Antibiotics--help!

[wdwmaggie]

I hope someone can help me....ever since I was diagnosed with celiac disease I cant tolerate many antibiotics. My doctors have tried Amoxicillan, Augmentin, Omnicef, Penicillin, Keflex, and Z-pak. All of those kill my stomach I either get really bad stomach aches, diarrhea, or throw up. My doctors always just tell me "you have a senstitive stomach." but before I was diagnosed with celiac I could tolerate antibiotics. Just wondering if theres anyone else who is experiencing the same thing and why is my stomach so sensitive now, after I've been diagnosed?

[hannahsue01]

My only guess but it's just a guess is that your stomach is absorbing them now and you are having a reaction to them. I have always had problems with these amung other medications making me sick. Some of them I can not tolerate at all but with some I can tolarate a somewhat upset tummy and to take the pill while eating somthing solid.

[i canary]

I hope someone can help me....ever since I was diagnosed with celiac disease I cant tolerate many antibiotics. My doctors have tried Amoxicillan, Augmentin, Omnicef, Penicillin, Keflex, and Z-pak. All of those kill my stomach I either get really bad stomach aches, diarrhea, or throw up. My doctors always just tell me "you have a senstitive stomach." but before I was diagnosed with celiac I could tolerate antibiotics. Just wondering if theres anyone else who is experiencing the same thing and why is my stomach so sensitive now, after I've been diagnosed?

I have the same problem. I discovered I can handle Ketex. I'm supposed to take two at a time - I don't because my stomach doesn't like it. I take one at breakfast and the other at lunch. Does much better.

I'm sorry I don't know why your (and mine) stomach is so sensitive now when it didn't used to be.

[Guest CD_Surviver]

i have taken keflex and it gave so many problems that i called the manufaturer to see if it was gluten-free and told me that they could not garentee it 100% gluten-free. i had so many problems with it that i now refuse to go to the doctor and get antibiotics.

Lauren

[tarnalberry]

some antibiotics bother my stomach, some don't. it also depends on whether or not you're eating with them - I presume that the ones you can, you ARE eating a full meal with? in a case like this, a difference between brand-name and generic may well make a difference as well.

[daffadilly]

Yes, I have had a lot of problems with antibiotics. Be sure to take it after you have a meal no matter what the instructions say.

Try Cipro. why are you taking an antibiotic?

[tarnalberry]

Yes, I have had a lot of problems with antibiotics. Be sure to take it after you have a meal no matter what the instructions say.

while this may help the effects on the stomach, in the case of some antibiotics, this is bad advice, because it can alter the dosage that your body actually recieves. this is doubly true if the meal contains much in the way of dairy, and the antibiotic in question is one of the ones that combines with dairy to reduce absorption.

the advice for taking on an empty or full stomach is sometimes related to dosing reasons, and should not be ignored without discussing it with the pharmacist to understand why the reason is there. the wrong dose can lead to problems, of course, either overdosages or underdosages (causing resistant bacteria, extended illnesses, etc.)

[daffadilly]

Thanks Tiffany, I should not have been dispensing medical advice except to my own family

[miles2go]

I hope someone can help me....ever since I was diagnosed with celiac disease I cant tolerate many antibiotics. My doctors have tried Amoxicillan, Augmentin, Omnicef, Penicillin, Keflex, and Z-pak. All of those kill my stomach I either get really bad stomach aches, diarrhea, or throw up. My doctors always just tell me "you have a senstitive stomach." but before I was diagnosed with celiac I could tolerate antibiotics. Just wondering if theres anyone else who is experiencing the same thing and why is my stomach so sensitive now, after I've been diagnosed?

I'm allergic to all of the 'cillins and Keflex - nasty stuff with full body rash. I rarely use antibiotics, but when I have to, I ask for the Z-pak because it's only 5 days worth. It doesn't seem to trash out my stomach as much and usually knocks out the bug. Other than that, garlic works wonders if you catch the infection quickly enough. Lavender works on just about everything, too.

