Sheesh Natalie..serious hugs for you hon

You've got more than your share to deal with lately...

I had staph (MRSA variety) in my nose about 5yrs ago. I had to have my nose swabbed 3 times (once a month) to check for MRSA and get a negative result for MRSA three times before they'd declare me cured of MRSA. I think I also had to have my throat swabbed at the same time to make sure it wasnt anywhere else too.

Staph (not necessarily the MRSA variety) lives naturally in your nose. Usually isnt a problem unless you're on a lot of antibiotics (which I was that year)

My dad had staph infection last winter. (he's a nurse, and probably got it from a patient one day in the hospital...scratched his hand on a gurney. The patient didnt have the MRSA variety tho) His staph infection took hold pretty quick too. He scratched his hand one morning, that night I noticed he had a big red mark on his hand and mentioned it to him. The next morning his hand (index and middle finger right at the knuckles) hurt really bad. He went to work and showed it to one of his doctor friends and immediately got dragged into an exam room and had his hand cleaned out and got put on antibiotics...and sent home for a week. (they never did a swab to see if it was MRSA, the doctor said that he was assuming it was and gave him bactrim antibiotic ointment and oral antibiotics. I guess they didnt want to have to have a big OSHA investigation if they'd made it an "official" diagnosis. They just gave him what they'd give for MRSA infections.)

My dad had been a nurse longer than I've been alive (I'm 42) and he'd never gotten an infection like that before. My mom and I were afraid to touch him for a few weeks. Wouldnt let him cook for us for awhile either, we were both creeped out. (and we like to eat out a lot, so we went out a lot)

Staph is really nasty, takes effect quickly sometimes. My aunt got bit by her cat about 10yrs ago on the index finger, and within 2 hrs had a raging infection in her hand that was so bad she had to have surgery to clean her arm out. (they had to cut it from the index finger to her elbow to clean out the infection), and her infection wasnt MRSA. (she doesnt have that cat anymore...gave it away)

Hope your infection wasnt the nasty kind and goes away quick! What antibiotic ointment did you get? Bactrim?? That stuff smells funny, but it works fast!

I had shingles (I do not have a diagnose of MS) I came across this web site. 1st time I had it (both time on my eyelid and forehead/scalp) I was given valtrex. I got it again and took Tagament and I think it helped or atleast lessend the pain and duration. Either way, interesting.

http://www.encognitive.com/node/5417

how much tagamet did you take? i'm now recuperating from shingles and all the advice about taking it 3 times a day then 2 pills before bed is way too much for being now on the mend. i can't get any info on whether i should take just one tablet a day or 2. thanks

One has to be careful with Tagamet (cimetidine).

OTC in US is 200mg per tablet. 400mg is the beginning RX dose.

Tagamet interacts with other drugs, and affects the metabolism of some. This can change dosing of those other drugs.

This is a drug checker...I suggest anyone going to use Tagamet see if it interacts with other things you may be taking:

http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

Take care!

You might give the amino acid L-lysine a try.
It worked for my dad within a week after 2 months of different meds did not. He now takes it whenever the shingles reappear, and it goes away.

It is also recomended that nuts, chocolate and sunflower seeds be avoided.

L-lysine and shingles:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/27...-and-shingles/

With love, Erika

I have had shingles since I was in my 30's you mean to tell me there is a link with that and MS??? I thought I got bitten by a bug or something because I had just been out in the park so the next time I broke out my dr saw it and told me what it was after testing it.

I have not had a break out in maybe a year some times it will go by for years and not get one. I just use the cream and it heals fast. but I only had it inside one time where there was no breakout and just the pain and that herpes meds is very nasty and made me sick I couldn't wait to stop taking never mind the embarrassment you feel going to pick it up.

you should be fine it clears up in days with meds. I use zovirax and it works just fine for breakouts of course if you have pain and no breakout you have to take pills but I am not taking those pills unless there is no breakout. it stays in this one spot under my thigh and my dr told me that it travels up the nerve in the right side of your body.

I thought Tagamet is a stomach med? I took it years ago for that, but never thought of it for Shingles? I couldn't take valtrex, made me sick. I only had it once...once is enough.

True, Tagamet is more commonly used as an ulcer medication; but apparently it also works to put shingles into remission.
L-lysine has fewer side effects and is probably less expensive though.

Shingles; , causes, Tx, medication, doses etc
Discussion onTagamet/Cimetidine is about 1/3 of the page down.http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcls-...rtcl-123.shtml

With love, Erika