Cipro and Flagyl

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beth22
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby beth22 » Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:36 pm

I got c difficile from Cipro myself - twice. If he is not better, you should contact the doctor or go to ER and not wait for the results. Maybe if you call the doctor, he would be able to access the results somehow online.

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Sun Feb 21, 2021 10:54 am

His result is in, it's negative (it's in the patient portal online). Yet he continues to have watery D six or seven times a day, with mucus. He called the doctor, but it's just a recording because it's the weekend, so he left a message. So it's either the ER today or wait and call the doctor tomorrow. He wants to ask for vanco.

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:13 pm

He's so angry right now, all this explosive diarrhea, and he's sure the doctor won't prescribe vanco over the phone, they will make him go to the ER. He went to the ER so many times this year. He's saying that he won't go. So I don't know what's going to happen :(.

NanciT
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby NanciT » Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:23 pm

I am SO very sorry for what your husband has been through and is still going through, it is horrible. There is no MD on call??? I would make sure and speak with either the doctor or the surgeon who did his surgery tomorrow. They are they only one's that can guide you. I would actually prefer the surgeon who did the surgery and gave him the antibiotics.
Many antibiotics can cause diarrhea, if the test is negative for CDIFF they need to advise. He has been though alot


Wishing him the very best in recovery

NanciT

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:53 pm

Thank you for your reply NanciT. He will call the doctor early tomorrow morning, I mean the colorectal surgeon. He also has a gastroenterologist. In the spring I was able to contact doctors in that practice over the weekend, but it seems that is no longer the case, it goes straight to a recording that says "If this is an emergency, go to the ER". I know it's possible he doesn't have cdiff, but there is something very wrong happening, and they need to address it and fix it. His "norm" is constipation, in fact the symptom that led to testing, and eventually the Crohn's diagnosis was a severe fissure that began as a result of constipation. So this diarrhea is not at all typical for him, and it's preventing him from healing from his surgery. He is exhausted.

I really hope the doctor takes this seriously tomorrow. After his surgery, the colorectal surgeon told him to schedule an appointment with his gastroenterologist ASAP. So he tried to do that, and the soonest they had an opening is April 8, which seems ridiculous. It feels like there's a disconnect between all the doctors treating him, and I don't think they take his condition as seriously as they should. He has had three ER visits in the past year, two MRI's, a CT scan, a colonoscopy, and three different surgeries. He is now on his second biologic medication because he had a bad allergic reaction (passing out) to the first one. And he is in constant pain and can't sit at all. This diarrhea is so distressing. I have few people I can talk to about this, his parents don't care at all. His mom has literally said "You'll get better someday" after he explained to her that it's a chronic condition.

beth22
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby beth22 » Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:59 am

I agree with Nancy. I would talk to the doctor who did the surgery first, but if he has Crohn's, that can also be a cause. Perhaps the surgeon can advise you as to what to do. Going to ER doesn't really solve anything. If he is dehydrated, of course, they can re-hydrate him, but they probably can't tell you what the cause of this is. Good luck tomorrow and let us know how things go.

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Mon Feb 22, 2021 12:01 pm

He talked to the doctor's office today, and they scheduled a telehealth appointment for him this Wednesday. They refuse to prescribe vanco because the test was negative. So until Wednesday he has to suffer. Nothing will change between now and then. The doctor thinks it's "just IBS". I don't see how it could possibly be just IBS, when he never had IBS in his life, he would only poop once a week if he didn't take Miralax. But for the past few days he has been having profuse, explosive watery D 6 or 7 times a day, with a lot of mucus and a foul stench. For the record he hasn't taken Miralax in more than 2 weeks, since the loose stools began. Nothing in his diet has changed. The only difference has been the recent antibiotic use. He has also lost 5 pounds in the past week.

NanciT
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby NanciT » Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:44 pm

When he has his appt on Wed is would be good for you to be there also. Have the list of terrible symptoms he has been suffering with, and make it clear he is really suffering and has been through so much. If it is IBS, there are medications for that but only the surgeon can guide you. If he once again states he needs to see the GI, ask him to PLEASE call the GI and speak with him to get him in sooner.

These doctors need to know how much suffering he is going through. I do think with Covid out there it is so much harder to get appts and responses from anyone....it is really terrible for those patients who are ill and really need help. I do hope this situation improves soon

Hoping you husband has brighter days ahead, he is lucky to have you by his side to see him through....


