Thank you for the prompt response. I'm kind of hesitant to use TAO since I'm already taking oral antibiotics (doxycycline hyclate) to combat the infection. I'm unsure as to what the things on my jawline are (please see my recent blog), but I'm really scared of the infection. I will try to use hydrogen peroxide first (diluted of course) and switch it up if I don't see any significant changes.

Have you tried testing hydrogen peroxide for its effect on MRSA??

Totally understandable  

I've tried diluted hydrogen peroxide for my ears, and it was somewhat helpful at lowering Staph concentrations. Do you have rubbing alcohol around? Try dipping cotton swabs in rubbing alcohol then rubbing it inside your nostrils. You can use a paper towel for your ears. Rubbing alcohol has worked phenomenally well for me when I put it in my ears.

Also, MRSA is a multi-antibiotic resistant strain of S. aureus. All MRSA is Staph, but not all Staph is MRSA. 

I am 13 and I have pretty light acne, can I still get it? My skin is clear at times and then it breakouts. Are their any other symptoms you could tell me that may indicate I have it? How do you even get it in the first place? I don't think I have it but....

Thanks, so that fingers length for nose, and same for ear? Or is that total amount used for everywhere?

also, how do you know it wasn't the effects of the BP that cured your acne? I believe k read that you were also using that. Sorry for all the questions. I appreciate the replies.

thanks,
elliot Nicholls.

The amount is for each area.

I have used BP to treat my acne for over a decade now. It absolutely helps, but it didn't cure my acne. Plus, I would break out if I skipped a day of BP. I can now skip days without getting pimples.

If I'm currently taking an antiobiotic like minocycline, would that prevent the "healthy" bacteria from growing in my nose once the staph is eliminated? Would I just get MRSA?

On 11/20/2015, 639, RickeyDog11 said:

If I'm currently taking an antiobiotic like minocycline, would that prevent the "healthy" bacteria from growing in my nose once the staph is eliminated? Would I just get MRSA?

Minocycline wouldn't cause MRSA.

It could stop "healthy"nose bacteria from growing and it's likely that it is simultaneously acting on Staph and other members of your nose bacteria.

I read about this on the Reddit threadand decided to try it. My story: I'm middle aged and had very clear skin as a teenager and young adult, but have struggled with cystic acne, mainly in the chin and forehead area, since my mid 30s. It's also cropped up on my neck overthe last year andI've had painful breakouts in my ears and a chronic skin split inside of my left nostril. I've brought this to the attention of several dermatologists, but not one suggested testing me for staph. It's been incredibly difficult emotionally to go through menopause and struggle with "teen age" acne at the same time, but now I suddenly find my skin to be almost completely clear, thanks to applying TAO twice a day toboth my nose and ears. Hooray!!!

I'm relatively certain that I was colonized with the bacteria while working as a nurse. I've suctioned countless foul smelling tracheas and done dressing changes to wounds that were heavily infected. Despite diligent hand washing and other precautions, it's unlikely that numerous bugs didn't hitch a ride on my skin. As for spread from nose to face, I've been a runner for over 40 years and always sweat heavily when working out, so carry a bandanathat I use to periodically wipe my nose, face, and neck... My nose is always a little drippy (mainly sweat) when I run, and I've obviously been moving whatever lives in it around my face. This all makes total sense now, and I have high hopes that the primary thing I'll watch grow on my face from this point forward is wrinkles -- mainly from smiling 🙂

Thank you so much for taking the time to help others -- clear skin makes life infinitely better!

9 hours ago, nashvillechick said:

I read about this on the Reddit thread and decided to try it.  My story: I'm middle aged and had very clear skin as a teenager and young adult, but have struggled with cystic acne, mainly in the chin and forehead area, since my mid 30s.  It's also cropped up on my neck over the last year and I've had painful breakouts in my ears and a chronic skin split inside of my left nostril.   I've brought this to the attention of several dermatologists, but not one suggested testing me for staph.  It's been incredibly difficult emotionally to go through menopause and struggle with "teen age" acne at the same time, but now I suddenly find my skin to be almost completely clear, thanks to applying TAO twice a day to both my nose and ears.  Hooray!!!  

I'm relatively certain that I was colonized with the bacteria while working as a nurse.  I've suctioned countless foul smelling tracheas and done dressing changes to wounds that were heavily infected.  Despite diligent hand washing and other precautions, it's unlikely that numerous bugs didn't hitch a ride on my skin.  As for spread around my body, I've been a runner for over 40 years and always sweat heavily when working out, so carry a bandana that I use to periodically wipe my nose, face, and neck...  My nose is always a little drippy (mainly sweat) when I run, and I've obviously been moving whatever lives in it around my face.  This all makes total sense now, and I have high hopes that the primary thing I'll watch grow on my face from this point forward is wrinkles -- mainly from smiling 🙂   

Thank you so much for taking the time to help others -- clear skin makes life infinitely better!       

I think you've hit the nail on the head on where you believe you picked up that bacteria. Based on  casual observances of my students' Staph plates, people who work in a hospital setting or who have been hospitalized by a skin infection were more likely to be heavy Staph carriers in their nose or ears.

I share your optimism that your acne will be a thing of the past  Best wishes and congratulations!

On 11/24/2015, 437, healthyalmonds said:

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head on where you believe you picked up that bacteria. Based on  casual observances of my students' Staph plates, people who work in a hospital setting or who have been hospitalized by a skin infection were more likely to be heavy Staph carriers in their nose or ears.

 

I share your optimism that your acne will be a thing of the past  Best wishes and congratulations!

 

 

Hi HealthyAlmonds, dropping in on this thread after reading and following for a while. Found it incredibly interesting and enlightening, as this is something I™ve battled with for years; namely, persistent, weekly - sometimes multiple a week - spots in my nose that, no matter what I did, would flare up and cause my nose to be painful and slightly swollen from the inside out.

I remember this began a few years ago and I never thought anything of it, but it was a bit of a nuisance. About two years in, I actually developed a few recurrent boils on my face, which was particularly stressful and painful. I was prescribed antibiotics, hibiwash and mupirocin nasal gel. This, thank god, managed to clear everything up and I haven™t had another boil since. I deem Hibiwash to be a life saviour in all of this.

HOWEVER, after about a month of stopping the nasal gel, the nasal spots/sores/constant flare ups returned and though they are largely invisible, I can feel them and they are a real pain to have. I stumbled across your thread and was intrigued. As I am a UK resident, I managed to acquire some of the TAO gel off ebay and am applying it for the first time today in both my nose and ears as you have described. I had a few questions I was wondering if you could help with:

1) How long do I need to apply for to make sure this never comes back and stays away? I™m happy to do a month. Is there a risk of developing resistance?

2) How likely is it that the spots will go away and then after ceasing TAO use, they will return as normal?

3) I™m washing with Hibiwash, have replaced my beard trimmer, cleaned by bedsheets and pillow cases. On top of this, is there anything else I need to do to make sure it doesn™t come back?

4) My skin is, fingers crossed, relatively clear and it is purely my nose which suffers which is an isolated thing. What™s the likelihood of it coming back after a months use and am I okay to keep using TAO after that? 

Basically I just want to make sure I banish this problem once and for all as I™ve dealt with it for so long. Any tips/ideas are appreciated.

It should also be noted that after only 2 days of TAO (similar to when I used mupirocin a year and a half back) it is already feeling better. Amazing really¦

Any help is greatly appreciated and thank god I stumbled on this thread...

1. I couldn't say with certainty how long it would take to fully get rid of nasal Staph. The first time I got rid of it it took 20 days or so. The second time I got rid of it it took multiple months. Regular nasal maintenance should at least keep the population down. Resistance is unlikely due to the simultaneous activity of 3 antibiotics.

2. I couldn't say how long for the spots to go away. They could returnif the Staph population gets high again.

3. What you've done looks good. If anything, be conscious of putting your fingers in your nose and ears. You cantry trimming your nose hairs to reduce the surface area for Staph to attach to.Also, if you wear earbuds it wouldn't hurt to wash them.

4. If the Staph population isn't killed during that first month and you cease use, you can get those spots again if the population gets too high. If you fully get rid of it from your nose it is still possible to get the bacteria again if you touch something that has Staph on it and then touch your nose. You can scale back the frequency of TAO use after the first month. Say every other day.

Best wishes and awesome that your nose is already feeling better 🙂

Hi Almonds,

Thanks for your reply! I've continued to use the TAO and am still clear. I'd also had frequent breakouts in my ears (where I've rammed a stethoscope many thousands of times), so am applying TAO there too with the same great results. I'm sort of giddy with relief that I might have found a solution to a problem that's plagued me for so long. I'll keep doing it for a couple more weeks, then cross my fingers and quit. What a crappy gift I received (bacteria) for all the good nursing care I've provided over the years... Thankfully, a really good diet and lots of exercise has allowed my skin to heal with minimal scarring, so there's still hope that I'll grow old without acne or signs that it once existed.

You're my complexion hero 🙂

I have this same issue! I've been a long time carrier of staph, but I never knew it could cause issues with "acne." Actually, I think for me it didn't cause issues until my allergies started getting really bad. This past year I've had a constantly runny nose and I've also been getting lots of white heads which I don't usually get. My derm did a culture and found staph (even though I have been treated for it before). I've been prescribe mupirocin and I used it consistently for 2 weeks like prescribed, but after I stop I can slowly tell the staph is returning. Sometimes the staph even goes beyond my face and shows up on other parts of my body. Not sure what to do. Do you guys think I should try the TAO instead, or am I just not giving the mupirocin enough time?

