Antiobiotc Use and A Flare?

Hi,

Have any of you experienced a flare shortly after using an antibiotic?  I had a terrible cold in July, and my dr prescribed a round of azithromycin (suspecting that I had strep).  I did fine on the antibiotic (5 day treatment), but then a week later I start to have diarrhea.  A few weeks of that, and a colonoscopy later, my colitis had spread from left sided to my entire colon :(

I am trying to figure this one out, especially if others experienced issues shortly after antibiotic use.  I had been treating my colitis religiously with rowasa enemas (almost nightly) and balsalazide before this latest flare.  I had been on this medication protocol for the last 1.5 yrs.  Before that I was using asacol instead of the balsalazide.  And I never really had bad flares before.  

It also seems that when the diarrhea started, that I have developed a slight intolerance to the mesalamine and/or balsalazide.  I have a harder time keeping the enemas in for long periods and experience cramping sometimes.   I've cut my balsalazide to once a day for now (mornings), and many a times I experience a feeling of a slight fever in the late afternoon.  Sound familiar to anyone?  How do you know if the mesalamine meds are making things worse or if they are just too weak to control a flare?

I had been taking VSL#3 and still am, but it does not seem to be working much.

Thanks!

Got diarrhea after getting antibiotics (shots and oral) for a cat bite. Took Immodium and three days later I am constipated.

In most of us there is a bad balance of good bacteria to bad bacteria. Taking antibiotics helps kill a lot of bacteria - including the good so it often leaves you in worse shape unless you compensate. I also had really bad bouts after a zpack. The last time however, I upped probiotics considerably and I was relieved that the antibiotics did not make my UC worse. Many doctors suggest eating a lot of yogurt while taking antibiotics but in UC'rs eating a bunch of yogurt is just a drop in the bucket.

My original flare started after taking biaxin for sinus/chest infection. You see, the problem is many nasty bugs are resistant to antibiotics, especially c-diff. The broad spectrum antibiotics often kill the good bacteria and leave the nasty ones. Using antibiotics to treat UC and Crohn's is a tricky business. I tried the triple ABX therapy because I was pretty desperate after an extended and miserable flare, and it worked wonders for me. I believe it wipes out good and bad, and lets the flora rebuild from pretty well scratch. So to answer your question, taking a single broad spectrum antibiotics is a huge flare trigger from most people, but some antibiotics, especially in combination, can also be used to wipe out problem bacteria like fusobacterium and MAP which are known to cause ulceration and bleeding in the GI tract.

Also, I figure once I've finished the Flagyl course I'm going to start taking probiotics in the form of kefir (I got the grains). Hopefully that helps keep things straight...

Antibiotics are terrible for my colon-- so I was pretty scared when oral surgeon said I would have to take one for dental implant last winter. Several members here advised me to take the Z-pack + nightly probiotic 2 or more hrs AFTER swallowing the antibiotic. I chose P. reuteri & Culturelle based on members' recommendations; also, I continued to take them for a month after finishing the antibiotic-- trying to play it safe. That worked for me. The packet insert that comes in Z-packs does state that some patients have reported intestinal disturbance arising up to 2 months after finishing the 5 doses. So it stands to reason that if people w/o IBD can get G/I tract upset from antibiotics, we will likely fare even worse, alas. / Old Hat (31 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)