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Morning Everyone!
I've been battling a bug for 2 weeks now, and I went to the doc last night for it. He has prescribed Zithromax 500mg (Z-pack) for 5 days.
Last night I took my first dose and it about killed my stomach. I feel like I am trading one thing for another, but I know I need the antibiotics to get over this nasty bug.
Since this is the first time I've had to take antibiotics since my MC diagnosis, I am nervous about them causing a flare. Normally I wouldn't be too stressed about it, but I have another race in 11 days, and I really hope I'm not in bad shape because of the Z-pack.
Any idea what to expect? Is it pretty much a sure thing that this will exacerbate my MC?
Thanks!
Jill
Zithromax
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jillian357
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Good luck Jill,
I always feel between a rock and a hard place when I need antibiotics. You might add a probiotic while you're on them. For future reference, ask your doc if you could take Cipro instead of the Z pack. It's much better tolerated by MCers - it actually improves bowel function in most of us.
What is your next race?
Love,
Polly
I always feel between a rock and a hard place when I need antibiotics. You might add a probiotic while you're on them. For future reference, ask your doc if you could take Cipro instead of the Z pack. It's much better tolerated by MCers - it actually improves bowel function in most of us.
What is your next race?
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
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jillian357
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Morning Polly!
Thanks for the heads up on Cipro...I will definitely remember to ask for that next time.
Priobotics are already part of my daily routine, and I thought I might double up on them while I am taking the Z-pack.
I'm doing a half marathon on Oct. 11th.....only 13.1 miles this time.
Hopefully the Z-pack won't cause too much trouble....*crossing fingers*
Thanks again!
Love,
Jill
Thanks for the heads up on Cipro...I will definitely remember to ask for that next time.
Priobotics are already part of my daily routine, and I thought I might double up on them while I am taking the Z-pack.
I'm doing a half marathon on Oct. 11th.....only 13.1 miles this time.
Hopefully the Z-pack won't cause too much trouble....*crossing fingers*
Thanks again!
Love,
Jill
Jill,
You're running again - already? I thought you were supposed to rest and recover for a while, after a marathon.
I'm sorry to hear of your problem, and your need for an antibiotic. As Polly suggested, most of us have found that Cipro not only does not tend to cause a flare, the way that many antibiotics do, but it often stops a flare, (temporarily, at least), if one is present. Be aware, though, that there is a risk with Cipro, that you should keep in mind.
It has a long history of causing tendon/ligament ruptures, in a small percentage of users, and the increased risk seems to linger for at least several months after the antibiotic is discontinued. It is not known just how long the increased risk can last, and it may even vary with the individual. The risk is nothing to panic about, since it's very slight, but the risk/benefit ratio should be considered, depending on individual circumstances. A recent study found a 3-month rupture rate of 17/100,000 in Cipro users vs. 5/100,000 in non-users. So even though the risk tripled, the risk of rupture in Cipro users was still only about 1 in 6,000 - that's a fairly low risk. Most of us don't even consider the risk, but it is claimed that weight-lifters, runners, and certain other athletes, have a higher risk of tendon ruptures, so I thought that I should mention it, just in case it matters. I'm not aware of any documented statistics, that spell out the risk, or the increased risk, for athletes, using one of the fluroquinolone antibiotics, such as Cipro, so there's no way to put an accurate number on the risk involved.
I believe that Polly has taken Cipro a number of times, and she's never had a problem with it, even though she does a lot of running. Many of us have taken Cipro in the past, (included me - but I'm not an athlete). I'm aware of only one member of this board, who has had a problem with a tendon rupture, and she was using Cipro regularly, when it happened, (long-term use presumably greatly increases the risk). She was/is not an athlete.
Anyway, while I'm a big fan of Cipro for MCers, I thought that you should be aware of the tendon-rupture risk, just in case it matters. Best of luck to you in the upcoming half marathon.
Love,
Tex
You're running again - already? I thought you were supposed to rest and recover for a while, after a marathon.
I'm sorry to hear of your problem, and your need for an antibiotic. As Polly suggested, most of us have found that Cipro not only does not tend to cause a flare, the way that many antibiotics do, but it often stops a flare, (temporarily, at least), if one is present. Be aware, though, that there is a risk with Cipro, that you should keep in mind.
