Treatments
| Treatments (conventional and natural) This page is for discussion purposes only and should not be interpreted as recommendation. Any decisions you make regarding your health or treating MRSA should be discussed with a medical professional. There is no cure and nothing that can eradicate this bacteria from our lives. Any doctor or product that promises that they can do this for you is dishonest or uninformed. Antibiotics: Bactroban (mupirocin) is a topical and intra-nasal antibiotic ointment. Here is a partial list of oral antibiotics used for MRSA (alone or in combination): Clindamycin, Doxycycline, Fucidin, Biaxin, Zyvox, Septra, Bactrim, Rifampin, Linezolid and Vancomycin. The correct length of time varies but most people will need to be on antibiotics for months which increases the risks of side effects. MRSA and all other superbugs have shown resistance or the ability to develop resistance to all of these. Resistance means the antibiotic will not work or will only work short term. This is why some people have recurrent infections and why some die from MRSA infections. Ideally, no antibiotic should be administered without first performing a culture to determine which antibiotic is less likely to make the MRSA mutate and become stronger (this is called a D-zone test). There are very serious risks associated with each antibiotic including developing another superbug called C-Diff (particularly when taking Clindamycin). Vancomycin is considered the "big gun" of antibiotics. It is usually administered intravenously with some patients being induced into a coma due the severity of the side effects. One study shows that Zyvox may be outperforming Vancomycin. Many people experience long term side effects from antibiotics even long after they are finished taking them. Oral antibiotics are almost always necessary whenever serious symptoms are present. Although they may not be a perfect cure, antibiotics can be life saving or may get your infection to retreat. However, due to the associated health risks and antibiotics being the reason for resistance in the first place, thoughtful consideration should be given to alternative treatments whenever possible. Very often, natural treatments can help when traditional methods are failing. A quick search on the Internet will bring up MANY stories of recurrent or fatal infections, even during and after antibiotic use. Unless you have serious symptoms, you should always question the use of antibiotics. If you must take them, you should still consider using natural treatments along side antibiotics and well after you've finished them. Most doctors, even very good ones, do not have experience with natural treatments. Please read this 2 page article: Solution to Superbug Found in Norway SPECIAL NOTE: Do not apply heat to a boil (in can make it worse). |
| Surgical intervention: Incision and drainage (I&D) is sometimes used for boils. Debridement is the removal of dead or diseased tissue. Amputation is saved for seriously septic patients. Shunt placement is used to relieve pressure like in the case of meningitis or cellulitis. Cleansers: Cleansers used on the body include bleach (diluted into bath water periodically) and/or Hibiclens. Bleach baths are an old country doctor remedy that dates back at least 50 years. Antibiotic cleansers, like ones with Triclosan, should never be used... not even for washing your hands. You may be directed or compelled to do extra house cleaning as well like using more bleach, changing towells more often or using paper towells instead of hand towells. Cleaning methods have been associated with reducing the frequency of infections but rarely eliminating them. For example, with CA-MRSA, you may be able to reduce the frequency of outbreaks to every 3 months instead of every month. However, the majority of bacteria on your skin are friendly, not pathogenic like MRSA. When you kill the bad stuff, you also kill the good stuff. |
| Alternative Treatments: There are plenty of natural products and herbs that may work topically to fight MRSA. The problem is that MRSA is an internal problem as well. Here are some ideas worth looking into. We will add information as it becomes available. Allicin/Garlic: Garlic is the most potent member of the allium family of plants and has always been considered "nature's antibiotic". It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic. MRSA and other superbugs have not shown resistance to it. Garlic must be fresh, raw and crushed to activate the main antibacterial compound called allicin. Allicin has a very short and unstable life. Another problem is that large amounts of garlic/allicin is needed to fight off serious infections. Digestibility, taste and odor become an issue when using raw garlic. However, people who use raw garlic daily report that it is helpful. Cooking or storing garlic ruins it's anti-microbial activity. The first ever stable form of allicin was developed by scientists in England and is the most promising garlic supplement. It has been clinically tested at the University of London. It is well tolerated in both adults and children and leaves no odor. More information is available on our "Links" page. The pros and cons of raw garlic are obvious or will be if you try it... so the following is for Allimed, the stable allicin. PROS: helpful, easy to take, offers clinical research against MRSA. CONS: expensive. Turmeric: Helps significantly when used internally in high doses but dehydration and constipation are a concern. MRSA has not shown resistance to turmeric. Can also be used topically. See our "Links" page