Cipro for gas/bloating

I have been suffering with alot of gas and bloating lately after I eat anything, kinda making me uncomfortable.  So I called the GI and he is putting me on Cipro for a week and told me to maybe try a different probiotic.  Just was curious, if I have a little bacterial imbalance and take the Cipro, isn't that just killing off more of my good bacteria?  Kinda defeating the purpost so to speak? That always confuses me. 

I am thinking of trying Pb4's Primadolphilus Reuteri as many seem to have good luck with it.  I was taking Digestive Advantage Lactose Intolerant probiotic, but they changed it from a caplet to a capsule and after that change it started making me sick so I quit that probiotic and just increased my lactobacillus one.  Evidently its not enough for me, hence the change to a new probiotic.

Hugs

Gail*Nanners*

Im a gassy/bloater all the time and found probiotics made me worse, even after months of being on them.
Good luck with the Cipro Gail, hope it does the trick.
Jo

Most of the time I am constipated, but every few months, I get terrible, foul smelling D with mucous.  My GI and I have discovered that if I take the Cipro for around 5 days, it totally clears it up.  I take probiotics most of the time, but when I take Cipro I stop the probiotics, because I think the antibiotic is killing everything off, so I'm just wasting my money.  There is a theory that people with Crohn's more easily suffer from bacterial imbalances, so the Cipro helps.  There is another theory that Cipro has anti-inflammatory properties.  It is a big mystery to me (and My GI) but I swear the Cipro is a life saver.  The antibiotic Xiaphan is also used for a similar purpose, but I have never tried it.  My opinion is that the Cipro is worth a try.  I don't need it often, but it really helps me avoid full blown flares.

I have been reading all about the small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and I can't believe how much this condition can affect a person. I am hopeful after the antibiotics and starting the new med that I will get relief from this horrible gas/bloating, but hopefully it will help with the fatigue I have been experiencing too. KEEPER, has been talking about this so much and I never thought much about it, but I really think everyone should read up on it now, especially those who have had resections. This seems to be a common problem for many, in fact, many with IBS have been found to really suffer from SIBO. I am really excited to start the Primadolphilus Reuteri too as I read this is a good probiotic for SIBO. I will keep you all posted on how I do.

I'll repeat my suggestion - try a day or two of fasting. Just think of it as another colonoscopy prep, minus the violent laxatives. It seems to have worked for me - again. I was just feeling the fatigue and brain fog routine a couple of days ago and so yesterday I tried fasting and it made all the difference. I have also cut down on my carbs even more - probably only a few grams from the almonds now. I was adding rice to my dinner as a permitted allowance of carbs, but it seems that it was too much. The bacteria can't grow if they have no food. Unfortunately, it seems that this solution is going to have to be my longer term diet. This is because it takes a few weeks or months to control SIBO. Probiotics are definitely a good addition, but they can't do it all.

Prior to the fasting, I tried propolis for two or three days, but that was not as effective for some reason. I think that it may be because the bacteria that are proliferating are very resistant to antibiotic treatment. I am also reluctant to suggest cipro because there are several bacteria in the gut that are able to develop resistance to cipro and they will dominate the gut ecology after taking it. They include E coli, Bactroides fragilis C difficile and a few others with potential to cause gut infections. I would reserve cipro for emergencies. I would also suggest taking probiotics whenever you have to take cipro. One possible alternative is S boulardi which is a yeast and is known to prevent C difficile problems. Being a yeast, the antibiotics will not kill it off and it will consume a lot of the usual food sources of the other bacteria. However, once the course of antibiotics is complete, you will have a very distorted gut bacterial ecology with several species of bacteria completely absent. The usual probiotics will not restore a complete balance since there are hundreds of bacteria species in the gut and probiotics contain only a very few species.

BTW, it was CrohnnieToo that brought up SIBO.

Post Edited (Keeper) : 8/12/2009 11:43:21 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Gail, I have been on Cipro for the past week for a UTI that may or may not have been caused by the Cimzia and or the 6MP. Nevertheless, the Cipro has completely cleared up the UTI and I have had no side effects whatsoever. I have had various other side effects from the Cimzia such as swollen ankles and I am now severely anemic but in regards to the Cipro and the Crohn's and Colitis, I wouldn't worry. I would think that the side effects that you suffer from far out weigh the use of Cipro for a week. Good luck.

PS. 30 years of Crohn's and Colitis and for today at least Cimzia and 6MP are my savior. I am learning to take it one day at a time so that I don't get my hopes up too high.