ANYONE TAKING BIOLOGICS- BEWARE OF MRSA

[Ihurt]

I know everyone has seen it on the TV and news and I don't mean to scare anyone but just to remind ANYONE taking Enbrel, Humira or Remicade and or methotrexate that you need to be very careful not to come into contact with any germ, but most of all MRSA.

MRSA is the "flesh eating" bacteria. It's very hard to fight and traditional antibiotics don't seem to be able to touch it. Those of us with impaired immune systems from the biologics would have a really rough time and most certainly need hospitalization if we got the infection.

I mention this because it's starting to hit home in my area of the Pocono Mountains of PA and other places of PA. It's mostly being spread in schools, and those of us on biologics know how hard it is to be a parent "living in a bubble" so to speak. My daughter comes home with everything and anything despite ritual handwashing.

Now today I find that in my daughter's school alone there have already been three cases of it. Those children affected INFECTED their families and the entire families were put on antibiotics. Luckily they got past the infection, however doctors are not really familiar with seeing it.

If it's a sore and pussy with a foul smell, GO RIGHT TO YOUR DOC. Don't take any chances with this, this disease has been known to be deadly without treatment.

I know my post sounds alarming, and I don't mean it to. Im simply worried about those of us on biologics....we are already behind the eightball when it comes to bacteria and virus's.

Im enclosing the article from the Pocono record today. There are also comments from people who got it, be sure to read them, (although you need to set up a user name to do it). There's one woman whose daughter is in a grade lower than mine, but my daughter probably came into contact with this kid in the same school.

Im sure there are other's in other newspapers around the country. Please everyone be careful.


http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pb.../NEWS/710200318

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/ar/MRSAPatientInfoSheet.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_healthcareFS.html

Elaine

[strmchaser]

Hi Elaine, I had this when I was 16, it was not fun. I was visiting in Ohio at the time with my Dad. I got it around my mouth and it spread very quickly to my ear. I tried to hide it from my Dad but when he saw it had spread to my ear he rushed me to the hospital. I was VERY sick with fever as well as the pain from the sores. I ended up taking massive antibiotics and missing the first 3 weeks of my Soph year. I'm on Enbrel now and I'm going to be very careful about washing my hands ect. It's a really nasty disease. Thanks for the update! Linda

[Ihurt]

I hope everyone reads this thread even if they don't respond, it's terribly important.

Yes please do be very careful! Im glad you came through it though...alot of people get it very badly. The death statistics with it are awfully high. I don't mean to scare anyone, but it's most important for those of us on meds!

[Resist]

MRSA is the "flesh eating" bacteria.Actually, MRSA is not the flesh eating bacteria, that would be necrotising fasciitis. However MRSA can help to cause it.

[pgerpup]

Hi Elaine!

A friend of mine is a hospital pharmacist. She and I were talking about this very subject last night. She said it is very serious and since I'm taking Enbrel I should avoid gyms and locker rooms. I don't currently belong to a gym, but I have in the past. She did think that anyone who is on a biologic should be very aware of this disease. She said they are working on meds to fight this bacteria, but there are only two right now that are effective. (She told me the names of them, but I can't remember them! Sorry!)

If you work in a school, gym, or hospital setting it is very important to be aware of this disease. Use anti-bacterial soaps and wash your hands for at least two minutes with hot water. She recommended using paper towels that can be thrown away instead of cloth. She also recommended using some bleach and hot water in your washing machine when you wash towels that were used in the gym locker room.

Thanks again Elaine! Good to be aware!
Fay

[MikeK]

A friend of mine is a hospital pharmacist. She and I were talking about this very subject last night.

She said they are working on meds to fight this bacteria, but there are only two right now that are effective. (She told me the names of them, but I can't remember them! Sorry!)

My 87 year old father had surgery on January 16, 2007. When his incision didn't heal, blood tests revealed that he had "a drug-resistant infection". (They never called it MRSA, but we strongly suspect that that's what it was.) We were told that he would have to say on meds for between 30 and 90 days, but that they were leaning towards 90 days "to be on the safe side". He was initially put on a med called Zyvox (http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/linezolid.htm). He couldn't tolerate the side effects (which were awful) so they were forced to put him on another antibiotic after less then two weeks. The other med (whose name I can't recall) also had terrible side effects, but he was able to tolerate them and he stayed on that med until the 90 day window had been reached.

My parents have been using the same pharmacist for years. She was visibly upset when she looked at the Rx. She had to order the med. (It was very expensive, so much so that none of the drug stores that she called had it in stock.)

As I mentioned, Zyvox is also very expensive. The co-pay for a 80 pills was over $3,000! :eek: (And that was after Meidcare part D and New Jersey's "Senior Gold" program picked up their share of the costs.) That's a small price to pay to lick this thing. If only the side effects weren't so bad.

