Bactrim For Suspected Staph? (Top voted first)

About a week and a half ago I came down with a really bad sore throat. Swollen tonsils. White pus on them. Slight, low-grade fever. No coughing. No sinus issues. Some body/joint/muscle aches.

Rapid strep (for Type A) came back negative.

Mono test was negative.

But I was given Z-Pak antibiotic for three days. That helped. Sore throat was almost gone. Then I got hit with a different kind of sore throat. Pain felt different.

Then I started getting small "white head" type pimples on my neck and shoulders. I went back to the doctor. Doctor's GUESS was that it's staph. I was in a hot tub about a week ago. So that's why she guessed staph. But no test was actually done to confirm. But rash doesn't itch. It's not painful. I wouldn't even know it was there if I couldn't see it.

She put me on Bactrim.

Day two of Bactrim and rash has spread to my entire back.

All the research I've read suggests Bactrim isn't the best for staph. If that's even what I have...

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Hello, Mike! How are you?

Actually, Bactrim is very effective for staph, usually for MRSA.

However, with that topical skin rash, you may actually have a hot tub rash, it's actually called Folliculitis and it does look like pimples. It usually clears up on its own, but antibiotics can also help with it, since it is bacterial in nature.

Side effects to the Bactrim may include nausea, dizziness, non-allergic skin rash and diarrhea.

Are there any other questions or concerns?

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Thanks for the reply. I've read it could also be Pityrosporum folliculitis which is caused by yeast/fungus. Or it could be hormonal or a virus from whatever illness I had leading up to this rash.

I'm just trying to figure out what I should do to best solve this puzzle. I'm seeing a dermatologist today for a second opinion. But this couldn't have come at a worse time as I have a lady friend coming to visit from out of town on vacation!

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Ok so following up:

Second doctor (dermatologist) suspects it is not staph. His opinion after looking at the rash and hearing my history was that the antibiotic I was on for the strep I had made me more susceptible to a gram-neg folliculitis. And being in a hot tub made things worse.

So he took me off the Bactrim and prescribed Cipro. And did a culture/susceptibility test. Will know (hopefully) what the rash actually is in a few days.

My guess is either pseudomonas or pityrosporum. If it's the former, Cipro should do the trick. If it's the later, which is fungal/yeast, then something else will be needed.

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