Diverticulitis Support Group

Diverticulitis is a common disease of the bowel, in particular the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon. Diverticulitis results if one of these diverticula becomes inflamed. Diverticulitis most often affects middle-aged and elderly persons, though it can strike younger patients as...

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Rachellem 09/19/2009

Recently I was diagnosed with diverticulitis(not sure if spelled right), and one of the antibiotics I was given was cipro.I have taken antibiotics in the past and the side effects scared me but from what I have read about cipro the side effects are worse then anything I have seen before. It can cause your heart to stop, stop your breathing, swell up your colon etc... I don't want to take this medication.

Sure it's less then 1 percent chance that these things could happen, but I don't want any chance at all of my heart stopping and dying! Has anyone else dealt with diverticulitis before? Were you prescribed something other then cipro? I went to see my family doctory today but he wont be back until monday and I feel terrible from the bowel infection. It was the emergency room doctory that prescribed this to me by the way.
Posted on 09/19/09, 01:09 am

deleted_user 09/19/2009

Hello Rachellem,

If you perforate (80 percent of people that perf do so on their first attack) there is a 50/50 chance of death. You have a life threatening infection. There are few antibiotocs that even work in the colon. You should also be on Flaygl.

http://www.rxlist.com/flagyl-drug.htm

Flaygl is harder to take than Cipro. If you get through the first attack you most likely will never have a problem again. People that do not get the right treatment, can end up with chroinc infections that sooner or later result in a colostomy.

Cipro is a magic cure that should be stopped only for very good reasons and weighed agaist the possible results of using less potent drugs.

I hate to take both of those drugs. I wonder each time if I am going to make it. The drugs fix us. Some people here have suffered from them, there is no risk free way out of this disease. The disease itself comes with bad risks all around.

To answer your question, there is one common substitute for Cipro - Levaquin (Levofloxcin) is used. It is in the same family of drugs as Cipro and has many side effects:

http://health.yahoo.com/infectiousdisease-medications/levofloxacin-oral/healthwise--d04109a1.html

Best Wishes,

John

deleted_user 09/19/2009

Take the Cipro, take the Flagyl, if you do NOT arrest that colon infection, there's a very high rate of death. If you've already had a serious attack, you know how painful it is. Don't let exaggerated tales of side effects sway you from the most well proven remedy for this condition in its active, infected state. YOU CAN DIE FROM THIS, it's worth the risk. I've taken the same combo several times now and the only side effect was that felt the need to jump start my colon bacteria with multiple kinds of live yogurt and probiotic cultures. I still have my appendix so my body is still able to help this situation.

TAKE IT, don't play around. That doctor gave you the most advanced antibiotic combination for this condition.

Rachellem 09/19/2009

Thanks be I did not perforate. In addition to the blood test and xrays a couple days ago, Today I had a ct scan(think that is what it is called). They told me it was tiny and they did agree to change the cipro to something else. I never had a problem with taking the flaygl and I was prescribed that at the same time. So now I have the flaygl and novo ampicilin. I will also go to my doctor on monday and schedule all sorts of test including a colon test.

There I just took my first pill and It is making me anxious as I do suffer from anxiety and panic attacks , but I am refusing to let myself dwell about it. After all these pills will help me so if I feel nausous, vomit, get dizzy or have diarrhea, Oh well I will keep telling myself that this is helping me not hurting me.

deleted_user 09/20/2009

The Flagyl does make you feel sick. Take it with food and chew gum. Check with your pharmacist on the other, Milk is not good with anitbiotics usually.

Best Wishes,

John

Rachellem 09/24/2009

When all of you had your first attacks how long before you found relief while taking the antibiotics? I still get twingy pain in the lower and middle area of my abdomen.

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