Stay safe everyone. (Not just the biologic and MTX users.)

Mike

[theskinyouarein]

Elaine, thanks for starting this thread. Before the "official" scare, I was concerned with my son's skin and the risk of contracting diseases. Case it point, we had several family member's hospitalized and in rehab. I deliberately did not take my son to visit, though his siblings did. My rationale, too many germs, too many risks with psoriatic lesions that were, in some cases, open so to speak. Later, I must have been questioning myself as to the wisdom of these decisions and casually brought it up (after the fact) to the rheum. She AGREED! And, she has since said that his skin may have been why last winter was such a tough one for him (in terms of contracting this). Also, my brother and his family had MSRA last spring and we keep miles away...Now, with all the publicity and responses from the rheum, I KNOW I DID THE RIGHT THING.

As for the gym, I go and am careful to wash equipment and my hands well. I've had it in the back of my mind that I need to be vigilent. Your post reinforced it. In fact, I think I'll carry my own towel and just toss it in the wash when I get back!

Thanks for the info & reminders...

[deemah]

Actually, MRSA is not the flesh eating bacteria, that would be necrotising fasciitis. However MRSA can help to cause it.
That's right, MRSA is not the flesh eating bacteria. The flesh eating bacteria is caused by Streptococcus. MRSA is Staphylococcus. Two different bacteria.

[pgerpup]

He was initially put on a med called Zyvox (http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/linezolid.htm). He couldn't tolerate the side effects (which were awful) so they were forced to put him on another antibiotic after less then two weeks. The other med (whose name I can't recall) also had terrible side effects, but he was able to tolerate them and he stayed on that med until the 90 day window had been reached.
Mike


Hi Mike!

Zyvox! Yes, that is the most effective med against MRSA! When you said it I remembered that was one she said. I'll ask her again what the other medication was. She seemed to think if we are careful with hand washing and keeping anything that is used in a gym or hospital clean we shouldn't be at any more risk then usual. So, remember to keep your hands and gym clothes and towels clean. When your child brings home his/her gym clothes use some bleach in the hottest water you can use.

[MikeK]

Hi Fay,

Zyvox! Yes, that is the most effective med against MRSA! .Yep. That's what the doctor said. Unfortunately -- in addition to the very high co-pay -- it also has some pretty horrible potential side effects and my dad experienced them all -- including severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, taste alteration (he said that everything -- including water -- tasted terrible), consitipation, and a bad taste in his mouth. Towards, the end he stopped eating and we were terrified that he would have to be readmitted to the hospital so he could be fed intravenously and get IV antibiotics. Since his case of "drug-resistant infection" was picked up at the hospital, that was the last place that he wanted to be. Fortunately, he was able to tolerate the side effects of the second medication, but to say that it was a very long and very difficult couple of months would be an understatement!

There isn't much that a patient could do about hospital borne infections. (You just have to hope and pray that the hospital has good infection control procedures in place. I should add that this particular hospital is one of the better hospitals in our area.) However, people need to be extra vigilant about infection prevention in the situations that they can control.

Mike

[Ihurt]

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/10/hackettstown_college_confirms.html

Be carefull everyone.

[Ihurt]

Elaine, thanks for starting this thread. Before the "official" scare, I was concerned with my son's skin and the risk of contracting diseases. Case it point, we had several family member's hospitalized and in rehab. I deliberately did not take my son to visit, though his siblings did. My rationale, too many germs, too many risks with psoriatic lesions that were, in some cases, open so to speak. Later, I must have been questioning myself as to the wisdom of these decisions and casually brought it up (after the fact) to the rheum. She AGREED! And, she has since said that his skin may have been why last winter was such a tough one for him (in terms of contracting this). Also, my brother and his family had MSRA last spring and we keep miles away...Now, with all the publicity and responses from the rheum, I KNOW I DID THE RIGHT THING.

As for the gym, I go and am careful to wash equipment and my hands well. I've had it in the back of my mind that I need to be vigilent. Your post reinforced it. In fact, I think I'll carry my own towel and just toss it in the wash when I get back!

Thanks for the info & reminders...


Go with your gut always!

[Ihurt]

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/10/schools_reporting_more_staph_i.html

PLEASE Everyone, not just those on biologics, be careful!

[theskinyouarein]

Go with your gut always!

If there's one thing I've learned since becoming a mother...trusting my gut has always served my children well. It must be nature's way, because I can remember instances back in the days while in the neonatal ICU with them...

I am a firm believer of gut or instinct and try to help others listen to theirs.

Thanks for post. It's not always easy when those around you don't either a) understand your situation...in this case psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and biologics or b) don't believe the power of gut/instinct.

Have a nice day.