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What Causes Constipation, White Coating On Tongue And Brain Fog?
Question: Hi,
Since the month of July 2014 after a few rounds of Clindamycin (600mg for a nose infection),Rifaximin (1,000mg for bloating),Sultamicillin (3,750mg for viridian streptococcus and ecoli non 0157) and Fluconazole (can't remember the dosage),I started to have Kidney problems (high creatinine 130.23),constipation,and a white coating in the tongue (not candida) and brain fog (confusion).I especially noticed that whenever i took Fluconazole,my brain wod become foggy,and constipation too was another symptom.
What could this be? I read that it could be an indication of kidney (my kidney function test shows the creatine to be 130.23)and bowel toxicity.
Can I please get an expert's opinion regarding these symptoms.
What should I do? I am afraid of taking more prescription medicine as they may just worsen my symptoms and cause an endless cycle...
My urine test result shows that my PH level is 5.0 (acidic).
I have been mostly eating meat since then.But I've just recently STOPPED.
The worst of my symptoms is this constant brain fog (confusion).
Thanks
Since the month of July 2014 after a few rounds of Clindamycin (600mg for a nose infection),Rifaximin (1,000mg for bloating),Sultamicillin (3,750mg for viridian streptococcus and ecoli non 0157) and Fluconazole (can't remember the dosage),I started to have Kidney problems (high creatinine 130.23),constipation,and a white coating in the tongue (not candida) and brain fog (confusion).I especially noticed that whenever i took Fluconazole,my brain wod become foggy,and constipation too was another symptom.
What could this be? I read that it could be an indication of kidney (my kidney function test shows the creatine to be 130.23)and bowel toxicity.
Can I please get an expert's opinion regarding these symptoms.
What should I do? I am afraid of taking more prescription medicine as they may just worsen my symptoms and cause an endless cycle...
My urine test result shows that my PH level is 5.0 (acidic).
I have been mostly eating meat since then.But I've just recently STOPPED.
The worst of my symptoms is this constant brain fog (confusion).
Thanks
Brief Answer:
It could be due to multiple antibiotic use.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Greetings from Dr.Divakara.P
Thanks for choosing HealthcareMagic.
There are 2 issues here , one is your brain fog and another your raised creatinine.
First of all I can't understand why 3 different antibiotics were used for you while one ( if properly selected ) would have done the job. I need to know whether you took all these together, or one after the other course.
Was any creatinine test done before starting these antibiotics?
You said you had viridian streptococcus and ecoli non 0157 infection , from what site these bacteria were recovered?
Also were the antibiotics used as per culture report or empirically?
The cause for your raised Creatinine levels is either due to multiple antibiotic used causing Kidney damage ( called ACUTE TUBULAR NECROSIS ) or due to the infection itself for which you were given antibiotic. The other possible cause could be dehydration.
Coming to your other symptom Brain fog --- Actually it is one of the side effects of Fluconozole , though not very common but yes it can happen with fluconazole. You can ask your doctor to prescribe an alternative to Fluconazole .
Kindly let me know your present prescription and the indication for those prescription. Also upload your test reports so that I can go through and advise you what to do .
Any clarifications feel free to ask .
It could be due to multiple antibiotic use.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Greetings from Dr.Divakara.P
Thanks for choosing HealthcareMagic.
There are 2 issues here , one is your brain fog and another your raised creatinine.
First of all I can't understand why 3 different antibiotics were used for you while one ( if properly selected ) would have done the job. I need to know whether you took all these together, or one after the other course.
Was any creatinine test done before starting these antibiotics?
You said you had viridian streptococcus and ecoli non 0157 infection , from what site these bacteria were recovered?
Also were the antibiotics used as per culture report or empirically?
The cause for your raised Creatinine levels is either due to multiple antibiotic used causing Kidney damage ( called ACUTE TUBULAR NECROSIS ) or due to the infection itself for which you were given antibiotic. The other possible cause could be dehydration.
Coming to your other symptom Brain fog --- Actually it is one of the side effects of Fluconozole , though not very common but yes it can happen with fluconazole. You can ask your doctor to prescribe an alternative to Fluconazole .
Kindly let me know your present prescription and the indication for those prescription. Also upload your test reports so that I can go through and advise you what to do .
Any clarifications feel free to ask .
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Dear Dr. Divakara,
Thank you very much for your answers.
No type of creatinine tests were adviced before I started my first antibiotic (clindamycin for a nose infection).That was July 11,2014 (total dosage was 600mg).Nor for every other medication I was to take afterwards...
The ecoli non 0157 was diagnosed from a fecal culture.
The viridian streptococcus from a tongue culture & sensitivity test.
Blood culture and sensitivity came back negative.
KOH for fungus came back negative.
For those infections I was prescribed Sultamicillin for supposedly one week (the dosage was supposed to be 1,500mg a day for 7 days,but I only took 750mg per day for a total of only 5 days.I had to stop on the 5th day because the side effects were so intense I was experiencing light headedness and my brain fog was very bad).That was the last antibiotic that I've used (taken within this month).
Rifaximin was taken at the month of October,2014.It was supposed to deal with my bloating issues (it did actually help).The dosage was 200mg per day for 10 days.
Now regarding my Fluconazole intake.I took a total of three (3) courses,after each use of those antibiotics (clindamycin,rifaximin,sultamicillin).Just to make sure i did not develope a fungal infection afterwards.What I really noticed was that whenver i took fluconazole my brain would become foggy and i would have stomach pain.i also became constipated after taking fluconazole on the first course right just after taking clindamycin. My doctor then prescribed me motilium to have my intestinal motility restored.only took one dose of motilium (gave me a very nasty headache).
The last ever medication I took was fluconazole (third course,50mg a day for 7-10 days,had to stop on the 4th day because of abdominal pain and brain fog).That was from November 7-10,2014.
After all of that,i started to feel back pain,i then decided to do a kidney function test,that is when the test results showed my creatinine levels were way off the normal value (130.23).
I am currently not taking any medications as i think my body is quite toxic at this point.i am now doing a low protein diet eating mostly steamed vegetables and fruits.
I am still currently experiencing brain fog as of now but it is safe to say that it seems to be slowly subsiding.
I still do have this white coating on my tongue.I read online that it could be related to a distressed kidney and digestive tract.my bowl movements now are slow (happened again after taking last course of fluconazole).
The relevant test results (elevated) are:
KIDNEY FUNCTION
Creatinine: 130.23 (normal range 59.00-104.00)
Albumin: 50.56 (normal range 35.00-50.00)
T. Calcium: 2.62 (normal range 2.10-2.60)
URINE ANALYSIS
Sp. Gravity: 1.020
PH: 5.0 (acidic)
CBC
Mean cospuscular hb conc.: 36.90 (normal range 32.30-36.50)
ALL OF THESE WERE DONE WITHIN THIS MONTH
I had a liver profile done last month (october) showed a very slightly elevated unconjugated bilirubin (0.83)
Thyroid function test came back normal.
Blood sugar is normal.
I FORGOT TO MENTION EARLIER the result for my Sodium & Potassium which was done this month were:
Sodium: 132.3 (normal range 136.0-145.0)
Potassium 3.5 (normal range 3.5-5.1)
I think in my opinion this is more of a kidney and colon problem doctor.
I also noticed that i seem to have some bumps (which hurt when pressed) in my abdominal area.could they be lymph nodes?
What should i do doctor? I have been feeling very fatigued lately and brain fog. All started just after taking all of these meds.
Thanks.
Thank you very much for your answers.
No type of creatinine tests were adviced before I started my first antibiotic (clindamycin for a nose infection).That was July 11,2014 (total dosage was 600mg).Nor for every other medication I was to take afterwards...
The ecoli non 0157 was diagnosed from a fecal culture.
The viridian streptococcus from a tongue culture & sensitivity test.
Blood culture and sensitivity came back negative.
KOH for fungus came back negative.
For those infections I was prescribed Sultamicillin for supposedly one week (the dosage was supposed to be 1,500mg a day for 7 days,but I only took 750mg per day for a total of only 5 days.I had to stop on the 5th day because the side effects were so intense I was experiencing light headedness and my brain fog was very bad).That was the last antibiotic that I've used (taken within this month).
Rifaximin was taken at the month of October,2014.It was supposed to deal with my bloating issues (it did actually help).The dosage was 200mg per day for 10 days.
Now regarding my Fluconazole intake.I took a total of three (3) courses,after each use of those antibiotics (clindamycin,rifaximin,sultamicillin).Just to make sure i did not develope a fungal infection afterwards.What I really noticed was that whenver i took fluconazole my brain would become foggy and i would have stomach pain.i also became constipated after taking fluconazole on the first course right just after taking clindamycin. My doctor then prescribed me motilium to have my intestinal motility restored.only took one dose of motilium (gave me a very nasty headache).
The last ever medication I took was fluconazole (third course,50mg a day for 7-10 days,had to stop on the 4th day because of abdominal pain and brain fog).That was from November 7-10,2014.
After all of that,i started to feel back pain,i then decided to do a kidney function test,that is when the test results showed my creatinine levels were way off the normal value (130.23).
I am currently not taking any medications as i think my body is quite toxic at this point.i am now doing a low protein diet eating mostly steamed vegetables and fruits.
I am still currently experiencing brain fog as of now but it is safe to say that it seems to be slowly subsiding.
I still do have this white coating on my tongue.I read online that it could be related to a distressed kidney and digestive tract.my bowl movements now are slow (happened again after taking last course of fluconazole).
The relevant test results (elevated) are:
KIDNEY FUNCTION
Creatinine: 130.23 (normal range 59.00-104.00)
Albumin: 50.56 (normal range 35.00-50.00)
T. Calcium: 2.62 (normal range 2.10-2.60)
URINE ANALYSIS
Sp. Gravity: 1.020
PH: 5.0 (acidic)
CBC
Mean cospuscular hb conc.: 36.90 (normal range 32.30-36.50)
ALL OF THESE WERE DONE WITHIN THIS MONTH
I had a liver profile done last month (october) showed a very slightly elevated unconjugated bilirubin (0.83)
Thyroid function test came back normal.
Blood sugar is normal.
I FORGOT TO MENTION EARLIER the result for my Sodium & Potassium which was done this month were:
Sodium: 132.3 (normal range 136.0-145.0)
Potassium 3.5 (normal range 3.5-5.1)
I think in my opinion this is more of a kidney and colon problem doctor.
I also noticed that i seem to have some bumps (which hurt when pressed) in my abdominal area.could they be lymph nodes?
What should i do doctor? I have been feeling very fatigued lately and brain fog. All started just after taking all of these meds.
Thanks.
Brief Answer:
Stop all medicines.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Thanks for the follow up.
First of all relax, your creatinine value is slightly elevated , there is no need to panic.
I feel your elevated creatinine is due to medication induced ( both antibiotic and fluconozole ) . I advise you to stop all , drink plenty of water and take more of citrus fruits which contains lots of anti-oxidants which will flush out toxins from your body.
Repeat Serum Creatinine after 1 week and if it is still elevated you need to get Ultrasound Abdomen Pelvis and a repeat urine analysis.
Your brain fog will definitely stop once you stop all the medicines . Presently I don't see any indication to use Fluconozole or any other Anti fungal medications.
Hope you find this information useful.
Any clarifications feel free to ask.
Stop all medicines.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Thanks for the follow up.
First of all relax, your creatinine value is slightly elevated , there is no need to panic.
I feel your elevated creatinine is due to medication induced ( both antibiotic and fluconozole ) . I advise you to stop all , drink plenty of water and take more of citrus fruits which contains lots of anti-oxidants which will flush out toxins from your body.
