# My IBS cured with Antibiotics



## shaw_way

Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:39 am    Post subject: IBS Cured	For the record I have no medical background at all. All I know is what I went through, which was not fun. My week was two or three days of severe pain (I fainted from pain at work once), one or two of mild pain and one or two of just feeling unwell. I went to all kinds of specialists, had all kinds of tests, the end result was I had IBS. It is what is known as a catch-all. When you have the symptoms and it is not cancer, or another nasty bug and they're not really sure, you have IBS. Now they don't know why or how you get it, but the doctors sure know the symptoms and I had every one. I went through this for two years when I developed scalp ulcers. My doctor put me on antibiotics, which sent my IBS through the roof. So I stopped taking them. A while later I went to my doctor again for the scalp ulcers and he put me on Flagyl and Tetracycline. He warned my it will hurt and to go the full dose anyway. I don't remember the pain he warned of, maybe I was ready for it. After a few days I noticed my IBS starting to improve. By the second week it was gone. I went through two full prescriptions before I was convinced. After this I then discovered the work of Barry Marshall and it sort of jelled. Now for the caviate. What caused my IBS may be different from what caused another persons. What fixed mine, may not fix yours. As I mentioned, they don't really know the cause. All I know is mine is gone in terms of the pain. I still feel unwell if I drink more than four alchoholic drinks. I figure once the damage is done it doesn't fully heal. Otherwise I am fine and have no other symptoms, none. But I can eat anything, including pickles (I was in the feotal position in pain for a couple of days once). I hope this helps somebody out there. It has been around four years and I am still syptom free.


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## promangan

Hello there,is your IBS actually cured? Please tell me how did you really do it. And what medications and what is the period to take them. I would love to try them. Thanks


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## rhonalomey

There is no cure for ibs you either had something else or are in remission.


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## jmc09

Some antibiotics have helped my IBS D but not cured them.Ciprofloxacin,Doxycycline and Keflex have helped calm my bowels down but not offered a cure.Rifaximin is reported to relieve symptoms for a couple of months in some cases.


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## shaw_way

promangan said:


> Hello there,is your IBS actually cured? Please tell me how did you really do it. And what medications and what is the period to take them. I would love to try them. Thanks


Yes it is. As I mentioned, a combination of Flagyl and Tetracycline, that's all.


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## shaw_way

rhonalomey said:


> There is no cure for ibs you either had something else or are in remission.


Sorry to disappoint, but my IBS was diagnosed by specialists. What is IBS but a list of symptoms anyway, and I had them all. It is gone, no bloating or pain of any kind. The only symptom, if you can call it that, is I fell off color if I have more than four or so alcoholic drinks. From where I was to where I am now is vastly different.. As I said in my comments,, it may not help everyone, but if it helps anyone get from a similar place to me it has to be a good thing.


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## shaw_way

jmc09 said:


> Some antibiotics have helped my IBS D but not cured them.Ciprofloxacin,Doxycycline and Keflex have helped calm my bowels down but not offered a cure.Rifaximin is reported to relieve symptoms for a couple of months in some cases.


I am not medical person. I saw an interview with Barry Marshal and he explained the treatment of stomach ulcers with Flagyl and Tetracycline. He said they had to be used in combination. Check out his new research. Into IBS. By coincidence my doctor prescribed them to me for an unrelated illness.


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## BQ

Ok hon. But if an antibiotic "cured" you.... you probably had more than IBS.


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## Jackiesh

Amazing shaw_way!I just recently had a similar thing happen to me! I have fought IBS for over 25 years, and recently (this year) had had some success "curing it" (at least most of the symptoms) by physiotherapy that put my lower back/pelvis into alignment and out of muscle spasm. But I still wasn't 100% cured and I still had bad gas and cramping. Then I had to take Flagyl for a completely unrelated infection and a full month later, lo, I still have no more symptoms. My guts are totally stable! Like you said, IBS is a set of symptoms for which the medical community cannot yet find a cause nor a sure-fire cure. If something works and it stops the pain, then that's good enough!


shaw_way said:


> Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:39 am Post subject: IBS Cured	For the record I have no medical background at all. All I know is what I went through, which was not fun. My week was two or three days of severe pain (I fainted from pain at work once), one or two of mild pain and one or two of just feeling unwell. I went to all kinds of specialists, had all kinds of tests, the end result was I had IBS. It is what is known as a catch-all. When you have the symptoms and it is not cancer, or another nasty bug and they're not really sure, you have IBS. Now they don't know why or how you get it, but the doctors sure know the symptoms and I had every one. I went through this for two years when I developed scalp ulcers. My doctor put me on antibiotics, which sent my IBS through the roof. So I stopped taking them. A while later I went to my doctor again for the scalp ulcers and he put me on Flagyl and Tetracycline. He warned my it will hurt and to go the full dose anyway. I don't remember the pain he warned of, maybe I was ready for it. After a few days I noticed my IBS starting to improve. By the second week it was gone. I went through two full prescriptions before I was convinced. After this I then discovered the work of Barry Marshall and it sort of jelled. Now for the caviate. What caused my IBS may be different from what caused another persons. What fixed mine, may not fix yours. As I mentioned, they don't really know the cause. All I know is mine is gone in terms of the pain. I still feel unwell if I drink more than four alchoholic drinks. I figure once the damage is done it doesn't fully heal. Otherwise I am fine and have no other symptoms, none. But I can eat anything, including pickles (I was in the feotal position in pain for a couple of days once). I hope this helps somebody out there. It has been around four years and I am still syptom free.


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## jmc09

You mentioned that your problem went on for 2 years and thats a relatively short time for IBS so its possible you had something else as well or instead of.


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## CQ91

Hello Shaw Way,Congratulations on healing yourself and for sharing your remedy with the rest of us. I agree with you, that IBS is too readily prescribed by doctors as a diagnosis for many patients. If they can't find a textbook explanation for the symptoms that one is experiencing (specifically in the GI related field) then they simply label you as an IBS suffer. There are so many different and unique conditions that those formerly diagnosed with just IBS have discovered they have. It is through discovering their unique problems (by themselves) that they can heal themselves, or at least improve their quality of life. I think classic examples of these cases, where 'IBS' has been 'cured' include:•Those who have had IBS symptoms, but have found that they have food sensitivities/ intolerances. •IBS sufferers who have discovered that they are suffering with parasitic infection and have eradicated these parasites. •Those infected with undetected bacterial overgrowth and who have eradicated the bacteria- or have minimised it. •Patients who have a yeast overgrowth and who have reduced their yeast levels. Seeing as the most doctors do not elaborate on the diagnosis, they prescribe a number of standard IBS medications (laxatives, ibuprofen, colofac, gasX, imodium etc) and then hand us over to a specialist. I think what you were experiencing when you had your IBS symptoms was most likely bacterial overgrowth of some sort. This could explain why you first reacted so badly to the antibiotic treatment and then why finishing the treatment healed you.According to some (others think this theory is rubbish) there is a 'die-off' period when we start to kill the bacteria. This can make a sufferer really sick. I have just been diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth (through a stool test) and would LOVE to undergo the treatment that you have described. I don't think I can do this, however, as I have a yeast overgrowth as well and the antibiotics could send this through the roof. Once again, congrats! CQ


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## CQ91

I've just been prescribed some antibiotics by my gastroenterologist. I will let you know how it goes!


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## shaw_way

jmc09 said:


> You mentioned that your problem went on for 2 years and thats a relatively short time for IBS so its possible you had something else as well or instead of.


It is definitely possible. The way IBS was explained to me is that it is a list of symptoms rather than a diagnosis. No one knows the cause. Its also a catch-all, if it is nothing else, you have IBS. Personally I suspect I had some sort of bug. But I did have all the symptoms of IBS. And it was diagnosed by specialists who I have no reason to question. I had blood tests, stool samples cameras put in places they shouldn't and even bowel samples taken and poked and prodded endlessly. I had second opinions, mainly as I didn't like the answer of it is incurable and just deal with it.If I had a bug and it caused my symptoms, could I still have IBS as I now have a diagnosis? It is an interesting idea.


