sick again part II

[beth22]

So, if anyone has experience taking antibiotics post c diff along with vanco, please let me know how you did it.

[AllisS]

I don't have experience with ATX at same time as vanco post-c. diff (though soon may). But re: what you said in prior thread before locking it: I had an ear infection, some years ago, that was bad enough that I took a train from Massachusetts to Florida for a family get-together, rather than flying as planned. (Very long rain ride.) I had gone from doctor to doctor before finding a good ear specialist. I think I had the plugged-ear sensation you mention, though not as severely. And that it was due to fluid. So, not permanent.

[Bobbie]

Beth,
I had an ear infection on the way home from the UK years ago. After we landed, I couldn't hear for days. I did saline irrigation (after Afrin) and it helped immensely.

I've read peds. are not dispensing antibiotics a much as they used to do - but are instead are prescribing antibiotic drops to put in the ear. This probably would not help your sinus infection, however.

When I have an infection, I do saline irrigation 4 or 5 times a day.

Feel better.

[beth22]

As Bobbie always sayd, ask 3 different doctors something and you will get 3 different answers. I went to my ENT and he said I did not have an ear infection, but had fluid behind both ears and he could see mucus behind one ear. Based on what he saw, he said he would not have prescribed me antibiotics, but he did not see me on Monday and Tuesday when I had all the infectious mucus coming out of my nose and down my throat. He asked for a copy from my internist's office of the high white count and did seem to agree that it indicated bacterial involvement. I guess the Levaquin must have helped something. He said I only need to take it 5 - 7 days now, not the 10 that were originally prescribed.

Meanwhile...... vanco is giving me D. I know it is the vanco because of the orange colored stool with no odor. Same thing that happened to me before. I hated that medicine then and I hate it even more now knowing what it has done to my body. Perhaps I should have taken my chances with the Levaquin. Nonetheless, I gulped down a pill at lunch and hopefully I won't need to go on it for a relapse. I will try doing transfers. Actually, as soon as I am done with the Levaquin, or maybe before I will start. The colon pain and irritation from vanco is the same I experienced before. It is very unpleasant and annoying.

My hearing --- very bad indeed and it may take a few weeks to come back. I don't now what I will do about working. If I can't hear, I can't teach. I'm really fed up and depressed at this point. One ear I can finally "pop" a little, but he said it has a lot of fluid behind it. I can't hear well when people talk nor when I walk or anything else much. I read a little more about chiropractic massage for sinusitis and acupuncture, as Fire suggested. Apparently you can do it for infections as well as allergies, so I will call about that and see. It's worth a try.

[pinkangel]

Beth, First sorry you have to worry about this. Can you tolerate sudafed (the plain regular kind that you have to sign for)? I had an ear infection about 10 yrs ago. It was so bad I had stuff draining out of it everyday. I got Cipro, then the cipro ear drops .. Nothing helped. I went to a ear nose throat hospital back home in NC. Turns out my ear drum ruptured during this. They used this large machine to clean my ears. No help. I then used sudafed and within a week it was gone. I also got my hearing back.. My ear sort of popped. The hearing kept getting better. I think it had trouble draining until I used the sudafed. It made me a little nervous shaky but I just took 1-2 a day for a few days. The doctor did tell me a lot of times antibiotics will not clear it up. That you need better drainage. When I was a kid I had dozens of rounds of antibiotics for ear infections that were not doing me any good. Only thing that helped was tubes and getting my adenoids out. I would seriously try to get some drainage happening via some sort of decongestant. It may help more than anything.

[beth22]

Unfortunately, I am allergic to pseudoephedrine that is in decongestants and can't take them. I get a horrible rash. I can take Benadryl, but the ENT told me not to right now because my nose is kind of bloody inside from all the trauma and he said it would dry it out more and he is afraid I will wind up in ER with a bleed and have to be hospitalized. I'm not even supposed to do the nasal rinses right now. The last one I did made my nose bleed pretty bad. I will take an antihistamine though as soon as I can. I will also look into the acupuncture.

Had a hearing test today and there was considerable hearing loss, but the test showed it was indeed from congestion and should come back when there is drainage of the fluid.

My own voice just resounds in my head. I never had anything like this. The ear infection is gone and the infectious sinus mucus is better too, so at least the antibiotic helped something, but at a price. I have had intestinal issues all day - don't know if it is from Levaquin or vanco. It could be both. I am hoping that c diff doesn't come back. My Gi is trying to see if he can find someone to do a stool transfer for me, but without a positive test, I'm sure no one will and I won't get a positive when on vanco. He did say I would have to do a FT after I am done with the meds though with my history, so I guess I will be mixing up the stuff myself. That part is not hard, but I am not good at enemas and the Fleets bottles are not going to be enough. Have to do the hanging bag ones like they give to old people when they are C. Will have to figure it out.

Did you do anything besides taking the Sudafed like breathe steam or a some other home remedies? If so, let me know.

