Somehow our family contracted MRSA last year and now it is colonized in our family. I've had several boils, our son has had a boil lanced, and my husband was hospitalized for a week last year from it going systemic. We have used Bactroban in our noses twice a day for 10 days like the doctor said, we put it on all cuts and pimples we find like the doctor said, we have all been on antibiotics at one point or another, I am using Lysol, we wash our hands all the time with antibacterial soaps and even use antibacterial soaps when we bathe, we keep the infections covered with bandages, and I wash our clothing and bedding in HOT water. We have done all sorts of research on MRSA and have consulted all of our doctors on this and are now waiting to get in to see a specialist to try and get this problem taken care of. Has anyone dealt with MRSA colonization in their family? Any help would be wonderful.
Also, how do I clean my carpets? I just recently read online that white vinegar kills bacteria but I can't find whether it kills MRSA or not. I thought of putting WV into my carpet cleaner and clean our carpets but if it doesn't work I don't want to potentially ruin my carpet cleaner or our carpets. I also looked into antibacterial carpet cleaners but can't find ANYTHING.
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!
I would contact an Infectious Diseases Specialist. Or the "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." ie: the CDC.
Seriously.
Not just your Doctor.
Here's another link:
http://www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/mrsa/providers.htm
There are also many strains of MRSA.
Even hospitals, have mega problems with these infections.
I too have had a few problems with this and my husband has had one incident. We've been very fortunate that our kids haven't gotten. My doctor told me as well to do the monthly bleach baths. We've not had to go that far, but believe me, if it got to that point you better believe I would be doing it.
Hi Amy Jo, I am not a doctor or a specialist by any means. I am just a mom like you who had MRSA in our home via our son who was 6 at the time. Fortunately we did not have any spreading to the rest of the family and my son was able to stay MRSA free after a very long round of oral antibiotics, 5-6 weeks of a sulfur based. I read so much about it and considered myself a germ warrior for many months. I took a different approach then many. I decided not to use a lot of antibacterial products on our bodies. When my son had the actual infection we used an antibacterial soap just in the area that had the "break out". We skipped the bleach baths and tried the route of building up our own healthy bacterias to fight of the "bad" ones. We ate healthy and added pro biotics to our diets. We ate tuns of turmeric and also took turmeric tablets, because I heard it helps fight off and push out infections. As far how I dealed with our stuff, that was a whole different story. While I didn't want to use antibacterial stuff on our bodies, you bet your but I bleached the heck out of any hard surface. I washed our clothes, towels, ect in the hottest longest settings after every use. I wiped down the bathroom, light switches, door handles, constantly. I never considered the carpet. Maybe you could spray it with Lysol and let it sit, then go over it with the carpet cleaner. as far as tea tree oil. It is very effective against all strains of staph but it needs to be the good stuff, full strength, not diluted cheap stuff from the drug store. Maybe your beneficial bacterias a chance to replenish themselves. I wish your family the best of luck. Lots of yogurt, turmeric, and hand washing. I'm not a tree hugger either, lol .
- L.
We had a MRSA diagnosis recently for our 2 year old daughter. There seem to be occasional flare-ups that Bactroban is seeming to address, but the pediatrician has recently recommended monthly bleach baths.
Another Mamapedia mom wrote me last week horrified that I'd consider putting bleach in the bath and wanted me to consider using melaleuca (tea tree oil). I couldn't find any clinical evidence to support it is truly effective against MRSA, so I'm sticking with what the pediatrician has recommended until I'm able to get another Dermatology appointment for her.
As far as the household environment, I don't know how well WV would work, and a quick Google search is a little inconclusive. The state of Montana had this information on their Department of Health's website:
http://www.co.chouteau.mt.us/health/MRSA%20info%20and%20l...
Good luck! I hope you're able to get this colonization under control soon.
