Chronic Staph Infection - Desperate for Help

[anotherbrother]

My husband has had a chronic staph infection for several years. We have no idea where or when he got it.

 

The doctor has tried months of antibiotics and creams and nothing seems to rid him of it. Last night his mouth broke out in Thrush (due to the antibiotics?). The doctor says that there's no use referring him to another doctor as he will only do the same thing. Our insurance is great and doesn't require a referral.

 

I'm desperate for advice. In the last month the infection has gotten so bad that's he's had to wear long sleeves everyday and is afraid to rough house with the children. Today, he doesn't want to go to our oldest sons first swim meet of the season because he's afraid that he looks so bad. He was supposed to be the parent in charge as I'm on duty with another child elsewhere.

 

Any and all advice would be welcome.

 

P.S. I can't remember the name of the antibiotic and he carries it with him I think the cream is Silver Sulfadamide sp?

[Perry]

He needs a second opinion!

 

The diagnosis may be wrong. He might have other issues in addition to staph. It may turn out that the second doctor will agree with the first, but you won't know if you don't try.

 

What kind of doctor is he seeing? I'd go to a dermatologist if you aren't already doing that.

[JudoMom]

My husband has had a chronic staph infection for several years. We have no idea where or when he got it.

 

The doctor has tried months of antibiotics and creams and nothing seems to rid him of it. Last night his mouth broke out in Thrush (due to the antibiotics?). The doctor says that there's no use referring him to another doctor as he will only do the same thing. Our insurance is great and doesn't require a referral.

 

I'm desperate for advice. In the last month the infection has gotten so bad that's he's had to wear long sleeves everyday and is afraid to rough house with the children. Today, he doesn't want to go to our oldest sons first swim meet of the season because he's afraid that he looks so bad. He was supposed to be the parent in charge as I'm on duty with another child elsewhere.

 

Any and all advice would be welcome.

 

P.S. I can't remember the name of the antibiotic and he carries it with him I think the cream is Silver Sulfadamide sp?

 

I would be looking for another doctor. Maybe an infections disease specialist or dermatologist?

[Spy Car]

Have they test for (and ruled out) MRSA?

 

Bill

[anotherbrother]

I would be looking for another doctor. Maybe an infections disease specialist or dermatologist?

 

He's been to a dermatologist in the past, and I don't recall that help being any different. I'm not sure where to find an infectious disease specialist, but I'll give that one a go. This doctor isn't bad at most things, I think this is just an extra stubborn problem, and I didn't know where to turn next.

[QuirkyKapers]

Have they cultured the wounds to see what antibotics actually will treat it?

I had a staph infection about 3 years ago. They had to culture the wound. I also was referred to an infectious disease doctor. Back than, the staph infection was new in the community and they didn't know what to do with me. I went to several infectious disease doctors. In the end, the suggested I go on accutane. I haven't had a problem since. They told me though, it wouldn't be unusual for it to reoccur.

 

I can understand wanting to get to the bottom of this. I felt like my whole life went on hold. The doctors had told me when there is open wounds not to touch my kids or share towels. Ugh- horrible!

Edited June 11, 2010 by QuirkyKapers

[Harriet Vane]

Definitely get another opinion. Look for underlying issues.

 

I would have serious problems with a doctor who discouraged further medical opinions or evaluation, especially in light of the ongoing nature of the problem.

[Daisy]

A second opinion is wise.

[anotherbrother]

Have they test for (and ruled out) MRSA?

 

Bill

 

They have done a "skin scraping" of his arm. The test came back positive for staph. I think that they recently ran those tests a second or third time as well. I'm pretty confident that we are indeed dealing with staph. However, I'm not sure if they can tell if it is drug resistant staph or not.

[JudoMom]

He's been to a dermatologist in the past, and I don't recall that help being any different. I'm not sure where to find an infectious disease specialist, but I'll give that one a go. This doctor isn't bad at most things, I think this is just an extra stubborn problem, and I didn't know where to turn next.

 

Google Infectious Disease Specialist and your city. I hope you're able to find answers...it sounds just miserable for your dh.

[anotherbrother]

Have they cultured the wounds to see what antibotics actually will treat it?

