Staph/MRSA

[HAMortgage]

About 4 months ago i returned from Japan and brought with me a trifecta: A horrible sinus infection, and a MRSA staph & pseudomonus infection in my armpits.

I have dealt with HA almost all of my life, i am a 29 YO male. I had it under control once i had a colonoscopy in 2011 which definitively and forever put to rest my fears of chrons/IBD -- it was the first time, someone said, its with 100% certainty IBS.

Chronic anxiety of all this and my tumultuous life (tumultuous because of anxiety) caused pelvic floor dysfunction, which i have successfully retrained my body to not be as tense so I can no longer have the horrific pain associated with that disease (bladder pain, urinary difficulty, sexual difficulty, rectal pain)

All these things were easy to solve. I realized they were from anxiety and at that moment i began to heal as i knew i diddnt have anything serious and it was just my mind playing tricks on me.

However, back to my original point. I returned with these critters colonizing my body, and had recurring boils and skin infections for about 2-3 months. We started the fight with antibiotics, these worked temporarily, however, the infection always returned in my armpits.

After a course of antibiotics three months ago, i then developed C-Diff. It was like my worst nightmare realized. Here i was, fighting the now rational, irrational fears of the past. They have become real.

I have been in HELL ever since.  C diff is now gone and has been for over a month, but every bowel sound i worry, every BM I worry. I cant accept its gone and move on! I keep worrying.

I now compulsively check my armpits for boils -- none are there and have not been for weeks.

Every pink spot becomes my death sentence, every fart becomes my death sentence, every itch becomes my death sentence. and it has progressed to the point that i can no longer function normally in my life. I have become severely depressed and suicidal. I went to a shrink to help me and he prescribed Wellbutrin, im still waiting on those to work. I just dont know what to do anymore. Its all consuming hell that no one understands.

I tell myself... once this goes away, it will go away for good. But the anxiety just hops on over to something else, then i say the same thing... once i get over this ill be ok.. then the anxiety just hops onto something else.

What makes it worse is that the staph, and Cdiff WERE REAL, a REAL condition. not fake, so i just at the point i can no longer control my anxiety about the fear of the return of these diseases, and what that means for my future, etc. its horrible, how can i end this sufffering? what else is there?

[LindaRK]

I had re-occurring MRSA for several months about 3 years ago.  It was horrific, to say the least, but I got through it.  To be honest with you, 3 years later, I still cringe if I see something resembling a pimple, thinking, oh my gosh, it's back!!!  Personally, I think that would be a pretty normal reaction for someone who doesn't even have anxiety.  MRSA is not something to take lightly.

As for your C-DIFF - my mom had this.  Contracted it at an assisted living facility.  She was on all sorts of stuff for it, but eventually, after many intrusive tests, we found Entocort worked beautifully.  Unfortunately, she developed some problems with her colon from the C-DIFF, but the Entocort has taken care of that.  She will be 92 end of this month and she's been in the clear for well over 2 years, thank goodness.

There is a fine line between normal thinking and having your anxiety jump in over this.  Because I've experienced it, I think it's really important to get some therapy - perhaps CBT, so that you can get your negative and distorted thoughts in order.  Develop a new thought pattern over all of what you've experienced.

Did you know that over 80% of people have MRSA in their nasal sinuses?  It's more common than you think.  The sad part is how the internet makes it out to be "untreatable" and a death sentence, when it isn't.  It's highly treatable with antibiotics - pill or IV form.

[bertybotts]

May I ask how you got MRSA from Japan? That sounds dreadful.
Try to keep things in perspective. You are fine -- youve survived so much!!!