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What Causes Diarrhea After Having Antibiotics For Sinusitis?

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Posted on Mon, 16 Mar 2015
Question: I was feeling like I had my husband's cold, no stuffed nose just clear light goop in my throat, went to a next care and they said acute bacterial sinusitis I have a cough. Took 1 amoxicillin and 1benzotate started with diarrhea went a while took another Benz in about 45min I was wet all over felt I need to throw up went to emergency, they said I have a white count of 23.4 so there was an infection they said I was dehydrated so got fluids they gave me keflex, ephemeral and saline to use. I was feeling better, drinking lots of fluids and Pedialyte. The diarrhea came back a little I was taking a macrobiotic writhe the med is that ok? Can I take something to stop the diarrhea? Will the meds I am taking work?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (35 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Please clarify a few things

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

please answer the following questions to help me give you an assessment of the situation.
- when did the diarrhea start? Was it after the antibiotic? Please mention the dates you started the antibiotic and the date that diarrhea occured.
- how many bowel movements did you have per day? Was there any blood in the stool?
- what about fever?
- please describe the consequence of the events because I don't have a clue for the time that has passed since the symptom initiation.

I'll be waiting for your input.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (19 minutes later)
Before I went I had fever of 100.3 then when I went to urgent care I had no fever had sweats at night also had diarrhea after 1 antibiotic within an a couple of hrs. no stools no bleeding the antibiotic was 850mg I started to feel a little better after a few hrs they said they could find no real problem other than dehydration and bladder infection.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (14 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Something is missing!

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

I read your first text where you've mentioned "acute bacterial sinusitis" and cough. So you started antibiotic treatment and a few hours later you've had a loose bowel movement but the diarrhea ceased thereafter, right?
You had fever at home, but when you were at the urgent care, you had no fever and a bladder infection was detected (I suppose with a urinalysis).

First of all bacterial sinusitis and urinary tract infection are not related to each other and bladder infection may not cause fever. When the urinalysis (or the symptoms) point to a urinary tract infection and fever is present it could only be pyelonephritis which is an infection of the kidney.

Dehydration may cause an elevated white blood cells count but with such a high white blood cells count, the doctor should be alert for serious infection. There are other laboratory findings that may help distinguish these conditions, like the quantitative C-reactive protein or procalcitonin measurement.

Urinary tract infection and sinusitis with fever need antibiotic treatment.
Your description is not very clear and I have the feeling that something is missing.

Since there are things in your story that may indicate serious infection, I suggest that perhaps you should seek a second opinion, that is visit your doctor and present your problems and test results. A careful clinical examination and assessment may clarify these things. To avoid kidney damage by dehydration, you have to consume enough fluids. Use your urine output as an indicator. You've got to have about 50mL of urine per hour if you're adequately hydrated and the color shouldn't be dark yellow.

I hope I've helped!
If you'd like to add something to our conversation, please use your follow-up questions. I'll be glad to help, if I can.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (22 minutes later)
I continued to have diarrhea for at least 2 1/2 hrs. Blood work looked good except the white cells, no cancer, chest x Ray ok UA dipstick color yellow, appear clear. Oh 5.0 UAE spec grave 1.025, nitrite neg. Us leuk est positive, protein 1+, urobilinogen .02/do everything else negative. Ua microscopic, ua wbc 6-10, ua rbc less than 4, ua mucus present. Squamous epithelial many, ua heal cast 6-10.they said everything looked ok. I would also like to know if I need more for the coughing thank you very much for your time and opinion.
I also sweat at night
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (7 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
You should target the infection

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

so I understand there is no urinary tract infection. If it's just the sinusitis taking antibiotics is indicated when high fever is present. Night sweats are indicative of infection. Sweats usually occur when the fever drops back to normal (or near normal).

If you have cough with phlegm then a mucolytic agent can be used.
If no phlegm is present the a cough suppressant may help.

Targeting the infection is essential for recovery. If you have no improvement over the next 48 hours then re evaluation is warranted.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3809 Questions

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What Causes Diarrhea After Having Antibiotics For Sinusitis?

Brief Answer: Please clarify a few things Detailed Answer: Hello, please answer the following questions to help me give you an assessment of the situation. - when did the diarrhea start? Was it after the antibiotic? Please mention the dates you started the antibiotic and the date that diarrhea occured. - how many bowel movements did you have per day? Was there any blood in the stool? - what about fever? - please describe the consequence of the events because I don't have a clue for the time that has passed since the symptom initiation. I'll be waiting for your input.