HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

UC + Bactrim for kidny infection

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/16/2011 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
So my Mom is battling UC (at 79 years young) and was given asacol and an enema. Those 2 seems to be working well for the UC and she felt so good and was able to resume her normal activities after the persistent diarrhea stopped. She thought she had a kidney infection and indeed she does after testing. Dr. put her on Bactrim for 7 days. Of course, her diarrhea started again after a fews day on this antibiotic but not nearly as bad as it was before the UC diagnosis. I have noticed she is a bit wobbly in the mornings after getting up so she is using a cane. She almost fell about 3 times over the past 2 days when she was not using the cane. Anyway, sorry to make this so long. I am worried about c-diff and sepsis. She is not feeling as good as she was before the Bactim. She has a terrible cough but only when speaking. Last night hr hands were hot to the touch-not her whole body, just her hands. I have called her Dr. but he is in surgery and it may be tomorrow before I hear from him. Her next appt. is Monday. Any suggestions/ideas would be very much appreciated for this concerned daughter. Vicki
Posted 2/16/2011 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
Lots of probiotics. flood the system with good bacteria to prevent anything bad from overpopulating. my son is allergic to bactrim. it gave him a rash all over and fever. it may just be that the strong dose is causing her to feel "off." i don't know that i have anything usefull to offer other than just try to keep her resting.
ya'll live in alabama?
Posted 2/16/2011 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
I just recently finished a fairly long course of Bactrim for a staph infection, possible MRSA. I felt pretty crappy overall on that med- not my UC, just bad in general! Shaky, edgy, headachy, spacey, dizzy... you name it. Apparently, those types of side effects are pretty common for Bactrim, quite a few people have bad enough side effects to quit the med. Probiotics will help if she's having bowel problems from the Bactrim, but for the other complaints, it's either deal with them & be sort of miserable, or switch to another antibiotic. And definitely try to touch base with her doctor.

Posted 2/16/2011 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Chris'sColon. I am encouraging her to rest and not overdo in any way. someone mentioned probiotics to me before she began the antibiotic and I completely forgot. I will be getting her some today. I am thinking about Culturelle. Is there a specific one you would recommend?

Yes, we live in west central Alabama. As you can tell by my username I am a huge University of Alabama football fan!

Posted 2/16/2011 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
the culturelle is good and ok to double up on. we also use florastor which has been suggested to be effective against c-diff, and ultimate flora critical care. apparently you can't OD on probiotics so don't worry that you may give too much. also the probiotics are way cheaper at walmart than pharmacies.
we're in southwest alabama, close to the beach. not big football fans, but it's about impossible to avoid the "bama-fever" in these parts. ;) hope your mom is feeling better soon.
Posted 2/16/2011 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
Eva Lou: thanks for your reply. Hearing how you felt really puts me at ease on how Mom has been feeling. Thank you so much.

Chris'sColon: Love your area of our state! I was thinking about the Culturelle but will now check out the other one you mentioned. I am especially concerned about c. diff!

Posted 2/18/2011 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
Bactrim is actually the only antibiotic that works well for me w/my UC and does not cause c.diff for me. I've suffered severely from c.diff which came all on it's own, I wasn't on any antibiotics. Anyway, Bactrim is a Sulfa medication as are many UC meds. I take Bactrim quite frequently and it doesn't bother me at all.
Posted 2/21/2011 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
The very day I last posted Mom ended up falling from her weakness so we went to the er and she was admitted. We just got home today. Seems besides the uc, she had bronchitis + kidney infection and was dehydrated. Luckily, she did not break anything but was alone when she fell and could not get up. I could not get her on the phone and knew something terrible was happening so got a friend to check up on her. He got her up while I called an ambulance. I was so conscious of getting her plenty of fluids and gatorade but she had no appetite and was not getting up and eating/drinking for 2 days (while I was at work). She did not level with me on how bad she was feeling to keep me from worrying! I think it snuck up on her too but after 2 months of diarrhea she was so run down, has lost 14 pounds and has no energy. She needed the fluids and antibiotics. Her lungs are good and all her labs were great so they sent us home. She said she still feels "weak as dishwater"! If I can work it out at work, I will stay with her until she is self sufficient. I have her on a walker for now. I am not looking for trouble but what would I look for if she develops c-diff? Thanks! Sorry this is so long, just needed to get it off my chest with people who completely understand UC!
Posted 2/21/2011 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
c-diff = massive amounts of burnt smelling dark-tinted liquid poo. severe abdominal pain, fever, lethargy, loss of apetite...
Posted 2/22/2011 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
You might want to look into fecal transplantation if it's C-diff. I did it at home using my granddaughter's feces and went into remission immediately.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_bacteriotherapy
Posted 2/22/2011 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
My heart just goes out to all of you who suffer with UC. Not only seeing what Mom has been through for the past 8 weeks but this past week at her worse is just awful. Today she has had 12 BM's-pretty well formed (chunks, not diarrhea), no smell, not terribly dark either she just goes so many times and no pain. They did not give her the enema in the hospital but we are back on that now so I hope it helps. We follow up with her GP dr. tomorrow and will be making a follow up appt. with her GI dr. soon.

Subdues: will have to check out your suggestion-never heard of such a thing! I have a 26 year old coworker who has been fighting cdiff for months and will need to mention it to her.
Posted 3/5/2011 2:12 AM (GMT 0)
just wanted to say thanks for the thread. Having a Urination/Prostate (infection?) issue. Cipro helped but didn't cure. Just started Bactrim. Hopefully I have the same success as glamourgirl with no UC issues!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply