MRSA Discussion Forum USA and Canada |
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abscesses-cellulitis
Started by sarah |
Posted: August 13, 2006 at 06:38 | |
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my brother was admitted to the hospital tonight for a gaping hole in his side filled with pus and blood.it started out looking like an insect bite.now it is swelled up and the size of a softball.they told him its cellulitis and he is on intravenous antibiotics.the thing is that me and my boyfriend have these abscesses but not nearly as bad as the one my brother has.he plays football and the spot of the lesion is where the strap for his pads go.Im so confused.did me or my boyfriend somehow cause this?or was it something from the locker room?my boyfriends brother has it and 2 other guys that they train with.(they are mma fighters)my last case of abscesses was one on my butt and one on my lower leg.they both cleared up fast but now i have a horrible rash all over my body.i went to the doc and got on antibiotics but my boyfriend hates doctors and he probably wont go.does that mean that if i get healed he can give it back to me?we think its staph.i just need to know if anyone has an opinion on whether i can get it back at any time or just when he has an open wound.please help! 7050
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #1 by Tina_Illinois |
Posted: August 13, 2006 at 14:45 | |
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Unfortunately, staph is a highly infectious bug and it can be spread easily so yes you can get it again. The best thing to do is to see a health care provider and have the problem properly diagnosed. Athletes are one of the highest statistics for MRSA. If the abcessesses are that bad, it is not a problem to just let go. The infection, cellulitis or staph can be a life threatening problem if it is not treated. 7052
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #2 by Ms. B |
Posted: August 30, 2006 at 05:59 | |
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Since this is highly infectious, when can I prepare meals for my family again? 7273
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #3 by mina |
Posted: August 30, 2006 at 18:21 | |
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Ms. B, Wash your hands in hot soapy water before preparing food and do not touch any infections, and keep infections covered. 7281
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #4 by amy |
Posted: September 5, 2006 at 21:30 | |
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my husband has cellulitis and was in the hospital for 5 days with anitbiotics. He returned home just to go back to the doc because it wasnt better. Then they gave him another antibiotic and the infection is a little better but not much. The leg is still swollen. This has been going on a month now. He wont go back to the doc. How harmful can this be or is it just taking a long time to go away???? 7431
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #5 by Linda |
Posted: September 6, 2006 at 16:01 | |
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Amy I can certainly understand your husbands refusal to go back to doctors that don't appear to be doing him any good. If he is adamant about going back to the doctor, go to the web site for MANUKA HONEY. I understand there are a few kinds out there but the only one that has been researched and proven to work against MRSA is the one from NEW ZEALAND and it has to be the activated kind. I believe the website to study the info and order from is www.manukahoneyusa.com From there you can go to a page that tells you about the research studies that have been done on MRSA, why it works, and how to dress the wounds etc. I would strongly recommend this product for the wounds. Then I would suggest you get on a product high in phytonutrients like the Mangosteen L liquid and take it twice a day. Other suppliments he should be on are a min dose of 6000mg vit C daily, odorless garlic with a high concentrate of allicin 3-4 times daily (until the infection in under control the ALLIMED product would probably be the best, then you can take odorless garlic as a maintenance dose) Also good to take is Nutrabiotics grapefruit seed extract, a good probiotic product like primal defense, and colloidal silver. I know this sounds like alot, but it takes all this for your body to have the ammo to fight this superbug, especially if he won't go back to the doctors. Because if he does nothing to get control of this infection it is likely he will lose his leg. He cant just sit and wait and think that eventually it will go away, because it won't. And it will take time even taking all of these suppliments, but they will get it under control and they will get rid of the infection in time. I'm just giving you a heads up to not sit and wait for it to go away, because without using the suppliments to fight it off, he will lose his leg. Linda 7442
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #6 by Lisa |
Posted: September 26, 2007 at 17:10 | |
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Hello: I am having breast augmentation done in 2 weeks and had cellutitus about a month ago, should I be worried now about the surgery? 11203
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #7 by LindaA |
Posted: September 26, 2007 at 20:33 | |
