Flare-up advice..

Katrina,
I was just reading how you need to be careful when taking antibiotics with UC. The antibiotics can kill both the good and bad bacteria in your intestines and when the good are killed off, the bad are left to do their thing...hence you may have a worse flare as a result. Many people without UC will get diarhea when on antibiotics. I know both of my kids do whenever their on any form of antibiotic.

Good luck figuring it all out and hope you feel better.

I was just going to post a similar question and have just spotted this.  I last week completed a course of antibiotics (which I was very reluctant to take!) for a UTI and have started with a flare-up a few days later.  I have mentioned this to my Consultant and he didn't think that would be the cause of it but I had been feeling absoultely fine, other than an upset stomach on the antibiotics.

I wanted to check what the real professionals thought about this as it seems that the patients often know more than our Dr's!!

I got diagnosed with c. diff (showed up on a stool test). I was having a terrible "flare up" for two weeks, and my doctor insisted on a stool sample, turns out my symptoms were because of the c. diff. It felt EXACTLY the same as my UC flares do.

I was put on Flagyl for one month (2 courses to make sure it got them all). Within 1 day of taking the Flagyl, I noticed a difference in my frequency and my comfort level. After the 30 days my stool test showed negative for c. diff so I was able to stop the Flagyl.

I started to double dose probiotics after the Flagyl to get some good bacteria going on in my gut.

I felt great for about 2 weeks, then I started to flare up. No c. diff on my stool sample, so just a normal UC flare (but the worst and most horrible flare I've had so far).

Maybe there's some correlation in my experience with the Flagyl antibiotic and my following flare. But at the same time, you can't go around with c. diff poisoning you. Keep in mind that Flagyl is also an antibiotic, and might cause a UC flare. Make sure you have c. diff before going on Flagyl -- or just try Flagyl for a couple days and see if you notice anything while you wait for stool lab results.

A course of broad-spectrum antibiotics was what triggered my first bout with UC. However, flagyl is a different story as it's often prescribed specifically to treat UC. Also, if you have a c-diff infection, that's a whole different discussion.

Regarding food choices for flares, tender white meat of chicken and turkey, soft cooked veggies like green beans and carrots, canned fruits, applesauce, very ripe bananas and nut butters are on my personal list of safest foods.

Count me in for antibiotics causing my current flare. I took them for an infected root. The endodontist prescribed them. I should have notified the GI right away. The first GI suggested I take more probiotics. Then it was too late. The new GI (and his staff) recognized that antibiotics could start a flare and started treatment right away. The new GI and the old GI are in the same practice.

I think my first BIG flare was started by antibiotics I was taking for pneumonia.

In anycase, treatment for one thing (such as a bad tooth) can really impact IBD. Lesson learned? If I have to take medication prescribed by someone else, call my GI asap and check in.

We both had to take Flagyl and another companion antibiotic for HPylori. What a grueling schedule that was timing everything before and after his daily regular meds. Paying attention to what medication has to be taken on empty stomach and before other meds need a 2 hr wait etc.

Absolutely take the pro biotics and even more than usual to help keep replacing the good bacteria being eradicated by the antibiotics. I made sure I was taking pro biotics also and I have no gastric problems and wanted to keep it that way...lol.

I was a nervous wreck this was going to mess things up big time for hubby and he did fine. The toughest part was sticking to the medication regimine - setting the alarm clock to start the process - the Pepto Bismol (yuck!) Good luck.