Stomach Problem and Antibiotics
May 10, 2013 4:02 PM Subscribe
I used tetracycline for a year and a half for acne. I had no negative side effects.
On April 14th I started to have abdomen pain, loose stools, diahrea, gas, and stomach gurgling.
On April 18th I went to a walk in clinic and they told me that I should stop taking the tetracycline because I've been on it for too long and it can negatively effect my gut flora.
I had a stool sample, blood test and ultrasound done and they all came back negative.
I went to my family doctor April 29th and he said that I am suffering from IBS and said to take a PPI and a anti-depressant. He also said it was unlikely that the tetracycline could cause my stomach problems. I took the PPI and it didn't help. I do not want to take the anti-depressant.
I visited my dermatologist this week and he said I should continue taking the tetracycline and that stomach problems can be related to stress.
My stomach is still bothering me and I have diahrea in the early morning and I'm taking imodium to stop that.
I am visiting my girlfriend in Europe in 2 weeks and I hope my stomach problems don't negatively effect my trip.
Does anyone know if using Antibiotics could cause stomach issues like this.
I am upset at myself for taking the Tetracycline for so long. But my dermatologist told me it was safe.
I hope this will pass and not be a lifelong syndrome.
Sorry -- not trying to spark a debate. To correct myself, it is theorized that the onset of these diseases can be related to longterm antibiotic use.
posted by telegraph at 4:08 PM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by telegraph at 4:08 PM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Did you take Pro-Biotoics with your antibiotics?
If you stool was tested, I'm sure they are tested for C Diff which is a bacteria that can take over your gut when the "good bacteria" is killed by antibiotics. So the fact that tests came back negative is good, but it doesn't mean that your gut isn't suffering.
Talk to you doctor or a pharmacist to get a recommendation for a good probiotic. You should always take one with antibiotics to help your stomach.
I have IBS and GERD and a few months ago had to be on a 10 day course of antibiotics and the probiotics helped tremendously, but I still had minor bowel issues.
Get to a stomach doctor (Gastroenterologist) for further testing if it does not improve, but your gut bacteria needs to get back to a good balance. Monitor your diet too.
posted by Crystalinne at 4:08 PM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you stool was tested, I'm sure they are tested for C Diff which is a bacteria that can take over your gut when the "good bacteria" is killed by antibiotics. So the fact that tests came back negative is good, but it doesn't mean that your gut isn't suffering.
Talk to you doctor or a pharmacist to get a recommendation for a good probiotic. You should always take one with antibiotics to help your stomach.
I have IBS and GERD and a few months ago had to be on a 10 day course of antibiotics and the probiotics helped tremendously, but I still had minor bowel issues.
Get to a stomach doctor (Gastroenterologist) for further testing if it does not improve, but your gut bacteria needs to get back to a good balance. Monitor your diet too.
posted by Crystalinne at 4:08 PM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
I agree that a second opinion could be useful, ideally from a GI doctor, on your symptoms. Your only workup for IBS should not be from a walk-in clinic. (Although I'm unclear on whether your PCP did any additional testing)
Here is the eMedicine page with recommendations on workup for suspected IBS. Not all the tests here are necessary but there are a lot of considerations. Typically walk in clinics/urgent cares only look for urgent issues.
Two other things:
1. Don't feel bad for taking the tetracycline. That is an appropriate treatment for acne and many people use it for this reason successfully. It was not "wrong" to take it. No medication is "safe". All medications have risks. Medications are still good things despite the fact that they have risks, because the risks outweigh the benefits when they are used appropriately.
2. Consider trying the antidepressant you were prescribed. I assume it is a tricyclic antidepressant. These medications have been shown to be effective at relieving symptoms in IBS at doses lower than those that would be therapeutic for depression. That suggests that there is another mechanism at work treating the IBS with these drugs, rather than that treating depression in people with IBS improves their symptoms (although that could be part of it too). In any case, if you're thinking "I am not depressed so I refuse to take an antidepressant", I'm just saying that's not the logic to apply here. If the med doesn't help you then you can always stop taking it.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 4:23 PM on May 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
Here is the eMedicine page with recommendations on workup for suspected IBS. Not all the tests here are necessary but there are a lot of considerations. Typically walk in clinics/urgent cares only look for urgent issues.
Two other things:
1. Don't feel bad for taking the tetracycline. That is an appropriate treatment for acne and many people use it for this reason successfully. It was not "wrong" to take it. No medication is "safe". All medications have risks. Medications are still good things despite the fact that they have risks, because the risks outweigh the benefits when they are used appropriately.
2. Consider trying the antidepressant you were prescribed. I assume it is a tricyclic antidepressant. These medications have been shown to be effective at relieving symptoms in IBS at doses lower than those that would be therapeutic for depression. That suggests that there is another mechanism at work treating the IBS with these drugs, rather than that treating depression in people with IBS improves their symptoms (although that could be part of it too). In any case, if you're thinking "I am not depressed so I refuse to take an antidepressant", I'm just saying that's not the logic to apply here. If the med doesn't help you then you can always stop taking it.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 4:23 PM on May 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
Perhaps I should more accurately say, "no medication is 100% safe - many medications are relatively very safe."
posted by treehorn+bunny at 4:24 PM on May 10, 2013
posted by treehorn+bunny at 4:24 PM on May 10, 2013
"Does anyone know if using Antibiotics could cause stomach issues like this?"
Absolutely, yes. Antibiotics can really mess up your gut flora and happy digestive functioning as a result (meaning, leading to unhappy digestive functioning). But I go see a GI doctor asap, for expert advice and to rule out anything major going on. And perhaps another dermatologist.
posted by iamkimiam at 4:36 PM on May 10, 2013
Absolutely, yes. Antibiotics can really mess up your gut flora and happy digestive functioning as a result (meaning, leading to unhappy digestive functioning). But I go see a GI doctor asap, for expert advice and to rule out anything major going on. And perhaps another dermatologist.
posted by iamkimiam at 4:36 PM on May 10, 2013
Don't beat yourself up. Back in the early 80s, I took tetracycline (for acne) almost continuously from about age 18 to 23 and don't remember having any serious trouble with my bowels.
posted by bonobothegreat at 4:53 PM on May 10, 2013
posted by bonobothegreat at 4:53 PM on May 10, 2013
I would underscore the recommendation for a gastroenterologist and a colonoscopy, as well as further stool testing for C Diff (which sometimes eludes testing). In the meantime, the probiotic I recommend is this one (one of three that I take).
I have ulcerative colitis and I definitely have to avoid antibiotics.
posted by janey47 at 5:56 PM on May 10, 2013
I have ulcerative colitis and I definitely have to avoid antibiotics.
posted by janey47 at 5:56 PM on May 10, 2013
You should get an ultrasound (quick and non-invasive) before an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy as it could reveal gallstones which could explain your digestive problems. I sure wish I had. I had the ultrasound after every other test you can think of and my diagnosis before it revealed gallstones was IBS (which really did not explain the chest pains, side pains etc).
posted by meepmeow at 6:46 PM on May 10, 2013
posted by meepmeow at 6:46 PM on May 10, 2013
Try Culturelle if you can find it - there are lots of probiotics on the market and they are not all created equal. Culturelle has a safe type of bacteria which has been proven to repopulate gut flora... It will help repopulate your gut with friendly bacteria. It is also very useful for traveling in areas where traveler's diarrhea is prevalent...
If the symptoms continue or get worse, definitely see a GI.
posted by NoDef at 7:11 PM on May 10, 2013
If the symptoms continue or get worse, definitely see a GI.
posted by NoDef at 7:11 PM on May 10, 2013
Another antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) was shown to cause reduced diversity of gut bacteria. Of the three test subjects, there were variable responses toward the antibiotic but the good news is that most of the bacterial diversity bounced back.
(http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0060280)
Long-term tetracycline usage might have more drastic effects but you shouldn't beat yourself up, you were given bad medical advice. It would be better to focus that energy on recovering. If the problem is gut microbiome-related, probiotics is the next logical step.
In my opinion, there are cheaper and more natural ways of consuming "probiotics". Alternatives include raw fruits and vegetables with skins and unpasteurized fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, etc which provide very diverse ranges of "good" bacteria often at a fraction of the cost.
As infants we constantly taste random objects, ingesting all kinds of foreign bacteria which help to develop our immune and digestive systems. I think a similar approach over an intermediate period of time (months) might be appropriate for re-balancing your gut. If you are going to try something like this its probably best to start off slow to minimize bad reactions.
posted by brocklee at 12:56 AM on May 11, 2013
(http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0060280)
Long-term tetracycline usage might have more drastic effects but you shouldn't beat yourself up, you were given bad medical advice. It would be better to focus that energy on recovering. If the problem is gut microbiome-related, probiotics is the next logical step.
In my opinion, there are cheaper and more natural ways of consuming "probiotics". Alternatives include raw fruits and vegetables with skins and unpasteurized fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, etc which provide very diverse ranges of "good" bacteria often at a fraction of the cost.
As infants we constantly taste random objects, ingesting all kinds of foreign bacteria which help to develop our immune and digestive systems. I think a similar approach over an intermediate period of time (months) might be appropriate for re-balancing your gut. If you are going to try something like this its probably best to start off slow to minimize bad reactions.
posted by brocklee at 12:56 AM on May 11, 2013
You need to get a new family doctor, and I don't say that lightly. That a doctor could seriously tell you that longterm antibiotic use is unlikely to have caused your stomach issues is... I'm scanning my mind for a word that means both stupid and ignorant and negligent to a high enough degree and I can't find one, but there you go.
Antibiotics don't kill just "bad" bacteria, they kill whatever they are capable of killing. That is why probiotics are recommended during and after antibiotic use. Some people have very strong stomach bacteria that don't get obliterated by certain antibiotics, but some people also smoke for decades without getting cancer; it doesn't mean it's a good idea for most people to do those things.
Also, if you thought your acne was bad before, wait until you see how bad acne can get when your stomach is a mess. Lots of people get rid of acne just by taking powerful probiotics. If a bad bacteria is causing your acne, you can probably do better by crowding it out with powerful good bacteria, not by indiscriminately killing every bacteria the antibiotic comes in contact with, and it will have far fewer side effects.
You really want to be careful with antibiotics. They are great when they're vital but being on them for a long time can wreck you, and I have seen dermatologists prescribe them way too lightly since they don't really have to deal with the fallout. Once your stomach gets messed up it is very difficult to get right again, speaking from experience here.
posted by Nattie at 2:56 AM on May 11, 2013
Antibiotics don't kill just "bad" bacteria, they kill whatever they are capable of killing. That is why probiotics are recommended during and after antibiotic use. Some people have very strong stomach bacteria that don't get obliterated by certain antibiotics, but some people also smoke for decades without getting cancer; it doesn't mean it's a good idea for most people to do those things.
Also, if you thought your acne was bad before, wait until you see how bad acne can get when your stomach is a mess. Lots of people get rid of acne just by taking powerful probiotics. If a bad bacteria is causing your acne, you can probably do better by crowding it out with powerful good bacteria, not by indiscriminately killing every bacteria the antibiotic comes in contact with, and it will have far fewer side effects.
You really want to be careful with antibiotics. They are great when they're vital but being on them for a long time can wreck you, and I have seen dermatologists prescribe them way too lightly since they don't really have to deal with the fallout. Once your stomach gets messed up it is very difficult to get right again, speaking from experience here.
posted by Nattie at 2:56 AM on May 11, 2013
Response by poster: This is horrible. I wish I had better doctors. I don't know what I'm gonna do for my trip with my girlfriend. I am a nervous wreck and I don't want her to see me like this. Plus with all the gas I have.
I took Tetracycline because of the side effects from Accutane.
Thanks for the replies.
Hopefully someone in the medical community has some answers.
posted by Jack V at 7:00 AM on May 11, 2013
I took Tetracycline because of the side effects from Accutane.
Thanks for the replies.
Hopefully someone in the medical community has some answers.
posted by Jack V at 7:00 AM on May 11, 2013
Back in the early 80s, I took tetracycline (for acne) almost continuously from about age 18 to 23 and don't remember having any serious trouble with my bowels.
As did I, a few years earlier than that, and (this is anecdotal, but), I've had digestive problems for most of the last 25 years, only in the last few years getting better thanks to (again, anecdotal) careful eating and yoghurt.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:48 PM on May 12, 2013
As did I, a few years earlier than that, and (this is anecdotal, but), I've had digestive problems for most of the last 25 years, only in the last few years getting better thanks to (again, anecdotal) careful eating and yoghurt.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:48 PM on May 12, 2013
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These diseases are rare but they can be caused by longterm antibiotic use and present with the symptoms you're experiencing. Suffering is frequently prolonged because it takes a long time to finally end up with a referral for the appropriate specialist (GI) and test (colonoscopy). Just do it, ASAP. Worst case scenario you'll have an unpleasant day of prep and a heck of a lot of peace of mind.
posted by telegraph at 4:06 PM on May 10, 2013