A word of caution Antibiotics

[Zygala87]

I happened to visit our Family Doctor. Not for problems with IC. As a caution he took a sample of my urine and found a few white blood cells. He gave me a script for CIPRO. I took it as directed and went into the worst flare I have ever had. I contacted an expert on IC and she told me most IC patients have a few white cells and CIPRO was causing the flare. I stopped taking it and feel 100% better now. I don't blame my Doctor as most PCP do not know very much about IC. I'm sure if I had a few blown UTI I would have needed it but I didn't. Please be careful. Should any Doctor prescribe an antibiotic do a big time search as to how it interacts with the bladder and IC. Hugs to all, Ziggy

[leelee88]

Oh I agree, while yes we do need antibotics for alot of things. I have found they make me flare terribly.

[mary124]

I know when I get a UTI or any kind of infection my doctor knows to keep me away from Cipro and Bactrim. Levquin and AZO and a few others are the only ones that I can take.

[lisabar36]

Oh I know, If I take amoxicillin I go into the worst flare. I list these meds as allergies just so docs don't even try and prescribe them. I know what ones I can take and what ones I can't. Good topic. :)

[diane22]

I'm currently on Bactrim for a supposed UTI (this is #3 in the last month), and I do feel like it's helped my pelvic pain/pressure & back pain, but it does feel achy in my urethra. Kind of like a constant urge to go, but not full-blown pain and no burning.
Should I ask for a different prescription? I've already been on Macrobid (for UTI #1) for 3 days, then Keflex (for 7 days), then a week later, for Cipro --for what I thought was UTI #2, but was probably only irritation as the culture revealed no bacteria (6 days). Now it's Bactrim for UTI #3 (this culture came back positive for white blood cells, red blood cells and bacteria...Which antiobiotics are okay????
Diane

[Katrina]

Now for some of my life cipro seemed to help my IC symptoms but yes white blood cells don't mean bacteria only bacteria means bacteria. Only trust a culture unless you have a reason to suspect differently.
I wouldn't do well without probiotics when taking an antibiotic.

http://ic-network.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21385 antibiotics poll

[Zygala87]

Diane I don't have any answer for you. I hope someone will post and tell us what worked for them. Now that this has happened with CIPRO and the negative effects for me, I live in fear of a real UTI and what should I take. Maybe a good urologist who deals with many Ic people would know the answer. I sure hope you get feeling better. Hug, Ziggy

[Katrina]

I gave a link to a thread on how IC patients have reacted to different antibiotics and although normally it is helpful to IC symptoms we are IC patients and tend to not react well overall to meds antibiotics included. That was the reason for that poll on the link but also doing searches at the antibiotic board of ICN here
http://ic-network.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21385 antibiotics poll

be careful about making choices about antibiotics by what is tollerated since it is individual and different antibiotics were better for specific bacteria so there are times when your best chance to fight an infection isn't going to be the most easily tollerated antibiotic.
Please also remmember that the number of people reacting to a specific antibiotic is going to very on how common that antibiotic is.
According to the poll amoxycillin was the worse but it is also common for UTI's.
Leviquin only had 2 people saying it bothered them. The rule of thumb with antibiotics though isn't so definitive as with other things since a large number have found them to be helpful. Don't be overly scared of antibiotics.
If worried a question at the antibiotic board or a search there is likely to get some ideas from those that don't tollerate antibiotics easily what has been the better ones and so on.