Meth use linked to 'superbug' skin infections

Link: ajc.com.

    Lab analysis showed two-thirds of the patients with skin problems were infected with CA-MRSA. Ten percent of them admitted to being regular users of meth — but only 2 percent of those who had no skin infections said they used the drug. The finding came as a surprise, Cohen said, because the skin lesions in the patients who had used meth were not limited to parts of the body where they might have injected the drug. But most of the meth users did not inject the drug, according to what they told investigators; they smoked or inhaled it. Instead, Cohen said, the bug was probably spread by skin-to-skin contact during sex while the users were high, and also by intense scratching — meth users' response to a side effect of the drug, called formication, that makes them feel as though ants are crawling over their skin. Scratching breaks the skin surface and can introduce infection. With the spread of MRSA among meth users, investigators said they are concerned that it is likely to move quickly into the community at large. "Part of the reason we feel this is important is it can impact other family members and the larger community, and will spread to community members who don't use meth," Cohen said.

Comments

[Kiki]

I was a child care provider for TWO years for 2 young children whose MOTHER IS ADDICTED TO METH!! We were told by doctors, all kinds of things...... THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW even after several hospitalizations of the little boy. This little boy FINALLY, after the DOCTOR was PRESSURED; was sent to Indianapolis (which is the next biggest city around & one that has an INFECTIOUS DISEASE specialist.)

By the time he was FINALLY DIAGNOSED, the poor little boy had gone through about 20 infections in a span of approximately a 2 year period.

NOBODY told us anything!! And because of this..... I now have MRSA. As, at the very least; I COULD HAVE taken MORE precautions!! MRSA & other issues, related to the MRSA; forced me to leave my job. Such issues were: I was led to believe that it was no big deal!! Then, all of the sudden; I became ill with MRSA.

My first battle with MRSA was spent in the hospital. The ONLY THING that was GOOD about it is that the doctor began TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY, considering I had been exposed to it. It was horrible!! Painful.

I have now been battling MRSA for about 14 months!! This last break out is 500% more painful than any other I've experienced. However, it seems to have cleared up faster once I started the oral antibiotics, bleach baths, & moisturizing my skin. However, it is STILL oozing. In a 3 day period, I know that I took at least 30 vicodin..... every time I COULD TAKE IT!! And a couple of times, the pain was so severe; I took an extra couple...... and I'm not one to take medication like that!! In fact, I HATE taking ANY MEDICATION!!!! I just couldn't stand the pain anymore.

In the 10 breakouts that I've had..... this one definately IS THE MOST PAINFUL & dibilitating!! I don't feel like even getting out of bed more than 10-15 minutes at a time. And, I only feel like eating sherbert or 7-up.

[Krista Terry]

My friend is addicted to methamphetamine, along with a number of other drugs. Anyway, her two sons live at my house, because they were placed in my mother's care by DFACS. Now, she called yesterday because she wanted to complain to my mother about how she had a big sore or cist or something on the side of her face, and to drone on and on about how it hurt really bad..... WAAH!! I mean, the first thing that came to mind when I heard about it, was that it was just a regular meth sore. Seriously, come on, how more obvious could it be. So, I just soaked it all in, happy that there was a chance that if she went to the doctor, then the doctor could possibly recognize the sore for what it really was, and she would be busted at last. Well, she called back that night to inform my mother, that after a visit at the emergency room, some of the puss from her sore had been taken for testing for the staph infection MRSA. So, the doctor thinks it's staph. Hmmmm...... this website along with many others seem to point at meth, drug use, etc. as a possible cause for staph. They also mention that you can contract it through skin contact. NO COMMENT. Anyway, I just wanted to say this, if I find out that her staph test is positive, I just want everyone reading this to know that what's on this website is most likely true, so pay attention to what it says.

[Jiffy Jeff]

I use meth............I got Boils on my underarm, and belive if i didnt use heavily in the past weeks they wouldnt be there. Reason being My parents also used meth for quite some time before i was even born up until i was about 17 and my mother agrees that they are staph and wouldnt be there if i didnt use meth. Seing as how Im am not having my GF Lick my underarm or touch me there it cant be skin to skin, and must of been ingested by myself From Another User whom i was smoking the same pipe with. This goes to show DONT SMOKE, Snort, OR INJECT METH !!!! it is a nasty fucking drug. and NO i do not stratch myself abruptly enough for the skin to be broken.

[tiff]

I first got staph when I was using meth.. and it was horrible..once the infection is in your body the smallest ingrown hair or zit or scratch can turn into a huge gross hole on your body. the bad thing is this infection is growing and getting a lot stronger.. it takes the strongest antibiotics out there to cure it and even then. once you get it. it stays with you even if you don't have a visible sore. I've been sober for a year now and I just got a bad bump on my arm out of nowhere!!! it sucks. I wish I had never done meth .. even though I'm clean now I'm still dealing with the side effects!