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Lisa I would be extremely cautious. I had started breast reconstruction and contracted MRSA thru a 1/4in incision site to locate the fill valve on the left side 6 weeks after the initial surgery to place the tissue expanders. Once MRSA was in the picture it was a lost battle, but a battle I fought for 16 months, leaving me with nothing. Initially, they said I had cellulitus and when they cultured it, it came back positive for MRSA. Did they culture the cellulitus to see if you had MRSA or Staph infection? If so, then I'd postpone the surgery for a while to allow yourself to strengthen your immune system. A month isn't long enough to regain a strong immune system if you had MRSA 11206
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #8 by Lisa, food for thought |
Posted: September 26, 2007 at 23:51 | |
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Is your upcomming surgery a reconstruction for breast damage or 'just because'? Implants are a prime spot for infections like MRSA to grow and are very difficult to treat. If it isn't for any medical reason, please consider that any surgery involves risks, and why put yourself through an elective major body modification that carries a large risk of infection, scarring, implant rejection, - all of these possibilities will result in more surgeries, pain, and discomfort, along with disfigurement. With a history of cellulitis, that will greatly increase the risks of infection. It's your call, personaly it wouldn't be worth it. 11208
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #9 by Sandra |
Posted: October 2, 2007 at 16:01 | |
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My dad's been in the hopital now for 6 days today with cellulitis. He's on intravenus, antiobiotics like crazy, and they say his leg is getting better but it looks sooo much worse, its all big red huge blisters under the skin that look like they're gonna open at any time. Looks so sore. His fever is finally gone thank god, but the leg looks worse and is more sore. and the swelling is worse. 11288
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #10 by Worried care taker |
Posted: October 11, 2007 at 03:14 | |
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My boyfriend went into the hospital with cellulitis and contracted MRSA while there. They sent him home to continue IV antibiotics for the next 18 days. Do I need to worry about getting this staf infection? I don't touch his wound - only hook up the IV sometimes for him. We do sleep in the same bed and share a bathroom. How would I know if I get it? I've had a bad cough ever since he got home and am getting hot and cold flashes. Is this just a cold or could I have gotten the staf bacteria from him? 11397
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #11 by Nancy R |
Posted: October 11, 2007 at 04:01 | |
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Why guess? Simply go to your doctor and request a nose swab for MRSA. You'll know quickly enough. 11398
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #12 by jane |
Posted: October 29, 2007 at 17:51 | |
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hi my 41 year old partner had blood clot in his leg a couple of years ago from long haul flight, he got cellulitis about a month ago now he has an abcess! he has been put on antibiotics and has to go to doc in couple of days maybe to drain it but i dont think this is gonna get better, his brother has deep vain thrombosis and his dad died of heart disease at 42 a few years after having both legs amputated what hope is there for my partner?? 11612
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #13 by Eddie R. |
Posted: October 30, 2007 at 06:47 | |
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Regimen that has helped me- i have had mrsa for a year now and have been thru a series of iv treatments, ointments, oral antibiotics and every natural "cure" and old wives tale i came across. I work as a mate on a boat in the gulf of mexico and have finally found the right combination of non-prescription items that make my hitches out on the hot, humid boat bearable. Thru much research and trial and error i came up with a 4-step program that works for me. I work 14 days on and 7 days off. mainly my job consists of engine room work and crane operator-both steaming hot tasks. i truly believe that if i was in another line of work then i would be completely outbreak free.(if i could find a shore job that paid the same i would be there in a heartbeat) 1-Hibiclens:Wash the area with this at least twice a day. Be sure to follow directions as you can cause damage to your eyes and eardrums. www.hibiclens.com You can purchase this at Walmart for around 10 bucks. 2-Colloidal Silver:This needs to be purchased at a health food store. I am not an advocate of alternative medicine but I lost faith in practical medicine and downloaded a dermatology textbook and stayed up for two days studying the various kinds of staph infections. They all had one common effect on the skin- they broke down the protein that allowed the connective tissue to do what its name implies-CONNECT. This is why the wound never forms the protective coating(scab) and closes up like the way we remember. One other skin condition causes this as well, a burn. Burns were always treated by the docs with an antibiotic/silver mix. Colloidal silver is a liquid that has silver ions in it and I saw the biggest improvement of all the things I tried the first time I used this but I still never got a lesion to completely heal until I put this whole pain in the ass puzzle together. So after you wash with Hibiclens put a couple of drops of silver on each spot and rub it in. I buy 16oz of this which is 100ppm(parts per million) 3-Udder