Re: Antibiotic Dependency

Richard_UKMember

Hi, I had my reversal over a year ago and have been struggling with pouchitis for the past 4 months. I've had a few courses of Flagyl and cipri and they are God sends.

Trouble is I flare Back up after a few days of stopping the antibiotic course. I've tried mesaziline suppositories but they don't seem to have an effect.

Ive seen a few people talk about antibiotic dependency, which I'm willing to undertake given the drastically positive impact it has on my life and health.

I've always been taught antibiotic dependency is impossible due to the antibodies in your system growing immune to the drugs.

Basically is antibiotic dependency a genuine long term option? How long does your body take to grow immune to the drugs generally?

8/15/164:13 PM

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Scott FMember

"Antibiotic-dependent pouchitis" just means that the pouchitis can't be controlled without continuous (or nearly continuous) antibiotic therapy. Folks whose pouchitis is sensitive to a variety of antibiotics usually rotate between several different antibiotic choices, switching to the next one in rotation every week or two. This is thought to reduce or prevent the development of antibiotic resistance by the gut bacteria. Some folks here have done this for decades. Some of us have fewer choices of antibiotics that work, though. I've been on Cipro for six or seven years. A couple of years ago it became less effective, but adding Flagyl to the Cipro fixed it right up, even though Flagyl alone had never been effective for me.

Obviously you can run out of options, either because of unacceptable side effects or loss of efficacy. So far I'm doing fine, as you probably will for a good long while. I suggest you share with your doctor (and read) the article in the post at the very top of the Pouchitis Forum here. Good luck!

8/15/165:47 PM

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Jan DollarModerator, RN, retired

Another thing to understand is that you do not become immune to antibiotics. Bacteria that is exposed constantly to antibiotics can become resistant to them by mutating to adapt to them. This is why they can lose effectiveness and why rotating antibiotics or taking them intermittently is favored.

How long does this take? It varies. It can be decades, years, or months. Or, it may not occur at all.

If you are lucky, perhaps a long course of 4-6 weeks will cause a asting remission.

Jan