# IBS treatment that worked for me: antibiotics



## jlx (Jul 26, 2015)

I created an account just because I wanted to share my story, maybe it will help someone out there going through this nightmare.

I started developing IBS symptoms gradually in 2006 and I had it until 2011. During this time I had weeks when I had almost no symptoms and weeks which were a real nightmare. I did various tests, including a colonoscopy in 2010 which only showed some irritation. The diagnistic I got was IBS and the doctor wanted to put me on anti-depressants for it, which I refused because it made no sense to me and the side effects seemed too much.

Completely unrelated, in 2011 I had a very, very nasty UTI. I was on different antibiotics for 3 months, because they couldn't find the one that worked for the bacteria which was causing the UTI. I remember taking Cipro, Doxycycline and , Macrobid (maybe others also, but I can't remember now), and I think only the last one worked and treated my UTI in the end. While taking the antibiotics I also took probiotics (and drinking lots of kefir), which I was already on for my IBS, with very limited success.

To my suprise, at the end of those 3 months on antibiotics my IBS symptoms were gone. But I did have good periods before, so I wasn't really sure about it, and I wasn;t very optimistic. However, it has now been 4 years and I am still IBS-free. I'm not even taking the probiotics anymore. I have made no other remarcable changes in my diet or lifestyle around that time. The only thing that was different was the antibiotic treatment. I am convinced that in my case, the IBS was some sort of bacterial imbalance or some sort of unidentified bacteria.

I know this might not be the case for everyone out there, but I also know that I would have tried anything to feel better, so if you are at that point now, maybe talk to your doctors about antibiotics. I know that a study found rifaximin, an antibiotic, to work pretty well for IBS-D patients like me. So I might not be crazy and this might be worth trying.


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## TooMuchPain (Jul 3, 2015)

Thank you for posting your story. I have read a lot about IBS because I have been dealing with it for more than 10 years which believe me is really discouraging. At one point I did go in the hospital because i had a sudden attack of diverticulitis (related to IBS? not related? I don't know). And they gave me quite a regimen of intravenous antibiotics. And the interesting thing to me was that my symptoms stopped temporarily but then when the doctors insisted that I continue on ORAL antibiotics after the 2-day hospitalization, I just felt so much worse and had cramps and abdominal pain and felt lousy for the next couple of weeks. And the IBS symptoms came back quickly.

Yes, i believe that antibiotics help some people. I have heard of Rafaximin (spelling?) But for other people, maybe there is something different going on - food sensitivities? anxiety? long term stress which is experienced in the gut? or who knows, nobody seems to know for sure.

it is good to heard these stories of IBS actually GOING AWAY because that is what I hope for. I am happy that yours went away. 

-Alison


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## IBS-MIZAN (Mar 8, 2015)

MR,
JLX.THANK YOU SO MUCH BUT WHAT`S SYMPTOMS YOU FELT?


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