Hi All,
It's well known that antibiotics can wreak havoc with our intestinal bacteria, causing all sorts of problems that can range from a C. diff infection to MC, and various other problems. Once the gut bacteria populations are altered, it's usually impossible to restore them exactly as they were, originally. Obviously, this can lead to long-term problems, and some of us have developed MC soon after taking an antibiotic, while others have developed the disease later, or after taking a series of antibiotic treatments.
Of course, there are many other possible triggers for the disease, so please select the option in this poll, that seems to fit your situation best.
Thanks,
Tex
Do You Believe That Your MC Was Caused By Antibiotics?
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Do You Believe That Your MC Was Caused By Antibiotics?
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I do believe that doxycycline was a contributing factor for me. I think 'cause' is a strong word 
- and there was a trifecta (superfecta?) of other events happening around that time, but I do believe that the doxycycline was caught red-handed.
There was also a lot of hormonal upheaval, as I'd just had my first miscarriage; codeine (my first ever experience of C), a possible C.diff Dx; and I had quit smoking some months before - and I had been taking a lot of Ibuprofen.
In retrospect, if I had been a lab rat, I had the perfect method devised to 'cause' MC...
- and there was a trifecta (superfecta?) of other events happening around that time, but I do believe that the doxycycline was caught red-handed.There was also a lot of hormonal upheaval, as I'd just had my first miscarriage; codeine (my first ever experience of C), a possible C.diff Dx; and I had quit smoking some months before - and I had been taking a lot of Ibuprofen.
In retrospect, if I had been a lab rat, I had the perfect method devised to 'cause' MC...
I voted for "its impossible for me to tell", just simply because I don't know. But thinking deeper, it could very well be. From my teenagers years, let see 16/17 years until about 2003/2004, so that till I was about 35/36 years I have had a lot of antibiotics cures, like one/twice and in bad cases three times a year. Everytime I got a cold, I got a sinus infection. As a child, as far as I can remember I did not have real bowel issues. So, yes it could very well be that almost 20 years of two/three times a year having antibiotics for about a week had influence on my gut flora and maybe were also of influence of the MC.
But personally I would vote for gluten intolerance. I am 100% sure that I am intolerant to gluten. But than why did it only start bothering about 10 years ago....that question I can't answer, maybe because of changes in the gut flora???
What would be interesting if a scientist would invest the composition of bacteria in our intestine. This week I saw a very interesting documentary on the latest development on our inhibitors of our intestine. We seem to have about 100 billion bacteria in our intestine (about one kilo of our body mass). Researchers are now typing this and we all seem to have our unique bacterial composition in our gut (like a finger print or our DNA, that unique), and also there seem to be three basic types of bacterial composition (almost like blood types). What I also remembered that with some disease, certain bacteria were lacking (or on the other hand more present) in the big bowel. They even start linking depression to inhibitors of our gut.
The other part of the documentary was about parasites. The idea is that one reason, we have so many auto immune disease nowadays is, because we got rid of all the parasites in our intestines (like worms). The idea of the immune system was then busy with all those parasite, so "did not have to time" to attack the body. I just don't like this explanation, because it comes up with terms as "an immune system is bored and looks for something to do" "or is too busy with...", as is the immune system is an independent being and not part of the whole human body system.
But one explanation did make sense (at least to me), the worms in the intestine are parasites and do everything to survive in there. One of their survival mechanism is to excrete chemical compounds that suppress the immune system in the intestine. That makes more sense to me than just expression as "immune system is bored". Our whole body is a chemical factory, with balance and disbalance and action and reaction.
I could put a link to the documentary here, but I think it is useless since it is all in Dutch.
But personally I would vote for gluten intolerance. I am 100% sure that I am intolerant to gluten. But than why did it only start bothering about 10 years ago....that question I can't answer, maybe because of changes in the gut flora???
What would be interesting if a scientist would invest the composition of bacteria in our intestine. This week I saw a very interesting documentary on the latest development on our inhibitors of our intestine. We seem to have about 100 billion bacteria in our intestine (about one kilo of our body mass). Researchers are now typing this and we all seem to have our unique bacterial composition in our gut (like a finger print or our DNA, that unique), and also there seem to be three basic types of bacterial composition (almost like blood types). What I also remembered that with some disease, certain bacteria were lacking (or on the other hand more present) in the big bowel. They even start linking depression to inhibitors of our gut.
The other part of the documentary was about parasites. The idea is that one reason, we have so many auto immune disease nowadays is, because we got rid of all the parasites in our intestines (like worms). The idea of the immune system was then busy with all those parasite, so "did not have to time" to attack the body. I just don't like this explanation, because it comes up with terms as "an immune system is bored and looks for something to do" "or is too busy with...", as is the immune system is an independent being and not part of the whole human body system.
But one explanation did make sense (at least to me), the worms in the intestine are parasites and do everything to survive in there. One of their survival mechanism is to excrete chemical compounds that suppress the immune system in the intestine. That makes more sense to me than just expression as "immune system is bored". Our whole body is a chemical factory, with balance and disbalance and action and reaction.
I could put a link to the documentary here, but I think it is useless since it is all in Dutch.
"As the sense of identity shifts from the imaginary person to your real being as presence awareness, the life of suffering dissolves like mist before the rising sun"
Another vote for doxycycline here! I'm sure it was the primary trigger for my MC. I find the above comments most interesting, in view of the fact that doxycycline is not generally one of the more commonly--used antibiotics - especially not for the common URIs, sinus infections, skin infections etc. Hmmmmm. Good poll, Gloria and Tex.
