Diarrhea from antibiotics

[vjo82]

I was given two medications (erythromycin and rocephin) to treat a discharge that tests showed was not an std (gonorrhea/chlamydia/syphilis). For the past week i've been experiencing really bad loose and watery stools. I've tried immodium, pepto, light diet of rice and bananas etc. but nothing seems to work. Any ideas what could be wrong or how to stop it? I called the nurse, and she explained something else is wrong b/c the medicines would not cause this problem for so long.

[EmilyBa]

Hi mkh9,
Sorry for delay reply. It has been very excausting 4 weeks for us. My oldest child got very bad chest infection bacteria from m the school and was extremely sick.....
About my little boys UTI. I was stupid enough to follow GP's advice and stopped his antibiotics day 7. Since last week Friday his urine start smelling a bit and not doing wee wee at night again... We are retesting his urine to make sure KLEBSILLA Oxytoca doesn't left in his body....
I give him live cultured probiotics yogurt everyday. I have tried probiotics drink but he vomited out... I'm not fane of dry bottled or capsule probiotics. They makes my kids very sick some reason....
We eat probiotics and prebiotics food so, hope he gets balanced bacteria in his gut.
We have Renal / US appt next week and I will update you on that.
About the jaundice we done FBC and his ALP was almost 500
I have told pediartrician but doctors ignored me. I also, have Hepatitus C antibody. I had couple of day surgery about 8 yrs ago and infected with HepC. I carry HepC antibody but not viruse. I have mentioned to doctors but no one listens to me.... My son has either liver problem or Hepititus or some bacterial infection that's for sure. His jaundice has reabsorbtion problem. Some days his face turns nice white then after couple of day turns to brown or orange.... So, I can tell just looking his by skin colour jaundice levels are down or up.!!!!  I had Csection and got bacterial infection... I was developed mistiatus after the birth day 8-9 and 9 long months suffered from pelvis and overian pain.... My guess is my son got bacterial infection from me though the breast milk and this cause prolonged jaundice... or he might have liver problem.
They tested GPD some genetic disorder for boys and his test result come out normal.
I will update you once everything is tested.
Mean while if you able to suggest any test for reabsorbtion  of
Jaundice would be much appreciated. There is no family history of genetic disorders in both sides. Thank again heaps.

[mkh9]

I am not a doctor but some advice would be: I would check the renal ultrasound and maybe liver/gallbladder. It seems like way too long to be jaundice and these types of problems to me too. Other things are blockage of the bile ducts, and hemolytic or pernicious anemia. Have they checked his complete blood count and was that normal?

Could he have hepatitis from you? Sometimes people carry the virus and don't know they have it. Sorry to ask this question. You could get tested for Hepatitis C and B. Unless you have had the vaccine for B then you don't need that one. Also, there is viral hepatitis. But, he wasn't sick before he got this right?

Are his liver enzymes elevated (these are alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase)?

Rare inherited disorders that cause abnormal bilirubin metabolism such as Rotor, Dubin-Johnson, and Crigler-Najjar syndromes, may also cause increased levels of bilirubin. Does anyone have any of these syndromes in the family? Some people can be carriers.

Is the bilirubin that is high conjugated or unconjugated?  A lot of these genetic disorders just make the bilirubin high and are not too serious. But sometimes symptoms vary.

thanks,
mkh9

[mkh9]

If he can take it stay on the antibiotic the 10 days. Then a probiotic after not during the antibiotic. So then after the antibiotic is done take the probiotics forr two weeks . Then if you want to you can retest. But if he can tell you if he has symptoms then you can ask him if he hurts or stings when he pees etc. Check his fever about a week or two after the antibiotics are out of his system. If there are no signs of the infection returning he should be okay. If the doctors are willing to retest wait about a week for the antibiotics to get out of the system then retest. If he has no symptoms wait two weeks.
mkh9

[EmilyBa]

His poo looks firm but very smelly. His stool start smelling for the last 7 days since antibiotics treatment for UTI.

Thank you so much for infor PCR and US / pelvis

[EmilyBa]

Hospital discharged us when my son developed jaundice dangerously high. His bullirubbin 182ml in day 3 and day 5 he had seizure. I called hospital and young nurse told us nothing to worry about it jaundice will go away in 2-3 was time but his jaundice didn't go away.

We have been circuling around pediartrician and specialist since  when my son was 4 weeks old. My son has reabsorbtion problem. Some days his face and body looks nice white and when he doesn't do poo for 2-3 days his skin colour turns very dark brown and eye white turns yellow to black.