Hope that helps some...5 days of stomach aches is better than 2 weeks.

[Kiki]

I know how all f you feel. I get sinus infections almost all the time and also UTI's i always stop taking the meds because i get severe stomach cramps almost unbareable naseua and bad D. BAD BAD D!

Nothing helps, i can never finish a dosage.

Stay strong yall. We will prevail one day hehe!

[miles2go]

I know how all f you feel. I get sinus infections almost all the time and also UTI's i always stop taking the meds because i get severe stomach cramps almost unbareable naseua and bad D. BAD BAD D!

Nothing helps, i can never finish a dosage.

Stay strong yall. We will prevail one day hehe!

Ever since going gluten-free and maybe the allergy-meds I've been on for the last year, I've been free from sinus infections for about the same time, but previously had them all my life! Hope you get the same results. As for the UTI's, my sympathies, I had one and it was not fun.

[Guest CD_Surviver]

Keflex - nasty stuff with full body rash.

me too! it was awful that why i rarely risk taking any cause i never want to go through that again!

I know how all f you feel. I get sinus infections almost all the time and also UTI's i always stop taking the meds because i get severe stomach cramps almost unbareable naseua and bad D. BAD BAD D!

Nothing helps, i can never finish a dosage.

Stay strong yall. We will prevail one day hehe!

i have found that i only get sinus infections when i have had gluten.

[tarnalberry]

Thanks Tiffany, I should not have been dispensing medical advice except to my own family

I don't think it's bad advice, I only think it needed the "find out why it has the label first" caveat behind it.

It's easy to take shortcuts, and you're absolutely right - doctors *will* tell you to ignore the label in some cases and take an antibiotic on food even when it ordinarily says not to. It's just not something that can be applied blindly. I'm sure you don't do that, of course, because you've done too much research into the issue to do so. But no everyone has.

[NoGluGirl]

I'm allergic to all of the 'cillins and Keflex - nasty stuff with full body rash. I rarely use antibiotics, but when I have to, I ask for the Z-pak because it's only 5 days worth. It doesn't seem to trash out my stomach as much and usually knocks out the bug. Other than that, garlic works wonders if you catch the infection quickly enough. Lavender works on just about everything, too.

Hope that helps some...5 days of stomach aches is better than 2 weeks.

Dear miles2go,

I thought the Z-Pak had gluten. According to one of the lists I read, it was not allowed. Maybe it was outdated? It is wonderful if it is safe. It is gentler on your system than most of them.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

I know how all f you feel. I get sinus infections almost all the time and also UTI's i always stop taking the meds because i get severe stomach cramps almost unbareable naseua and bad D. BAD BAD D!

Nothing helps, i can never finish a dosage.

Stay strong yall. We will prevail one day hehe!

Dear Kiki,

Have you tried cranberry juice or even better unsweetened blueberry juice for UTIs? Cranberry juice got rid of my UTI when I had one that was extremely painful several years ago. Drink two cups daily.

The acid in it kills and flushes out the bacteria E. Coli from your bladder. Isn't that strange that the same dangerous bacteria that causes food poisoning also causes UTIs? If you must take an antibiotic, taking probiotics like L. Acidophillus while you are on them can keep your microflora in balance. The problem with antibiotics is, they kill all bacteria, not just the bad. It cannot distinguish between good and bad bacteria. I am sensitive to many antibiotics as well, so I can relate to everyone on the board.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

I hope someone can help me....ever since I was diagnosed with celiac disease I cant tolerate many antibiotics. My doctors have tried Amoxicillan, Augmentin, Omnicef, Penicillin, Keflex, and Z-pak. All of those kill my stomach I either get really bad stomach aches, diarrhea, or throw up. My doctors always just tell me "you have a senstitive stomach." but before I was diagnosed with celiac I could tolerate antibiotics. Just wondering if theres anyone else who is experiencing the same thing and why is my stomach so sensitive now, after I've been diagnosed?