I had a staph infection about 3 years ago. They had to culture the wound. I also was referred to an infectious disease doctor. Back than, the staph infection was new in the community and they didn't know what to do with me. I went to several infectious disease doctors. In the end, the suggested I go on accutane. I haven't had a problem since. They told me though, it wouldn't be unusual for it to reoccur.

 

I can understand wanting to get to the bottom of this. I felt like my whole life went on hold. The doctors had told me when there is open wounds not to touch my kids or share towels. Ugh- horrible!

 

I don't know about an actual culture, I do know that they have "tested it. I'll have to ask my dh for some more details. If only he was as easy to reach as the hive was.

[QuirkyKapers]

I agree with what others have said. Get a second opinion. Get a third opinion.

I went to 4 doctors before I felt I had one that took me seriously. Many were like, what is the big deal? The big deal was I had small children who wanted to sit on my lap and be touched! I was told there were very few treatments available to use if my children ended up with it. :grouphug:

[Spy Car]

They have done a "skin scraping" of his arm. The test came back positive for staph. I think that they recently ran those tests a second or third time as well. I'm pretty confident that we are indeed dealing with staph. However, I'm not sure if they can tell if it is drug resistant staph or not.

 

I'm not a physician, but we have dealt with this in our extended family, and I'm quite sure if they do a culture they can tell if the staph infection is drug resistant (MRSA) or something else, and can target the antibiotic and treatment accordingly.

 

What you describe as happening to your husband seems unreasonable to me. And I would strongly urge you to see another opinion, in addition to demanding answers about what tests have been done (or not been done) and what they show, or could show had they been performed.

 

Staph infections are a serious threat. Your husband, family, and even the public heath are potentially at risk. You need better answers and solutions that you've been given thus far.

 

I wish you the best!

 

Bill

[Perry]

They have done a "skin scraping" of his arm. The test came back positive for staph. I think that they recently ran those tests a second or third time as well. I'm pretty confident that we are indeed dealing with staph. However, I'm not sure if they can tell if it is drug resistant staph or not.

 

It can be a very difficult thing to treat. There just aren't that many options. But there are some, and if he's only been on one antibiotic that isn't enough. Silver sulfadiazine is an appropriate choice. But it's essential that the diagnosis is correct and that there aren't other secondary infections.

 

Skin scrapings are generally to look for yeast, fungus, and parasites. Staph isn't diagnosed by a skin scraping. Cultures have to be done, and they would typically include antibiotic sensitivities if they identified staph. I'd be very surprised if that hasn't been done, probably multiple times. But I still think he needs a second opinion, because it can't hurt. He may just have a really, really stubborn case of staph.

[Corraleno]

Definitely get a second opinion, but in the meantime.....has he tried Manuka honey? Honey in general is an excellent antibiotic, because it not only kills bacteria, it promotes healing in the infected tissues. Manuka honey is especially potent because it comes from the flowers of a plant that itself has antibacterial properties (similar to Tea Tree). It has been used effectively against MRSA. You should buy a tub with the highest "UMF" rating you can find; this tells you how much active ingredient is in the honey. A jar of high-UMF honey can cost $20 or more, but that's nothing compared to the cost of antibiotics! And Manuka honey won't give you thrush or screw up your gut flora either. I've used it on my kids, myself, and several horses that had open wounds and nasty infections, and it has always cleared up the infection. Our vet now recommends it to other people based on the results he's seen with our horses.

 

Google around for more info on it, but here's a brief blurb:

Sterile Honey good for MRSA

 

Clinical trials have found that active manuka honey from New Zealand, made with pollen gathered from the flowers of the manuka bush, is an effective antibacterial treatment for wounds, and for killing the bacteria Helicobacter Pylori, which can cause stomach ulcers. Honey dressings for wounds are now available on the NHS and are believed to be helpful in preventing the spread of MRSA. Manuka honey is rated according to Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) with UMF 10 or higher being suitable for medicinal use. However, Webb warns: "It is important to use a sterile manuka honey cream on wounds."

http://tahilla.typepad.com/mrsawatch/mrsa_wounds_honey/index.html

 

We just bought a tub of 18 UMF Manuka honey from the health food store, used a new plastic knife for each application and threw the knife away after using it, and we kept the jar tightly capped in a cool dark place.

