MRSA Skin Infection

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mye
mye Member Posts: 130
edited January 2016 in Breast Reconstruction

I developed MRSA skin infection mostly around the radiation breast back in November and have been on Doxycyline antibiotics since. (I had a bilateral mastectomiy with tissue expanders). During radiation the infection kept coming back but since I finished it has visibly cleared. My radiation oncologist however on the last day of radiation told me that in her experience she has not had good outcomes with infections and that most of the time the tissue expanders would have to come out. I have since also seen an infectious disease specialist who basically said the same thing.

Anybody else out there who has gone through something similar? Hopefully the tissue expanders did not get effected?

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  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited December 2015

    Well, had infections with non MRSA Staph on two occasions with massive amounts of pus taken iff my chest each time, when I took out a TE, and then the second time with fat grafting. I have since then had fat grafting a few more times and got a TE put in over my Pectoral muscle, much much more comfortable. In August of this year I had an implant exchange to a Mentor 420cc anatomical silicone implant which is Over my pectoral, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25455288. So not exactly the same situation, but I had 5 surgeries since the last infection, last year and I had prevented minor infections from becoming serious all ofthese last surgeries, including nipple reconstruction 3 plus weeks ago by getting IV Vitamin C at my Naturopath. The antibiotics don't seem to work anymore for me as I was on surgical antibiotics, ie, Vancomycin with almost every surgery, and oral antibiotics after ever surgery, ie Cipro and Levofloxacin because of a Cephalexin allergy. The IV Vitamin C infusions are a large amount of Vitamin C, 50 grams. Vitamin C in this concentration is able to kill almost all bacteria, before the advent of antibiotics, IV Vitamin C was routinely used for infections in hospitals. It is safe to use unless you have a kidney problem like stones or d3creased function, and what I also like about it is that it also is proven toxic to cancer cells. Not sure if this is an option for you, not cheap, and time consuming to get the infusions, but sounds like you want to fight as much as you can to keep your implant and the doctors are not able to help you. Good luck. Naturopath are easy to find, they are licensed health care providers, and they are all over the country. What do you have to loose to look into this, the doctors can always do the surgery worst case scenario.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22116695

    http://www.newsmax.com/t/health/article/505878

    http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2014-09/can-high-dose-intravenous-vitamin-c-alleviate-epstein-barr-virus-infections

    http://m.cmaj.ca/content/174/7/937.full


  • sixtysweeper63
    sixtysweeper63 Member Posts: 22
    edited January 2016

    hi so cal, I have a simiiar story with psuedomonas infections being the culprit. Started with bm 11/11/14, DCIS in left breast. Left TE removed 12/22/14 due to infection. Left TE replaced 4/16/15.....removed 5/27/15....due to psuedomonas again. Was on 10 days of ivmeropenum for first infection in dec. Then cipro for may infection. Granular tissue removal in sept 14 discovered psuedomonas still lingering around rib...6 weeks iv piperacillan/tazobactrum since national shortage of meropenum....now waiting 1 yr from last infection sept 14 to try latissimus dorsi flap.....all the while my right TE has been fine! My pc who I love is baffled....thinking of something to get me thru this somehow....hope u have a healthy 2016!

  • mye
    mye Member Posts: 130
    edited January 2016

    Sixtysweeper and Macb, thank you both for your helpful responses. So far it seems the inflammation in the radiated breast, which now runs along the incision site is stable, and is being monitored by my plastic surgeon and infectious disease specialist "closely". I also have an appointment to see a naturopath. I hope it will not progress further. I am still on antibiotics and will be for at least a total of two months.

    I am sorry you two had to go through this -as if cancer is not enough for us to cope with. ishing you the best, Sixtysweeper on your Latflap! Macb, I will ask the Naturopath and my MO about vitamin C infusions. I like the sound of it especially since it seems that the antibiotics are no longer working.

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