Does anyone know the long term affects of Serratia Marcescens if found in the throat?

Question

Recently it became difficult to swallow..after seeing three doctors..I finally found out through a repeat culture that I had the bacteria S.Marcescens in my throat. I couldn't swallow properly, eating became difficult..and my tonsils have been swollen. It was going on for about 3 months prior to treatment with antibiotics. I took 17 days of Cipro at 750mg. But I still dont feel like i can eat properly. They are talkin of takin out my tonsils. But I dont know if this is gonna work. I'm scared...Any helpful info of SMarsecens in the throat would be helpful as i haven't been able to get any straight answers through doctors or online..Thanks

Answer 1

You and your doctors are facing a problem: Serratia may be obtained on culture of the throat and yet have nothing to do with your symptoms. The problem is that medical science has not clearly idenfied a pathogenic role for Serratia when recovered from the throat. The situation is different with germs like Group A strep or certian chlamydiae. For these germs, there is ample evidence that recovery of the germ on culture of throat corresponds with a particular set of symptoms and that eradication of the organism results in cure. Nothing similar is know in relation to Serratia and the throat. So, if the Cipro eradicated your carriage of Serratia and you still have symptoms, your problem may be something else, though it may be something as small as residual enlargement of your tonsils and or adenoids. Tonsils may take a long tome to return ot normal size after inflammation. If you are getting even incrementally better, then waiting may be a good option. If not, tonsillectomy may help.

Answer 2

Firstly I am not a doctor, so you will have to do with the advice of your doctor. However I do have some experience with the bacteria you mention. We cultured it in My Microbiology class.

Serratia marcescens, was found in small amounts on many common surfaces in our environmental tests around the school. Our lab version was a non virulent strain, but we were allowed to grow the version we found in the drinking fountains, and handrails without great concern. (Unlike the E. Coli).

On a personal level, I guess I would tell you not to be scared of the name just because it sounds unfamiliar. It might take a little while longer for it to treat because it is a gram negative bacterium.

Let me explain. Gram stain is a dye scientist use to test if a bacterium is one type or another. Some bacteria have a kind of shell that takes they dye well which makes it "Gram Positive". Certain antibiotic (most actually) work on this shell by disrupting it when the bacterial grow to divide. If the Bacteria are "Gram Negative" it doesn’t take the dye, and that is proof it doesn't have this shell, so most of the antibiotics we typically use don't work. So we have to use a type of antibiotic that work on a different part of the bacteria.

Because doctors usually see one type of bacterial infection, like 95% of the time, they used statistics to predict what would help you and tried what normally works. After it didn't they had to try something else. That is why it took a while to figure out what it was. It can be frustrating, but the rest of the time it works. Just 5% of the time it isn't the right guess.

The doctors should be able to clear up your infection now that they know what it is. If your tonsils are chronically infected (infected most of the time). So that they themselves become a source of infection, and are no longer helping your body they may decide to remove them. It is still your choice. Please feel free to get a second opinion.

I had my tonsils out a little older (age 15). The recovery was longer that it would be as a child, but it really helped stopped the sore throats I always had. In the meantime, if the antibiotics are upsetting your stomach you can take something called "Acidophilus" it is a "good" bacteria that inhabits your intestine that sometimes gets killed down a little by the antibiotic. This "good bacteria" can be found in supplement capsules, and in yogurt with "live active cultures". It may help with tummy discomfort.

Again I'm not a doctor, but I think you will be fine. Good luck

Answer 3

Serratia Marcescens Symptoms

Answer 4

Ok, cypro which is part of fluoroquinolones family of antibiotics is only one of several recomended antibiotics in the primary line of treatment of this organism. If it didnt work you need to ask your doctor to try antibiotics in the penicillin and Cephalosporin family, since they are also considered best treatments for serratia.You should be on those antibiotics for 4 to 6 weeks in order for them to work.So actually cipro if you continue taking it for 6 weeks, might still work. This bacteria takes a long time to kill.So continue on your antibiotic, maybe switch to another one(mOst recomend cephalosporins for this infection), and keep taking them for 4 to 6 weeks.