Anyone have success with Cipro for UC

Humira seems to have sputtered out for me just as Remicade did so at this point, apart from a stab at helminths again and my plan to try fecal human probiotic infusions next week, I am thinking very seriously about surgery.  My GI is keen to try me on Cipro though and I was wondering if anyone got sustained remission using it?  I used Cipro onc ein the past without issues for another infection whereas most antibiotics flare me- in any case I think I am probably going to pass on any antibiotics but was interested to hear of anyone's experience with it for UC.

Thanks Christine- yeah he did mention Flagyl too- but it sounds like a a ghastly powerful mix of two heavy hitters. Antibiotics were probably the main factor in my relapsing and never re-entering remission after many fine years. Was this antibiotic regimen used for along time or just as an attempt to hammer down a flare? Was there a blowback later? People with j-pouch chronic pouchitis can end up stuck on drugs like Cirpo for years and years unless they opt to reverse their pouch. If he suggests a short term attack I might consider it, in combo. with my usual array of probiotics at alternate times. By the way, sorry to hear about your own flareup.  I keep getitng closer and closer to throwing in the can and yet the closer I get, the harder I fight to hold on to this idiotic tube.  I think I should listen to SueBear but I'm trying a few more last chance things.

What about cyclosporine, has he mentioned that to you? I've been on Cipro & Flagyl a couple times over the past 3 years, & neither of them seemed to do me much good. The first time I was actively & severely flaring, my GI was on vacation, so my PCP prescribed the 2 meds. They seemed to increase my symptoms & I think I stopped taking them shortly after I started. Then I was put on them again by my GI for a burst abscess, I wasn't flaring at the time, & the 2 meds didn't bother me. They sure didn't do anything for my UC though, either time! The only antibiotic I've known to put someone into fairly long-term remission is cyclosporine- which requires hospitalization. I guess it's a pretty nasty drug, for your liver & all, constant labs, etc. My GI won't use it, unless it's like life or deasth. And every GI or surgeon I've consulted with say it's a rescue drug, mainly used to get one healthy enough to go into surgery. But- you could definitely ask about it! Someone here has done it 2x, I think, & had good results. Although they may have wound up in surgery anyway, I'm not sure.

Thanks, everyone. I think I am going to refuse going down the antibiotic route. Even if it works, it seems to me likely to result in some "blowback" later on as a consequence of killing off healthy bacteria. I am experimenting with a bit of fecal infusion and some more helminthic therapy (parasitic worms and worm eggs) while holding on with low dose steroids and Humira for now and if I can't get completely off prednisone in the next few months (or at least seem to be headed there) then will just get surgery once and for all. I have said that a year ago too but I think this time I mean it.

CollegeGrad85- I am doing fecal infusions (Human Priobiotic Infusions or HPI) at home by myself without any medical supervision, using my girlfriend's "donations" for a total expenditure so far of about $30 in equipment. In theory HPI is a big topic and I don't want to hijack my own thread, but there was a big thread discussing it last winter in this forum started by the user named "MAD." If you can't find it let me know. I'm new to experimenting with HPI and don't want to steer someone in the wrong direction. Personally, I am more excited about helminth therapy than I am for HPI but the HPI is certainly worth a short before resorting to surgery. So far I have not done back to back infusions, as it is logistically a bit messy to set up and me and my girlfriend (my donor) have had hectic schedules of late.