What is MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria that’s resistant to many different antibiotics. These bacteria naturally live in the nose and on the skin and generally don’t cause any harm. However, when they begin to multiply uncontrollably, a MRSA infection can occur. These infections typically occur when there’s a cut or break in your skin.
MRSA is very contagious and can be spread through direct contact with an infected person. It can also be contracted by coming into contact with an object or surface that an infected person has touched. Though a MRSA infection can be serious, it may be treated effectively with antibiotics.
Our Story
Being told your child has MRSA can be pretty scary. My son has been dealing with outbreaks off and on for over 8 years. He first had MRSA after a routine ear tube surgery. The O2 sensor they used on his finger was not clean and it caused him to have a MRSA infection in his finger. He had to have it drained at the hospital and was put on Bactrim (one of only a few antibiotics that will kill MRSA). Boils began to appear randomly in different places on his body usually after one would heal up, another would form. They always started as what looked like bug bites. They became painful and enlarged and usually needed to be squeezed for relief.
In the beginning, we used Bactrim (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole). It seemed to work quickly and his boils healed up. He ended up in the hospital again with an infection behind his ear. The bactrim wasn’t working so they put him on IV antibiotics. It took about 5 days to get it under control.
We followed the protocols for cleaning the house and clothing/towels as presented by the doctors. The clothes and towels were washed in bleach. We used bleach wipes all around the house. No towels were used more than once. We washed his body daily in Hibiclens – it really dried out his skin. The entire family was given a bactrim cream to use for 10 days in our noses. Since MRSA lives in the nose, it was thought that we could all be treated to help stop future infections in the household.
We had relief for a few years from any outbreaks. As my son reached pre-teen years, sports, sweat and poor hygiene gradually let the MRSA affect his body again. A few boils appeared and we knew right away what it was. He had one in particular that was on his arm and was not getting better with bactrim. After a trip to the hospital, they decided to try clindamycin (Cleocin). That seemed to help clear it up. In the mean time, we did deep research on alternatives to quickly heal MRSA.
Alternative Cures & Cleaning Tips
Added to regular daily vitamins:
Tumeric Root Extract (1 capsule – 1x day)
Colloidal Silver – oral liquid (5ml – 2x day)
Olive Leaf Complex – oral liquid (5ml – 2x day)
Mix to go onto MRSA wound to draw out infection, dry up and heal the wounds:
1/4 tsp – Bentonite Clay
1/4 tsp – Baking Soda
4 Olive Leaf Extract capsules broken open
1/4 tsp – Milk of Magnesia
Mix dry ingredients. Add Milk of Magnesia and mix. Spread over boils that are under the skin and/or open wounds. Let mixture dry on infected area.
This mixture has been a life saver for us. We successfully healed deep boils and open wounds infected with MRSA without antibiotics! Some of the spots were golf ball sized and within 2 days they were down to almost nothing. The open wounds took about 3 days to completely heal over and dry up. We could see a noticeable difference after the first application. We continued to put the mixture on the boils/wounds until they were completely healed as a precaution. The good news is that we did NOT need to use heavy antibiotics.
Showering:
We added Defense Soap for keeping skin ultra clean and free of MRSA. Defense Soap Bars and the Defense Soap Shower Gel are made with natural botanicals and natural essential oils. Defense Soap uses 1% of Tea Tree Oil and 1% of Eucalyptus Oil in every BJJ soap bar, shower gel, and body wipe!
Laundry Cleaning:
Washing all towels and clothing in full cycle of bleach and All-Free and Clear (hot water only) with two extra rinses. The follow with a full cycle with borax and All- Free and Clear (warm/cold water) with two extra rinses. We wipe up anything we touch after touching the MRSA infected clothing and towels with Seventh Generation Green wipes. The wipes kill MRSA after 15 minutes.
House Cleaning:
Daily wiping down of all surfaces – tables, chairs, counters, door handles, sinks… with Seventh Generation Disinfecting Wipes. The wipes kill MRSA after 15 minutes. They are much safer than bleach and a little easier on your skin. They do dry out your skin so we use moisturizer afterwards on our hands.
Active ingredient: thymol (present as a component of thyme oil). Other ingredients: Aqua (water), sodium lauryl sulfate (palm kernel or coconut-derived cleaning agent), copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone) (mineral derived water mineralizer), citric acid and sodium citrate (cornstarch derived water softeners), essential oil fragrance† (origanum vulgare (oregano) oil, cymbopogon nardus (citronella) oil, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass)) oil. Wipe substrate: polyester, rayon. †Citral is a component of these essential oils.