I know you’re out there… Mamas frantically trying to win the MRSA battle. Round after round of antibiotics to treat skin infections like pustules, boils and abscesses never seems to make a bit of difference. At first, you thought you kept having bad luck with exposure, but by now, you’re wondering if it’s a cycle of madness. Perhaps the pediatrician is even talking about “decolonization” with treatments like Rifampin and Bactroban since Clyndamycin, Cipro, and Bactrim are no longer working. As though it ever was actually going to work anyway.
The Basics
MRSA infections will take root in tiny little cuts, scrapes and bug bites. They are the result of a culture that over used and abused antibiotics. As antibiotics kill the bacteria on our bodies, our bodies are left with “vacant land” where new bacteria can move in. Chances are good that that bacteria will be the bacteria that is already in our houses. Chances are just as good that it’s going to be the same bacteria we just had. Chances are also good that it’s now become stronger and resistant to medicines that we previously used, because that’s what bacteria does. It adapts. Like the Borg.
My Experience
I’m not a doctor, but I have been a patient and so was my child. I’ve been given a prescription for Rifampin. I didn’t use it. It was years ago now, but the madness had to end. I couldn’t keep going on like that. Each time, the hospital told me they had the answer, and each time, they didn’t. I was told that if I didn’t use their aggressive treatments, I was risking my life. I read the side effects of the Rifampin prescribing info, and it was clear, I would be risking my life if I took their medication too. They had their chance to heal me. They had their several chances, and they failed.
But deep in the online MRSA battling community, I read about Manuka Honey.
I’m not one to just follow hippie protocol. So, I looked for research and the science of it seemed to back up the hippie theories. When our last round of MRSA was upon us, I was scared to go it alone, and not call the doctor, I will admit. I held fast in my new knowledge that Manuka Honey could treat my infection and I am so thankful I did.
Not only did the Manuka Honey work substantially faster than any antibiotic ever did, I was left with no scarring. It was an enormous infection, about two inches wide by three inches long, but it went away with Manuka Honey. More than that though, the infection never came back. With antibiotics, I learned to expect a new infection about 4-6 weeks after the last one, but with Manuka Honey, it simply never returned. Perhaps a few tiny ingrown hairs would have ended up growing into MRSA infections in the months that followed, but I always dabbed them with Manuka Honey and they never turned into anything.
The Proof
There is nearly endless evidence that supports Manuka Honey’s ability to kill bacteria like a boss. Here are some of my favorites:
Discussion of the antibacterial constituents of Manuka Honey.
The Wound Healing Research Unit at University of Wales College of Medicine discussed successfully using honey as a complimentary therapy in an aggressive infected ulcer on an immunosuppressed patient in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment.
But by far, my personal favorite thing about Manuka Honey, given my own personal experiences, is how Manuka Honey apparently REVERSES bacteria’s resistance to certain antibiotics. See, lookie here. That’s only one article, but there’s plenty more on that topic that you can easily find using Google Scholar.
It is possible to end the MRSA cycle of madness… and Rifampin and Bactroban don’t have to be a part of it.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be used as medical advice. This is not a substitute for professional medical advice or care. It is intended to be used as a tool for open discussion with your medical professional.
I’d like to briefly tell my own story of MRSA and the amazing power of Manuka Honey:
At just 37 my husband went to the doctor with a boil on his back and was diagnosed with MRSA. Just 2 rounds of antibiotics later, the thing was HUGE – almost 2 inches across RIGHT smack dab in the middle of his back in a spot he would never be able to reach (between shoulders but too low to get to himself). He was told by the doctor who proscribed the second round (and finally took a culture) that he would have reoccurring infections for the rest of his life – basically he was told to expect to NEVER get over this infection completely.
To make things worse we noticed a very negative side effect — not only was he in a lot of pain, his immune system was obviously not working as well as before. He was more tired than normal (my husband is a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do – and instructor in it still, and a personal trainer. He’s Mister Energy!), he was catching everything (and if anyone is going to catch something it usually is ME and I wasn’t catching this stuff!). We knew we couldn’t live like this, we had to DO something. Needless to say, my faith in Western Medicine was shaken.
Fortunately, I had met Dawn through the web universe in some way or another and asked her if she had any suggestions. Woah boy, did she. When we ordered the Manuka Honey I was skeptical – antibiotics can’t kill this thing, but HONEY can? Yet almost immediately we started noticing a difference. Within just a week the sore that was STILL there was gone. We did a number of things to boost my husband’s immune system, we changed our diets (got rid of artificial sugars for one), changed our household products (if it has alcohol as an ingredient it is GONE), and we apply Manuka Honey to EVERYTHING that even LOOKS like an open wound (cuts/scratches/pimples/ingrown hairs ANYTHING).
Are we still afraid of MRSA? Nope! It is GONE GONE GONE. And even if it came back tomorrow, I never NEVER -NEVER- run out of Manuka Honey – at the half-way point we order more. We use this stuff all the time for so many things now. I can’t say enough good about it.
Of course, this is just MY experience, read some of the research. You will be blown away. Thanks Dawn!!! You are my hero <3
I’m so glad we met each other through the magical web G. Was it from here or a different parenting group or what? I can’t even remember.
And I do remember how scared you were… and how you were scared to trust the honey, but I completely understood. Been there. MRSA used to be so scary. So shameful and so scary.
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