Antibiotics side effects

Last Monday I had surgery to put in a draining seton into a recto-vaginal fistula. This is just a temporary measure until the colo-rectal surgeon can do a repair for it (taking tissue from somewhere else and making a patch on the vaginal side). It was a brutal surgery, I was in so much pain for several days (still am) and was literally black from the bruising down there all around that area and on my bottom. Not to mention the enema prep killed me since I'd just had a colonoscopy 3 days before.

Anyway, once the bleeding stopped I started getting a really foul-smelling discharge. I had an appt with my GI two days ago and he thinks it was starting to get infected, so he put me on Cipro and Flagyl.

I've never had Cipro I don't think, but having had c. diff. four times in the past 2 1/2 years (3 times this year), I'm a little used to the typical side effects of Flagyl and Vanco (nasty taste in mouth, nausea, diarrhea, etc.).

I started remembering about round 2 of c. diff. this last May and how I had thought at the time that the stomach aches I was having were just side effects of the Vanco and others (I also had just had a draining seton put into the same fistula, was removed when I started Remicade and I almost healed till c. diff. #3 reopened it really badly).

The stomachache turned out to be pancreatitis, which they determined was caused by the Imuran and Mesalamine. I started wondering today about Cipro and Flagyl with pancreatitis, and started Googling. I'm a bit paranoid about anything that will make my pancreas flare up, since it was so bad that it lasted May through September and I spent 3 weeks with a feeding tube in August and even that couldn't get my lipase down. I kept ending up back in the hospital for weeks on end.

But tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I am not sure what to do since my GI's office is closed till Monday. I don't want to stop the antibiotics because I don't want the infection to get worse, but I really, really don't want to do pancreatitis again (and it looks like it's caused in 2% of cases). I know that's a small percentage, but even sips of water caused my pancreas to flare up. It's the reason why the surgeon won't do the patch on the fistula yet - she doesn't want to do anything to cause my pancreas to flare up again; the last attack was two months ago.

I'm a teacher and I haven't even met my students this year. I've been on sick leave. I'm supposed to start next week. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience? Am I just overreacting?

I have been on cipro and flagyl for three courses now. I also have a fistula but anorectal with a draining Seton. I have felt no significant side effects from the drugs. Sometimes I wonder how you are supposed to tell what are side effects and what are CD. Many of the meds we are prescribed cause the same side effects. I do suggest probiotics, especially if you cannot eat yogurt.

My fistula too feels different the past few days, it is tender again and I am hoping that it has not healed higher than where my seton is set. I was told that it is a complicated one and quite high. When something feels different I panic too, so much has happened to me over the past few months I am not sure if I am ready for another infection, abscess, surgery. 2% is a risk but I would stay on the antibiotics until you speak to your Dr.

You have been such an inspiration to me through my fistula experience. I have just started visiting the group and it has helped immensely to read posts from fellows like you. Thanks for all of your insights and positive support.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciated everything you all had to say. We went in to the ER because I had a fever of almost 101, which is really high for me because my normal is about 97.1, and my pain was about a 6) But CBC all looked good, so they gave me nausea medicine, benadryl, and 3mg of dilaudid. They think it might just be a virus infection and not related to anything at all.

I do take probiotics - VSL #3. I'm hoping my GI will be able to write a prescription since it's so expensive OTC. Pancreatitis is checked by a blood test for your lipase. I have an upper endoscopy in two weeks, so I'm hoping that might help shed new light. I get regurgitation quite often. I also have had a really itchy scalp the past month or so, and it's turned into a rash down my neck, on my face, etc.

The GI office does have a dr on call, but tonight it was a specific one that I don't like. He was on call the last time I called and I had been dry heaving on my feeding tube and was in pain. He was cross with me, told me I was probably just having a panic attack, and to just calm down. Then hung up on me. I didn't go in to the ER that night, but the next day I did and was admitted to the hospital for a week with the pancreatitis flaring up. So he's not one that I trust.