Antibiotics Question

Just a few questions on Antibiotics:
So i persuaded my GI to give me a 10 day course of Flagyl. This was something i really wanted to try, just to find out if the severe bloating, D & discomfort that i felt 24/7 would improve.

I must say i had read alot about the side effects of Flagyl and was a little weary, but i did not have any side effects whatsoever, thankfully. I found the first 4/5 days were the worst and i had worse bloating and excessive gas, but after that everything subsided, the bloating & discomfort died down and i was able to eat a meal or a sandwich without feeling that awful uncomfortable, bloated feeling and without being zapped of energy, which always happens when i eat.

However the one issue i had was very sudden & watery D - sorry to be graphic but it was just like a tap being turned on. To be honest i didn't mind as it was only 2/3 times a day and in between that my tummy never felt so normal!

I have also just read that here in Ireland they have concluded from studies that Xifaxan is appearing to be a very successful treatment for IBS symptoms caused by bacterial overgrowth.

So my question is - now that i have finished the course of antibiotics, my symptoms are gradually coming back. I also still have watery D as opposed to more solid D. Is there something i can take to bulk up my stools or is the watery D just a result of antibiotics that i will just have to get used to?
I would like to discuss taking a longer course of Flagyl of Xifaxan with my GI. Is this a reasonable request? Is it possible to maybe take a low dose of these meds on a long term basis? And are GI's generally open to the idea of this treatment?

Hi, I don't know how things work in Ireland. But here in the US I was able to get Xifaxan as an off label use. Originally I had to get the manufacturer to submit paperwork to my insurance company with all of the research on how it helps Crohn's. Basically they buried my insurance company and the approval came in days. Then once a year or so I would have to go through the process again. For the last few years it has not been an issue at all. I don't know if that is because I have been on it so long, or because it has become more mainstream.

I started out taking 2 200mg tabs 3X a day. The last time my doctor wrote out the script, he wrote it for 1 550mg tab 2X a day. So I am taking just a little bit less but I only have to take it twice a day which makes it a lot easier to remember. It is really expensive (at least here), about $1000, for the 200mg tab dose and $1500 a month for the 550mg dose. My insurance pays for it, but it might be a concern for you.

I don't ever want to go off Xifaxan. It has given me quality of life back. I was running to the bathroom about 15 - 20 times a day before, now I am down to 5 -6. Huge difference.

Just be careful with sustained use of flagyl...works great but you can develop nerve problems with prolonged use. My toes went numb after a couple months and I had to discontinue treatment.