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Did antibiotics throw you into a flare?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/26/2010 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
I am soooo sick w/ a sinus infection but I'm terrified to go get antibiotics... I've heard people say that it made them go into a flare. I'm on 6MP so my immune system isn't working great and this infection may take forever to get over.

What are my chances of UC coming back? I'm 100% in remission right now. I'm homeschooling three boys AND working from home and can't afford to get sick!!

Would eating yogurt help enough to make it safe? Thanks!

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Posted 5/26/2010 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Each of us has to choose the best option. If you're really sick with the sinus infection.....
Some folks have gone into flare with antibiotics even with taking probiotics, and others have managed to stave off a flare by taking not only yogurt but other probiotics. I have been on antibiotics several times in the past year and have been careful to take lots of probiotics - at different times of day than the antibiotics - and I've done OK.
Can you ask the doc to prescribe one that is especially easy on the gut?
And, no matter what others' experience has been, have antibiotics put YOU into a flare in the past..?
Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.
Posted 5/26/2010 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Awesome news on the 100% remission. I have never had 100% remission, I think I am at 60% right now, still some frequent urges and d.

I get a couple sinus infections every year. Antibiotics definitely irritate my UC. Talk to your dr. and try a mild antibiotic first, I have had good success with Z-Pak (Zithromax) you take it for 5 days, this year it did not irritate my UC at all. Also I find NeilMed Sinus Rinse to help clean out my sinus, and I can breath again :)
Posted 5/26/2010 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Every time I have to take antibiotics, I up my probiotics. And before when I wasn't on probiotics, I ate yogurt. It seemed to help immensely to prevent any antibiotic induced flare. If you are in a solid remission, then eating yogurt or taking probiotics should help prevent you from flaring. I hope you feel better soon! Just remember to stay away from the 'cilians as they can really make a Uc'er flare and possibly get C.diff.
Posted 5/26/2010 1:30 PM (GMT 0)

Are you sure your sinus infection is bacterial?  If it's not then do you need antibiotics?  I had what I thought was a sinus infection back in March/April.  I tried Mucines, Tylenol Sinus, & Claritin D.  No relief. Finally I broke down and went to my PCP. She diagnosed it as allergic rhinitis and prescribed Flonase.  It's a steroid nasal spray which shrinks the nasal passages to allow the sinuses to drain.  One squirt in each nostril once a day.  No problems since!!  I also used Neil Med saline nasal rinses.  Weird, but got some relief from them. 

PS~ My PCP thinks the sinus problem is somehow related to a flareup of my UC which started about the same time...

Posted 5/26/2010 1:37 PM (GMT 0)
When my UC first started it shortly came after some serious antibiotic use, around age 19.  Did the antibiotics cause it or was it just pure chance, who knows?  All I know now is that I am very leary of taking antibiotics.  Can you believe no GI doc for 15 years for me even mentioned the word probiotic or talked about gut flora at all.  My current GI doc does, rec. VSL#3.  When I feel like I have to take a course of antibiotics I always eat yoghurt or keflir and I do take probiotics.  So far so good.  Even a flare starts once the meds stop and I stay on the yoghurt, etc... things settle down.  Good luck!

MyUC

Posted 5/26/2010 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
My initial bout of UC was triggered by a course of broad spectrum antibiotics. I avoid antibiotics as much as possible. If you do have to take them, be sure to increase your probiotic intake for a while.
Posted 5/26/2010 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies! I have been sleeping all day and i am going to rest until tomorrow as much as possible and see what happens. I'll give it one more day before I pursue antibiotics - but if I do I will take all of your advice and get some probiotics & yogurt to go with it.

(And I don't think any of my flares have been brought on by antiobiotics before, though I DID have C.Diff one time so that scares me too!)
Posted 5/26/2010 8:05 PM (GMT 0)
I recently completed a course of Cypro (one week) for a urinary tract infection, and I was very concerned about triggering a flare. I changed my meds slightly as Cypro doesn’t do well with minerals. I stopped taking iron supplements for anemia, stopped my multivits, and changed my schedule for Metamucil, which contains iron. I also increased my yogurt consumption, but did not take any probiotics. I was lucky that the Cypro did not trigger a flare, and even luckier that once the UTI was knocked out my UC symptoms got even better. I had been mostly in remission, except that I would experience abdominal pain requiring pain killers (Percoset) two or three time per week. I have not had to take a Percoset now for several weeks. I'm now back to my regular meds schedule and feeling great! YEA!!
Posted 5/27/2010 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
I just got over a sinus infection brought on by root canal.  Make sure you have an infection - the steroid nasal sprays work great.  I did end up taking Z-Pak (Zithromax) and doubled my Align for a week.  No problems!

ElaineNY

Posted 5/27/2010 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
Have you tried Sudafed?

Yes. Antibiotics throw me into a flare. I get infections easily; so sometimes I don't have much of a choice but to take the antibiotics and suffer a flare. Probiotics and diet will gradually get me out of the flare. Worse comes to worse, I can always do fecal transplantation to get into remission.
Posted 5/27/2010 4:58 AM (GMT 0)
No, I've taken antibiotics quite a few times since having UC and they've never caused a flare.

I have taken probiotics for a many years and have upped them when taking antibiotics.

Yogurt isn't enough.

Treat the sinus infection....that in itself can lead to a flare considering how hard your body will be working to deal with it.
Take Sudafed....the one with pseudoephedrine in it....I've learned the PE isn't enough for infections.

I feel for you...sinus infections are awful.
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