on the rolercoaster

[scoutfinch]

I had been doing better following some dietary changes; then I had my wisdom teeth out two weeks ago, and amazingly, I had the most equisite normans for the past two weeks--while I was taking antibiotics and pain killers. I'm off the percocet now, and the diarrhea is back.

Could the pain killers have slowed my bowel transit time?

I guess it's back to the drawing board.

[Joefnh]

scoutfinch the narcotics can and usually do cause a change in bowel habits. Usually a medication like percocet reduces the amount of water in the bowel and the analgesic effect can also change the motility of the small bowel. For someone with a normaly loose stool to D this can "normalize" the bowel habits.

--Joe

[tex]

Scout,

I'm guessing that the antibiotic you took was either Ciprofloxacin, or one of the other flouroquinolone-based antibotics. Cipro always brings remission to MC, for virtually all of us. It brought me remission every time I took it, and then a couple of days after I finished the two-week treatment, the D was back, right on schedule.

The reason why we can't take it as a regular treatment, (besides the obvious risk of building up bacteriological tolerance), is because it causes a high risk of tendonitis, and even ruptured tendons/ligaments, with extended use.

Also, as Joe mentioned, the narcotic-based painkillers tend to slow down motility, and in the long run, they carry a risk of impaction issues.

Tex

[Stanz]

Scoutfinch, I highly recommend some really high quality probiotics.

[scoutfinch]

Thanks, guys! I thought I'd been magically cured--oh well; obviously, narcotics and antibiotics aren't sustainable solutions. It was nice while it lasted!

[Gloria]

Also, as Joe mentioned, the narcotic-based painkillers tend to slow down motility, and in the long run, they carry a risk of impaction issues.

Does that also apply to Imodium?

Gloria

[tex]

Gloria,

Apparently the narcotic effect is pretty slight with Imodium, because I've never heard of anyone who ever had that kind of problem with it, and some people seem to use it very heavily, (as a long-term treatment). It's my understanding that most doctors consider it a very safe medication. On the other hand, I can recall at least a couple of members, who did develop an impaction problem due to extended use of narcotic-based prescription painkillers.

Tex

[kimtg68]

I was one of those people at one time that developed an impaction problem. Boy I miss those days (j/k). I'm not sure if it's mainly the codeine based pain killers that do that. I think I heard that somewhere a long time ago. But I do know that even the codeine based cough syrup will do the same thing.

[ant]

Just to concur, antibiotics have given me temporary remission in the past.

Best, Ant

[kimtg68]

Hey I forgot about that. I was on Doxycyline for a month and got relief from that antibiotic but about a week or so after I finished taking it, IT came back.

[JLH]

I like that, IT.