 

Jackie

[dansamy]

You need to see an infectious disease specialist. They need to culture both the wounds and his blood. They need to obtain antibiotic sensitivites after the culture identifies the organism that you are actually dealing with. He needs to be placed on antibiotics that the bacteria is sensitive to. They may even need to be IV antibiotics. That would require a months-long commitment with home health and a PICC line.

 

I am a nurse on a pediatrics unit. We routinely see youngsters with abscesses caused by MRSA. The majority of them spend 3-5 days with us and go home for 14-21 days of oral antibiotics. A few do have to be sent to the local children's hospital to have PICC lines placed for home IV antibiotics.

[RobinF]

Definitely get a second opinion, but in the meantime.....has he tried Manuka honey? Honey in general is an excellent antibiotic, because it not only kills bacteria, it promotes healing in the infected tissues. Manuka honey is especially potent because it comes from the flowers of a plant that itself has antibacterial properties (similar to Tea Tree). It has been used effectively against MRSA. You should buy a tub with the highest "UMF" rating you can find; this tells you how much active ingredient is in the honey. A jar of high-UMF honey can cost $20 or more, but that's nothing compared to the cost of antibiotics! And Manuka honey won't give you thrush or screw up your gut flora either. I've used it on my kids, myself, and several horses that had open wounds and nasty infections, and it has always cleared up the infection. Our vet now recommends it to other people based on the results he's seen with our horses.

 

Google around for more info on it, but here's a brief blurb:

 

http://tahilla.typepad.com/mrsawatch/mrsa_wounds_honey/index.html

 

We just bought a tub of 18 UMF Manuka honey from the health food store, used a new plastic knife for each application and threw the knife away after using it, and we kept the jar tightly capped in a cool dark place.

 

Jackie

 

I was going to suggest this and also another thing that worked really well for us (3 boys had impetigo and dh and I both had staph that we picked up in a hotel while on vacation) is to use a paste of honey or antibiotic ointment and tumeric (be careful it will stain). Also we (dh and I) took tumeric capsules (found at health food store) 3x a day. I know it is unconventional but my thought was that this wouldn't hurt us and if it helped great. Ours were totally cleared up in less than 2 weeks.

[Liz CA]

I was going to suggest this and also another thing that worked really well for us (3 boys had impetigo and dh and I both had staph that we picked up in a hotel while on vacation) is to use a paste of honey or antibiotic ointment and tumeric (be careful it will stain). Also we (dh and I) took tumeric capsules (found at health food store) 3x a day. I know it is unconventional but my thought was that this wouldn't hurt us and if it helped great. Ours were totally cleared up in less than 2 weeks.

 

Turmeric has a lot of healing substances. Also, you could try Oil of Oregano - 4 drops in milk twice daily. It has a very strong smell & taste. Don't take it undiluted. Oil of Oregano is available at health food stores. This is NOT the same kind of Oregano you may have in your spice drawer.

 

[juelle]

I agree with the ideas about the honey, turmeric and oil of oregano.

 

Get some real answers from a doctor who takes this seriously. Find out what conventional treatments are possible options. Try, but expect to see some improvement in weeks, not months, not years. And try the alternative (used for 1000s of years) stuff. Antibiotics are a huge blessing, but they're not a panacea.

 

I would be taking grapefruit seed extract, too.

[anotherbrother]

You need to see an infectious disease specialist. They need to culture both the wounds and his blood. They need to obtain antibiotic sensitivites after the culture identifies the organism that you are actually dealing with. He needs to be placed on antibiotics that the bacteria is sensitive to. They may even need to be IV antibiotics. That would require a months-long commitment with home health and a PICC line.

 

I am a nurse on a pediatrics unit. We routinely see youngsters with abscesses caused by MRSA. The majority of them spend 3-5 days with us and go home for 14-21 days of oral antibiotics. A few do have to be sent to the local children's hospital to have PICC lines placed for home IV antibiotics.

 

I've spoken to my husband, and I think that they must have cultured this because they seem to know what antibiotics will work and what won't. Although the ones that supposedly will, don't. The doctor hasn't told him it is MRSA, but he also says that it is multi-drug resistant. Hmmm....

