I have had a staph aurerus infection(small cell varient) for over 10 years now. It was "discovered" after a spinal fusion. My surgical wound opened up 6 weeks after surgery. The surgeon thought it was a simple stich abscess, but the infection was all the way down to the hardware and bone. I was immediately put on IV and oral antibiotics, and over the next 5 years had 11 surgeries to " remove" infected tissue, including hardware removal, skin flaps and skin rotations. Each time, the infection came back or simply remained. My back completely closed 4 years ago, but, despite being on 3 different antibiotics-rifampin, clindamycin, and Bactrim DS, the wound "opens up" whenever I get run down, or sick with something else, or for no reason at all, and the same staph with the same sensitivity grows out- it is small cell varient staph, not MRSA. I suffer from severe joint and muscle pain, contractures from all the surgeries, and get high fevers and chills when the wound first opens up. I have been living this way a long time with no end in site. My infectious disease doc says he can offer no cure. The antibiotics keep the infection somewhat quiet, and keep me from getting septic. So to answer your question, how long does it take to get over staph, the answer can be, never. You may have it the rest of your life, but for your sake, I hope not. I have known of other folks who get it, go on antibiotics, and it goes away forever. But I also have a friend who is more like me, but he is older. He has had a staph infection in his foot for over 40 years. They just had to cut off the first half of his foot to keep the infection from spreading. He has been on and off antibiotics during those 40 years. Again, I hope yours goes away quickly, and completely. Just make sure you take ALL of your antibiotics,for as LONG as the doc says. NO Skipping does, keep wound clean, and hopefully you will heal as planned. Post again to let me know how you are doing. Take care-Nancy