[Wiix]

I have has SOMETHING for the past 10 years or so. I have gone to Dermatoligist ans she said it was acne BUT I don't believe it is. I have been doing some online research and come up with a Probable diagnosis for myself of MRSA.

The pictures I have found and the descritions I have read ALL sound just like what I have. Now, I may also have SOME acne but I also have something else going on and that is what I think is the MRSA.

It is an infection of the skin caused by Staph. It causes painful bumps, blisters filled with bloody fluid and occasionally there MIGHT be a bit of puss come out when I open the sorest spot with a CLEAN needle and squeeze it. The itching and burning and real PAIN is immediatly relieved once I get the fluid OUT. I also am prone to cysts. I had one bad one on my chest a few years ago which I squeezed daily for almost 6 months. I now have the same type of thing on my cheek, my FACE cheek, not my Butt cheek. I get so much bloody fluid out of that each day at least once that a whole Kleenex is red. I work on it a little at a time since I can slowly clean it out but it takes months.

Anyway. I will get some pictures to show you what this stuff looks like. I ordered some SraphAseptic from amazon .com but it hasn't arrived yet. I know this has to be a systemic problem but I don't know how to fix it. I have to figure it out by myself since I HAVE seen docotors about it and they don't seem to know anything about it. Even a Dermatoligist.

So PLEASE don't tell me to go to a doctor. I have been at least 6 times and nothing they have said or done has helped me.

[Wiix]

Here is a pic I found online of what the typical thing looks like:

This one is open and not a blister anymore since it is draining. I may have taken a pic of it I had on my upper back, I will have to look.

[Wiix]

This thing lasted about 6 months and I DON'T believe this is acne. What do you think?

[Ellie]

I know you don't want to see a doctor, BUT *ducks*, just listen...

I'd probably leapfrog the dermatologist and go to a rheumatologist (not to offend the derma, but the rheumy is going to know more, heh). Furthermore, you should no doubt get your blood checked. I checked online and it said, "MRSA can be detected in asymptomatic patients by a blood test". So, go get that blood test, which I am sure the rheumy would be familiar with.

Unless there's a rare form of acne I never knew about, that does NOT look like acne to me. If you don't have an open access insurance plan, call your normal doctor and tell him/her to refer you to a rheumatologist.

That looks quite painful, and an infection isn't something to mess around with. I can tell you're kind of PO'd with doctors right now but finding the right one might be what finds you a diagnosis and hopefully a cure so you can find some comfort.

You should at least try to get the lab work done, so you can find out if it is MRSA or rule it out. Regardless, keep in touch about what you find.

[shiney sue]

What you are talking about is usally gotten in Hospitals and Nursing
homes. If you have it and had to go in the hospital,you would have
to be tested for Marsa,some hospitals will put you in a private room.
The staff is to wear masks,gown and gloves. And even though gloves
are used they must wash hands. Also if you go out of room while in
hosital you must wear same outfit as staff. Other hospitals hands are
washed and gloves are used only. If you are dignosed you must let Drs.
nurses and any health care staff knows. You need to be on very strong
antiboctics. You don't want to fool around,i see the Derms are doing some
thing wrong. The blood test can be done by a family Dr. but the answer
does not overnight. I totally agree with Ellie on Drs.,please take this
very serious because it can be..Sue

[Wiix]

WENT to Doc #1. "Oh, it's just acne. here is script for antibiotic."

Took it with No affect.

Doc #2. " Oh, put heat on it. It will break by itself." No script given.

Doc #3 { Dermatoligist } Advice: Get NeoSporin and rub it into each one many times a day.

Doc #4. "Let's get sample of fluid from one and run test to see what is it it." Came back with "Nothing that shouldn't Normally be there."

Doc #5 "Here TRY this new antibiotic." No change.

Doc #6. "Here TRY this one." No change and gave me terrible diarrhea and stomach ache.

NOW you tell me to go BACK to doctor?? This has all happened over span of 10 years and I STILL have this THING. This is WHY I don't like doctors.

AND that StaphAseptic never arrived either. I ordered it 3 weeks ago.

[Wiix]

" Staph Superbug Most Common Cause Of US Skin Infections


It is known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or the Superbug. It is resistant to most standard antibiotics and is becoming more resistant to newer ones. MRSA is now the most common cause of skin infections in the majority of American cities, says Dr. G Moran, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine. He believes doctors should be giving patients who need antibiotics only those known to effectively combat MRSA. He says things have changed over the last ten years - a different type of bacteria is now the most common cause of infections.

You can read about this in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), August 17 issue.

MRSA used to be known as just the 'Hospital Superbug'. It was found just in hospitals, nursing homes and some other health care facilities. It was very rarely found in the community - what is known as 'community associated infection' with MRSA used to be extremely rare. This is not the case any more. There are more and more cases of MRSA acquired in the community - outside hospitals.

MRSA is not an uncommon bacteria. Apparently about one third of us, and maybe more, carry it around with us in our nose, on our skin and in our throat. Most of the time it is harmless. However, it can occasionally lead to serious and potentially fatal infections. Something as insignificant as a paper-cut can lead to MRSA infection. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/49872.php

[Wiix]

Since I have been TRYING to figure out exactly what this is I have been doing some more research and it appears these things are Cystic or Nodular acne. As I said before, I have had this for almost 10 years. It all started around the time of menopause. It seems that bacteria are present in the hair follicle and it gets infected. I notice that where it hurts the MOST isn't right at the hair follicle but to the side of it. AND that's is where I get the majority of the pain and bloody fluid from it. Here is a diagram of what it looks like Under the skin:

I also read something that seems particulaly pertinent right now. it said that it can get Worse if you are losing weight, which I have been over the past few months. I was thinking that. Maybe free floating fat in the blood might cause it or at least aggravete it and make it worse. The bloody fluid is actually blood and built up OIL. The Inflammation Spillage are tiny little bumps aroubnd it that hurt and also contain bloddy fluid and if I don't open them up and clean them out they get worse. I have tried leaving them alone but then they just get bigger. That's the spreading you see around the whole area.

I hope eventually this problem resolves itself because obviously medical science can't help me. Maybe if I get real skinny the whole thing will go away.

[Ellie]

I know this is sort of off topic but on topic at the same time... BUT!

I frequently have problems with cysts, tumors and these sebaceous cysts that has been an ongoing problem since I was a toddler. For a long time they thought my sebaceous cysts were boils as unfortunately, they would show up in fairly unpleasant areas such as my rump and groin area where my panty lining rests.

They had put me on Doxycycline for the Lyme/Parvo and what's bizarre is I've noticed no cysts and some are even shrinking, excluding the one in my breast (it's solid and clearly not going anywhere). I did read on the bottle it's also used for acne treatment, but oddly enough - I broke out, but that may have some linkage with the pain medications combined with stress.

I stopped taking it because it made me puke, but it was nice for the time to go without the cysts that caused pain.

[Wiix]

No Elle, not off topic at all. I too have a bit of acne but it's NOT these huge, blood filled bumpy things I am talking about. I wonder WHY we get these things. And they HURT sometimes until you make a hole in them and press out the fluid. I don't mean just "hurt" they drive me crazy with the burning and itching. I only had ONE that actually had pus in it. This IS a real problem for me. I have another one now on other side of back of my upper back near my neck and it hurts. I have opened it and got so much fluid out but it takes many sessions and eventually it does go away, months.