Dear wdwmaggie,

I am sensitive to a lot of drugs as well. Antibiotics that do not nearly kill me are rare. My stomach does not tolerate them. As a child, I practically lived off of Arithromycin. The gentlest on my stomach was probably Flagyl. Metronidozole is its generic name. It actually helps with the diarrhea. Also, as everyone else mentioned on this site, make sure you eat enough before taking your medications, and take them every six hours. Do not overdose. Some foods that are enough to take your meds with include :

1 cup of Dinty Moore Beef Stew

1 bowl of Cocoa or Fruity Pebbles with soymilk, rice milk or milk of your choice

1 can tuna with 4 gluten - free crackers

Anyway, you get the idea. Also, antibiotics destroy all the bacteria in your body. It does not distinguish between good and bad bacteria. Your microflora in your intestines can get out of balance as a result of that.

Taking probiotic supplements will help. L. Acidophillus is very helpful.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[2kids4me]

The acid in it kills and flushes out the bacteria E. Coli from your bladder. Isn't that strange that the same dangerous bacteria that causes food poisoning also causes UTIs?

E coli had many species - it can be the deadly strain that causes food poisoning. the normal flora that is in your gut, or the one that got from your intestine to your bladder through a little travelling from rectum to urethra..... E coli strains are also used to manufacture human insulin after genetic manipulation by some researcher..

The same e.coli cultured from bladder infections is often from your own body - in the intestine = good...in the bladder = bad

UTIs are caused by bacteria, most often by the bacteria that are found inside the intestines and sometimes on the skin around the rectal and vaginal areas. Yes, that means from fecal contamination.

Open Original Shared Link

ok, enough medical info... ...I always feel like I need to explain medical stuff

Because some foods and alcohol may interact badly with antibiotics, discuss with your pharmacist whether you should take antibiotics on an empty or full stomach.

Open Original Shared Link

Yes you can always check with the pharmacist on any drug where it says - take on empty stomach and ask if taking a small amount of a specific food would be okay. Check with the pharmacist about his/her knowledge of the antibiotics, what drug would be least likely to cause upset - in a person with celiac and your historyy of reactions.

Gotta be frustrating

I am sorry to hear you have such problems with the drugs and that you need them for infection

[Guest cassidy]

After being diagnosed with celiac I still wasn't feeling 100% so I had more tests done. I found out that I had an amoeba and a nasty bacteria. I was put on two different antibiotics which I took back to back. I thought they were going to kill me. I had horrible stomach aches, D, and just felt terrible.

My doctor said that I had some nasty bugs and it was the die off from them that was causing me to feel so badly. Obviously, if you have a rash or some type of allergic response, that is different, but according to her, antibiotics aren't supposed to make you feel good until they have killed all the nasties. That type of reaction had never happened to me before and I do remember taking an antibiotic and feeling better in a few days before, so I don't know if I was just killing really bad stuff then.

Also, as you all know, antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well. If you kill off most of your good bacteria then you probably will have D because they are so important to digesting everything properly. I highly recommend probiotics after antibiotics. When I had my tests done I had no good bacteria along with those nasty ones. I was having D although I was gluten-free, but it wasn't the run to the bathroom right away type. I took strong probiotics and now I drink kefir everyday and I haven't had any problems. I really don't want to take another antiobiotic again unless I have no choice - it was tough to get that balance back.