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## shaw_way

[quote name='CQ91' timestamp='1322486901' post='850364']Hello Shaw Way,Congratulations on healing yourself and for sharing your remedy with the rest of us. I agree with you, that IBS is too readily prescribed by doctors as a diagnosis for many patients. If they can't find a textbook explanation for the symptoms that one is experiencing (specifically in the GI related field) then they simply label you as an IBS suffer. There are so many different and unique conditions that those formerly diagnosed with just IBS have discovered they have. It is through discovering their unique problems (by themselves) that they can heal themselves, or at least improve their quality of life. I think classic examples of these cases, where 'IBS' has been 'cured' include:•Those who have had IBS symptoms, but have found that they have food sensitivities/ intolerances. •IBS sufferers who have discovered that they are suffering with parasitic infection and have eradicated these parasites. •Those infected with undetected bacterial overgrowth and who have eradicated the bacteria- or have minimised it. •Patients who have a yeast overgrowth and who have reduced their yeast levels. Seeing as the most doctors do not elaborate on the diagnosis, they prescribe a number of standard IBS medications (laxatives, ibuprofen, colofac, gasX, imodium etc) and then hand us over to a specialist. I think what you were experiencing when you had your IBS symptoms was most likely bacterial overgrowth of some sort. This could explain why you first reacted so badly to the antibiotic treatment and then why finishing the treatment healed you.According to some (others think this theory is rubbish) there is a 'die-off' period when we start to kill the bacteria. This can make a sufferer really sick. I have just been diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth (through a stool test) and would LOVE to undergo the treatment that you have described. I don't think I can do this, however, as I have a yeast overgrowth as well and the antibiotics could send this through the roof. Once again, congrats! CQI am certain what I had was bacterial, but I have no proof apart fom the antibiotics fixing it. Even though they tested for bacteria, which came back negative, my GP wasn't convinced. His comment to me was the tests are done in a standard generic environment. Some bugs he said are harder to grow and harder to kill. From what I have read though I totally agree that way too many are simply diagnosed with IBS without identifying the cause and fixing that.


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## derfy

Congratulations on curing your IBS. Like you mine started two years ago. In late oct 2009 i had a bladder infection and was giving an antibiotic called Macrobid and since then I have not been the same. I have had a theory that I may have SIBO, I brought it up with my home doc and she said that's impossible for me to get from an antibiotic and she says it's anxiety and depression. Anyways I won't bore you with the hell an ssri called citalopram caused me but I will say I was very timid and scared to ask docs for different issues. Now having been in chronic pain and spending monies on various medicines and supplements I am at the point where I don't care anymore. What test's can be done to check for Bacterial over growth? I have had ultrasounds, an edoscopy and two barium x rays will tons of blood work. I did a bit of reading though and to my surprise an antibiotic might be a solution, It's funny an antibiotic caused this and another one might help treat this. Good luck to all of you in our fight against IBS.


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## karoe

shaw_way said:


> Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:39 am Post subject: IBS Cured	For the record I have no medical background at all. All I know is what I went through, which was not fun. My week was two or three days of severe pain (I fainted from pain at work once), one or two of mild pain and one or two of just feeling unwell. I went to all kinds of specialists, had all kinds of tests, the end result was I had IBS. It is what is known as a catch-all. When you have the symptoms and it is not cancer, or another nasty bug and they're not really sure, you have IBS. Now they don't know why or how you get it, but the doctors sure know the symptoms and I had every one. I went through this for two years when I developed scalp ulcers. My doctor put me on antibiotics, which sent my IBS through the roof. So I stopped taking them. A while later I went to my doctor again for the scalp ulcers and he put me on Flagyl and Tetracycline. He warned my it will hurt and to go the full dose anyway. I don't remember the pain he warned of, maybe I was ready for it. After a few days I noticed my IBS starting to improve. By the second week it was gone. I went through two full prescriptions before I was convinced. After this I then discovered the work of Barry Marshall and it sort of jelled. Now for the caviate. What caused my IBS may be different from what caused another persons. What fixed mine, may not fix yours. As I mentioned, they don't really know the cause. All I know is mine is gone in terms of the pain. I still feel unwell if I drink more than four alchoholic drinks. I figure once the damage is done it doesn't fully heal. Otherwise I am fine and have no other symptoms, none. But I can eat anything, including pickles (I was in the feotal position in pain for a couple of days once). I hope this helps somebody out there. It has been around four years and I am still syptom free.


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## karoe

"It's IBS" is the answer you get when the doc is either uniformed about gastro health or too busy to find the reason for your discomfort. Google Leo Galland and the Institute for Integrative medicine. He shares plenty of info about how to track down and eliminate the causes for your symptoms. I am on the journey, guided by an integrative medicine MD in my community. I got rid of 3 pests, diagnosed with DNA testing, and I am feeling much better. I'm not cured yet, my doc now suspects mold toxin illness and we are testing for that. FYI one of the pests I rid myself of was D. Fragilis, and that was accomplished with an antifungal drug. Please inform yourself and don't accept that label.


