Anyone else scared of antibiotics? (perhaps irrationally?)

[dontwantCDiff]

I hope this is okay to post here as it is not directly related to Cdiff.

Is anyone else nervous about taking antibiotics such as Cipro, Bactrim etc in general?

I have done a lot of reading about the quinolones in particular (cipro, avelox, floxin etc) and they just seem really nasty!

I wonder though if perhaps I have just been influenced by too many alarmist sites...and really the side-effects aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be?

I have to start a 2 week cycle of cipro tomorrow and much more anxious than I think I should be.

[dontwantCDiff]

I should note that I have no problem with Zithromax and the penicillins but for some reason the newer stuff seems more worrisome (cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones etc)

[Sheila1]

I posted a note on this in the other forum.

[nsewell]

I took Bactrim last November and now in March had to take azithromycin and so far have been fine. A few scares but I also take a probiotic. I was VERY scared to take another antibiotic and held off as long as possible.

[Nancy1]

I think that anyone who has had cdiff will be nervous about taking antibiotics forever. FYI, Cipro plus levaquin gave me cdiff in the first place. I believe that any antibiotic can cause cdiff; some are more likely to do so than others.

[Dorothy]

I'm with you! I'm almost 4 years cdiff free and I am still afraid of antibiotics, not only for me, but for my kids as well. I don't know if it can ever go away once you've been through something that terrible!

[Bobbie]

Once a C. differ, always a C. differ. The fear of antibiotics lingers because we know the bad side effects. Unfortunately, some of us will have to take antibiotics in the future. Just be sure they are absolutely necessary.

I am at high risk of C. diff. -- had it for 4 yrs. (l993-l997) & again in l999 --pneumonia. Last Nov. I got pneumonia again & tolerated a Zpak. No one was more surprised than I was. Go figure!!!