Well, I saw my GP doctor this afternoon. Wish I'd been more proactive and seen him weeks ago, instead of relying on my PS for the diagnosis. Key points from today's examination are:

This is not Herpes Simplex Type I, nor is it Candida fungus. His diagnosis is that it is Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome. After seeing my pictures in the days following MixTo, he said I should have been admitted to a hospital burn ward for medical treatment.

The extreme exfoliation of my skin left it vulnerable to the development of a staph infection, which is what occurred in my left eye.

That initial point of infection then enabled the toxin to spread systemically, causing many of the symptoms I had assumed were due to Valtrex: vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dehydration, vivid body discoloration and blotches, and more recently, peeling palms and feet and the blisters around my lips and mouth. All of these are classic symptoms of scalded skin syndrome. It is not localized to the area that was burned, but rather because it allows the staph bacteria to proliferate, this rapidly becomes a total-body issue.

I should have been put on an antibiotic right after the MixTo treatment to stave off any possibility of infection, but he thinks the 9-day course of Keflex has taken care of the staph; now I just need to let the blisters and peeling skin run their course.

He thinks that the O2 facial I had done last Friday aggravated the skin even more. Burned skin is best NOT touched, massaged, treated with O2 air blasts, or slathered in ointments. He recommends using cool compresses and avoiding the sun and heat until my skin heals completely.

He also recommends Desitin zinc oxide for the lips until the blisters heal – these are not herpes cold sores in his opinion.

He did not feel that any blood work was necessary at this point in time, but I am to contact him if my symptoms get worse. And in fact, other than the burning lips, I feel fine in every other way!

I feel like I won the ten-penny lottery today. I will still see a dermatologist on Wednesday, and will not tell him about this GP's diagnosis. I just want to see what his diagnosis is, too.

Lesson learned: ALWAYS get treatment by the expert in his/her field. It's best to have plastic surgery done by a plastic surgeon, laser resurfacing done by a dermatologist, health issue diagnoses done by a GP physician. It seems self-evident, but this was my "take-away" from the month of hell I've been through.

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I Bug U

so sorry you have been going through all of this. was scanning your other thread and it seemed there might be a possibility that it may be staph related since you'd had the post procedure staph infection, but saw that you were going to the doc today so did not post a note.

but since you're back from the doc, and you didn't mention a culture, thought it would be worthwhile to ask whether they cultured whatever is left to culture. reason being that certain types of staph are sensitive/suseptible to certain meds and resistant to others, and can become resisitant to certain meds, so there may be a possibility that the keflex didn't get it all, especially since you are still having symtoms. (on the other hand, the continued irritation could just be from all the different topicals that have been used recently. difficult to tell without a culture.)

a culture would allow them to know for sure. it would show whether any infection was still present, what type of staph it is if anything is still there, and exactly what meds would clear it up if needed. keep an eye on your symptoms, both systemic and on your skin. if it persists you may consider a culture because it may need more/different antibiotic meds. always best to know exactly what is going on and how best to treat it (this is true whether bacterial, viral, fungal, etc.).

not trying to worry you, just mentioning this in case it is of any help. good luck and feel better.

A quick google searched turned up this most excellent document. Holy moly, Bug. It is EXTREMELY rare in adults!!!

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/788199-overview

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DCNGA has left the board and is no longer taking PMs.
She requests that if you wish to e-mail her to use her direct e-mail address which is: laserandiplsupport@gmail.com

Yeah, that's me - the rare BUG! (takes one to know one, as in the case of staph)

I guess I'll be 1,000% sure after seeing the derm doc - he is a senior guy in the practice, so hopefully knows his stuff.


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I Bug U

No. Oddly enough, no antibiotic was prescribed as a precaution along with the Valtrex. I only got the Keflex antibiotic almost a week after my MixTo when I returned to the doctor with a 103.7 fever. I will ponder that medical "call" for as long as I live. It just does not add up. MixTo is basically a controlled 2nd degree burn, and folks with that condition recover in the hospital, with antibiotics and medical professionals in attendance - not the hotel room pretending to know what one is doing. It's pretty shocking actually.


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I Bug U

I'm not impressed with your PS who is supposedly an expert with lasers.What's his excuse for not prescribing antibiotics before the procedure?I just looked at my quotes when I was looking into resurfacing and one of them was for mixto and I have a prescription that the derm wrote up at the time and it is for Valtrex and an antibiotic.

Bug looks like 'standard of care' is more established with DERMS. YOur pS did a DERMATOLOGICAL procedure below standard of care for the field for that device. Not only that, he DID NOT know what the problem was when you sought his advice. Practicing a dermatological procedure (your PS is not a derm) and also one where he's not conversant in the PROTOCOL for such a device. You MIGHT have something to talk to a Lawyer about.

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Can hardly walk. Need hip replacement.

Glad you've had your husband caring for you.

Really, it sounds like you had a close call. Imagine you'll be reacting to this experience for a long time. You seem to have a great attitude about the whole thing -- being present and motivated to take care of yourself, which is a great thing.

This thread has definitely been a learning experience for me -- I totally get that from now if it has to do with my skin for anything remotely invasive, I see a derm. Count me a convert.

Yes MissJ, I have to chuckle now, cuz I'd forgotten about the Desitin ... but crikey, when was the last time I administered to a baby's bottom and its diaper rash?! ;-) I had no idea what it was till today when I bought a tube of it. I also took two Advil tonight. I am determined to LICK this inflammation.

Watchthemoon: after composing an email of my GP's diagnosis and zipping that off to my PS, he called me RIGHT BACK (you betcha baby!). To his credit, he is very responsive, but he knows this situation is dicey and ain't over yet. He was actually curious and receptive to the Scalded Skin Syndrome diagnosis. And we both look at this medical mystery as a learning experience.

He explained that the medical community is still divided over whether to prescribe a precautionary antibiotic or not before many procedures - including facial laser. There is the current philosophy that using antibiotics too frequently can lead to drug-resistant bugs, and o'course that IS scary. My mom's friend died of MRSA after she went into a hospital to have her pacemaker looked at, picked up a staph infection, and over 4 agonizing months of treatment got worse and worse. Then died.

I get that logic, but I still feel in my gut that I could've prevented the secondary staph infection I picked up as a result of the MixTo. I even reminded my PS that he had prescribed antibiotic prior to my having facial surgery 6 years ago. And he said that was a more invasive procedure. But geez, I had about 1.5 square feet of SKIN nuked - isn't that surface area alone pretty significant?

I wish he'd just said back in May, "GO SEE YOUR PRIMARY CARE DOC ASAP! This is an emergency!" I'd have done that 2 weeks ago.

Ah well, despite all this, I want to go forward, put this behind me, get healthy and back to normal. I've learned a LOT just in the past week with all the suggestions, internet googling, digesting, sharing. I can now put L-lysine back in the cupboard, Abreva cream in my first aid kit - at least till Wednesday when who knows WHAT the derm doc will say!

My wonderful, caretaker hubby stepped in the front door with me from the doc's app't, staggered to the bed and collapsed for 2 hours in a comatose nap.

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I Bug U

Yes, there is more surface area EXPOSED with the laser and he should use same protocol as for face lifting.

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Can hardly walk. Need hip replacement.