fine in a couple of days. He investigated the theory of peroxide and has read that they are suggesting washing things down with peroxide at schools after a MRSA scare, so it must work.

 

I'm not sure of the safey with a netty pot, but would check with a dr. or holistic dr. K

[Lovedtodeath]

Mom keeps saying she will see us when this week is up. She is too contagious now and wants the antibiotic to kick in good before we visit. She got this idea from a friend, not from her doctor.

 

1. Is she really all that contagious now?

2. Will she still be in a week anyway?

 

Thank you again everyone!

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

Mom keeps saying she will see us when this week is up. She is too contagious now and wants the antibiotic to kick in good before we visit. She got this idea from a friend, not from her doctor.

 

1. Is she really all that contagious now?

2. Will she still be in a week anyway?

 

Thank you again everyone!

I cannot speak specifically to your mother's medical condition, but I will tell you that in the hospital, if someone has MRSA in a wound, we use gloves, gown & mask when we're going to come into contact with them. If a patient has MRSA in the sputum (which means it is in their respiratory system), we use gloves, mask, gown whenever we enter the room. Outpatients are usually advised to keep the wound covered, use good hygiene and advise all visitors to wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

 

The CDC has a lot of information about MRSA, whether it is community acquired or healthcare acquired. It may relieve some of your fears to browse over there. Here is a link to the infection control page. If you scroll down, you'll see a link to MRSA.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/index.html