Cream:Yea cream for dry cracked cow teats...lol. I thought it was crazy too. You can buy this at walmart as well. Make sure it is the Udderly Smooth brand. You can see how it is packaged at www.uddercream.com I say to use this because of the burn theory. This cream contains allantoin which is an extract from the comfrey plant. This is also used in numerous burn therapy remedies. It is also the active ingredient in Mederma -the scar medicine 15-20 bucks a tube or a tub of this stuff for 4-6 bucks. And yes it has helped to greatly reduce the visibility of my scars Dermatological properties Allantoin is a healing, moisturizing, soothing and anti-irritating, keratolytic and non-toxic agent useful in dermatological, cosmetic and veterinary preparation. Allantoin is a valuable cell-proliferating healing agent which stimulates healthy tissue formation. Allantoin has a pronounced keratolytic and skin softening action, acts as chemical debrider of necrotic and scaling tissue, cleasing up the areas where applied. This is good stuff here and you can look it up at Wikipedia.com. Everywhere I have been has recommended that I keep lotion all over and this is one of the few that you can actually put over an open sore.(no fragrances) It also has dimethicone which is a skin protectant to keep the world's funk away. Use of Allantoin In treatment of : skin ulcers, wound, scalds, burns and sunburns, carbuncles, acne and skin eruptions, fissures and abrasions, impetigo, eczema, psoriasis. Apply this after silver dries. I use it from head to toe after I shower. I also use it liberally throughout the day. 4-Antibiotic/Tea Tree swab:This was the hardest thing to get into the habit of doing. Purchase a triple antibiotic and a small jar of tea tree oil. Mix the antibiotic in a small container(like a prescription or empty aspirin bottle) with one or two drops of tea tree oil. Staph resides in the nostril area of around 30% of the population. Even after the lesions are healed it will retreat and wait for the right conditions to torment us. That is why I do this daily. Sometimes twice a day but always at the beginning. This will form a barrier shield to help keep yours contained and the world's out. Ok I have definitely written more than I thought I could but here is more- 1. DO NOT PICK, SCRATCH OR NIBBLE(J/K) ON THESE THINGS. 2. What is exfoliated should come off during shower time. 3. When they do begin to heal and look like bright pink scar tissue there is a chance that it begin to come to the center and become raised. This will be tender and sore and it will also take forever it seems to sloff off and level out. Be patient. 4. I still get breakouts. But they are usually around the knee area and I start the routine on them immediately. The difference now is they don't evolve into active volcanos while I look on helpless. 5. I switched to aerosol deodorant and liquid soap so I don't re-infect myself. 6. Wash those hands-Keep some Purell handy. Have faith-it will get better. I am a grown man but I have screamed at the top of my lungs and cried like a baby because it wasn't healing like I wanted it too. This has definitely taught me patience. Good luck and I hope I have helped. 11621
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #14 by Eddie R. |
Posted: October 30, 2007 at 06:54 | |
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This post is for Jane. I failed to mention that my brother had MRSA for a year prior to my contracting it. He had it so bad that he had no hair on the top of his head-just open wounds. We really thought we would lose him more than once. He is back at work offshore now and still has fatigue and all that come with it after but your partner and you should know that it can be managed.Please don't give up hope. Feel free to email me at bugsbox@gmail.com 11622
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How do I not reinfect myself?
Reply #15 by Raphealla |
Posted: November 10, 2007 at 23:23 | |
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I was diagnosed with MRSA over a month agom on my shin. After 3 rounds of antibiotics the wound on my shin has finally healed. I notice near the site a few places that look like tiny bug bites and the same thing on my other shin, they had been red a few days ago but now have scabs on them like they are healing up. Is this the staph infection reappearing? I threw my razor away today thinking maybe I should not shave my legs for a while. Is there anything else I should look out for in case it is starting to come back again? 11836
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #16 by Leah |
Posted: November 15, 2007 at 01:10 | |
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A little over a month ago, I sought treatment for an abscess on the back of my neck that was substantial in size. They mentioned epidermoid cyst, sebaceous cyst as well as to say that I had a previous history of cellulitis (which is not true) in the medical reports ultimately with my pre and post diagnosis as a "Neck Abscess." The first facility had done a scrape and swab of the skin and the second facility (where I had my incision and drainage done) had collected fluid from the wound itself and both came back as MRSA after they were cultured and came back 48 hours later. However, I was given ampicillin/sulbactum through IV and then sent home with Levaquin 500 mg (1x a day for 1 week) and Bactrim DS 875 mg (2x's a day for 7 days.) I work long shifts as a Personal Care Assistant doing assisted living for individuals who are mentally and physically challenged. However I have not worked since having the I/D. I still have bouts of fatigue, aches and pains in certain parts through out my body more so in my bones/joints areas. I have been experiencing pains through out my chest and lungs from time to time. I recently found an Internist and when they did an EKG on me the base came back ok. They did blood work which they said was ok. I had a chest x-ray done same day which also came back ok. Now I am scheduled to have a stress test done tomorrow and I have an appointment with an infectious disease specialist on the 20th. Love Light and Peace to All 11908
