Intestinal infection

Please help.. I was recently married in Jamaica in December 08.  3 days after I returned I developed abdominal pain and noticed mucous in my stool.  I waited a few weeks thinking a bug or something.  Well on Jan 1st I went to my Dr. the pain got too bad, who prescribed the Z pak.  After 7 days I worsened, was put on Cipro and Flagyl.  I got explosive diarrhea from these meds, but finished them under Dr.s supervision.  I had a CT scan, which showed inflammation of the colon, colits.  Then I got worse and was given another course of Cipro and Flagyl.  By the third day of these, I was admitted to the ER with severe abdom. pain, diarrhea, mucous, and now blood in the stool.  I had another CT scan which showed the inflammation had spread to my entire colon.  Had a colonoscopy, the Dr. said looks like UC and was given Aliada, Alina, and Aliada enemas.  Biopsies came back today, dr. says I do not have UC, all results showed an infection.  Infectious colitis- after 3 rounds of antibiotics!  I do not know what to do.  Dr. says to wait to see what happens but I'm in pain!  All second opinions do not have openings until 2 months.  

[ggreg]

Well, while you're waiting, you have a few options.  But first, if the pain and indigestion get really fierce, go right on back to the ER.  And I don't know if you drink or not, and most folks say don't drink becuz it can cause internal bleeding, but the way you are, on the weekend one glass of a good red wine after a meal will dull the pain and help you thoroughly relax.  

To help the condition your bowels are in right now, you should be consuming probiotics, which you can get in the grocery store as either Acidophilus milk or Activia yogurt, consume for two weeks, it helps restore the digestive flora to normal... all those antibiotics you had to take kill both good and bad bacteria.  

Don't eat any hard-to-digest foods, like red meat or fatty foods.  If you eat chicken or fish, be sure to chew it up real good.  Eat dark green salads daily, oat cereals like Cheerios, 100 percent whole wheat bread, and blueberries are fantastic for digestion.  Ordinary spagetti about once a week is good for adding water to your system and filling up your guts so you have something to pass.  In fact, you should drink a little extra water daily, and try to exercise several times a week... exercise helps the bowels move better, especially those that work on the legs or even easy stretching will do.  

Also for the discomfort, you can try an Alka Seltzer a couple times a week, it reduces inflammation, normalizes the pH of the body, releases gas (very important) and helps pain.  A hot water bottle right on your abdomen will soothe indigestion and reduce pain.  Also helpful is rubbing the tummy in a circular motion, clockwise as you look down at your hand.  Take a hot soak in the tub by candlelight, either in silence or with very soft music playing.  Get involved in a real good movie, where you forget about everything around you.  Have someone massage your back, very relaxing, or you can massage your own feet, also relaxing.

I have no idea what bacteria you picked up in Jamaica, or why you got so very sick, but I think you should definitely schedule those second opinions, even tho it might take a while to get in to see them, if you haven't scheduled them already.  I couldn't tell from your post if you'd made the appointments.  Ask to be put on a cancellation list, perhaps.