Back on Pepto Bismol pills :(

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 11:27 am

I've had a rough couple of weeks. While celebrating the end of my daughter's 4-year battle with D caused by amoebas, I descended into a horrible flare. Nothing but watery D for almost 2 weeks. It started with a possible cross-contamination glutening 2 weeks ago, but the symptoms gradually got worse, not better. By this weekend, I was telling my family to monitor me for risk of fainting (I have crazy low BP, and I guarantee it was 80/40 at best), and was contemplating hitting the ER for IV hydration (If it weren't for all the horrible bugs out there, I might have been more willing to seek medical help). Anyway, I drank tons of water with electrolytes, coconut water, the non-toxic gatorade flavor (glacier cherry), and ate lots of himalayan and other salt. Ate white rice, squash, cooked carrots, etc. Started taking Pepto tablets 2x day and extra calcium.

Today the D was finally black from the Pepto and not pure water. I hope this was a GI bug or food poisoning and not the start of a longer flare. My husband thinks he has something now too, although he's always risking gluten exposure, so you never know.

I do suspect ending my 2 month Nystatin therapy for candida overgrowth may have altered by beneficial yeast/bacteria balance, perhaps allowing certain bacteria to overgrow? I'm taking Pepto because it is a mild antimicrobial, so it might help. I've also re-started my water kefir grains and will start drinking it as soon as things are calmer. I also bought S. Boulardi last night (probiotic yeast) to try to repopulate the good yeasts I wiped out.

Any other suggestions? I can't lose another pound! Thank goodness the bathroom is 30 feet from my desk at work!

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 11:29 am

I'm also wondering whether all the D is preventing me from absorbing my medications, which could also make things much worse. Could fast-transit D stop the absorption of my little prednisone pills and plaquenil? My nighttime LDN? Or are drugs absorbed much easier than nutrients from food?

Post by **tex** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 1:50 pm

Hi Zizzle,

Bummer, but it sounds as though you may finally be making some progress. Since yeasts are somewhat protective of bacterial attachments, IMO there's a good chance that destroying yeast can open the door to possible bacteria problems. And of course, some opportunistic bug going around might have taken advantage of the situation, especially if your husband is showing similar issues.

Those are good questions. I can only guess at the answers, but I have a hunch that it's a pretty safe bet that D reduces the absorption of many/most/possibly all oral meds. Since synthetic steroid hormones (including prednisone) are fat-soluble, they are as likely to be malabsorbed as the fat-soluble vitamins, for example.

Plaquenil is at least partially water-soluble (about 20 %), so it might have a better chance of being at least partially absorbed, depending on the transit rate. LDN is roughly 5 times as water-soluble as Plaquenil, so it is more likely to be absorbed (again, depending on the transit rate).

It's a heck of a note when we're afraid to go to the ER because of the risks involved, but I hear you. Hospitals, clinics, and ERs seem to be devolving to becoming dangerous places for those of us with compromised immune systems. You couldn't drag me to a Dallas hospital/ER with a team of wild horses, the way things are going these days.

Tex

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:27 pm

Thanks Tex!
You are a wealth of information! I guess I always pictured the little tabs dissolving in my stomach and going right into my bloodstream. I reckon my transit time is down to 6 hours (judging from meal remains in the toilet). Not great. But only one trip to the bathroom today so I'm happy!!

You couldn't drag me to a Dallas hospital/ER with a team of wild horses, the way things are going these days.

We thought we had one in DC. Turned out to be malaria. Phew. My vicious D might have put me in the Ebola suspicion wing!

nancyl · Post by **nancyl** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:55 pm

Zizzle,
I hope you start feeling better soon.

:butterfliesonrose:

Nancy

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:37 pm

HI Zizzle. I'm hoping it was a bug and you are on your way to recovery :)

Leah

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:40 pm

I am on the mend. Only 3 episodes of muddy D yesterday, low volume. Phew. Only one so far today. I am tolerating my water kefir and S. Boulardi so far. I've stopped the Pepto for now.