Antibiotic Therapy

[Mazen]

Hi guys. I have been now on several antibiotics for about 3 months (Flagyl, Cipro, Augmentin, Suprax...) to treat abdominal abscesses, and now have a drain in my abdomin and awaiting all the infection to go before trying Remicade to close my fistula.

What I have noticed is when I am on antibiotics, all my Crohn's symptoms are gone!!! I have no pain, my stools are solid, and i have a very good appetite. Has anyone noticed this before? I know some have had good success with Cipro and Flagyl before but what about other antibiotics??

My theory is that it may be for 2 reasons:

- The first theory, is that Crohn's is an auto immune reaction to normal bacteria in the gut, so when we kill this bacteria by antibiotics we stop the immune system from attacking our gut

- or, the cause of Crohn's is an an unknown pathogenic bacteria and the antibiotics are weakening or killing it. But if this is true, then why aren't we cured after a course of antibiotics, unless we are infected again somehow from food (dairy???) or the environment, or that the bacteria is so strong that the antibiotics are keeping it dorment and then it surfaces again after stopping the treatment!

I know I'm ranting a lot, but just trying to make sense of this crazy disease

 

[shazamataz]

Can't help there Mazen, but it's worth thinking about. My concern would be taht over time you are losing all the good stuff too.
I hope your infections heal up nicely so you can avoid surgery.

 

[CrohnsHobo]

I was on a course of antibiotics earlier this year and it made my Crohn's feel worse than it ever has . . . Flagyl and Cipro. Was so excited when my Dr. said I could stop.

 

[imisspopcorn]

Maybe it needs to be long term therapy such when they treat Tuberculosis....It would make sense if Crohn's is caused my MAP. Since TB is also a mycobacterium.

 

[Cookie]

Aside from the yucky taste in my mouth and the slight nausea, I feel better when on Cipro and Flagyl as well. It usually takes about a week after starting a course before I start to feel better. During that first week I feel absolutely awful. I finally accepted (although I could be wrong), that it is the infection making its way out of my body. After that, I feel good as far as my Crohn's symptoms go...normal BMs and pain free.

 

[CrohnsHobo]

I was on both for four months and my BMs and pain got worse.

 

[beth]

I had a number of Metronidazol and Augmentin sessions, not necessarily because of Crohn's, over about 4 or 5 months. It was a horrible time, didn't do much for the original problem and made my BM's baaaad!

 

[imisspopcorn]

Augmentum is notorious for causing diarrhea.....I refuse it for me and my kids if they try to prescribe it.....

 

[Crohn's 35]

I am like Mazen, they always have been the ONLY thing that has helped me. for maintence I take one or the other of cipro or flagyl. I rarely take full doses and yes Flagyl can make you feel crappy but only if you take the full 250mg 4 times a day...ew

 

[saidinstouch]

I posted this sort of in Mazen's other thread, but will give a brief answer here also. Basically the complexities of our microbiome are completely unknown, other than it is infinitely more complex than people ever believed. The reason some of us respond better or worse to the same antibiotics could be as follows: 1)gets better on antibiotics - killing MAP(or other bad bacteria) or killing off bacteria that are killing the bacteria that can clear the bad infection. 2) gets worse on antibiotics - killing good bacteria that can clear MAP (or other bacteria) or killing bacteria that keep MAP and others in check so you get an overgrowth. There are other possibilities of course, but those are two fairly simple ones that can easily answer the question at hand.

I'm hoping to meet with an expert on the human microbiome in the next few weeks since he just started a lab at UCSF. I'm interested in discussing the role of bacteria in diseases like crohns and some of the ideas presented on these boards about MAP. If I am able to, and if I remember, I will post the results of our conversation on the forum (if someone reminds me in a month I should have met with him by them and will do my best to post then).