Could these common antibiotics cause Crohn's disease?

[hareyan]

No one knows what causes Crohn's disease that is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). I a meta-analysis, researchers found an association between Crohn's disease and antibiotics.

The drug metronidazole and a class of antimicrobials known as quinolones were linked to new onset of IBD among a large number of patients who had taken the drugs.

Metronidazole is also known as Flagyl and is used to treat parasites, vaginal yeast infections and other types of bacterial infections. Quinolones are antibiotics used to treat a wide variety of infections that commonly occur in a community setting, such as upper respiratory infections and pneumonia. A popular example of a quinolone is the drug Cipro. Quinolone drugs also deplete the intestines of 'good' bacteria.

The finding that comes from Dr. Ryan Ungaro and colleagues were presented at a conference on inflammatory bowel diseases.and reported online in "Family Practice News".

Dr. Ungaro explains how the antibiotics might lead to Crohn's disease, either directly or indirectly by somehow altering microbes in the gut to cause dysfunction that leads to IBD. "Alternatively, antibiotic exposures might just be surrogate markers for an infectious trigger that is actually associated with IBD.

The study

For their study, Ungaro and his team looked at 11 studies that included 7,208 patients who had been newly diagnosed with IBD. Among those studied, 3,207 had ulcerative colitis, and 64 had unclassified IBD," Ungaro said.

Metronidazole (Flagyl) and quinolones showed the strongest association to new onset of IBD. In the study, all antibiotics were linked to IBD, with the exception of Penicillin. None of the antibiotics were associated with causing ulcerative colitis.

Understanding what causes or triggers Crohn's disease and other types of IBD is a focus of researchers. The autoimmune disease is difficult to manage and can be different for everyone. Ultimately, medications often fail to control inflammatory bowel disease, leading to fibrosis and the need for surgery. The findings link common antibiotics to new onset of Crohn's disease and IBD, but more studies are needed to show the drugs cause IBD.

This article is originally published at EmaxHealth.

 

[wild_one353]

I'm always waiting for more research to come out on how antibiotics may destroy intestinal bacteria leading to autoimmune conditions.
here is another link to further verify its existence.

http://journals.lww.com/ibdjournal/...4_YI_Antibiotics_and_Risk_of_New_Onset.4.aspx

 

[hareyan]

thank you wildbill, looking at your research now

 

[Axelfl3333]

I personally blame,shingles for getting the ball rolling with crohns,not saying it caused it but feel it pushed things over the edge was ill for weeks after it.my theory any way really annoying condition,so many variables.

 

[hareyan]

I didn't know shingles are involved in Crohn's. I know that shingles are related in incrising the risk of suffering with stroke
http://www.emaxhealth.com/11400/shingles-significantly-increases-risk-suffering-stroke

But not about Crohn's. Are there any studies relating shingles to Crohn's or to any autoimmune diseases? Thank you.

 

[sir.clausin]

It´s not that I don´t agree with the fact that antibiotics are to blame, but I know folks with IBD that are much better after taking Flagyl. And then again, majority of people taking antibiotics are not getting IBD, but I believe they have had a much more divers microbiota from the start.

 

[Axelfl3333]

I don,t know if it is but remember things went off the rails after it,coincidence,could be,but are conditions like crohns dormant and waiting for an illness,any illness which knocks you down for a while and it then acts like it's an oppertunity for it to get going?i also know I wasn't,t looking after myself to well at the time 80hr weeks plus at work, quite a lot stress work wise and at home probably the right conditions to catch something annoying,it's a fairly common theme on here.thanks

 

[wild_one353]

It´s not that I don´t agree with the fact that antibiotics are to blame, but I know folks with IBD that are much better after taking Flagyl. And then again, majority of people taking antibiotics are not getting IBD, but I believe they have had a much more divers microbiota from the start.

other variables to consider are, fiber in the diet , sugar in the diet and current vitamin d status which regulate the production of antimicrobial peptides defensins which are secreted along the intestinal tract surface via paneth cells. the north south gradient of IBD/autoimmune disease strongly suggests vitamin d levels play a role in susceptibility to developing the disease, it is likely through these mechanisms,that vitamin d is a strong protector against dysbiosis.

combine any number of those things, and other variables not mentioned above, and you'll destroy something eventually leading to autoimmune disease.

a new variable i am just considering is trypsin inhibitors derived from non fermented soy products, trypsin is required for the production of defensins in paneth cells. some of this evidence i speak of is poorly established as related to gi diseases, ive put some of it together myself and is somewhat theoretical, yet, based on some pretty hard science.

 

[sir.clausin]

I agree on that AND it would be interesting to know which species or genus of bacteria in which flagyl whipes out. I´ve heard that it´s like a bushfire on the microbiota, killing a lot!