7 minutes ago, paigems said:

I have this same issue! I've been a long time carrier of staph, but I never knew it could cause issues with "acne." Actually, I think for me it didn't cause issues until my allergies started getting really bad. This past year I've had a constantly runny nose and I've also been getting lots of white heads which I don't usually get. My derm did a culture and found staph (even though I have been treated for it before). I've been prescribe mupirocin and I used it consistently for 2 weeks like prescribed, but after I stop I can slowly tell the staph is returning. Sometimes the staph even goes beyond my face and shows up on other parts of my body. Not sure what to do. Do you guys think I should try the TAO instead, or am I just not giving the mupirocin enough time?

My suspicion is that 2 weeks didn't kill it all off, but I've recently read what I could find about this topic and my conclusion is that TAO I can beat least as effective, if not more so, than mupirocin. Unless you've got an allergy to it, it won't hurt to try TAO for 20 or 30 days. Might be good to do ears toojust in case you're harboring some staph there. That said, Almonds is the boss of this thread 🙂 , so I'd wait for his reply. I've wondered whether I'll have a recurrence, orif once it's goneit won't come back unless I pick it up again in the environment. Time will tell...

As for other places on your body, I'd had some breakouts on my chest and back, but none since treating my nose and ears. Seems that the nose and ears were the epicenter of the infection, but since that's being treated, my immune system can manage the rest.

On 11/29/2015, 155, paigems said:

I have this same issue! I've been a long time carrier of staph, but I never knew it could cause issues with "acne." Actually, I think for me it didn't cause issues until my allergies started getting really bad. This past year I've had a constantly runny nose and I've also been getting lots of white heads which I don't usually get. My derm did a culture and found staph (even though I have been treated for it before). I've been prescribe mupirocin and I used it consistently for 2 weeks like prescribed, but after I stop I can slowly tell the staph is returning. Sometimes the staph even goes beyond my face and shows up on other parts of my body. Not sure what to do. Do you guys think I should try the TAO instead, or am I just not giving the mupirocin enough time?

Nashvillechick has some pretty good suggestions to follow

On 11/29/2015, 206, nashvillechick said:

My suspicion is that 2 weeks didn't kill it all off, but I've recently read what I could find about this topic and my conclusion is that TAO I can be at least as effective, if not more so, than mupirocin.  Unless you've got an allergy to it, it won't hurt to try TAO for 20 or 30 days.  Might be good to do ears too just in case you're harboring some staph there.  That said, Almonds is the boss of this thread 🙂 , so I'd wait for his reply.  I've wondered whether I'll have a recurrence, or if once it's gone it won't come back unless I pick it up again in the environment.  Time will tell...    

As for other places on your body, I'd had some breakouts on my chest and back, but none since treating my nose and ears.  Seems that the nose and ears were the epicenter of the infection, but since that's being treated, my immune system can manage the rest.    

 

The second time I contracted Staph, Neosporin wasn't enough to fully get rid of it from my ear. I believe that strain of Staph was doing a really good job at adhering to my skin and hairs. Wiping my ears with rubbing alcohol seemed to be the difference maker for me.

 If you breakout after stopping TAO use, rubbing alcohol should help. 

Hi healthyalmonds

I have read with interest your posts along with all of the other replies. This is really interesting.

I would like to share my story:

I live in the UK. In Nov 2014, I suddenly developed around 3 to 4 painful boils on my buttocks and thighs. I was given a 7 day course of oral antibiotics which resolved the boils. I was then due to go on holiday to India which I did. Few days after landing, the boils re-appeared. I found a dermotologist doctor who prescribed me 10 days worth of powerful antibiotics known as Linezolid (trade name: Zyvox). I completed the course and all the boils disappeared. He said I had Staph just from visual inspection. It is now just over 1 year since I took the antibiotics and the painful boils have not appeared since which is a great relief. I was also prescribed a small tube ofmupirocin. However, I still get tiny boils on my buttocks (mildly painful, but not as bad as before) and on my nose. I had many side effects after taking the antibiotics: I had 12 colds (1 every month last year), I started to get itchy red rashes on my wrists (it's hives according to the dermotologist in the UK), the rash was mainly occuring behind my watch strap on my left wrist and in warm weather.

I had a nasal swab done 6 months ago to check for Staph - the results came back negative. However, I am still getting the occasional pus filled boils on my nose and buttocks. I have redness (non itchy) on both of my outer ear lobes and under the tip of my nose. I am told this is dermatitis? I have had many blood tests done, all have come back ok.

My 2 year old son has started to get red sores on his nose every now and then and he has tiny non pus filled folliculitis on his body.

