Using Vancomycin for treating UC

Hello all,

Does anybody fall into this category? If so, are you using Vanco to help keep your UC in remission? Or is it used to treat a flare up and stopped once symptoms go back into remission?

I have had UC for 6 years now and all other meds have failed me. Currently I am on 15 mg of Prednisone and I have a surgery day booked in April to have an external pouch attached.

What I am trying to figure out here is my specialist just using Vanco to get me to good health for my surgery? Or is this a possible solution in treating my UC on a more consistent basis?

Any replies would be greatly appreciated. :)

Vanco is for C-Diff, which was my misdiagnosis when UC symptoms struck

Well I have not tried the Vanco anti-biotic therapy just yet. I have the script for it but I am doing a bunch of research before I attempt it as it is very expensive and I do not have any insurance plan. And yes it would be a last resort before surgery.

my daughter's GI (head of pediatric IBD at the major hospital here in Toronto and considered one of the best internationally) also uses vanco for UC. She has seen it work very well and although she says there are "theoretical risks" (ie resistance), she feels the potential benefits outweigh those. So, we tried it, it didn't work for my daughter. I don't regret trying it - in fact I believe experimenting with antibiotics is a good idea for UC/CD in general. Many do respond to flagyl, cipro, vanco, triple therapy etc. I would try it if I were in your shoes, there are risks and it is expensive but it can work.
Also, my daughter's GI doesn't use it as a "last resort" - she uses it before immuno modulators and anti-TNFs. At least she did for us. And I don't really know why.