It has a long history of causing tendon/ligament ruptures, in a small percentage of users, and the increased risk seems to linger for at least several months after the antibiotic is discontinued. It is not known just how long the increased risk can last, and it may even vary with the individual. The risk is nothing to panic about, since it's very slight, but the risk/benefit ratio should be considered, depending on individual circumstances. A recent study found a 3-month rupture rate of 17/100,000 in Cipro users vs. 5/100,000 in non-users. So even though the risk tripled, the risk of rupture in Cipro users was still only about 1 in 6,000 - that's a fairly low risk. Most of us don't even consider the risk, but it is claimed that weight-lifters, runners, and certain other athletes, have a higher risk of tendon ruptures, so I thought that I should mention it, just in case it matters. I'm not aware of any documented statistics, that spell out the risk, or the increased risk, for athletes, using one of the fluroquinolone antibiotics, such as Cipro, so there's no way to put an accurate number on the risk involved.
I believe that Polly has taken Cipro a number of times, and she's never had a problem with it, even though she does a lot of running. Many of us have taken Cipro in the past, (included me - but I'm not an athlete). I'm aware of only one member of this board, who has had a problem with a tendon rupture, and she was using Cipro regularly, when it happened, (long-term use presumably greatly increases the risk). She was/is not an athlete.
To the best of my knowledge, most members of this board have had pretty good luck with the Z-pack. In fact, I have always considered it to be the second-best, "MC-friendly" antibiotic treatment available. Your initial reaction to it doesn't sound good, though, so I don't have the foggiest idea what to predict for the final outcome. We'll keep our fingers crossed, and hope for the best.Jill wrote:Any idea what to expect? Is it pretty much a sure thing that this will exacerbate my MC?
Anyway, while I'm a big fan of Cipro for MCers, I thought that you should be aware of the tendon-rupture risk, just in case it matters. Best of luck to you in the upcoming half marathon.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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jillian357
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Thanks Tex, you've given me a lot of good information!
I do so appreciate all the help, especially since I'm still a relative newbie to MC.
Re: running -- I know....I have a sickness. My name is Jill and I am a running junkie.
I'm doing the half marathon strictly for fun (no personal bests for this one since I am still recovering).
I became quite depressed once the marathon was over. After training for 5 months it had became such a part of my life!
I guess I needed to get another race on my radar to look forward to.
Hopefully the stomach and bowels will cooperate!
Thanks again!
Love,
Jill
I do so appreciate all the help, especially since I'm still a relative newbie to MC.
Re: running -- I know....I have a sickness. My name is Jill and I am a running junkie.
I'm doing the half marathon strictly for fun (no personal bests for this one since I am still recovering).
I became quite depressed once the marathon was over. After training for 5 months it had became such a part of my life!
I guess I needed to get another race on my radar to look forward to.
Hopefully the stomach and bowels will cooperate!
Thanks again!
Love,
Jill
Ant,
That's not a dumb question at all. On the contrary, it's an excellent question. I don't believe that there is any medical evidence to contradict the observation that oral antibiotic delivery has the most detrimental effect on gut flora and fauna, when compared with other methods of delivery, since oral treatment allows integral contact, and maximum exposure of luminal surfaces to the antibiotic. As an extreme example, consider horses. Horses are very, very sensitive to changes in their gut bacterial balance, and any good vet knows that you do not give oral antibiotics to a horse, (except for a few certain antibiotics, in a few special cases). A typical outcome of inappropriately treating a horse with oral antibiotics, is fatal diarrhea, (for the horse, of course, not the individual "treating" the horse - though it may be fatal for someone's bank account, if a high-dollar horse is involved).
Of course, we're talking about a matter of degree, here, and some level of attrition of beneficial gut bacteria is probably going to occur, with any form of antibiotic delivery, so there are no guarantees that any type of antibiotic delivery may not cause GI problems, to some extent - oral delivery causes the most damage to beneficial gut bacteria, though. Antibiotics are given for a reason, (presumably, to treat a bacterial infection), so the obvious question then would be, "are other types of delivery as effective as oral treatment, at controlling the target infection?"
