Staph Infection - Antibiotics for pregnancy?

[SiarasMummy]

Hello,
I have been battling with recurrent staph infections for almost a year now. I have been in hospital twice because of these infections and no doctor or specialist seems to know a permanent way to get rid of it.
For those that don't know what staph is, it is a germ that can get in to your skin and cause really inflamed and painful boils, carbuncles and abcesses.

I had not had a problem since October last year and I am over 4 months pregnant now. I developed another infection on my lower stomach last week, my GP refused to give me anything for it as I am pregnant, despite me explaining to him that I might end up in hospital again. So I went behind my GPs back and directly to my specialist. The specialist immediately put me on Antibiotics (EES) and told me to come back if it got worse.
The antibiotics seemed to be working for a few days but in the last three days the infection has become huge and very, very painful. I went back to the specialist yesterday, he prescribed me another lot of AB that I have to take in combination with EES - Amoxcillin Ranbaxy - I have just looked these up on the internet and it says these AB do cross the placenta and therefore the risk to the fetus has to be considered when prescribing them to benefit the mother.
Should I be worried? The specialist knows I am pregnant and said these AB are okay for me but I feel a little worried now that I have read that information.

The infection burst last night and I am in less pain but I will still have to go back to the docs to have the infection drained properly - this is pain that is worse than childbirth in my opinion - and I don't think I will be allowed to take any strong pain meds after either.

I am worried about these ABs and I am also very nervous about having this infection drained with no proper pain medication.
It's bad enough to be dealing with this at 4 months pregnant, but I am so worried it will keep coming back during the pregnancy. It is really painful.

Is there anyone else that has had problems with staph infections during pregnancy? Can anyone give me any advice?

[Olive]

theres a man named Rodney White (i think thats his name) that works out the Monash Hospital in Melbourne and hes the guru of medications, i will try and find you the number, id ring him ASAP and have a chat about your situation xxx


ETA here it is

Rodney Whyte at the Monash Medical Centre drug information line (03) 9594 2361

[[M]umma[M]ia]

I have already had an staph infection this pregnancy and was on AB for it. I have it when Im not preg either.. anyway some things i do is use anti bacterial soap (from the chemist) and this helps ALOT. When I do get a boil I use Magnoplasm (which is fine in pregnancy) and that draws it out abit. If it helps, i was on AB about 6 times with pregnant last time and DD was fine.

[SiarasMummy]

Thank you both. I will give that Dr a call.
Mummamia, I have had 6 staph infections in the past year and nothin I do seems to help, I follow all the things the doc says 'wash hand regularly, use hand sanitiser, use antibacterial soap etc etc' and nothing stops it from coming back.
How long have you been dealing with recurrent infections for? Do you see a specialist and have you been given any good answers as to how to get rid of it for good?
I have been in hospital twice with infections, once with infections on both breasts that had to be drained under general anaesthetic and then I was in hospital for 3 days on IV antibiotics. Even the infectious disease specialist at the hospital couldn't really help.
I keep being told my immune system will eventually catch up and get rid of the infection but after a year I am not sure this is ever going to happen! I don't want to live like this for the rest of my life!
I have used microshield antibactierial soap and also phisohex but it doesn't seem to help - and we also use bactroban in our nostrils a few times a week and it still comes back. IT IS DRIVING ME NUTS :-(

[FabFiona]

I'm seconding the advice to call Rodney. He is a pharmacist and THE BEST source of information.

Let us know how you go.

[SiarasMummy]

I called the number, Rodney is interstate at the moment but there was another man that helped me, he said both types of antibiotics are very safe through pregnancy. Thanks so much for the number!
I am still worrying about having it drained though, it is going to freakin hurt and I will bawl :-(

[LionsandBears]

Staph is one of those things that quickly becomes immune to ABs. Get yourself some 30+ Manuka honey from a health food shop and some guaze. Apply it topically and cover with gauze (because it's very sticky). Manuka honey is one of the few things shown to get rid of staph/MSMR etc. btw - it is expensive.

[luna moth]

I have had recurrent staph infection, but not while pregnant, I'm sorry. What finally kicked my last infection was Fucidin topical ointment, an old school staph treatment that isn't often prescribed anymore, in conjunction with my ABs. I also had a daily salt bath and a shower washing with phisohex.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

Thank you both. I will give that Dr a call.
Mummamia, I have had 6 staph infections in the past year and nothin I do seems to help, I follow all the things the doc says 'wash hand regularly, use hand sanitiser, use antibacterial soap etc etc' and nothing stops it from coming back.
How long have you been dealing with recurrent infections for? Do you see a specialist and have you been given any good answers as to how to get rid of it for good?
I have been in hospital twice with infections, once with infections on both breasts that had to be drained under general anaesthetic and then I was in hospital for 3 days on IV antibiotics. Even the infectious disease specialist at the hospital couldn't really help.
I keep being told my immune system will eventually catch up and get rid of the infection but after a year I am not sure this is ever going to happen! I don't want to live like this for the rest of my life!
I have used microshield antibactierial soap and also phisohex but it doesn't seem to help - and we also use bactroban in our nostrils a few times a week and it still comes back. IT IS DRIVING ME NUTS :-(

I started getting them when I first fell pregnant with DD.. so over 3 years ago. Ive had a few doctors "try" and get rid of them, but nothing works forever. The soap usually keeps mine away (so I would get 1 instead of 5). Nah I havent seen a specialist.... I was given some medication a while ago by a different doctor.. she said that i was to take them when I got another one and it will go away and they will never come back... yeah, didnt work.

It is very annoying and painful.. i wish I had the answer. I have just learnt to deal with it.

[SiarasMummy]

I started getting them when I first fell pregnant with DD.. so over 3 years ago. Ive had a few doctors "try" and get rid of them, but nothing works forever. The soap usually keeps mine away (so I would get 1 instead of 5). Nah I havent seen a specialist.... I was given some medication a while ago by a different doctor.. she said that i was to take them when I got another one and it will go away and they will never come back... yeah, didnt work.

It is very annoying and painful.. i wish I had the answer. I have just learnt to deal with it.

I just feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall with all these docs...they all say the same thing! I was told by a nurse when I was in hospital about a herbal treatment (a tablet) that is being tried out in nursing homes with staph outbreaks, and apparently it is working wonders, even on the worse strain of staph MRSA it has been shown to get rid of it for good. I have been told if I just keep going on ABs eventually the strain will become resistant and nothing will work. The last swab of the infection I had done has shown that it has already become resistant to penicillin. It is so frustrating that nobody can come up with a permanent way to get rid of it!

I just can't understand how there can be so much groundbreaking medical research done for diabetes, cancer, etc etc and yet nobody seems to know how to treat a skin infection.

You seem to be handling it quite well compared to me, I am getting more and more frustrated when it keeps coming back! It isn't something I want to learn to deal with I just want it to go away. My poor little daughter had one on her bottom a few months ago and was in so much pain, it breaks my heart that she has it as well now, I have been jumping up and down trying to get some help as I was scared my daughter would catch it and now it is too late.

Mummamia I would love to keep in contact with you, I will keep you updated on how I go with it, I am trying to find these herbal tablets the nurse told me about but so far no health food shops have heard of them. The info is very easy to find on the net though - Alligin: A Natural MRSA Treatment

Have a look at this herbal treatment, the nurse told me it has been very successful in treating staph and getting rid of it, I am just trying to find it.

[Inertia]

My sister had recurrent boils as well. The ABs were not working for her either. She started taking Garlic Tabs and she hasn't had one since.