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Flare from Antibiotics?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/26/2017 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Good afternoon all!

I was diagnosed with UC back in June and put on Mezavant which has actually worked really well for me. I went from the 4 pill/day induction dose to 2/pills/day with no issue. After years of tummy issues and running to the bathroom after eating, I was finally having regular BMs.

I was diagnosed with pneumonia in early January and went on a zpack to treat the infection. Worked great, infection is gone. However, my stomach has been "off" since starting the antibiotics (Jan 3) and still has not gone back to "normal" (I took the last pill on Jan 8). Frequency and urgency is back and they are def not formed (sorry for the TMI!)

I am super paranoid about cdiff since I developed it in 2012 after taking Keflex. I had a cdiff test done last week and it was negative.

I am new to this UC thing...could the antibiotics be causing a flare? I am also SO anxious at having had to take an antibiotic because of my cdiff nightmare a few years ago. It sounds ridiculous but it really did leave me with post-traumatic stress (I was pregnant with twins at the time and it took FOREVER to get rid of).

In any case -- does this sound like a flare or has anyone else experienced one after antibiotics? I have an appt with my GI Monday but was curious about others' experiences. I am also taking 4 Florastor/day per my GI and wondering if they could be causing me issues as well.

Many thanks smile

Amy
Posted 1/26/2017 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
Antibiotics are risk factor for a flare - ie, they increase your odds of flaring. So that may be the case.

However, even in people without IBD, it's fairly common for antibiotics to mess with their "system," and cause GI problems, for days, sometimes weeks or even months. So it might just be that, which you could call post-antibiotic IBS. If it's just that, it should get better with time. Some people find probiotics or yogurt help, but the data on that is weak.

Florastor is pretty unlikely to be causing your problems, but it's a possibility. My brother with UC had problems with every probiotic he tried.

The only way to know whether it's a flare or just the more common post-antibiotic problems would require tests by your GI. They might have you up your mezavant dose back to the higher level.
Posted 1/26/2017 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Anti biotics[Zithromax put me in hospital ] can increase chances of flare. IV antibiotics[7 days in hospital with Pneumonia] caused me hell for many months. Gastro recommended Ciproflaxan which has worked ok if I'm sick.I break pill in half,half strength better for me then full strength
Posted 1/26/2017 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks very much for your responses. I actually upped the Mezavant back to 4 pills/day about a week and a half ago but haven't seen much change yet (maybe that's too soon to expect a change). I will discuss all of this with my GI on Monday...just so frustrating to have finally gotten things under control and now I feel like I'm back to square one!

Cipro is a big no for me as it's a high offender for c diff versus azithromycin which is middle-of-the-road.

Thanks again smile
Posted 1/27/2017 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
This disease is crazy as far as what will work for me won't work for - its really a guessing game.Love my Gastro but even after 30+ yrs he just throws out things that MAYBE can help.Good luck
Posted 1/27/2017 6:52 AM (GMT 0)
I suspect that a course of oral antibiotics (Clindamycin) caused a dramatic worsening of my UC from which I am not fully recovered more than two years later.

I can't be sure, but it was a few weeks after finishing the antibiotics that my UC flared worse than ever, and did not improve until I made major changes in medications and diet.

I think all with IBD should be very cautious with oral antibiotics, as they can potentially cause long term changes to the gut microbiome.
Posted 1/27/2017 8:58 AM (GMT 0)
Antibiotics have a terrible effect on me so I try and avoid them at all costs. Even after a single amoxil, I am running to the bathroom for hours and then the bleeding starts. My advice would be to add a high-strength probiotic such as VSL, stick with protein-based meals, and that should slowly get you back on track.
Posted 1/27/2017 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
I believe we're at an increased risk of flares when we take antibiotics. There's no guarantee we'll flare. Sometimes antibiotics are necessary and we take them despite having UC. Sometimes, antibiotics are unnecessary and we can avoid them.
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