MRSA and Remicade?

Well just had a wonderful experience--sinus surgery! If they didn't get it right this time, they won't get another chance, believe me!  Not fun.

I've never had this problem but its probably not a good idea to be taking remicade while fighting MRSA. Remicade decreases your ability to fight infections and its probably making it that much harder for your body to fight the MRSA.

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Sam
20 year old college student diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 16
Remission since January/April 2006
400mg Asacol 2x, 10mg Elavil, 75mg Effexor XR for GAD
"If you don't like something change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude"
Maya Angelou

Call your GI as soon as you can and fill them in. My GI won't let me have remicade even if I have a cold.

Hope you feel better soon!

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Kelly, 30, suburbs of Chicago, IL

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, no more pred after two years!!!! Off imuran as remicade is working!
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran 8mg every six hours for nausea
Remicade started 3/1/08...just had 4th infusion

Right, if you have an infection you shouldn't receive Remicade. Contact your GI to discuss other options. It can take a while for MRSA to clear up, so you may need a plan B for a while.

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Thanx for the replies--I'd pretty much figured I'd have to delay remicade for a while.  I'll be on the phone to the GI doc as soon as they open.

So you had no symptoms of MRSA, they just found it in your nose?

MRSA freaks me out because I work in a surgery department where we were getting at least one MRSA patient a week for awhile, and since I'm the secretary, I also get all the paperwork that comes out of the room that people touched after coming in contact with MRSA patients... I've been on immune suppressants since starting here last year and now I'm on Remicade so I always wonder if I should worry about the risk.

When you look up MRSA and they talk about symptoms, it seems so dramatic- boils or pimples that pop and turn into ulcer like wounds... I've had 5 "bug bite/pimple" looking thigns on my legs that took weeks to heal and left purple scars, and I always think "What if this is MRSA?" but it never turns into anything bad looking.

Has anyone here had MRSA that didn't present with extreme symptoms?

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Female, 23, Ulcerative colitis (pancolitis) since 1999; GERD; gastritis; osteopenia in femur head & lumbar spine from long term prednisone use...

Current Meds:
Lexapro 10mg
First Remicade infusion 2/5/09

I haven't had it, but MRSA, like all staph bacteria, can colonize in some people without causing any symptoms. Typically, these people are healthy and may in fact never become sick, but they are a major source of infection for others. That's why it is so important to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands and keep them away from your face.

If you're worried, your doctor can easily take a nasal culture to check for MRSA colonization.

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Yep--I had no symptoms--it was just routine for them to take a culture during the sinus surgery.  I do MRI scans in a hospital, and I have been exposed to patients with MRSA.  Take all the precautions I can, of course, but evidently I became a carrier with no symptoms.

Also, last year when my husband developed non-Hodgkins lymphoma, he ended up with an MRSA, too.

Have an appt with GI doc in a couple of days to discuss options.  Guess I have more than one reason to be glad I had the surgery!

Michigoose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigoose

Prima. Reuteri. L Glutamine, and iron supplement
Started Remicade infusions 11/06/08

I had a few angry "pimples" along my panty line and in my armpit, suspected it was MRSA and it was. They were not bad, though. It seems it didn't go away completely with the antibiotic, because it is back.

I can't remember what I took before but my family doc gave me Rx for tetracycline this time. That's not going to work!... I'm thinking, so I haven't taken it yet. No use in causing a flare if it's not even going to work. I need to go back to the derm doc.

Michigoose, what were you given?
Be sure to load up on probiotics!!

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49 year old female attorney, diagnosed UC/pancolitis 1985, no surgery but much suffering.

Hi Peety--

I was given Bactrim and gentimyecin--a six week course.

 

It's very important to get the right antibiotic to kill your particular MRSA.  My ENT doc cultured the infection and then they tried various meds on it to see which one  would work with this particular strain. 

I feel like a Typhoid Mary right now.  Have an appt with the eye doc today and will be sure to tell them about it. 

Michigoose

Prima. Reuteri. L Glutamine, and iron supplement
Started Remicade infusions 11/06/08

Yikes Peety, I would have just dismissed that as razor burn.

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27 Year old married female law student (last year!!). Diagnosed w/ CD 4 years ago, IBS for over 10 years before that, which was probably the CD. I am sort of lactose intollerant too but can handle anything cultured and do well w/ lactose pills and lactaid. For crohns I am currently on Pentasa 4 pills/4x day and hysociamine prn. I also have bad acid reflux and have been on PPI's since age 13. I have been through prilosec, prevacid, and nexium. Currently I am on Protonix in the morning and Zantac at night. I also take a birth control pill to allow some fun in my life.

Me too! This post has totally freaked me out, now I'm wondering if I'm sort of weird MRSA carrier. Although I suppose if I was, I'd have gotten pretty ill after Remicade infusions, no? Great! Another thing to worry about before my next infusion!

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diagnosed with UC '02

They were along my pantyline on my butt, if that makes you less concerned...so no razor burn.
And when I say "angry" I mean there were two that had absessed. I also had a couple in my pit at the same time, and knew that could indicate MRSA. And some old things I thought were spider bites were probably MRSA, the doc said.

An update: the MRSA culture came back as Negative, yay! It's apparently just kind of cysts with a long name this time, my doc says, the tetracyline will get rid of them.

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49 year old female attorney, diagnosed UC/pancolitis 1985, no surgery but much suffering.

I would agree, Remicade and MRSA dont mix. Sounds like a good idea to talk to your GI about waiting for a while.

As for having MRSA. I have not had it but my husband came home from Nicaragua with it last year. He had a few boils and was treated with two different antibiotics. We have not had it return in over a year so I think we are in the clear. Part of the reason for our success was that I was anal about cleaning the house with bleach (including light swithches, phones, anything that we touch regularly), not sharing sheets/towels etc until he had healed, hand washing and keeping his wounds covered....I mean really anal. Mrsa is scary but it is easily beaten if you are very careful.

jo