They told me this is breastmilk jaundice and will last 12 weeks but it has been lasted 9 months. We have pediartrician appt next week.

He had severe jaundice untreated for 9 months. Sunlight doesn't work us because his Liver can't process it when sunlight broke down Bullirubbin.

I have googled jaundice for 6 months then constipation 3 months now UTI so, it all connected but doctors are lacking to find out his underlyning condition.

Do you know anything about bullirubbin ? Thanks

[EmilyBa]

Hi mkh9, thank you so much for your reply.
My son got infected with KLEBSILLA  OXYTOCA and. Heavy growth in urine culture.

Here is my sons urine test result:
Microscopy
Leucocytes: 42 H
Erythrocytes:  4
Epithelial cells: 1
Casts:  nil

Urine
pH: 6
Blood: +
Protein: nil
Glucose: nil

CULTURE
Heavy growth >10^8 org L
Org 1:  Klebsiella  Oxytoca

I know Klebsiella is super bag resistant to multiple antibiotics and sensitive to only a few antibiotics.

My son had 7 day Augmenten Duo 400 for 2ml twice a day. My question is is this KO dies and stays in your body ? Because his urine Colour is still yellow and smells a bit.

His much better then before. He had 4 days fever 39C and I took him to doctor and local GP missdiagnosed, didn't give us antibiotics. After 3 days of high fever, I couldn't touch him he was in so mch pain, specially in his back.

I took him to hospital emergency department and they missdiagnosed my son. Paediatric registrate thinks my son wasn't sick enough to hospitalised. I have told both doctors that his urine has strong foul smell and having fever and I think he has UTI but they didn't believe me..... What a joke.....

We did urine test and test result come back positive UTI and heavy growth with Klebsiella Oxytoca.

We start delay treatment 7 days after infection we start giving antibiotics. Doctors are in Australia very dump and extremely stupid....

We just done Urine test and Culture test come back NO Growth after only 4 days of antibiotics treatment. I have done natural treatment the same time with antibiotics: raw garlic to kill the bacteria, blueberry and cranberry for bacteria to stop multiplying, strawberry for immune boost. Lots of water to flash out bacteria. Also, probiotics with yougurt and breast feed. I don't believe that heavy growth Klibsiella demised after only 4 days of treatment.
When should I take urine test again for my son? Should I stop his antibiotics?
Is 7 days enough to treat or stay on 10 days?

Could you please help me more information about this Superbag? We don't want recurring UTI to my son. What's the best method to prevent UTI in babies and children ?

We have referral for US/ renal in 4 weeks time.
You are microbiologist and you definettly know more about superbags then us. So, it would be much appreciated if you could help us? Thanks

Look forward to hear from you a soon
Kind regards,
Emily

[mkh9]

I meant voiding cystourethrogram. It is a Xray of the urethra and bladder.
mkh9

[mkh9]

Hi and so sorry your son has these problems. Does he now have diarrhea or mucus or just the bad smell? Usually, either of these are sign of C.difficile. They usually won't test you unless the person /child has watery diarrhea several times a day.  Usually 10 times a day. Abdominal cramping, fever, blood or pus in the stool, nausea, mucus, loss of appetite etc.

If the will do the test the most accurate test is PCR. More labs do the EIA test but it has a lot of false negatives. So, it is best to have it sent to a lab that does PCR. Also, if a lab does a test called Cell cytotoxicity assay that is good too but most labs don't do that.

Did the hospital put him under a UV light when he had jaudice? Sunlight helps lower that. Some children are born with it.

With all his symptoms you may want to check for structural problems. Ask for a renal ultrasound, and a voiding crytourethrogram  this for the first two months to two year olds.

Talk to a urologist. I think that would help with the jaundice and UTI issues. Usually, you don't get constipation from having C. difficile. It is the opposite.

hope this helps.
mkh9

[EmilyBa]

Hi MKH9,

I have read  your answer about  Klebsiella  Oxytoca - heavy grownth. He has UTI and My 9 month old son have contacted this super bug and I'm very worried about it. There is only 3 types of antibiotics this bacteria sensitive to: Bactrim, Keflex and Augmentin duo 400.

My son had allergic reaction to Bactrim and Keflex. Currently on Augmentin Duo 400 twice a day 2ml each time.

Could you please help us more this bacteria antibiotic sensitivity? Also, my sons stool start smelling very strong bad smell. I'm guessing either this bacteria growing heavily in his bladder or Clostridium difficile might taking over due to antibiotic taking.