 

We're concerned about the potential for IV antibiotics because he really can't afford to miss anymore work due to medical problems. He is also terrified of going to the hospital.

 

Since I last posted. I have gotten him an appointment with an Infection Disease doctor for Tuesday afternoon. Part of me wonders if I should push through and take him to the ER, or if it would do any good. I do have access to his medical records so that I could bring them with us if that would possibly help speed the process along.

[anotherbrother]

Thank you to everyone for all of the responses. The advice was really what I needed today. I wish there was a possibility to get this addressed over the weekend so that he could get started on some type of new treatment. If I have his medical records and test results does anyone think that it would help to go to the ER?

[JoyfulMama]

I don't think going to the ER would benefit you at this point. They aren't specialists, and wouldn't be able to do much more than put him on an antibiotic and refer him to someone else.

 

I think the best thing at this point is to see the infectious disease specialist. Be very thankful you only have to wait until Tuesday! Having access to the medical records, including the testing he has had done will be very helpful at your appointment on Tuesday.

 

Good luck!!!

[anotherbrother]

I don't think going to the ER would benefit you at this point. They aren't specialists, and wouldn't be able to do much more than put him on an antibiotic and refer him to someone else.

 

I think the best thing at this point is to see the infectious disease specialist. Be very thankful you only have to wait until Tuesday! Having access to the medical records, including the testing he has had done will be very helpful at your appointment on Tuesday.

 

Good luck!!!

 

I kind of agree about the ER, but the whole process with doctors takes a huge amount of time away from work that he can't afford. We have pretty good ER's around here and I figured that we may have some luck.

 

Tuesday isn't a very long wait, but it seems like forever after all of this.

[cjbeach]

I've spoken to my husband, and I think that they must have cultured this because they seem to know what antibiotics will work and what won't. Although the ones that supposedly will, don't. The doctor hasn't told him it is MRSA, but he also says that it is multi-drug resistant. Hmmm....

 

We're concerned about the potential for IV antibiotics because he really can't afford to miss anymore work due to medical problems. He is also terrified of going to the hospital.

 

Since I last posted. I have gotten him an appointment with an Infection Disease doctor for Tuesday afternoon. Part of me wonders if I should push through and take him to the ER, or if it would do any good. I do have access to his medical records so that I could bring them with us if that would possibly help speed the process along.

 

Definitely go the way of the I.D. doc.

I.V. antibiotics can be given at home. I was a home infusion nurse. I taught my patients and families how to administer them. Insurance wouldn't allow me to go 3 x day to administer. Most times after the families were independent in administration I went once a week for site dressing changes.:)

 

Yes, good thinking! I'd get the medical records and start a "medical binder" on him. Request copies of all his medical records and take them with you from appt to appt. It'll make your life sooo much easier. And yup, it speeds things along. I did for my parents with really + results. To be honest I couldn't remember half of time about the medical history without the binder in front of me.

On the first page of the binder make up a blurb about what happened, when, what meds he has taken, docs/hospitalizations, allergies if any, then the records you have. Then when you leave *that* doc's office request that day's medical records. Then just add the medical records by date.

 

**Specifically look for the last cultures done. Cultures can take 5 days to "grow." If you can give the I.D. doc the latest cultures I"m sure he/she would want to see them though I'm sure they'll want to repeat.

Edited June 11, 2010 by cjbeach

[dansamy]

Multi-drug resistant is MRSA. The MR part stands for methicillin resistant, which includes the "-cillin" family of antibiotics. We usually use -mycin drugs for MRSA. Clindamycin, vancomycin, etc.

[anotherbrother]

Multi-drug resistant is MRSA. The MR part stands for methicillin resistant, which includes the "-cillin" family of antibiotics. We usually use -mycin drugs for MRSA. Clindamycin, vancomycin, etc.

 

 

That's interesting because the Dr. put him on doxycyclin sp?. Would that be classified as a 'cillin family?

[Denisemomof4]

I'm so glad you're taking him to an ID. It most definitely sounds like a second opinion is a MUST in this situation.

 

I feel so bad for all of you! I hope you get answers on Tuesday!!!

:grouphug:

[dansamy]

Nope.

