Antibiotic Induced Infection

[tommy]

I know that the title sounds like an oxymoron, and I feel out of place posting this is small talk, because it was a big deal.

I came down with an intestinal infection of Clostridium difficile aka "c.difficile" or "c.diff". This is a very serious bacterial infection and difficult to treat (hence the Latin "difficile"). Between the hospitalist, infectious disease specialist, gastroenterologist, and cardiologist, there is a lot of finger pointing and shouder shrugging about how I came down with it. The popular theory is that antibiotics destroyed the good bacteria and left c.diff to run rampant (and that it did).

I had a 10-day dose of Augmentin the end of July, and a 2 gram dose of Amoxicilin prior to a dental appointment mid-September. I have taken Amoxicilin for 20 years for dental appointments.

The treatment for me was Flagile and Vancomicyn, supplemented with yogurt (active cultures) and probiotic pills. After 10 days of suffering, 5 days in the hospital and a few days at home, my digestive system began working again. My energy level is coming back, but I have no stamina at all.

Here's my question..................... has anyone had their doctors suggest that they eat active cultures and probiotics to counter the possiblity of antibiotics wrecking their bacterial balance in the gut?

 

[kfay]

Tom, I've been having a terrible time with my stomach of late and my gastro has been having me take probiotics and has told me to just plan on taking them every time I take antibiotics and I'm getting ready to have an endoscopy and colonoscopy (fun, fun!) and he told me to take them then as well because the prep for the colonoscopy would flush all the good bacteria out as well (not to mention he is giving me antibiotics because of my valve anyway).

 

[Adrienne]

C-difficile

C-difficile

I remember when I was in the hospital for endocarditis in 2004 and on antibiotics, my husband came in with the weekend newspaper, and all over the front page was stuff about C-difficile in hospitals and saying that what made it easier to get was antibiotic treatment because it got rid of all the good bacteria in the gut and left it kind of "open and ready for the bad bacteria to invade"!

I agree about taking probiotics. Now I take them all the time.

 

[Guest]

Here's my question..................... has anyone had their doctors suggest that they eat active cultures and probiotics to counter the possiblity of antibiotics wrecking their bacterial balance in the gut?

Hi Tom,

Anytime you take antibiotics, you should counter the effects midway through and when you finish them with Lactobacillus acidophilus. The best kind is the refrigerated ones as the bacteria are more likely to be live. Yogurt and stuff like that doesn't have enough "live" bacteria. My PCP recommended this years ago. You can find it either at a compounding pharmacy or a health food store.

Probiotics every day as a supplement is good for us too. I take Ultra Pro Biotic Complex 50 and it has really made a diffence with my digestive tract.

Take it easy and gain your strength back.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I take Acidophilis Tablets whenever I take antibiotics and continue for a few days after treatment as a precaution to prevent killing off all of the 'good bacteria'. Seems to work.

 

[Marcia58]

I'm on large doses of antibiotics as treatment for Lyme disease. My doctor has me taking probiotics every day. Three things to remember about probiotics:

1. When it comes to probiotics, the "good stuff"--will be the kind that needs refrigeration to keep the organisms alive.

2. When taking antibiotics (and maybe all the time) you need 10,000,000 (10 mill.) organisms--or more--daily.

3. DON'T TAKE YOUR ABX AND PROBX TOGETHER! The abx will kill the probx. Allow 2 hrs after taking one before taking the other.

Glad you're feeling better--c. dif. is a bear!

Marcia

 

[kfay]

1. When it comes to probiotics, the "good stuff"--will be the kind that needs refrigeration to keep the organisms alive.
Marcia

This isn't true. There are two brands that do not require refrigeration. My gastro gave me a list of both, the ones that have to be refrigerated and the ones that don't and said to me that obviously the ones that don't require refrigeration are easier and that they are both as effective as the other. The one that I take is called Align and I can't remember the other non-refrigerated brand but could probably find the list later.

Kim

 

[Adrienne]

This isn't true. There are two brands that do not require refrigeration. My gastro gave me a list of both, the ones that have to be refrigerated and the ones that don't and said to me that obviously the ones that don't require refrigeration are easier and that they are both as effective as the other. The one that I take is called Align and I can't remember the other non-refrigerated brand but could probably find the list later.

Kim

I also take the unrefrigerated type. I have to admit that I have always wondered how it can be effective. However, I take my chances because I find it is much more convenient to take something that does not need to be refrigerated. If someone can actually explain to me how it can be effective if the bacteria are not alive, I would appreciate it.

 

[tommy]

Wow, where have I been for 25 years not knowing this stuff.

I understand about mixed opinions. My GE prescribed Flora-Q capsules, but the hospitalist poo pooed them because they aren't alive. I'll look into your suggested brands and types. Also, three doctors had three different ideas about how I came down with this bug.

For now, I've been taking Flora-Q, alternating with Yoplait yogurt throughout the day. My wife picked up some Yakult, but I haven't tried it yet.

The good news is that I'm regular again and starting to exercise to get my stamina back.

Thanks for the info and support! It's not valve stuff, but it's all related. Could this be a factor in valve selection?

 

[Kathy McCain]

I have never heard of any of this before. I wonder why my dr's never mentioned it? I take it back, one of the nurses at my cardio's office last year told me to eat yogurt, when I was taking an antibiotic for dental work.

Hope you are feeling 100% soon Tommy!

Thanks Tommy and everyone for the information.

 

[lcwhitney]

According to my G.I. doc when taking oral antibiotics it is always good to eat yogurt or drink cultured buttermilk.Acidophillus caps work too I take meds for chronic ulcer problem so oral antibiotics make me prone to gi yeast so I am all too familiar with antibiotic induced infections.

Lettitia

 

[Missy]

I was always told to take probiotics or Greek organic yogurt with the 5 cultures after taking antibiotics.

But only take them after finishing the entire antibiotic regimen. The doctors said that antibiotics do not differentiate between good and bad bacteria and good bacteria make it harder for the antibiotic to work, which makes sense to me. And then after, replenish the good bacteria. Other wise the anitbiotics are just working against the probiotics and constantly trying to kill them. It is a vicious cycle.

However, I am hearing this more and more about taking them across the clock from each other. But if you are taking antibiotics 4 times daily that is hard to do.

I think it depends on which doctor you talk to and when my husband had all those infectious disease doctors working on his knees I heard both sides of it and I got the distinct impression that the consensus was to wait until after all the anitbiotics are taken. Or at least across the clock. They did not give my husband probiotics or yogurt and he got IV antibiotics 4 X daily for 1 1/2 hr. for 8 weeks. When they released him they told him to eat Greek yogurt.

 

[tommy]

I did a little study of yogurts at grocery stores and found several with 5-6 active cultures at reasonable cost. New mantra - A yogurt a day keeps the doctor away. For antibiotic regimens in the future, I'm intending to eat yogurt across the clock. For dental appts, the dose is only once, so that will be pretty simple.

BTW, recovery is going well but slowly for this athletic type. My legs want to get up and go, but the rest of me says no. Patience patience patience - just hurry up with that!