Harma, I couldn't agree more that the answer may lie with the gut bacteria. I'm so glad that research on this is underway. Bacteria are fascinating, and we are only beginning to understand how they work. I've heard that they can even "talk" to each other, by chemical means, I guess.
I think there could be some truth to the idea that AI diseases result from a "bored" immune system, one that doesn't have enough to do. And I'm not so sure that the immune system doesn't "have a mind of its own". Several years ago I watched a movie of a real-life white cell pursuing a bacterium in a blood vessel. Of course, it was happening under a microscope. You would not have believed the single-minded determination, speed, and endurance of this single white cell as it chased the bacterium until it finally engulfed it. That white cell seemed like an action hero - incredibly powerful. If there are no longer enough bacteria to attack in modern days, these powerful warriors could indeed attack other/normal cells, IMHO. You would have to see this movie to believe it!
Worms are another story. I think some have treated gut diseases by giving the patient worms. Who knows? Maybe we are meant to live symbiotically with intestinal worms? Perhaps their role IS to reduce inflammation, as you suggest.
Deb, we now know that stress can alter the gut bacteria negatively, so that may be the mechanism for stress-induced colitis/flare.
Hugs,
Polly
P.S. It would be interesting to find out the specific gut bacteria that are wiped out by doxycycline. Maybe we could try to replace it probiotically
Harma, I couldn't agree more that the answer may lie with the gut bacteria. I'm so glad that research on this is underway. Bacteria are fascinating, and we are only beginning to understand how they work. I've heard that they can even "talk" to each other, by chemical means, I guess.
I think there could be some truth to the idea that AI diseases result from a "bored" immune system, one that doesn't have enough to do. And I'm not so sure that the immune system doesn't "have a mind of its own". Several years ago I watched a movie of a real-life white cell pursuing a bacterium in a blood vessel. Of course, it was happening under a microscope. You would not have believed the single-minded determination, speed, and endurance of this single white cell as it chased the bacterium until it finally engulfed it. That white cell seemed like an action hero - incredibly powerful. If there are no longer enough bacteria to attack in modern days, these powerful warriors could indeed attack other/normal cells, IMHO. You would have to see this movie to believe it!
Worms are another story. I think some have treated gut diseases by giving the patient worms. Who knows? Maybe we are meant to live symbiotically with intestinal worms? Perhaps their role IS to reduce inflammation, as you suggest.
Deb, we now know that stress can alter the gut bacteria negatively, so that may be the mechanism for stress-induced colitis/flare.
Hugs,
Polly
P.S. It would be interesting to find out the specific gut bacteria that are wiped out by doxycycline. Maybe we could try to replace it probiotically
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
I went to the Dr's for sinus infection this wk. He put me on a steroid pack instead of antibiotics because of my colitis.
My elderly Mom has D issues. I have finally gotten her to believe dairy is a problem for her lifetime gas issues. My memories of her is a bottle of mylanta in every room of the house when I was a child. She feels alot better now but I wish she would realise gluten is a problem too. It is hard to teach old dogs new tricks:)
My elderly Mom has D issues. I have finally gotten her to believe dairy is a problem for her lifetime gas issues. My memories of her is a bottle of mylanta in every room of the house when I was a child. She feels alot better now but I wish she would realise gluten is a problem too. It is hard to teach old dogs new tricks:)
Yes, I took both flagyl and levaquin for a diverticulitis attack. I had non-stop D within a few days of starting the regimen. My daughter with "IBS" told me to stop taking the antibiotics. Instead, I called the doctor and told him what was happening. He told me that neither antibiotic should cause D and said I should continue taking them for the entire two weeks. Unfortunately I followed his advice and had D for five weeks.
I had a reprieve for several weeks and was back to normal. Then, I took another antibiotic after having foot surgery. A month or so later, I began having relentless D and eventually was diagnosed with MC. I always ate yogurt while taking antibiotics, but it obviously wasn't enough.
Gloria
I had a reprieve for several weeks and was back to normal. Then, I took another antibiotic after having foot surgery. A month or so later, I began having relentless D and eventually was diagnosed with MC. I always ate yogurt while taking antibiotics, but it obviously wasn't enough.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
-
Sheila
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 5:10 am
- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
Two and 1/2 yrs ago I had an ear infection, went to the local walk-in clinic and was given an antibiotic. I took it for a day or two and started with horrible D. Called the clinic and they changed the meds. The D continued until I ended up in the ER completely dehydrated. DH was out of town on business or he would have had me in the hospital before I passed out. I don't remember which anti-biotic I was given. The D stopped for a week while I was in Italy because of massive doses of immodium and another drug, can't remember name. Since then the D started and stopped until it erupted in all it's glory last December. Originally my doctor thought I had C diff. In retrospect, it was the first full blown flare of CC. With my genes, it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Sheila
Sheila
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
A person who never made a mistake never tried something new. Einstein
A person who never made a mistake never tried something new. Einstein
-
paceys wife
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:29 pm
I lean a bit towards yes in the antibiotics. I was recently diagnosed with LC. In Jan 2011, I was diagnosed with Lyme's after complaining of joint pain (I thought it was arthritis) and was put on Doxycycline. In March, I had a peritonsillar abscess. I had two courses of IV antibiotics, clindamyacin and steroids. In June, my son tested positive for pertussis (even though vaccinated) and we were all put on an antibiotic. To top it all off, in July, I was stung by a bee and developed cellulitis in my elbow. Two more courses of IV antibiotic and an oral! The D actually started in June but lasted through mid-September...thus the visit to GI after I could no longer deal with the symptoms.
It's been a crazy 2011...
It's been a crazy 2011...