Repeat Serum Creatinine after 1 week and if it is still elevated you need to get Ultrasound Abdomen Pelvis and a repeat urine analysis.
Your brain fog will definitely stop once you stop all the medicines . Presently I don't see any indication to use Fluconozole or any other Anti fungal medications.
Hope you find this information useful.
Any clarifications feel free to ask.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Dear Doctor,
Many thanks again for your reply and concern.
I am doing what you have suggested and seem to be improving.i am now on a liquid diet (ingesting only fresh fruits and vegetables) and lots of water.
My latest creatinine test results show that it has normalized (around 100.00).
My only concern right now is this constant brain fog (seems to be slowly subsiding) and some abnominal pain (the one i meantion previously that seemed to be lymph nodes).
I am still a bit constipated.
My brain fog yesterday decreased after doing an enema twice (the liquid that came out was quite dark).
My liver still has elevated some elevated values (ALBUMIN COLORIMETIC: 52.99 NORMAL: 50.00 & DIRECT BILIRUBIN: 5.45 NORMAL: 5.30 & T CALCIUM COLORIMETRIC: 2.67 NORMAL: 2.60)
MY KIDNEY GFR THOUGH IS QUITE LOW: 78.44
Any more specific advice doctor that I could follow?
Will everything recover?
Kind Regards
Many thanks again for your reply and concern.
I am doing what you have suggested and seem to be improving.i am now on a liquid diet (ingesting only fresh fruits and vegetables) and lots of water.
My latest creatinine test results show that it has normalized (around 100.00).
My only concern right now is this constant brain fog (seems to be slowly subsiding) and some abnominal pain (the one i meantion previously that seemed to be lymph nodes).
I am still a bit constipated.
My brain fog yesterday decreased after doing an enema twice (the liquid that came out was quite dark).
My liver still has elevated some elevated values (ALBUMIN COLORIMETIC: 52.99 NORMAL: 50.00 & DIRECT BILIRUBIN: 5.45 NORMAL: 5.30 & T CALCIUM COLORIMETRIC: 2.67 NORMAL: 2.60)
MY KIDNEY GFR THOUGH IS QUITE LOW: 78.44
Any more specific advice doctor that I could follow?
Will everything recover?
Kind Regards
Brief Answer:
NOthing extra needs to be done.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Welcome back .
Don't worry , everything will normalize. If you are still constipated I advise you to take Syrup Lactulose for a week . Kindly ask your doctor for prescription. Once you start having your motions properly your abdominal pain will subside but in case it persists even after a week I advise you to get Ultrasound Abdomen pelvis scan done and revert back.
Don't worry about your Liver function test or GFR it's a mild deviation from normal but it shall normalize.
As of your brain fog is concerned , since it is decreasing ( though slowly ) presently no need to do any test for that. The fluconazole which you had taken will stay in your body for a while till it is completely eliminated from your body. Till then brain fog can be there . So wait for a week more and still brain fog persists revert back .
There is no extra thing you need to do. Just follow my previous advise that enough.
Any clarifications feel free to ask.
NOthing extra needs to be done.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Welcome back .
Don't worry , everything will normalize. If you are still constipated I advise you to take Syrup Lactulose for a week . Kindly ask your doctor for prescription. Once you start having your motions properly your abdominal pain will subside but in case it persists even after a week I advise you to get Ultrasound Abdomen pelvis scan done and revert back.
Don't worry about your Liver function test or GFR it's a mild deviation from normal but it shall normalize.
As of your brain fog is concerned , since it is decreasing ( though slowly ) presently no need to do any test for that. The fluconazole which you had taken will stay in your body for a while till it is completely eliminated from your body. Till then brain fog can be there . So wait for a week more and still brain fog persists revert back .
There is no extra thing you need to do. Just follow my previous advise that enough.
Any clarifications feel free to ask.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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