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What Is The Reason For Recurring Diarrhea After Taking Antibiotics?

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Posted on Tue, 14 Jan 2014
Question: Hello. Thank you for taking my question. I started one week ago with bad body aches and chills. Then the next morning I started having diarrhea. It was pretty steady making and the body aches just put me on the couch. This has continued going on 7 days. The chills stopped four days ago but the diarrhea has not. I went on Christmas eve to the Emergency room because that whole day I had went to the restroom over 15 times with diarrhea. They took blood, urine, and took an X-ray of my stomach. All came back normal. They prescribed me metronidazole 500mg and ciprofloxacin 500 mg. It did stop the diarrhea and I was able to enjoy Christmas yesterday. But, this morning I started having diarrhea once more. I suppose through the night no meds allowed this to raise its nasty head again. I'm actually laying here trying to eat a banana and I've taken meds - about 30 minutes ago. For the moment, I feel ok. I have been drinking Gatorade to keep electrolites in my body. I urinate fine so not dehydrated. I'm really not sure why this has continued going on 7 days. Maybe it just has not gotten out of my system. Can you please help me? Thank you for being there.
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Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (22 minutes later)
Brief Answer: Detailed below. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. It might be due to not treated gastrointestinal infection indeed. Sometimes antibiotics do not kill all bacteria as some are antibiotics resistant. That is why, every diarrhea which lasts longer than 48 hours should be checked with stool test and stool culture test. Every antibiotic should be taken with probiotic to rebuild your regular intestinal bacteria. That is why I suggest you to start taking probiotic three times a day. If the symptoms will be still present, even after proper antibiotic intake, some other issues should be ruled out. As you have thyroid issue, please note that hypothyroidism (or too high dosage of thyroid supplements) can cause diarrhea as well. If there is a blood ins stool, also inflammatory bowels diseases should be ruled out. So in conclusion: - today avoid any foods, just liquids, start probiotic intake - visit doctor in first possible day and have stool tests done and thyroid tests - if there will be no infection in the stool, gastrologist should be visited and colonoscopy considered Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions. Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Grzegorz Stanko

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 5795 Questions

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What Is The Reason For Recurring Diarrhea After Taking Antibiotics?

Brief Answer: Detailed below. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. It might be due to not treated gastrointestinal infection indeed. Sometimes antibiotics do not kill all bacteria as some are antibiotics resistant. That is why, every diarrhea which lasts longer than 48 hours should be checked with stool test and stool culture test. Every antibiotic should be taken with probiotic to rebuild your regular intestinal bacteria. That is why I suggest you to start taking probiotic three times a day. If the symptoms will be still present, even after proper antibiotic intake, some other issues should be ruled out. As you have thyroid issue, please note that hypothyroidism (or too high dosage of thyroid supplements) can cause diarrhea as well. If there is a blood ins stool, also inflammatory bowels diseases should be ruled out. So in conclusion: - today avoid any foods, just liquids, start probiotic intake - visit doctor in first possible day and have stool tests done and thyroid tests - if there will be no infection in the stool, gastrologist should be visited and colonoscopy considered Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions. Regards.