[TheTwinsMom1]

You could also see a wound care specialist after the wound is properly cultured. I got cellulitus in my arm surgery site and they cultured it and it was plain staph. We tried three rounds of antibiotics with no success so my surgeon wanted me to see the would care people as they have good luck getting stuff like this to heal.

 

My sister was also looked after by the wound care specialists in her town when her leg bone abscessed with staph.

[jplain]

Is he at risk for type II diabetes? Diabetics are at increased risk of chronic infection. Has he had his fasting sugar or HbA1C tested? Even if he's been told that his fasting blood sugar is normal, I'd get a drugstore blood sugar monitor and start monitoring his post-meal blood sugars (1 hour post meal). I can give you a meter recommendation if you need one.

 

If his blood sugars are even slightly high, I'd want him to adopt a low carb diet, and see if that improves matters. Heck, even if his sugars are normal, I'd urge him to go lower carb. In some people, even moderate amounts of carbs impair immune system function, and his immune system obviously needs all the help it can get.

 

I'd steer him toward an approach similar to those found in Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution (very strict on carbs) or The Primal Blueprint (a little less strict, but still very good). The info found in The Primal Blueprint can also be found, in much less organized form, on the Mark's Daily Apple website.

 

Good luck getting to the bottom of this!

[ChrisB]

 

I would be taking grapefruit seed extract, too.

:iagree: and, it is cheap! My sister had impetigo, took GSE and it was soon gone. Since he is taking antibiotics, I would suggest he also take a good probiotic.

[Perry]

That's interesting because the Dr. put him on doxycyclin sp?. Would that be classified as a 'cillin family?

 

No.

 

 

Doxycycline is sometimes used in combination with Bactrim (a sulfa antibiotic) for MRSA, but it isn't usually used alone for skin MRSA.

 

Bactrim is often the first choice for uncomplicated MRSA. The -mycins are used when Bactrim isn't working. Some people use the -mycins first. It depends a lot on what the culture and sensitivity results are for that patient, and what is happening in the community.

 

There is a difference between hospital acquired MRSA and community acquired MRSA, and they are treated differently. It's also treated differently depending on whether the infection is simple or complex, invasive or non-invasive. So there isn't one exact way to treat MRSA.

 

There are also several different types of topical ointments that might be used.

 

If the patient has an abscess, it usually needs to be opened up and drained.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

My dh gets a severe staph infection in the same leg every other year or so- has been hospitalized many, many times due to it- The one antibiotic that cures his is keflex but it only works given by IV in high doses. He tried oral and nothing worked and cream and nothing worked. The first time they were talking about amputation before trying that.

[Mommyof4ks]

Around here the standard for staph is Clyndamycin (sp?), and it works for most people I know. It has terrible side effects, but it works. I am allergic to most abx, so I had to use oil of oregano for mine. I was on various abx that caused various serious issue for 4 months before trying the oregano and it cleared up within a week. I took probiotics with it, because the nice lady at the health food store told me to, but I don't know if that is necessary or not.

[anotherbrother]

No.

 

 

Doxycycline is sometimes used in combination with Bactrim (a sulfa antibiotic) for MRSA, but it isn't usually used alone for skin MRSA.

 

Bactrim is often the first choice for uncomplicated MRSA. The -mycins are used when Bactrim isn't working. Some people use the -mycins first. It depends a lot on what the culture and sensitivity results are for that patient, and what is happening in the community.

 

There is a difference between hospital acquired MRSA and community acquired MRSA, and they are treated differently. It's also treated differently depending on whether the infection is simple or complex, invasive or non-invasive. So there isn't one exact way to treat MRSA.

 

There are also several different types of topical ointments that might be used.

 

If the patient has an abscess, it usually needs to be opened up and drained.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll pass that along to dh, he's better at the medical lingo than I am.

 

There's no abscess so I think we're in the clear there.

[anotherbrother]

My dh gets a severe staph infection in the same leg every other year or so- has been hospitalized many, many times due to it- The one antibiotic that cures his is keflex but it only works given by IV in high doses. He tried oral and nothing worked and cream and nothing worked. The first time they were talking about amputation before trying that.

 

Replied to your PM. Thanks.

[kalanamak]

Consider an immunologist.