Drugs Used to Treat Mrsa

Staphylococcus aureus lives naturally in and on the body, usually without harming you. Occasionally, staph gets into the body through breaks in the skin. Staph infections can occur anywhere in the body, but typically manifest as skin infections that cause red, raised and swollen spots on the body, such as boils or abscesses. Antibiotics usually treat staph infections effectively, with methicillin being the drug of choice in the past, before staph adapted. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is highly-resistant to several types of antibiotics. There are some drugs that continue to kill MRSA.

Bactroban

• Mupirocin, whose name brand is Bactroban, is usually prescribed to people who are colonizing MRSA. Colonizing refers to someone who is carrying MRSA on their skin or in their nasal passages without having an active infection. Bactroban can be given topically, nasally or orally and reduces the risk of the bacteria spreading to other parts of the body. Some strains of MRSA have become resistant to Bactroban.

Targocid

• Targocid, whose generic name is teicoplanin, is often used to treat MRSA. It can be administered via an intramuscular injection or intravenously. Targocid treatment can take several weeks, and a longer course of treatment is associated with increases resistance of MRSA to Targocid. Side effects of Targocid include rash, fever, liver and kidney damage, reduction of platelets and allergic reaction.

Zyvox

• Linezolid, sold under the name brand Zyvox, is a highly effective against MRSA. It also has the advantage of being administered orally. Zyvox can cause anemia and inhibit the production of platelets. It is also a costly drug, and some insurance companies won't cover it. Because MRSA displays no resistance to Zyvox yet, most doctors reserve Zyvox for extreme cases that don't respond to other options, in order to prolong the amount of time before MRSA adapts to Zyvox and becomes resistant.

Cubicin

• Cubicin, also known as daptomycin, is the newest treatment option for MRSA. It can be administered via injection or I.V. in the hospital and is often prescribed as a once-daily oral dosage upon discharge. Cubicin does have a higher rate of relapse than treatment with Vancomycin, but has less risk of causing renal failure and permanent kidney damage. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, insomnia, constipation and diarrhea.

Vancomycin

• For someone harboring an infection of MRSA, Vancomycin, or Vanconin, usually eliminates the bacteria. However, treatment with Vancomycin has several problems, including cost and side effects. Orally administered Vancomycin isn't strong enough against MRSA, so the antibiotic must be given intravenously. To avoid pain or allergic reactions, Vancomycin must be given slowly, so it takes longer to treat the MRSA. Vancomycin also has severe side effects, including dizziness, vomiting, rash, breathing difficulties and even death.