please help: questions on symptoms and cipro / flagyl side effects

[cantthinkofaname27]

I was given both cipro and flagy for 10 days to combat symptoms that suggested bacteria from a trip to Mexico five weeks ago.  Original symptoms included dull pain/discomfort just inside of the side pelvic bones.  Symptoms moved to central public bone, i.e. bladder pressure, and slight tingling after (not during) urinating.  Seems to be after eating.  I am a healthy guy and anythign that last more than a day or two worries me.

urine dip showed "slightly higher than normal" bilirubin.  doctor took stool and blood - both fine, including normal bilirubin and no hep.  Doctor said the result of the dip could be attributed to a number of things, including the fact that I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since I had gotten up that day 6 hours earlier.

So...after a week of the medication my stool is very soft (not watery) and often thin.  Unless I am super-hydrated, my urine is a deep golden yellow.  I haven't noticed this in the past.  discomfort in/around bladder comes and goes, no longer often of consistent...but I get a "reminder" now and again that plays with my anxiety/mind.

Questions:
Could this be the medication?
Is there something else my symptoms suggest that has nothing to do with the medication I am on?

Thanks in advance.

[red7777]

The medications can turn your urine a very dark kind of orange color.  Perhaps you could try drinking Keffir - its a live culture yogourt drink that helps to re-establish the normal bacteria in your gut.  I have been off and on flagyl, levaquin, bactrim, and cipro for the last 14 weeks and am having bowel resection surgery for diverticulitis tomorrow.  The Keffir really helped me - tastes kind of weird but it works .  You can also eat any kind of yogourt that contains live culture - DanActive or Activia.  Good luck and I hope you feel better soon

[cantthinkofaname27]

Thanks for the info - I value your suggestions and will act on them.
Cheers.

[ggreg]

I'm no expert on kidneys or anything, but generally speaking if your urine is a strong yellow, it means you're not getting enough water in your body.  If you had a kidney infection, it needs extra help right now with flushing it out good with plenty of liquids.  Also, the medication you're taking, antibiotic, it will cause the digestion to act up, so that's how come your waste isn't normal right now.  Again, water helps this.  Another thing that helps is "Activia" yogurt, at the grocery store, helps restore "good" bacteria that the antibiotics kill (it kills good and bad alike), which helps break down waste better.

You need to eat some whole wheat bread, good for the digestion, and cheerios with blueberries is too.  Spagetti with salad helps also.  Try to eat SOMETHING several times a day, and whenever you feel the slightest bit thirsty, guzzle down a glass of water.  Sodas have lots of sugars and salts in them, which can dry out a person, so just drink mostly water instead for now.  You can also get re-tested for how your bacterial infection is going along... could be they'll need to give you some different antibiotics, which of course you'll end up with the same symptoms as now, if it is indeed the medicine that's causing some of your issues.