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate any trials where oral antibiotic effectiveness has been compared with the efficacy of injected antibiotics. It's certainly possible that there may not be any one-size-fits-all rule, and results may vary for different antibiotics. I have a gut feeling, though, that results may be comparable for the two types of delivery, because the article at the following link, demonstrates that the efficacy of oral antibiotics, and intravenously-delivered antibiotics is very similar.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/q28320jxq1602256/
My guess is that results are typically comparable, but oral antibiotics are routinely prescribed, simply because oral treatments are much easier, and much more economical, for the patient. IOW, for any other type of delivery, (other than topical, or inhaled), the daily dose would have to be administered in a doctor's office, or a clinic, which would be much more expensive.
At least, that's the way I see it.
Tex
That's not a dumb question at all. On the contrary, it's an excellent question. I don't believe that there is any medical evidence to contradict the observation that oral antibiotic delivery has the most detrimental effect on gut flora and fauna, when compared with other methods of delivery, since oral treatment allows integral contact, and maximum exposure of luminal surfaces to the antibiotic. As an extreme example, consider horses. Horses are very, very sensitive to changes in their gut bacterial balance, and any good vet knows that you do not give oral antibiotics to a horse, (except for a few certain antibiotics, in a few special cases). A typical outcome of inappropriately treating a horse with oral antibiotics, is fatal diarrhea, (for the horse, of course, not the individual "treating" the horse - though it may be fatal for someone's bank account, if a high-dollar horse is involved).
Of course, we're talking about a matter of degree, here, and some level of attrition of beneficial gut bacteria is probably going to occur, with any form of antibiotic delivery, so there are no guarantees that any type of antibiotic delivery may not cause GI problems, to some extent - oral delivery causes the most damage to beneficial gut bacteria, though. Antibiotics are given for a reason, (presumably, to treat a bacterial infection), so the obvious question then would be, "are other types of delivery as effective as oral treatment, at controlling the target infection?"
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate any trials where oral antibiotic effectiveness has been compared with the efficacy of injected antibiotics. It's certainly possible that there may not be any one-size-fits-all rule, and results may vary for different antibiotics. I have a gut feeling, though, that results may be comparable for the two types of delivery, because the article at the following link, demonstrates that the efficacy of oral antibiotics, and intravenously-delivered antibiotics is very similar.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/q28320jxq1602256/
My guess is that results are typically comparable, but oral antibiotics are routinely prescribed, simply because oral treatments are much easier, and much more economical, for the patient. IOW, for any other type of delivery, (other than topical, or inhaled), the daily dose would have to be administered in a doctor's office, or a clinic, which would be much more expensive.
At least, that's the way I see it.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Dear Tex
I agree there seems to be very little out there on the web about this question. All I could find was advice for guinea pigs from the following site:
http://www.aracnet.com/~seagull/Guineas ... otics.html
Best, ant
Best, ant
I agree there seems to be very little out there on the web about this question. All I could find was advice for guinea pigs from the following site:
http://www.aracnet.com/~seagull/Guineas ... otics.html
Hopefully, there is more information with regards to the pros and cons of oral versus injected versus intravenous routes applicable to humans!Administering antibiotics by injection is easier on the guinea pig's digestive system, since the antibiotics don't come into direct contact with the bacteria in the digestive tract..........
............What precautions can I take to minimize the risks?
There are several things that you should do while your guinea pig is under going treatment via antibiotics:
Lactobacilli acidophilus supplements
Acidophilus is a non-dairy based bacteria-growing culture that enables the growth of the lactobacillus bacteria that aid in digestion. Acidophilus is available at pharmacies and health-food stores, and comes in a capsule or liquid form. The liquid form has short shelf-life (only a few weeks), so the capsule form is generally recommended, as it can last for months if stored in the refrigerator.
Administer the acidophilus by dissolving the powder of half of a capsule in about 1 cc of water, in an open syringe. Administer the acidophilus orally, from the syringe, just as described for oral antibiotics, above.
If you use oral antibiotics, you should wait at least one hour after administering the acidophilus before giving the antibiotic. Otherwise, the acidophilus will still be in the digestive system, and the antibiotic will kill off the bacteria that the acidophilus is culturing before they have had a chance to build up. If you are administering antibiotics via injections, you do not need to wait.
Acidophilus supplements will reduce the risks of diarrhea, by giving the "good" bacteria in the digestive system the opportunity to build up before the antibiotic hits.
Best, ant
Best, ant