HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Are there any antibiotics you can take without causing a flare?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 11/29/2011 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
I'm a complete idiot and I forgot that being on prednisone will lower my immunities, so I caught my boyfriend's sinus infection. Of course, I have a much worse case of it than he did, and it's not getting better.

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, and I expect that she'll prescribe antibiotics. She's a great doctor, but she's not a gastroenterologist and, anyway, I have learned here that proactively involving myself in health decisions is the way smart people deal with UC.

I know that I'm allergic to tetracycline products (unrelated to UC), and I know that Amoxicillin caused a mild flare to start (I averted it by doubling my probiotic).

Is there any antibiotic that you can take without causing a flare?
Posted 11/29/2011 2:53 AM (GMT 0)
I was on both bactrim and flagyl after I had my abscess drained with no issues.  I have no idea if they are effective for sinus infections.  Many people on here can take zithromax successfully, and I know it is used for sinus infections.  I can't take it because it gives me diarrhea, but not because of a gut flora issue.

However, I would like to point out that sinus infections are not contagious.  Your boyfriend may have had a virus which led to the sinus infection, and you may have also contracted the virus from him and gotten a sinus infeciton as well.  Also, I am almost certain I had a sinus infection last spring, and with time and use of a neti pot, it went away.  Recent research suggests that antibiotics don't make much difference when it comes to treating sinus infections (see link) so I chose the wait and see approach.  As you are on pred, though, I'd still check with your doc to see if you need to go ahead and treat it. 


http://www.webmd.com/allergies/antibiotics

Posted 11/29/2011 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info, fruitgirl. I can always count on you to be up on this kind of thing. :-)

It probably is some kind of virus, after all. I've had plenty of sinus infections since moving to San Francisco, and this is the first time I've been coughing up disgusting yuck instead of just snorting and honking.
Posted 11/29/2011 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
You're welcome. My sister is a doctor, so I have an inside track to info such as this!

How long have you been sick? It's not at all unusual for a cold to last two weeks. If you're having lots of pain and pressure around your eyes, it might be a good idea to go ahead and see your doc. Like I said, the fact that you're on pred may mean it's wise to go ahead and take an antibiotic.

Feel better soon!
Posted 11/29/2011 8:36 AM (GMT 0)
If you have a sinus infection or sinus/chest/larynx infection, it's usually best to deal with it via antibiotics. I've used Zithromax with NO problems. I also used Septra and amoxicillin with no problems.

I did, however, use probiotics as well.

Sudafed will at least help open your sinuses. Do NOT take antihistamines, it will make things worse.

Try a neti-pot or sinus wash as well as expectorant to help loosen the secretions.

It can take weeks to get over it...just make sure you get checked out..

My sister had a nasty head cold, same with her husband. She improved, he got worse...she then got worse and was diagnosed with double pneumonia.

I HATE colds/flus.....greenies are the worst!

Feel better soon,
q
Posted 11/29/2011 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
I'll throw in "neti pot" one more time- will help get rid of the infection and will also give you a really good clean-out :) Get the one with pre-made packets of salt and baking soda.
Posted 11/29/2011 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a big believer in the neti pot and have been using mine regularly since coming down with this thing. It's only been 2 weeks, but I think it's getting worse. Thankfully, I already had an appointment with my doctor scheduled. :-)

Thanks, everyone!
Posted 11/29/2011 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
I have been doing Neti since my teenage days and have never used baking soda. I just put a pinchful of sale in lukewarm water and thats it.

I also got my wife's throat infection, not strep really. Tried cephalosporin without any flare and help. Now on Azithrpmycin, so far so good.
Posted 11/30/2011 3:30 AM (GMT 0)
janey, i work at a naturopathic office and the one the doctor always gives patients is "lymph gland cleanse" from www.greatestherbsonearth.com
Posted 12/1/2011 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Well, it turned out to be pneumonia.

I was prescribed Avelox and, after reading the packaging insert, have called my gastroenterologist to see if it's okay to take it.

THANK YOU PREDNISONE. Ugh.
Posted 12/1/2011 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
Darn, that really sucks. Are they sure it is bacterial penumonia and not viral? I'm not sure if there's a test to distinguish between the two, but if there is, you may want to request that so you don't take antibiotics for no reason. I know that viral penumonia is more common in young kids and the elderly, but it's because their immune systems are weak. And since you're on pred, there's a pretty good chance, IMO, it could be viral.
Posted 12/1/2011 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
FYI-- I used Zithromax 6-pack recently w/o disturbing the gut. Every night I swallowed a Culturelle capsule + 1 P. reuteri a couple hrs after finishing antibiotic & then my daily UC med, per advice of many posters to this forum. The stuff actually made my usual intestinal rumbles a lot quieter, lol. Good luck with your treatment; I hope you can follow thru on Fruitgirl's advice to find out whether you really have a viral attack on your body rather than a bacterial one. / Old Hat (31 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 12/1/2011 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Fruitgirl, would you please come with me whenever I visit the doctor? LOL Maybe I could just tweet you while I'm there?

I definitely want to ask her now. I talked to my gastroenterologist and he said that the specific issues that the package insert raises about prednisone is most likely not going to be a problem for me, since I've tapered down to 2.5 milligrams daily already.

I'm willing to bet good money that this exacerbates the flare, though. *sigh*

Old Hat, I've been using Renew Life Ultimate Flora 80 billion, along with VSL#3DS. I think I'll add an extra dose of the first a couple of hours after I take the antibiotic, and see if that helps ward off the bad juju. Cross your fingers for me!
Posted 12/1/2011 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
Sure, if you live in the Finger Lakes area of New York, I'd be happy to! I don't tweet (yeah, I know), but if you get a gmail account we could chat via it. ;)
Posted 12/1/2011 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
Oh hey, Fruitgirl -- since I won't be able to check with my PCP until tomorrow -- do you think it's more likely to be bacterial because my intuition is that this is something I caught from my boyfriend and it just developed into something much worse because of my lowered immunities?
Posted 12/1/2011 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Honestly, I have no idea. I did some quick reading online and the common cold viruses plus the influenza virus can cause penumonia. So it's totally possible your boyfriend's cold caused penumonia in you.

I think that most docs go ahead and Rx antibiotics for pneumonia, b/c my guess is it's a PITA to figure out which one it is. But I might be wrong. However, since you have UC and are just coming out of a flare and therefore really don't need to take abx unless it's absolutely necessary, I think it's totally reasonable to do the test.

On the flip side, since you are on pred, you really do need the abx if it is bacterial, since it could get serious really fast if it's not treated.

I don't envy the position you're in right now, for sure!
Posted 12/1/2011 8:27 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, wow...pneumonia! I would say that if you're coughing up anything with coloured mucous, it's a bacterial....but even if it is viral, complications such as bacterial infection can set in if you cannot clear the stuff out of your lungs.

I would take the meds, and probiotics for sure.

Expectorant can help you feel better by helping to thin out secretions and make it easier to spit out.

Oh, spit it out, don't reswallow it if can avoid.

If your boyfriend doesn't have pneumonia, you didn't catch it from him. But if you have pneumonia as a complication from your severe cold it should be taken care of.

Hope you feel better soon!

q
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply