# Still D after a campylobacter treatment



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

A few days ago, my doc said the culture of my stool sample indicated the presence of Campylobacter. This caused diahrea, even though it wasn't very severe.Since this was the second time I got it and since my intestine's resistence is devastated at this moment (still some after effects of C-Diff I had a few months go plus a viral gastroenteritis end March) the doc opted to give me an antibiotic that is known to also have diahrea as side effect.I had to take the antibiotic named Azitromycin for 3 days (and I also took probiotics, leaving 2 hours of space between the anti and the probiotic). I just finished the course today, but now I just got a bout of diahrea again.What could be causing this? The tests on the stool sample indicated that the strain of Campylobacter in my gut is sensitive to this antibiotic... but is the infection not gone now? Does the infection take a while to go away even though I just finished the course? I'm pretty worried about this.It just seems weird that this antibiotic would be causing a sudden bout of diahrea since it's supposed to treat an infectuous diahrea in the first place


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Drugs have side effects, diarrhea is a common one. Just takes a bit of gut irritation or fit into the "move it along" button and off it can go. The gut doesn't automatically go at the right speed completely independent of everything else, it is always being told to move it along, or slow it down, etc. Some drugs fit into those "buttons" (technically called receptors).Fighting off an infection activates the immune system even if you need drugs to clear it. The immune system damages the body as well as the thing it is fighting off. Any human being's gut can be a bit "techy" for a few days to a few weeks after a gut infection is 100% totally gone. So foods that may trigger the speed things up buttons (like gassy foods or fatty foods or things with caffeine or alcohol in them) may cause too much sped up rather than the amount they are supposed to.Lots of things can trigger diarrhea. Some of them not even having anything to do with food or infections. Could be physical stress (are you perfectly rested getting the exact number of hours of sleep you need, eating all your nutrients, no other pains or illnesses, getting just the right amount of movement and exercise, not a bit too much or not quite enough, is the weather perfect for you, every day, all day) Can be emotional stress (like worrying over the fact your gut isn't perfect at the moment when all expectations would be after all it is gone through it has the right to be a bit over-reactive).In conclusion, sounds like the diarrhea you may be having is normal and expected and not something to get worked up over or need a whole new round of testing to figure it out. I know it can be hard to accept the body needs recovery time after the break is healed, the infection is gone, etc. but it is this way after almost all things that can go wrong. Healing takes time, not only clearing the bug, etc, but recovering from the damage the bug did, recovering from the damage fighting the bug off did, getting things all talking to each other and rebalanced signal wise takes time. A lot of the time we are sick isn't about the being sick, it is about what it takes to get everything working well again.Fretting at it, if anything, make it harder to recover.


----------



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

Thanks Kathleen.Well, I called the doctor and she said my gut is simply still recovering and that I can have some random diahrea episodes for the next couple of days. She says that, just because I finished the antibiotics today, it doesn't mean the immune system isn't still fighting off the rests of the infection plus the fact that my gut was still sensitive after C-Diff. She says it should be better in a few days.Not to mention Azitromycin is a pretty powerful antibiotic that can upset the gut.Makes sense to you?


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Makes sense to me. Just try to relax (easier said than done, I know) and let the healing process work. It is normal that it will take a bit to heal all the way up. Until that happens you have to expect some less than perfect functioning.


----------



## Joseph81 (May 6, 2010)

L.H., try to space out at least 3 hours between antibiotics and probiotics. See 'How to Use' http://probioticsmart.com/life/dds-100-acidophilus.htmlSlightly off-topic, but azithromycin was in the news a few days ago: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/health/research/popular-antibiotic-may-raise-risk-of-sudden-death.html?_r=1


----------



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

It's very hard to try and relax and not think about it. I know a large part of the problems is psychological... but if I tell you NOT to think of a polar bear right now, what's the first thing that goes through your mind?Yeah, my point exactly Anyway, if I continue taking probiotics (mainly Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces Boulardii and Lactobacillus), will this help my gut getting rid of the campylobacter? Are probiotics helpful in destroying this bacterium?


----------



## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> but if I tell you NOT to think of a polar bear right now, what's the first thing that goes through your mind?


Exactly! So tell yourself NOT to think about something else! (Not thinking about Polar bears is one example... Not thinkign about Purple Giraffes would be another... etc>>>







)


> Anyway, if I continue taking probiotics (mainly Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces Boulardii and Lactobacillus), will this help my gut getting rid of the campylobacter? Are probiotics helpful in destroying this bacterium?


No.. Probiotics are just different types of bacteria. They don't kill anything.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

But if you keep all the ecological spaces filled up with the good guys it may make it harder for the bad ones to cause problems.If the tests say the bacteria is gone try to assume it is gone. Better than well I gotta keep killing it even though the doctor won't give me any more medication. Work on the what will help you heal up. Probiotics will help with that as the antibiotics tend to make a lot of open spaces in the ecology, so taking those to fill up the holes is important even if they won't seek and destroy the bacteria the doctor says is gone.


----------



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

Well I don't know if it's gone. I've only taken a 3 day course of antibiotics and I haven't been retested yet (took the last dose yesterday). So it might just be the infection that is still lingering in there. After all, after all I've been through these last months (C-Diff twice, a viral gut bug, a first campylobacter infection and now a relapse of campylobacter) it sounds pretty likely that my gut has a tough time fighting anything off. My resistance is probably devastated right now so this might just be the infection being stubborn.I have an appointment with the gastroenterologist monday anyway. I'll explain everything and see what she suggests.To me, it seems unlikely that this is 100% psychological. Though I'm sure the psychological aspect doesn't make it better, in the past I know that stress and anxiety causes pain and gas but never diahrea. Every time I've had diahrea in the past years, it was because of a specific reason: infection, right after an antibiotic course, exotic food on vacation, etc.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't think anyone thinks you are making up the symptoms, or making yourself sick.Just it isn't likely that 100% of symptoms go away when you start treatment. Sometimes it takes until the end of the full course of antibiotics (and some stay in the body a few days that is why you only need 3 days of pills rather than 10 or more) and sometimes the symptoms from the illness (not just the healing up) may last until after the last dose has had it's time to work.Sorry if you think I am saying it is only psychological. I wasn't, and I dunno if anything I'm saying is helpful so maybe I should stop responding. I didn't mean to make things worse or make you feel that I don't believe you at all.Unfortunately any sort of worry or anxiety tends to make things worse, it never makes anything better. Never heard a doctor say you'd feel just fine if you'd just get really stressed out, or really worry about what is going on.


----------



## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Trust me.. one can have D from stressing.







It isn't 100% psychological... no one here is saying that hon. You have had quite a few back to back problems.. I will tell you that if what happened to you.... happened to me... my gut would be flaring for months (or longer) afterwards.


----------



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

Kathleen M. said:


> I don't think anyone thinks you are making up the symptoms, or making yourself sick.Just it isn't likely that 100% of symptoms go away when you start treatment. Sometimes it takes until the end of the full course of antibiotics (and some stay in the body a few days that is why you only need 3 days of pills rather than 10 or more) and sometimes the symptoms from the illness (not just the healing up) may last until after the last dose has had it's time to work.Sorry if you think I am saying it is only psychological. I wasn't, and I dunno if anything I'm saying is helpful so maybe I should stop responding. I didn't mean to make things worse or make you feel that I don't believe you at all.Unfortunately any sort of worry or anxiety tends to make things worse, it never makes anything better. Never heard a doctor say you'd feel just fine if you'd just get really stressed out, or really worry about what is going on.


No no I know you didn't say it's 100% psychological.Your replies are very helpful







I said the psychological thing because some people around me say it is. My sister for example is still convinced it's all in my head. While I agree stressing about it doesn't help, I know what I have now can't just be random. As BQ says, I've had some back to back problems lately. partially bad luck, partially my resistance that is weak at the moment and that just makes my gut sensitive.I'm starting to know my own body: I've had a lot of very stressfull moments in my life and while this did cause excessive gas and abdominal pain, it has never caused diahrea to such a degree. It may have been a little looser, but right now it's flat out watery. That's one of the reasons why I think this isn't just about anxiety or "all in my head" like my sister would say.The thing that bothers me right now is that even after the antibiotics, I still have 90% of the symptoms. I evne still feel slight muscle pain typical to very low grade fever. We'll see what the specialist says tomorrow I guess.In no way did I mean your replies aren't helpful. They are very helpful and even somewhat comforting to me


----------



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

So I went to the gastroenterologist yesterday. She told me to take another stool sample just to be 100% sure (and also to test for C-Diff since I took antibiotics).Her diagnosis, is that (as BQ said) I've had quite some back to back problems lately: C-Diff in November, C-Diff in December, gut virus in March, Campylobacter in April and Campylobacter a few weeks later again. Because of this, my gut is now very sensitive and my gut flora is probably quite devastated.It needs to heal. Simple as that. I asked her if anything will be permanent. She said that no, although the problems can persist for a while, my gut will eventually recover fully. But I have to be patient.She also advised to continue taking high doses of Enterol (Saccharomyces Boulardii) for a few weeks to help my gut flora recover.It's a good thing I got two weeks off from next week on. My resistance will be able to catch up a little.To me, what she says makes a lot of sense and I think there i sno need to worry: it might take some time, but it will get better.


----------



## Friday (Dec 9, 2008)

How are you now? Did it get better?


----------