What type of stool test will conform for Clostridium difficile? Please help us.
He had jaundice since day 2 birth and hasn't cleared till now 9 months old have been to lots of pediartrician and done tones of blood test and can't find the underlining condition.

Also, he had suffered constipation since 6 months old due to introducing a solid foods. I think, jaundice, constipation and UTI Klebsialla Oxytoca are all connected.

Many thanks
Look forward to hear from you a soon.

[mkh9]

Glad they diagnosed it. Hope you get better.
mkh9

[vjo82]

Update: Colitis from stress and anxiety

[mkh9]

I meant if you had been tested after 3 months.
mkh9

[mkh9]

How many months has it been since the exposure? Also, I think  you would have a lot of other symptoms if you were having the diarrhea. So I probably shouldn't have brought it up. It just occurred to me to ask. If it has been 3 months I wouldn't worry about it.
mkh9

[vjo82]

Yes, i was tested for HIV. I'm negative. I'm looking up doctors today just in case.

[mkh9]

I'm sorry I hope I didn't worry you too much for asking about HIV. I think by now if you had cryptosporidia due to HIV you would have a lot of other symptoms. So, I hope you are not overworried about that.
I probably shouldn't have brought it up.
mkh9

[mkh9]

Interesting since Nexium is for acid reflux not diarrhea. I wonder if you have irritable bowel disease? That is way too much diarrhea for that. Something is missing. I have to ask and don't get too worried. Since you were tested for STD's were you tested for HIV? If so were you negative? That is why I asked about testing for cryptosporidium because it can cause bad diarrhea like that. Just asking. If you were negative then you should move on to see a GI doc.
mkh9

[vjo82]

=-) Your 5 cents are greatly appreciated. The doctor e-mailed me my test results and tested for all those things and they were negative. Which is a huge shock to me. I was expecting something serious, at least a food borne bacteria. But no news is good news sometimes. He gave me Ciprofolaxcine to take just in case.

I have tried a Nexium tablet just to see if it would help since nothing else did, and it did help a bit. So i might just hold of on the antibiotics.

[mkh9]

Clostridium difficile is a bacteria. I hope they did the special test for that too. It is separate from a parasite and stool test. Well, if they did it and it is negative that is good. So, they did a parasite test too and fecal pathogens? I hope they did all these things like Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli 0157 etc. There are other bacteria that are ordered special such as Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica. I am worried that this doctor doesn't believe you can get it from one set of antibiotics (which is not true) and didn't run the test.  Because if he says no signs of infection why would he be giving you more antibiotics? It doesn't make sense? I hope he did all these things before he has you do the colonoscopy. Have you travelled lately out of the country? Do you have a fever? Cramping? There are a couple of parasites that can cause bad diarrhea such as cryptosporidia and microsporidia. It would be good if you could ask the doctor what exactly he tested for.
Ok I said my 5 cents.
mkh9

[vjo82]

update --> My samples/tests came back negative. The doctor said there were no parasites nor signs of infection. So he recommends another set of antibiotics to hopefully stop the diarrhea. If not, i may need a colonoscopy.

[mkh9]

You probably shouldn't have taken the Imodium before taking the sample for culture. Well, did the doctor say to take the specimen first thing in the morning? If not I would collect a sample when you can and follow his sample collection procedures. I still think it is possible with the antibiotics you took to get C. difficile.  But it is more possible with repeated times of having them. You symptoms are very much like that of C. diff. We'll see.
Take care, try to stay hydrated.
mkh9

[vjo82]

Not really, i have started the probiotics and and Imodium again. If things aren't better by morning, I'll start the stool test. But at least i made it to the doctor.

[mkh9]

Well, I hope he is right . I was thinking because you had two antibiotics and because of your symptoms. But this could be caused by bacterial food poisoning (which I hope he cultured for too) and sometimes you can get viral food poisoning with diarrhea but usually you get vomiting with it but not always but it doesn't usually last as long as you were saying. That is why I was thinking that it could be C.difficile.  I hope it is a one time thing. Are you feeling better?
mkh9

[vjo82]

UPDATE I ---> My doctor does not believe its Clostridium difficile since it was a one time antibiotic regime. If it was a long term antibiotic treatment then he would think it was. I have to do a stool test just to be sure

[mkh9]

Ok, let me know how it goes. If it isn't from the antibiotics it could be food poisoning such as from salmonella or another bacteria. I hope you can drink water.
mkh9