I'm very glad to have found this site. I have debilitating IBS that was brought on by antibiotic poisoning. I believe there is a definate link between antibiotics killing the good bacteria in the intestines and IBS; hence my name.I've had to take antibiotics twice the past three years, and both times I went trough about eight or nine months of severe uncontrolable antibiotic associated IBS. Furthermore, I've gone back into my medical records and found that every time I took antibiotics I became unusually tired for months afterwords, even though I did not show IBS symptoms. As I've gotten older, I'm 42, the IBS symptoms have gotten worse.I also have a history of stress related digestive problems: bleeding gums,ulcer,heartburn, ect. But I don't have those problems now, which is why my doctor ruled out Chrons disease.I took Flagil immediately after taking the antibiotics and got some relief; but the IBS retured to make me miserable afterword. There was no way I could keep taking Flagil, so I started using DANON Vannila Yogurt, with very little real success.My theroy about my condition, after looking into antibiotic associated IBS, is that the bad bacteria damage the walls and the nerve endings in the intestines, bringing about IBS. I've tried numerous diets, and have had the best luck sticking to the Celiac disease glutton-free diet. I no longer drink soda pop, or fruit juice unless it is very watered down. Right now my diet consists of brown rice and chicken, vegtables, and iced tea, with a few drops of lemon juice; but I do not overdo the iced tea. I eat the same boring meal over and over again; but it's better than the alternative.Generally, for me an IBS attack is triggered by eating the wrong food or being under stress, or no reason at all. I get two or three days or possibly three weeks of runs, followed by weeks or months of constipation. Most of the time I am constipated. I take Citricel or Fibercon, because these fiber supplements do not contain flax seeds. Flax seeds, and any seeds in general are bad for the Celiac disease diet, which is why I can eat tomato sauce but not diced tomatoes. Even though I do not have Celiac disease, the diet works for me. The seeds irritate the walls of the intestines, because they get into the cracks.The interesting thing about my version of IBS is how tired and sleepy I get. I don't eat big meals because they put me right to sleep. I have a difficult time eating breakfast, because I'll eat breakfast and fall right back to sleep, so I drink Boost energy drink for breakfast. I then have about four hours before I start getting tired. I eat lunch and take a nap for a few hours. I get up and eat a snack and I'm good a few more hours until dinner. If I'm having a good day I can make it from dinner until bedtime; on other days I need to take a nap. Then when I finnaly do get to bed I sleep anywhere from 10 to 16 hours.I also have very little mental energy, drive and pep. I have days where I get very little done. I have days where all I do is sleep.I'm completely unreliable; not just when I go to the bathroom. I have to allow myself double the ammount of time for me to accomplish something, even then I can't be relied upon.I have to take time outs to avoid stress, I have to distract myself for a few hours now and then.I'm at the point right now where the constant constipation is putting pressure on my lower back. I have times where I can barely move from the back pain.I hate having IBS. I know how hard it is to try to control it, to understand it. I hope to visit this site frequently to help others, and to learn more about IBS.Good luck to all or you trying to manage this condition.
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What part of your digestive system was ulcerated?You also might be interested in this article. "Visceral Sensations and Brain-Gut Mechanisms By: Emeran A. Mayer, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Psychiatry; Director, Center for Neurovisceral Sciences & Women's Health, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Over the past several years, different mechanisms located within the gut, or gut wall have been implicated as possible pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the characteristic IBS symptoms of abdominal pain and discomfort. The list ranges from altered transit of intestinal gas, alterations in the colonic flora, immune cell activation in the gut mucosa, and alterations in serotonin containing cells lining the gut. This article reviews our current understanding of the intricate connections between our digestive system and the brain, and how alterations in this two-way communication result in functional bowel disorder symptoms. "http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/VisceralSensations.htmland this websitehttp://www.aboutconstipation.org/
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AntibioticPoisoned,Were you tested for an overgrowth of Clostridium Difficile and is that why you were put on flagyl? C-Difficile can certainly present itself as if it is IBS.Jeff
Antibiotic poisoned- Antibiotics are definately a trigger for IBS symptoms to flare. You sound like you alternate between C/D leaning more to being C. My gastro who is an IBS expert(trained for 2 yrs w/Dr Drossman ###UNC),told me that antibiotics can cause either C or D IBS issues in people, not just D as one would think. In my experience it has taken at least 6 months often longer for me to get back to "normal" after I've taken them. I get very sensitive to foods that normally wouldnt bother me at other times.Hope this helps
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I just finished an extensive round of no less than five powerful antibotics over a two month period to wipe out a really bad sinus infection. At the end of the last one (Biaxin) I went into the worst D period of my life, and I am now experiencing many of the same miseries you have described. Next week I will have sinus surgery--I don't ever want to take antibiotics like that again, but I have managed to get the diarrhea stopped for now.
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·I had foot surgery last July and mega doses of antibiotics as it was an abscess of the big toe joint. I developed the C.Diff which they say is easy to get when in a hospital. The spores from it are said to be able to lay dormant for 2 years plus. Anyway, it was almost 3 months of mucousy awful diareah. Doctor had me taking 2 doses of Immodium every morning. Later I added acidolphilus and I believe that saved me.
It's a year today since I started with C.diff. and developed Pseudomebranous colitis which is when the toxin causes inflammation of the colon wall and it begins to hemorrhage. How I got it is a mystery, I hadn't been in hospital nor had I taken antibiotics around that time, maybe about eight months previous. I'd never heard of this C.diff but I did a lot of research about it and didn't like what I read. Only two drugs can treat it, Flagyl and Vancomycin and even then, as Arizona says, the spores can rehatch. A lot of studies have shown that Lactobacillus GG marketed as Culturelle and also taking a good probiotic, preferably one with billions of micro-organisms, can help. For the past year I've taken Culturelle plus a good probiotic. Whether this has helped or not I don't know, but as I said it's been a year and the C-diff hasn't returned. For anyone who has C-diff there is a good site with loads of information but it can be quite depressing to read of people for whom this bacteria just keeps returning. http://www.cdiffsupport.com/discus/
peardrops, just fyijust for the info Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2005 Apr;3(2):201-11. Related Articles, Links Rifaximin: a nonabsorbable rifamycin antibiotic for use in nonsystemic gastrointestinal infections. Gerard L, Garey KW, DuPont HL. University of Houston College of Pharmacy, TX 77030, USA. Rifaximin is a poorly water-soluble and minimally absorbed (<0.4%) rifamycin with in vitro activity against enteric Gram-negative bacteria including enteric pathogens. Fecal levels of the drug after 3 days' oral therapy exceed 8000 microg/g. Rifaximin is effective in the treatment and prevention of travelers' diarrhea due to Escherichia coli-predominant bacterial pathogens. It shows lower activity against dysenteric forms of bacterial diarrhea. The drug may be useful in other enteric infectious diseases, including Clostridium difficile colitis, pediatric bacterial diarrhea and Helicobacter pylori gastritis and chronic gastrointestinal disorders including hepatic encephalopathy, small bowel bacterial overgrowth, inflammatory-bowel disease, irritable-bowel syndrome and pouchitis. Importantly, rifaximin does not appear to lead to bacterial resistance. Rifaximin has an excellent safety profile and adverse drug reactions have been comparable to those associated with the placebo control agent.
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