[almostnrn]

There are several gluten-free drug lists on the web, but don't hesitate to ask your pharmacist to call and verify with the company. I'd give them a call before you arrive so they have a little time to accomidate your request. Any pharmacy that isn't willing to do that isn't worth their salt and I'd look into another one. I've worked in a pharmacy now for about 13 years and I call on all sorts of requests. Also the mechanism of action on some antibiotics causes diarrhea, its how it rids your body of the bacteria. I'm not sure who it was, but someone posted about never being able to finish the round of meds.....if you don't have a rash, stop breathing and the doctor is aware of your reaction to the drug please tough it out. This could be why you are getting reoccurant infections. You are killing of some bacteria and often times they are the good ones...those good guys often unfortunately drop out before the bad ones. This allows the little nasties to go hog wild in your body. Finally (and then my pharmacy geek and soon to be nurse brain will leave you all alone, lol) if you are taking Flagyl (I"ve seen several mentions of it) WATCH OUT FOR ALCOHOL. This will cause a severe reaction that will make you sick. Alcohol is like gluten and is hidden in lots of places i.e. ; cough syrup, mouth wash, salad dressing, etc.

[miles2go]

Dear miles2go,

I thought the Z-Pak had gluten. According to one of the lists I read, it was not allowed. Maybe it was outdated? It is wonderful if it is safe. It is gentler on your system than most of them.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Hi NoGluGirl,

The last time I had to take antibiotics was about a year ago and also when I was changing from the okay-I'll-avoid-wheat phase to becoming completely gluten-free. It did cross my mind at the time, I checked on the web and saw that it was on the okay list, but to be completely honest, I don't absolutely know if that info was current or not. Today if I had to take antibiotics, which I try to avoid like the plague, I would want an answer from the company before taking them. Now this is a great question that just makes me edgy, because I'm on five different meds regularly that I think are gluten-free, all for allergy-induced asthma, but do I take a look every time I renew my prescription? And come to think of it, I asked my pharmacist for info and he said that he'd need a few days to find out. Hmm, that was many moons ago. You'd think that companies making drugs for allergies would be aware of common allergens, but could you get more Pollyana, than that assumption?

[wdwmaggie]

I have been on antibiotics for chronic sinus infections, and recently i had tonsilitis. I always get sick, once I do something a little strenous I get sick, but I also have a lot of medical problems.

Dear miles2go,

I thought the Z-Pak had gluten. According to one of the lists I read, it was not allowed. Maybe it was outdated? It is wonderful if it is safe. It is gentler on your system than most of them.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Dear Kiki,

Have you tried cranberry juice or even better unsweetened blueberry juice for UTIs? Cranberry juice got rid of my UTI when I had one that was extremely painful several years ago. Drink two cups daily.

The acid in it kills and flushes out the bacteria E. Coli from your bladder. Isn't that strange that the same dangerous bacteria that causes food poisoning also causes UTIs? If you must take an antibiotic, taking probiotics like L. Acidophillus while you are on them can keep your microflora in balance. The problem with antibiotics is, they kill all bacteria, not just the bad. It cannot distinguish between good and bad bacteria. I am sensitive to many antibiotics as well, so I can relate to everyone on the board.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Dear wdwmaggie,

I am sensitive to a lot of drugs as well. Antibiotics that do not nearly kill me are rare. My stomach does not tolerate them. As a child, I practically lived off of Arithromycin. The gentlest on my stomach was probably Flagyl. Metronidozole is its generic name. It actually helps with the diarrhea. Also, as everyone else mentioned on this site, make sure you eat enough before taking your medications, and take them every six hours. Do not overdose. Some foods that are enough to take your meds with include :

1 cup of Dinty Moore Beef Stew

1 bowl of Cocoa or Fruity Pebbles with soymilk, rice milk or milk of your choice

1 can tuna with 4 gluten - free crackers

Anyway, you get the idea. Also, antibiotics destroy all the bacteria in your body. It does not distinguish between good and bad bacteria. Your microflora in your intestines can get out of balance as a result of that.

Taking probiotic supplements will help. L. Acidophillus is very helpful.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Thanks for the response! I acutally started taking the L. Acidophillus and I have noticed a little difference, but not much.

[jaten]

Antibiotics have always caused debilitating stomach pain for me. The only one I've found that I can tolerate at all is Levaquin and then only if I have food before and after taking it. Fortuantely, Levaquin allows for that, but be aware, not everyone can take Levaquin. It can cause some very wild side-affects for some.

