Antibiotic therapy and IBS

[Morgannon]

All;

I'm glad I found this forum.  I am a 37 year old male, and I have had IBS for the past 10 years, although I've had bowel problems for most of my life.  I've tried probiotics, dietary supplements, etc., and nothing has really seemed to help.

Then about 8 months ago, I developed prostatitis.  I was put on Ciprofloxacin (500mg for two days), and the prostatitis resolved.  But in addition...I became 100% symptom free from IBS.  My colon relaxed, my stools became nice and well formed, no more mucus, etc. etc.  It was amazing!  Of course, I came off it a month later, and the symptoms came right back.  Since then I've had symptoms again, and I really want to go back on the Cipro, since it's the only thing that has consistently made me feel normal.

However, docs all say that long-term use of Cipro is not good.  Usual reasons quoted are:

1.)  Tendonitis
2.)  Bacterial resistance increased
3.)  Neurological effects

I'm reading that some docs do prescribe long-term Cipro for IBS, so I'm wondering if anyone else out there is on a long-term Cipro or antibiotic regimen for IBS, and what is your dosage / protocol, etc?  Any information is helpful!

Morgannon

[Morgannon]

Donna;

Thank you for the post - my wife is a doctor (radiologist) and she too wanted me to stay off the Cipro.  Since my last post, I have been on another course of antibiotics - this time Levaquin.  It didn't help me near as much as the Cipro.  Which is wierd, because they are supposed to be similar.  I am going for my colonoscopy in April, so hopefully I will know more about what is going on in there.

My serotonin levels are normal now - I'm taking Lexapro, so they are boosted dramatically.  I've been on this for the past four years, though, so I've been getting IBS even with that medicine on board.  

To top everything off, my prostatitis has come back, even worse than before.  In fact, I'm concerned I'm developing a urethral stricture of some sort, because sometimes it's very hard to pee.  I've also noticed that I have a split to my urinary stream sometimes (only when there's a lot of pressure) - the stream starts off split, then as the pressure drops, it goes back down to one stream.  Does this sound like a stricture to you?

[Donna12345]

Your doctor is right. Leave the Cipro alone.I am a nurse and have been going through IBS condition (unknown to me) for the last 10 years also. I just had a colonoscopy the other day and was diagnosed with tortuous/redundant colon which means my colon is double possibly triple the length due to years of my bowl stretching from chronic constipation. I am only 36 yrs old.
Your body will build an immune to this medicine and then it just wont work anymore...not  to mention the side effects from it. It's not worth it. Get on and off of all medicines anytime and every time you can!! Have your doctor check your Serotonin levels. He will prescribe medicine that will help your IBS IF your Serotonin levels are low and should in turn help clear up your prostatitis. I am taking Librax...it's working so far. It's curving my nausea when going to the bathroom that's for sure!

Good luck....let me know if this helps.