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Dysbiosis (imbalance of gut flora)

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/14/2013 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
My GI's assistant told me I have dysbiosis (imbalance of gut flora) and that this is one of the characteristics of IBD. That is why I keep complaining of distention and bloating. She mentioned I should take a probiotic but I told her I failed everything I tried even Rifaxmin (4 times). I don't know whether this is the cause of the crazy d I have or not. This d keeps causing abdominal soreness.
My GI told me to bear up w the soreness at the time being. The astonishing thing for me was that he and her kept insisting that he told me last time that I should eat all my meals at the same time every day and he doesn't mind if these are just small bites in an attempt to combat the loss of appetite.
So, did any one find a treatment for this imbalance of gut bacteria?
Thank you for listening.
Posted 9/15/2013 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
If the probiotics are not working, then maybe a round of antibiotics like Cipro might be useful as you may have SIBO. (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) If your doc is willing to try it, it may be worth a shot. My guess is that some of the diets like SCD may also work well for you.
Posted 9/15/2013 12:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Gumby, hope you are better now. Have been reading your posts and know that you too are suffering. Because I'm a fortunate person, Cipro caused me last March stomach bleeding and I can't tolerate flagyl coz of non-stop vomiting. I exhausted all antibiotics w/o any avail. My GI keeps complaining that he can't stop my d. When I told him that Imodium makes me constipated for 4 days, he was surprisingly pleased. I know that many people have been on SCD but I don't know I was not motivated when I googled and read about it. May be I should give it a try.
Take care :)
Posted 9/15/2013 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
Probiotics (And, I've found, most other treatments) can't work if your guts are operating at Ludicrous-Speed. Diarrhea CAUSES Dysbiosis, as well as being a symptom. That's why digestive diseases are so nasty; they're invariably a vicious cycle. Have you tried Loperamide? It's kinda the same as Immodium, but has one fewer ingredients. If I remember correctly it's not quite as hard on your body as Immodium. Maybe play with the dosage a bit until you find one thats just right?
Posted 9/15/2013 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
Have you ever tried fiber pills like Metamucil or Citrucel? They add bulk to your stool and may help control the D. You have to build up to a good dose very slowly or it will add to bloating and distention, but it's worth a try. I just started Vancomycin....it seems to be helping already, so hopefully that continues. I was up until 3:00AM last night with massive D, so I'm glad for the break. I hope you get feeling better soon!
Posted 9/15/2013 3:57 AM (GMT 0)
Gumby,

Please let me know how the Vanco works for you. My sister tried it for her CD and it worked. She did not have c dif. Her cd as been under control for a couple years now. Her GI Dr believed she stumbled across something.

Typically Vanco is for treating ulcerative colitis and c dif.
Posted 9/15/2013 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Bandit,
I'm taking Vanco for presumed c.difficile, not for my Crohn's. I had a cat bit and needed antibiotics and now I have bacterial overgrowth.
Posted 9/15/2013 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
The fibre that gumby mentioned is also excellent for sweeping the bowel of bad bacteria, that's why fibre is so important...it also helps the bowels function properly. If you decide to try fibre (my GI recommended it to me while flaring terribly) you should know that it will likely cause extra bloating and gas which is normal, it's just your system adjusting to it (the adjustment period varies for each person) but always start with a small amount (1 cap) drink tons of water with it and only increase if necessary and very slowly (weaning onto a higher dose).

Together, fibre and a good quality probiotic can produce quite a bit of improvements, especially with D issues and even constipation.
Posted 9/17/2013 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
Dear all, thank you very much.
I'll ask my GI supplemental fibers the next time I see him. A good probiotic will be my concern, too.
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