What is the treatment for colitis caused by antibiotics?

I started have colitis after antibiotics. I wonder if there is any cure for it? What is the best treatment? and Labs?  Do I have to have diarrhea to be diagnosed with C-Diff? Thank you all for your suggestions. Colitis is so annoying, I sometimes lose the hope to have a good life.          

The only cure for UC is surgical removal of the colon. Joan is right that probiotics can be really helpful, but they won't cure the condition. I recently had to be on antibiotics for some dental work, and I doubled up on the probiotics to keep from going into a flare.

If you do go into a flare and need to use pharmaceuticals, rectal medications are often the most effective for proctitis. Rowasa (mesalamine enemas) or steroid enemas are available and are sometimes enough to nip a flare in the bud.

Hi Relativequanrum:
Actually I am feeling way better now than before. I tried several Chinese meds, found one really help. I only use bathroom once a day or once every other day, formed, but with blood and little mucus. The most annoying thing is the flatulence, I pass gas like a gas turbine plane when I eat wrong food. I just hate myself. And I have to work with people on my job.

It's true that there are many types of colitis, some of them acute (short-term) and others chronic. The treatments can be different and some can be cured with medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Ulcerative colitis is a specific disease, and it can only be cured by surgery.

Joan it is an old post but the lab you mentioned can you actually mail the sample etc. My husband's GI and Internist both have not prescribed any any stool tests. They did the colonoscopy and biopsy as part of it. Do you think it is good enough to give them enough information or we do need stool test to find about parasites and fungal infections etc.

I had a severe sinus infection in January, accompanied by ear infections and even "Pink Eye" thanks to the grandchildren. I was put on Augmenten for 15 days, three days after being off of it the infection seemed to return. Back to the doctor and another round of Augmenten, this time 14 days. Both of these were from a walk-in clinic since we were out of state at the time. When I returned home I still had pressure in one ear, went to my doctor and he said he thought we needed to follow up with a round of Levaquin. The end of April I started with the adominal pain, not feeling well all over, stool urgency, fatigue. This went on for a couple weeks then I started noticing some blood tinged mucus in the stool. Of course all of the symtoms just continued and worsened. I am 64 don't have good insurance ($5,000) deductable, so I thought I could wait (a few more months) for Medicare to have it seen about. Then I started not even wanting to get out of bed, and the urgency with bowel movement was terrible, and the mucus had a very foul smell. I knew I had to check it out. Went to my doctor and he referred me to a GI, they scheduled a colonoscopy on Tuesday, May 27th. The doctor did send home 30 days of Cholestryramine after the colonoscopy. I have been taking that everyday, with fiber, and an acidolphilus capsule. I just got a call and the diagnosis is Chronic colitis. They scheduled an appointment for July 10th. Almost six weeks away. Even before we got the diagnosis from the biopsies, I had the pictures of my colon and knew I was in trouble. I started right away on taking a capsule of probiotics, three billion per capsule. My husband went shopping and found a capsule with 8 billion per capsule. He brought home Kefir, soy milk, yogurt with live cultures. He has taken over the cooking and is making home made soup constantly. I am still having a lot of pain, fatigue, etc. I am doing better in the bowel movement area, probably because of the meds he sent home with me and my diet. I didn't know anything about colitis before now. Don't know why I didn't pay more attention to the antibiotic thing, I usually am not anxious to take antibiotics, we were just so busy with a new born grandchild, and so many other things, with ten kids and 41 grandchildren. Well, it is time for Grandma to take care of herself. I am almost sure that I have the CD stuff because at the end of my cleanse for the colonoscopy I started passing stuff that looked like white tissue. It almost looked like torn up toilet paper floating around in the bowl. There just has to be something to do besides surgery, I can't even think about that. I guess I will find out on July 10th what he has in mind. In the meantime can you overdose on probiotics? Any other hints of what I might do or take?

To Joan W and NuffinButtTrouble- you both seem to know something about eating right, so I need your advice. Had first colonoscopy in Feb. 2011 at 57 cause of some bleeding and came out clean- next one was in hospital in July and shocked GI doc said i had UC! I have been on a roller coaster since being diagnosed. In Dec. when I flew home I didn't dare eat before getting on, cause I might not make it to one of the two bathrooms! I guit cold turkey when I came home. Was on Lialda,cheaper when you meet your deductible, which now is $750 for a two month supply ( I only took half). We are on catastrophic ins. so sliding fee scale on drugs- and was just switched to Balsalazide Disodium which I haven't taken yet, since the nurse gave me a months supply of Lialda. No side effects, but I want off of it all! I eat well and believe that you can be healed of any disease with the right diet- ie. Jordan Rubin (Makers Diet) and others who were worse off than I am. Any ideas on switching back to raw? I hate eating all the foods recommended by the crohns and colitis foundation. I have always ate mostly raw and lots of seeds and nuts and I totally believe this is stress related- just finished building a B&B, brother committed suicide last year, daughter married in quick 7 day wedding, 3 grandbabies in last year and a half! Went into hospital for 10 days after my brother died! Haven't been there for 20 years- last baby born there-others at home. Any ideas would be appreciated!

healthfanatic, these are really old posts and the authors are not likely to be around. Put up a new post and ask these questions.

My comment to you is to get some mesalamine enemas and treat your inflammation directly (assuming it's limited to the rectum and sigmoid colon). Oral meds are good for maintaining remission (I'm taking balsalazide and do fine on it) but the rectal meds are going to be most effective. No matter what you're eating.