You may find this list helpful if you haven't seen it.

Open Original Shared Link

As with all lists, I think it's best used as a guide.

I had never used probiotics until my GI gave them to me when he diagnosed the Celiac. Probiotics do help considerably with general "yegh"-iness. For me they do not do anything to touch the extreme pain caused by most antibiotics.

[NoGluGirl]

I have been on antibiotics for chronic sinus infections, and recently i had tonsilitis. I always get sick, once I do something a little strenous I get sick, but I also have a lot of medical problems.

Thanks for the response! I acutally started taking the L. Acidophillus and I have noticed a little difference, but not much.

Dear wdwmaggie,

Have you been tested for an overgrowth of yeast? I may have that. Antibiotics irritate it. When yeast candida overgrows, it can cause over 100 different symptoms! It has even been linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, ADD, ADHD, fibromylgia, food allergies and sensitivities, ulcerative colitis, IBS, hypoglycemia, and so many other difficulties. Upon treatment with a special diet, as well as herbal or prescription antifungals, sufferers get better. Candida supresses your immunity. L. Acidophillus alone will help, but not as much as a holistic approach will involving diet and the other factors. If you like, I could send you the essay I wrote on it. Just tell me your e-mail, or e-mail me at rainbow_geisha@hotmail.com and I will send it directly. I know the misery of being sick and tired constantly.

I am currently on antibiotics again, and it is hard on my system. Anyway, if you would like more info on Candida, just say the word!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[up-late]

I have trouble with Flagyl which ironically the doc gave me when I went there with stomach pain.

[Adelle]

Hey, I'm on antibiotics right now! Like 5ish days left (it upsets me too much to count!). I'm taking cipro it upsets my tummy, but isn't horrible. I'm allergic to antinausea meds (I find that ironic). I haven't found any antibiotics that don't. I haaate antibiotics. Oh well sometimes u do what u have to! I'm sorry I'm not of much help, but I just wanted to let u know ur not alone!

[wdwmaggie]

Dear wdwmaggie,

Have you been tested for an overgrowth of yeast? I may have that. Antibiotics irritate it. When yeast candida overgrows, it can cause over 100 different symptoms! It has even been linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, ADD, ADHD, fibromylgia, food allergies and sensitivities, ulcerative colitis, IBS, hypoglycemia, and so many other difficulties. Upon treatment with a special diet, as well as herbal or prescription antifungals, sufferers get better. Candida supresses your immunity. L. Acidophillus alone will help, but not as much as a holistic approach will involving diet and the other factors. If you like, I could send you the essay I wrote on it. Just tell me your e-mail, or e-mail me at rainbow_geisha@hotmail.com and I will send it directly. I know the misery of being sick and tired constantly.

I am currently on antibiotics again, and it is hard on my system. Anyway, if you would like more info on Candida, just say the word!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

No, I dont think I have ever been tested, but I would definitely like more information on Candida because I was reecently diagnosed with fibromylgia! My emial is Maggs11189@yahoo.com. Thank you! Maggie

[Rachel--24]

I had to take Flagyl (metronidazole) about 8 months ago. I was pretty miserable the entire 2 weeks I was on it. I felt as if every symptom I'd ever had was coming back. I sucked it up and completed the 2 weeks but felt like death the whole time I was on it.

I've been sick the past 4 years...all kinds of growing intolerances and just never getting better. Last month I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. I guess I was infected 6 years ago but didnt get symptoms until 4 years ago. When I took the Metronidazole I must have been experiencing some massive "die-off" since Flagyl is used to treat Lyme. I was unaware I had Lyme so at first thought maybe there was gluten in the pills and then just figured I was reacting to the pill. Now I know what was really going on.

Also many many cases of Lyme disease are misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia. This was the result of a study that was done...

When Dr. Mattman cultured 25 patients with fibromyalgia all subjects had positive cultures for the CWD Bb. which causes Lyme Disease.