My wife also gets tiny folliculitis on her nose sometimes.

I am thinking of ordering the TAO from USA via eBay to try your method - first on me, then on my son and wife. I read the TAO should not be used near mucus membranes. Is this true? As if I were to apply the cream in my nose it would go near mucus membranes right?

Is this ok to try on my son or should I get his nose swabbed first?

I would be very interested to receive your feedback on my post. Look forward to hearing from you.

Based on your symptoms, it definitely can be Staph. It can easily be transferred from the nose/ear to the fingers and other parts of the body. The bacteria is highly contagious, so it's possible that antibiotics get rid of them and it comes back because a family member is a carrier. 

Mupirocin is an effective antibiotic against Staph, have you put them on your boils to reduce inflammation? Also, Mupirocin is safe to apply into the nasal passages.

TAO is safe for nasal application. The first inch or so in your nostrils is actually the same type of skin that's on the rest of your body. Once you get further back, that's when you reach the mucus membrane. TAO may have limited effectiveness in the mucus membrane. Also, make sure the TAO is an ointment and not a cream. Neosporin sells both but the cream is less likely to be concentrated enough for use in the nose. Use should be safe for your son, but it may be best to get him swabbed and ask the doctor because some people report allergies to the ingredients.

Best wishes and hopefully soon your folliculitis streak is nearing an end  I look forward to reading your success story!

Hi healthyalmonds - many thanks for your reply. I have since purchased 3 tubes of TAO on eBay. I am currently on day 7 of my treatment.I have been applying the TAO inside my nose 1-2 times per day. My family members have also been applying the TAO around once per day. Within the first few days of application, I had an outbreak of folliculitis - it appeared on top of my nose and then disappeared again after a day. I have also noticed I am getting daily mild headaches since using the TAO. Once or twice I have had dizzy sensations. Strange dreams also! Do you think these minor side effects are part of the Staph die off process or could it be an allergy to the TAO? Did you or anyone you know experience similar things?

Hopefully that nose breakout will be your last  

I couldn't honestly say if your minor headaches and dizzy spells are a result of the TAO treatment. I haven't talked about those symptoms with anyone but it is definitely interesting! It's my understanding, however, that a topical antibiotic allergy typically manifests as contact dermatitis. 

Can staph cause blackheads in addition to cysts? I never had blackheads until i met my bF (who has blackheads and occassional cysts). A few months after we met I was on bactrim for bladder infection. During this time I got my first blackheads ever. I noticed when we were apart for weeks or months they went away but then after we were together for a few years they have not only stayed permanently but have spread.

Since then every time I've taken an antibiotic they have spread to other parts of my body and even scalp. They spread in areas right next to infected areas.
Seems like every pore on my face is now infected.

I dont mind the occassional cyst ...its the blackheads that really get me down because they leave small scars whereas the cysts do not.

I do notice that my blackhead infection gets out of control when I consume oils high in oleic acid. I have read that some fungus use oleic acid to proliferate. Also I have read how olive oil is used to create comedones (blackheads) in rabbits ears to test acne medications. Consuming high linoleic oils help a bit but not much.

Any ideas or comments? thanks so much

also meant to add..
I get blackheads in my nose..is this normal?

maybe another clue..
no one in my family has or ever had blackheads..everyone in his family has blackheads. His grandparent told him it runs in the family.

@freedom Staph should be capable of causing blackheads. I believe the severity of the acne is dependent on the starting concentration of Staph that have reached the hair follicle. Deep cysts are associated with higher concentrations of Staph, whereas a smaller starting inoculation is associated with milder acne. Though I'm sure that varies with each individual.

If the blackheads predominate around your nose, that may be where your Staph originates. It's also possible that your boyfriend transfers Staph from his nose to your nose when you kiss. If blackheads run in your boyfriend's family, it's possible that he and they are carriers. My whole family carried Staph in their nose and ears, and I believe I got it from them when I was really young just by living with them and touching the same things.

I can't speak for fungal acne or how diet impacts blackheads as it isn't something I'm familiar with.

Best wishes on treating your acne. If it's caused by S. aureus, I am optimistic that TAO to the ears and nostrils will help

Thank you very much for your response healthyalmonds. I notice under your name a list of conditions that staph can cause; Im curious if you were cured of any other health issues in addition to acne? Met anyone who cured other issues with the ear and nose treatment?

how about topical monolaurin?..(also known as...Glyceryl Laurate)
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0040350

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0040350

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20021093

Healthyalmonds..does the neomycin cause initial break out? Its been three days since applying and I've got five pimples in or around my ear. (some behind my ear..I've have had cysts behind my ear before so I put cream there also)

Does staph cause cystic type acne? My acne doesnt look like the pics online of acne caused by staph.

Thanks