for the Earth Clinic link. PROS: helpful and cheap. CONS: difficult to ingest, difficult to stay on a regime. Diet: Some people believe diet changes alone will reverse the symptoms of MRSA. Examples include traditional foods, elimination/rotation diets, SCD, or diets that focus on correcting the body's pH to become less acidic and more alkaline. These are all very good ideas for someone with MRSA since their immune system is either malfunctioning or overloaded (our immune system begins in our guts!). Diet changes may also be the key to long-term health and avoidance of problems like MRSA, cancer, etc. However, using this as the only method of treatment is risky. MRSA moves very fast and diet changes can take several months (or longer) to take effect. Some MRSA infections can take a life in a few days time so you can see the problem. Also, eating a perfectly healthy diet is a wonderful goal but not always easy to do in our busy world. We should also note that many (supposedly) healthy young adults with no known immune problems are contracting and even dying from MRSA. Changing your diet could be the most important piece of your recovery puzzle. Please see the following pages for more information: "MRSA Diet", "Prevention", and "Links". PROS: works very well long-term to prevent MRSA & many other health issues. CONS: time spent cooking and preparing food, changing habits is challenging. pH drops: There are several companies who sell a water-based product that promises to change your body's pH from acid to alkaline. Changing your diet can achieve this as well and is preferred (for recipes and info, read The PH Miracle or visit their website on our "Links" page). Although many companies offer pH drops/water (www.phmiracleliving.com, www.vitamark.com), the company who sells pHenomenal markets it specifically to people with MRSA. It may be helpful to jump start your recovery while you relearn how to cook and eat, but Dr. Mercola warns against using pH water long term. PROS: supports faster recovery, affordable. CONS: no clinical research or safety data. Vitamark: This is a company with products that have been reported to help several people and does seem quite promising. Specifically: LimuPlus (liquid) and VitaOne (capsules) although they offer a pH water product as well. This is an internal therapy, no topicals, and focuses on detoxing. We did our own independent test of the products and the preliminary report can be seen on our "Your MRSA Story" webpage. PROS: helpful and affordable. CONS: no clinical research. Colloidal Silver or Silver Hydrosol: Reported to have antibacterial activity but could present risk if not used properly (internally) or if not a high quality product. Great as a preventative inside the nose. PROS: gentle for children or sensitive areas, affordable, helpful and great immune support. CONS: may not be strong enough by itself for more serious infections. Vitamin C: Reported to help when taken orally in high doses (2000mg/day acerola until well then 1000mg/day - reduce if diarrhea occurs). PROS: cheap. CONS: need to find the right type to obtain proper absorption, may not be strong enough by itself for serious infections. Oregano Oil: aka Wild Marjoram (different from the stuff in your spice rack). Reported to work very well topically but can be painful. PROS: a great topical. CONS: burns when applied, very potent orally, may not be strong enough by itself for serious infections. Light Therapy: Special LED light therapy (red, near infrared, & blue) has been reported to help topically. May be helpful to jumpstart recovery of serious skin infections. PROS: helpful topically. CONS: expensive, doesn't help internally. Probiotics: Highly recommended supplement especially if you are taking or have ever taken antibiotics. Some professionals recommend waiting until all signs of infection have subsided before introducing probiotics. Skip the yogurt and opt for a high quality professional formula (pill / powder) or research kefir (usually dairy-based). However, it is a good idea to go dairy-free for AT LEAST 6 months (or until your have been MRSA-free for that long) and then reintroduce slowly. PROS: good for your general health. CONS: not strong enough for serious infections. Raw Manuka Honey: Messy but reported to work topically on open wounds. Due to the fact that MRSA loves acidic conditions within our bodies (sugar breeds acidity), consider topical use only. PROS: tastes great, helpful on open wounds. CONS: messy, sugar breeds fungus and bacteria. Tea Tree Oil: Reported to help topically but probably best used as a preventative on minor cuts & scrapes. Especially helpful for impetigo / infantigo. PROS: helpful, smells and feels nice. CONS: topical only, not strong enough for serious infections. Eucalyptus: Reported to help topically but more info is needed. Cats Claw: Reported to help but more info is needed. Prayer: We have heard several stories of intense prayer that cured a person from MRSA. We do believe the power of prayer is limitless. However, also consider that God helps those who help themselves and that He has provided everything we need to nourish and heal our bodies... right here on our beautiful planet. A good book to consider is None of These Diseases, a bible-based book. The many people who have died from MRSA (including babies and children) did not die because of lack of prayer or lack of belief. Pray, pray, pray and ask others to pray but also take personal responsibility for your daily activities and health. Do research and ask questions. |
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