[getwellsoon]

Glad you are feeling better and hope the remaining issues clear up soon. How long are you going to be on the Vanco? Since you are on two ATX are you sure its the Vanco causing the issues. We all know any ATX can cause D and all these other issues. Too bad Vanco isn't good for you. It does make me almost have D also but I don't feel terrible when I take it. Now Dificid, that was a whole different ballgame, I felt awful taking that, gas, pain etc. Praying all your issues clear up soon and you feel better soon. Carol

[pinkangel]

Beth, gosh you are like me and have these weird reactions to meds. I would try the benadryl when you can. Is the trauma from them doing a tube down the nose? I had that before and did not bleed for long. Hate that you have the nose bleeds a long with this. The hearing should indeed come back when it begins to drain. I was worried about that after a month with no hearing. I did try ear candling as well twice before sudafed and eating spicy food. I do not know if this helped or not since I did sudafed right after. I was at the point I would do anything. I also would keep a hot washcloth behind my ear a lot. I would do this for an hour or more constantly keeping it hot. When I was little and had all these issues I always kept a humidifier in my room to help with dryness. That may help a little. I notice at home when I use the heat I have a flare up every now and then but when I leave the windows open and the humid Florida air is in here my ears feel better.

The vanco makes me have weird intestinal issues as well so I hope it is from that. I agree a FMT is the way to go after the Vanco to be safe. Is there any way the doctor or a close relative or friend can help you out with the enema?

[beth22]

I had a few episodes of watery D this morning with that familiar stomach rumbing. I don't now if it is from the Levaquin, the vanco or both or if it is indeed c difficile coming back. I took in a stool sample, even though it probabl won't show anything since I have started vanco. I just took my vanco now and feel worse, so I don't know what is causing it. I see the GI this afternoon.

My ears are a little better, but I have a bleed going down my throat and keep spitting it up and I can taste the blood. I called ENT office, but no reply. Maybe the GI can tell me what it is. It is from pretty high up though. I hope it is not from within the sinus. That is all I need.

[saraht]

Liz, I am so sorry you are going through this. I keep hoping every time I check the post, that you are feeling better. I pray it's just the antibiotics and not dreaded c.diff. Let us know what the GI says! Praying for answers!

[Bobbie]

Agree with saraht. Since you are seeing doc, you should fine out the reason for this.

Hope you come home feeling better rather than worse.

[beth22]

The test for c diff (LAMP) was negative, but I have taken about 4 vanco, so it probably negates the results. No one knows the reason, Bobbie. It is D caused by the antibiotics, but whether it is the Levaquin or vanco or both, no one can say. I have to stay on the Levaquin at least 2 more days, preferably 4. I can't take the chance of winding up in the hospital or having permanent hearing loss. I will take the Levaquin together with the vanco tonight and see what the results are in the morning.

I had to see ENT today - could have been my son - very young. I was spitting up bloody sputum all day and told him that I thought it was from my sinuses, but he insisted that it was from my nose and cauterized it with silver nitrate. It did absolutely no good. I still have the bloody stuff going down my throat. Now I also feel as if I have something in my nostril. Just what I needed. On the brighter side, they said the ear infection had cleard and they did not see any more fluid behind my ears. Today, for the first time, the other ear popped open some, so that is good. I hope it stays that way. Word has it that this virus is the kind where you feel better for a day and then it comes back again. Must be. I had a fever again today after not having one for a day or two.

I truly feel as if I am going to go crazy and my husband is tired of cooking and doing the extra things. He is also not very good when I am sick. Somehow it always comes back to my attitude and how other people with worse things can get by, etc. That may be true, but it doesn't help me at all and only makes me feel more alone. I haven't been able to see my 93 yr. old mom in two weeks. I hope by the time I can, she remembers me and is still around. Can you tell I'm a little depressed?

GI said no one will do a stool transfer unless I have a positive test, so I will be doing them myself. I have no doubt that if I stop vanco, I will test positive eventually, but I would rather not wait for that and just try and "nip it in the bud" before tha happens. Have to find someone to help me though.

[amyc]

I have a totally blocked ear too, and it is miserable. I keep shaking my head like my dogs, chewing gum, swallowing, making funny faces, etc. I took Mucinex D and have been using Afrin spray as well. Hopefully it won't get infected and will just drain eventually. I see my doctor on Monday (apparently everybody in OK is sick too) and will ask her to just pop the ear drum to release the pressure if that is feasible.

I had the flu even though I had my flu shot this year, sigh. Tamiflu helped quite a bit but I'm left with this lovely ear. I am taking my probiotics and hoping I don't have to take antibiotics too.

Beth, I hope you feel better as soon as you stop the Levaquin and vanco. Your mom will remember you when you go to visit again, I'm sure.

[beth22]

Thanks, Amy. My ears are popping again pretty much, but my hearing is not back to normal. Still resounds and can't make out what people say too well, but it is better than yesterday and the last few days. I never had anything like that and I have had a lot of viruses. Unfortunately this one went bacterial despite my best efforts. The mucus is still draining and I still got the low grade fever today. I wonder what would happen if I took the Levaquin only for 5 days? Tonight was day 4. I have had D about 8 - 10 times today, although the last few just small amounts. I am using generic vanco and I wonder if I don't tolerate it as well. I opened a capsule and it has this weird hard waxy looking substance in it and in the stool it looked like pieces of that (sorry TMI), so I wonder if it is the vancy and not the Levaquin. When I took the Levaquin by itself, I did not get the horrible rumbling noises after, but I did with vanco starting with the first pill. Makes me think back to the c diff days and wonder if the rumbling was the vanco or the illness.

[getwellsoon]

Glad your ears are at least doing some better. Hang in there Liz, when you feel better you will be able to cope better. YOur Mom will be fine, I know you worry but try to concentrate on you right now. Husbands just suck sometimes but I think when we are sick they just feel helpless and scared and in comes out as impatience. I have one just like yours. You are always in my prayers and try to keep your chin up and don't let the depression get you down. Take something if you have to, you need it, as my Dr. would say when I didn't want to take anti-depressants either. Hoping today is a better day. Carol