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Is crohns due to overgrowth of bacteria?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 3/11/2015 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
I've heard of some treatments that rely on using antiobiotics (cipro/flagyl) as a maintenance drug. I know whenever I'm in a flare and I take cipro or cipro and flagyl that it quiets everything down and I improve.

My GI didnt seem to thrilled with the idea of doing that w/ me.
Posted 3/11/2015 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
From what I've been told, research indicates that cipro & flagyl are not effective in the long term, ie, they're not effective maintenance drugs. They're useful in treating things like abscesses, but their long-term use has more problems than benefits.
Posted 3/11/2015 6:16 AM (GMT 0)
Billo same thing for me but I had to take them on and off for years to control a fistula. Most docs hate prescribing anti biotics.
But with crohns its so common for the gut to get bad bacteria overgrowth which can in turn trigger more immune response.
I also had great energy levels for a week or so.

Eventually I couldn't take them anymore as first the Flagyl and later the cipro caused neuropathy in my feet. Now I am taking augmentin.

Look into rifaximin, didn't work for me but it's not systemic releases in the gut.
Otherwise probiotics and PALEO type diet will extend that good calm feeling for quite some time.
Posted 3/11/2015 11:54 AM (GMT 0)
Read the book "breaking the vicious cycle"  , it talks about how an out of balance of bacteria in the gut may cause crohns.  The book also goes into detail on how you can control this and put your crohns in remission with a change of diet called the SCD.

I went on the SCD diet 8 years ago when I was diagnosed with crohns in the colon and I have not had one symptom from my crohns since.  I also healed to massive rectal fistulas. The only drug I have taken and still take is pentassa. 

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