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How long does antibiotic - associated diarrhea last?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 2/13/2017 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
Took an ampicillin + sulbactam antibiotic starting last Wednesday. By Friday, I started to have watery diarrhea. I take Imodium but once it wears off, the diarrhea returns w vengeance. This leaves me dehydrated and dizzy though I try to drink water to be hydrated. I stopped the abx yesterday. I was to take 2 more tablets to finish the round but I couldn't as I got also severe pain in my TI.

I read that the diarrhea should resolve on its own or should I see my GI? How long should it stay? Last year, I had to take like 7 or 8 rounds of rifaximin with breaks of 45 days separating each in order to restore my normal gut flora. Should I take an appointment with my GI or wait? The diarrhea is really draining.
Posted 2/13/2017 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
whatever medicine you take you better consult with your doctor.Also read the side effects.

I took cipro for two and a half weeks recently and have some moderate constipation for last ten days or so.Yes the opposite of you.

Now taking some probiotic food to get back to normal bowel movement.

Guess can't help you much here.sorry to know you are having such difficulty.

Post Edited (arachnids) : 2/13/2017 7:14:49 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/13/2017 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
I wouldn't wait any longer than a week. It can't hurt to speak to your GI about it. Your health is already rather fragile so I wouldn't take any chances else specially since the last time required a lot of work to restore normalcy.
Posted 2/13/2017 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
Arachnids and Lab, thank you so much. Well. I texted my GI about the appropriateness of the abx when the surgeon prescribed it and he approved of it. It's weird that it caused me this diarrhea.
I found some rifaximin which I took. I took also more Imodium as its effect wears off very quickly and a rehydrating oral solution. Hope these would control the d and the dehydration. I'll see how things go on.
Posted 2/18/2017 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
Healseeker, so how did you control d? What about dehydration? I become very dizzy and sometimes faint because of persistent d.
Posted 2/19/2017 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
Antibiotic associated diarrhea may pass on its own accord wirhin a period of weeks. You should however closely monitor frequency, color and the presence of blood. You should also be aware of any serious abdominal pain (that is apart from your regular pain).

I had several courses of antibiotics in December, many of which were broad spectrum ones (Cipro and sonething similar through an iv) and I ended up with a serious c diff infection. I am not saying this to scare you at all, but I do think you should stay alert as this could always be a possible cause of diarrhwa, especially when an IBD patient takes antibiotics. Green poo is a good clue to contact your doctor!

Good luck to you, hope it clears soon!
Posted 2/19/2017 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
Nikki, thank you so much. I saw my GI and it turned out that the abx triggered my Crohn's and caused a flare up.
Posted 2/19/2017 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
(OT: Be wary of 'healseeker' who was banned under the previous name of 'cured colitis' after spamming the boards with nonsense.)
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