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #17 by RosieB |
Posted: December 21, 2007 at 23:28 | |
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I have been diagnosed with Cellulitis just over a week ago and there seems to be very little change in the extreme redness and blisters my leg (below the knee)... I am following instructions for rest and gentle exercise but I just am getting rather fed up with such a slow healing. Any encouragement/suggestions out there? Much appreciated. 12156
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #18 by LindaA |
Posted: December 22, 2007 at 02:47 | |
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Rosie, Please go back to your Dr. and request a culture done on your legs. My dad had cellulitis in both legs below the knee for over a year and every time he asked the Dr. about his legs, they just poo-pooed it and chalked it up to being connected to his congestive heart and they didn't do anything about it. His legs were always red and discolored looking, swelled, and hot to touch and still not one single Dr. did anything about it. In sept. He started getting sick, legs ached and hurt to walk on, didn't want to eat, etc. Then he fell twice in 3 days and I told my Mom to take him to the ER. He was admitted with dehydration, renal failure, abcesses in his stomach, and blood clots in his legs along with the cellulitus. He was cultured and they would not tell us what kind of infection he had, only that it was a very nasty infection and he was very septic and almost in septic shock. I only found out this week that he has had MRSA all along, and now also has VRE, VRSA, Step, and Staph and his body is shutting down and not responding to any antibiotics. We just sign papers to do not recesitate and they've taken him off all the meds. If I'd been there to insist that a Dr culture and treat his legs and his stomach back then, instead of letting them ignore him and do nothing, I might still have my Dad. Now,within the next 48hr we will be burying him. He's only 76 yrs old. Don't let this go, you need more agressive treatment than you're receiving. Good Luck 12157
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Re: abscesses-cellulitis
Reply #19 by Alice |
Posted: February 5, 2008 at 08:32 | |
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Commenting on the Colloidal Silver: My husband had MRSA after 3-weeks of daily antibiotic treatments thru IV it was better but not completely healed. A few weeks after his treatments the sores began to turn deep red and get bigger…. After hours of researching everything and what worked for others he decided to get some C.S. I wouldn't let him use it until I made sure it was safe. I am a firm believer in most doctors and western medicine. But it wasn’t working for MRSA. Well we found some CS Wally world here in Florida the brand was Davis Vitamins it contains 6-7ppm which is very low amount. I really thought this would be a waste of money but within 12 hours of putting a few drops on his sores they appeared to be healing going from the deep red and looking really nasty to a pink. I really could not believe my eyes. So I spoke to a friend who is in cancer research nurse. I figured they could answer some questions for me… Like why Ionic Silver 100ppm didn’t work at all? Why did C.S. work so well curing my husband's MRSA? Why don’t doctors prescribe it? Too much of anything is not good explaining that lower doses (7ppm) likely worked best. Usually higher doses of medicines do not work well as well as lower amounts applied more often... That just sounds like common since. Then why does C.S. work so well on MRSA… Just guessing MRSA is an antibiotic resistant infection; because very few people have ever been treated with C.S. the staff has never had the chance to build a resistance to C.S. Many antibiotics are “live” but C.S. is not a “live” antibiotic which would likely make it harder for MRSA to become resistant to it. Lastly why don’t doctors prescribe C.S. for MRSA? They explained to me doctors can lose there insurance is they stray from what is called “standard of care.” MRSA is fairly new disease doctors are still trying to treat it with what used to work on staff infections. While Pharmaceutical companies do make a variety of products made with silver most of them are used for burn victims most doctors are not familiar with these products nor even realize that they might put the fix on MRSA (if the doctor is not a doctor who specifically works with burn victims then to prescribe patches and medicines’ with silver would go against the “standard of care”. I am sure in the next year or so you will see C.S. or some type of silver product fitting into this “standard of care”… I am sure more research needs to be done. After seeing for myself the result of C.S on MRSA no one should lose any body part or die from MRSA when that little bottle made such a difference. By the way he has a scar but no MRSA 12416
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