Dr wants 80 year old mom on flagyl and Cipro

[mvance12]

Good evening. My 80 year mother who is in otherwise fair health had a bladder infection treated with augmentin. Got diarrhea but didn't stop taking medication. At same time dr insisted she take calcium/magnesium b/c of recently discovered osteoprosis. We have IBS in family so that was a problem too for her. She managed to make it thru about 8 days on imodium and stopping all meds but this weekend got very ill and dr suspected c diff. She did not need to be hospitalized as her blood pressure was fine and she was not dehydrated. We are acquainted with c diff as her mother almost died of it after a stay in a rehab center, until we got her to an infectious disease specialist who prescribed questran and she recovered (died 6 months later at age 96). My family has since passed on the information about questran to two other families whose loved ones were in very poor shape.

Mom was given flagyl to start once she did lab work, and I made sure to get her culturelle and she's being very careful with diet. She started flagyl yesterday morning. While still having diarrhea it's slowed down and she looked much better and even did some very light yard work today. This afternoon the nurse calls to tell her she does have c-diff and cipro has been ordered in addition to the flagyl. I told my mother not to take it because I have not read anywhere that Cipro is a first line treatment for c-diff and from what I see here it may be downright dangerous. I realize this is not medical advice here (I am a lawyer) but I know how beneficial such sites are as I have an autoimmune condition which I'm able to handle b/c of information from a site like this (not the medical profession). My father is pressuring her to take the cipro b/c he never questions anything.

If anyone can give me their opinion I would appreciate it. I may either call the doctor myself or insist that my mom see an infectious disease dr or perhaps gastro? She's still taking the flagyl.

Thank you! Melissa

[AllisS]

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Melissa, I think you are absolutely right in your idea to consult a GI doctor (preferably one who specializes in C. difficile; not all GI drs. are C.-diff savvy, unfortunately) and/or an infectious-disease doctor prior to any decision regarding your mother taking Cipro. Like you, I've never heard of Cipro being used as a C. diff treatment; in fact, not infrequently it's been implicated in causing C. diff. If your mother doesn't respond to Flagyl, vancomycin or dificid (the latter is a relatively new drug) would be the next antibiotic that would likely be tried. Best wishes for your mother's recovery; please post again to let us know how she's doing, as well as if you have additional questions.

Allison

[seekingcure]

You are doing the right thing by questioning the reason for the prescription for Cipro. It is not used to treat c-diff and would almost certainly make her symptoms from the c-diff worse. Could she have another issue for which they prescribed the Cipro? Maybe the bladder infection wasn't cleared with the Augmentin? Cipro is frequently prescribed for bladder infections. I would call the office tomorrow and just question them as to the reason for the Cipro. If she does have another concurrent infection that she needs the Cipro for, most doctors would recommend that she continue the Flagyl for some period of time after completing the Cipro, usually a week to two weeks.

During my first relapse with c-diff, I had a bladder infection that required treatment with ten days of Cipro. I can tell you that during those ten days, I was very sick, could barely eat and was still having a BM every hour or so. It was not pleasant and things did not begin to turn around as far as the D until I got off the Cipro. So I really hope your mother won't have to take the Cipro along with her antibiotic for c-diff.

She's very lucky to have you looking out for her. The older I've gotten the more I realize that doctors aren't perfect and they don't know everything, so I have no problem questioning them when I don't understand the treatment they are recommending. Good for you! I would also go ahead and get that consult with the GI scheduled. If the Flagyl doesn't take care of the c-diff, you will need someone with more expertise with GI issues.

Please let us know what you find out and how she does. Bea

[Bobbie]

Another NO for Gipro and YES for either a GI or ID.

Your mother is a wonder. 80 and no osteo until now - and raking the yard! What a woman!

Take her to a specialist and bet she beats this quickly.

You are a wonderful advocate for her.

[mvance12]

Thank you and I apologize if I violated any rules. I did skim them beforehand. ;-) She called the doctor this morning to ask why Cipro prescribed and nurse said to take for the c-diff. However nurse said if it were her, she would just take the flagyl first and then see so that's all my mom needed to hear. I told her that if the Flagyl did not get the infection then we would go see an infectious disease person together. Keeping my fingers crossed that the one course of flagyl will be all she needs, but I know there's a chance it will not. She's feeling fine other than having diarrhea, but it's not constant now. She joked about going to another state to see her granddaughter graduate college this weekend but she knows that is not feasible.
Thanks again.
Melissa

[getwellsoon]

Melissa, Glad your Mom won't take the Cipro. If I were you I would file a complaint against the Dr. I think it borders on criminal if he prescribed Cipro for CDiff, that is definitely not indicated. He is at the least incompetent to treat CDiff patients. If he is in a group I would call the office and complain and if he is in a hospital they definitely need to know. I know you have enough on your plate but giving a CDiff patient Cipro as a cure is so bad, he needs to be schooled. Others who know exactly who to report this to will chime in I'm sure but at some time when your Mom is better I would investigate this further and let them know they could have made your Mom much much sicker with Cipro. I just can't believe a competent Dr. would prescribe this, which tells me he isn't. Hoping your Mom is doing much better soon and thanking God you had the sense to question the Cipro and she didn't take it. Good luck. Let us know how she does.

[seekingcure]

I'm also glad your mom did not start the Cipro and agree that prescribing Cipro for c-diff is gross negligence. My thinking was perhaps they had prescribed it for some other infection she had going on concurrently with the c-diff. Glad she called and found out that is not the case. She should be looking for another doctor. This one is incompetent and I, personally, would be scared to go to him. I'd recommend you go ahead and call about getting an appointment with the ID or GI of your choice so you'll have something lined up if she does relapse. It sometimes takes awhile to get an appointment set up. Good luck and keep us updated. Bea

[AllisS]

I agree with Carol that the doctor should be reported. I would contact the hospital's patient advocate as well as the hospital administrator. I suggest that you describe what went on in written form.

Bea's idea of lining up an appointment with an ID dr. or GI C. diff specialist in advance is excellent and had also occurred to me when you first mentioned that you might arrange a consult.

[beth22]

Cipro is the antibiotic that gave me c difficile. Just to be on the safe, side I would ask to speak to the doctor or ask the nurse to ask him directly what the Cipro was for. If it was indeed for the bladder infection, then that is different, but there are other medications that are less likely to cause c difficile. Sulfa and Macrobid are used to treat bladder infections as well. Ask though, because you don't want to have a bladder infection go untreated either. Is she still having symptoms of UTI? If the Cipro was prescribed for the c difficile, I would follow what the others told you, as that is definitely negligence and as Roy pointed out, can be deadly.

[mvance12]

She did ask and it was not for bladder infection (she seems to be fine with that now). The doctor prescribed two antibiotics at once: flagyl and cipro. She goes back on Tuesday to her regular doctor, as the one who prescribed was someone covering. She is also going to authorize me to have direct contact with them and I know she won't take anything else without running it by me. I read the responses to her last night. Thank you so much. Melissa

[AllisS]

Melissa, it's of course entirely up to you, but I hope you will give serious consideration to reporting the doctor who prescribed the Cipro to your mother. Your mother was lucky; she had you as an advocate, looking out for her. The next patient may not be so fortunate and could end up very ill (or worse) from Cipro prescribed inappropriately in this manner. If the doctor is in a hospital-based practice, there are multiple people you could report him to: department head, hospital administrator, patient advocate. If it's a freestanding practice, then the Department of Public Health for your locale might be the one.