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## SalvationSeeker

BQ said:


> Ok hon. But if an antibiotic "cured" you.... you probably had more than IBS.


No because IBS is not determined by its cause, but rather its symptoms. The mans right, IBS is about as descriptive as ADD. ADD = problems learning, IBS = problems pooping or digesting... Thats about it im afraid. You can have IBS with colitis, Crohns with colitis, Ulcerative colitis with no colitis, IBS with no mucus, crohns with no mucus, and UC with mucus. All the symptoms of these bowel diseases are interchangeable it is only the causes which create a differentiation and IBS is like crohns, celiac or UC, except the cause is unknown hence it is a syndrome and not a disease.I will be trying flagyl, alot of IBS is really fungal, bacterial,viral or protozoan infections that knock our gut flora out of whack or capitalize on the damage done by other medications.


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## SalvationSeeker

karoe said:


> "It's IBS" is the answer you get when the doc is either uniformed about gastro health or too busy to find the reason for your discomfort. Google Leo Galland and the Institute for Integrative medicine. He shares plenty of info about how to track down and eliminate the causes for your symptoms. I am on the journey, guided by an integrative medicine MD in my community. I got rid of 3 pests, diagnosed with DNA testing, and I am feeling much better. I'm not cured yet, my doc now suspects mold toxin illness and we are testing for that. FYI one of the pests I rid myself of was D. Fragilis, and that was accomplished with an antifungal drug. Please inform yourself and don't accept that label.


great stuff! which dna test did u use? metametrix?


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## BQ

> You can have IBS with colitis, Crohns with colitis, Ulcerative colitis with no colitis, IBS with no mucus, crohns with no mucus, and UC with mucus. All the symptoms of these bowel diseases are interchangeable it is only the causes which create a differentiation and IBS is like crohns, celiac or UC, except the cause is unknown hence it is a syndrome and not a disease.


One can have co-occuring digestive diseases. Yes literally one can have IBS AND Crohns disease. But all of those diseases are NOT interchangeable. There are some MAJOR differences. Some are functional diseases and some are dysfunctional diseases.And I will standby my statement that if an antibiotic cured someone... they were not cured of IBS but of something else.. that antibiotics cure.See this simple chart for more info:http://www.ibsgroup.org/symptoms


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## rhonalomey

Got a new young doctor who is familiar with IBS and she says any CURE for IBS means it was something else!!!


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## Gasdarter

BQ said:


> One can have co-occuring digestive diseases. Yes literally one can have IBS AND Crohns disease. But all of those diseases are NOT interchangeable. There are some MAJOR differences. Some are functional diseases and some are dysfunctional diseases.And I will standby my statement that if an antibiotic cured someone... they were not cured of IBS but of something else.. that antibiotics cure.See this simple chart for more info:http://www.ibsgroup.org/symptoms


The person said the symptoms are interchangeable, which in many - but of course not all, cases the symptomatic manifestations share many commonalities. The cause of IBS is elusive, and bacterial infection cannot and should not be ruled out (don't forget the story of H. pylori) You can certainly stand by your position, and in the end you may be correct, but it has no scientific evidence to back it up and cannot be considered credible. I have had personal experience with a patient who lived with a diagnosis of IBS for 6 years and was prescribed Keflex for prophylaxis after a minor surgery. After experiencing a remission in symptoms during the course he subsequently underwent an extended regimine of the antibiotic. 2.5 years later any recurrence has yet been experienced. Consultation with other specialists has shown this is not an isolated case.


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## maitland

i am going to take two different types of antibiotics next week amoxicillin and norfloxacin for sibo....i am coming to the conclusion this could the root of my ibs problems and will keep you posted....as for the sarcastic remarks from "hon".....i think ibs has a thousand faces so maybe a bit of moral support to the odd person who finds some relief and shares that success with the forum is more in order than a rude retort. anyway.... good luck to you and i hope i get some relief myself....i've had this ibs-d and reflux for over 7 years now....my concern is when the antibiotics kill off the good and bad bacteria how do you go about getting the good bacteria back in and keeping the bad bacteria from taking over again....any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks. maitland


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