NanciT

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:50 pm

Thank you for your reply NanciT. He is at the lab right now getting some bloodwork done and picking up another stool sample kit, as ordered by the surgeon. The telehealth appointment on Wednesday won't be with the surgeon or his gastroenterologist, but another gastroenterologist from that office because everyone else is busy. So it's not even someone familiar with his history. I can't believe how hard this has been.

He continues to have the watery D. After every single poop he needs to shower to keep the surgical area clean. He has multiple fistulas and setons, and the D is aggravating everything. At this point he is basically praying for death. We also have a small child who doesn't understand what's going on.

beth22
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby beth22 » Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:13 am

I would ask the doctor at your visit to try him on the vanco to see if there is any improvement. If it is truly not c diff, then there most likely won't be much if any. Explain all that you wrote above and how he feels and about not getting the incisions dirty, etc. And if they haven't screened for other pathogens, maybe they can do that as well.

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:31 am

Thank you for your reply Beth. He'll deliver another sample today. Unfortunately the doctor said that a stool culture for other pathogens "isn't necessary at this time" so they didn't order that. But something is clearly wrong. I think he's going to end up testing negative again, and have to deliver another sample to test for other things. He is in so much pain and distress. I'm extremely anxious too, I can't stop washing my hands, and I'm having trouble eating because I'm afraid that spores are everywhere. My hands are bleeding and cracked, I wash them about 40 times a day. The anxiety is out of control, as is my IBS. For a little while I thought things were better, that I could relax a little bit and stop worrying about things. But over the past few weeks it got so bad. I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, I don't think we'll ever enjoy life again. My husband can't do any of the things he used to enjoy. It feels like life is over for us. We are running out of money with no income, I got medicaid and food assistance, and deferred the mortgage payments for as long as I could. I don't think he can ever work again in his condition, I need to apply for disability for him, but that will take time. We will probably lose the house. I keep applying for jobs to no avail. My husband is so sick most of the time that he can't take care of our son alone, if I went to work. My in-laws aren't in the state, they will be in Florida for another three months, so they are no help to us right now. Everything feels extremely bleak. Covid continues. I don't even have hope that the vaccine will do any good because of all the mutant strains appearing.

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:19 am

I'm going to schedule an appointment for him at the university hospital. Surely they have better doctors than the ones we have been dealing with. At least maybe they will have a better plan to coordinate his care.

His current doctors want him to start Methotrexate soon because his medication isn't managing the inflammation well enough. I'm worried, Methotrexate has many black box warnings about liver, lung, and kidney problems, it's scary.

beth22
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby beth22 » Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:07 pm

I am sorry for all the trouble that you are having. I think the appt with the university hospital is a good idea. If he gets very bad, can you take him to the ER at that hospital instead of where you were before? Maybe they would look into the situation more seriously. I know that things look bleak right now and anything I say will sound trite, but hopefully you can get to the bottom of these symptoms and start a recovery plan. If your husband can start on the right treatment, he will improve and will be able to do things that he used to be able to do before. When you have the appointments with the doctor, explain his inability to function at this point. Maybe it will get the doctor's attention.

poppy86
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby poppy86 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 3:49 pm

Thank you for your reply Beth. My husband actually had a sigmoidoscopy this morning after his second cdiff test came back negative. His bloodwork showed elevated c-reactive protein, even though it was within normal range 3 weeks ago.

The sigmoidoscopy found widespread inflammation and lesions, so biopsies were taken, and the results should be in tomorrow. The doctor told me (on the phone) that it could be due to cdiff, or it could be due to his Crohn's, or it could be something else entirely. What that is I have no idea.

He continues to have the watery diarrhea unfortunately.

NS789
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Re: Cipro and Flagyl

Postby NS789 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 9:06 pm

Your poor hubby must be miserable. And it's such a stress for you too! I hope you get some clear results tomorrow so the doctor can come up with an appropriate treatment plan. Sending good wishes to you both!
32 y/o female. Got C. diff in Feb. 2020. Prescribed Flagyl (10 days), then Flagyl again (4 days), then Vanco (10 days), then Dificid (10 days), then Dificid again (10 days), then a Vanco taper (5 wks), then a Dificid taper (2 mths) and finally recovered.


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