Change of poo habits in last 5 weeks

Digestive health
1

Hi

I have been having a poo problem for about 5 weeks now and I apologise about the too much information!

In April I had a bad reaction to Ciprofloxacin, (GP don’t really acknowledge it), I got gradually better, though I lost 2 stone in weight, but gradually been putting it back on again.

However, since I have gone back to a normal eating pattern, I have noticed going to the toilet over the last 5 weeks what has changed, from before, is my poo. I seem to be going more massive capacity in the mornings, which I suppose is good.

However, at lunch time often have sandwiches or a roll etc, straight after eating I have to run to the toilet and have diarhoea and mucus poo symptoms, it’s really sudden, violently comes on, sometimes it is just the one visit, other occasions it’s a couple of times in the afternoon. It’s not occuring everyday, but it’s a fair few occasion now throughout the week

The net says a this is a gastric flex, but surely this is not entirely normal, there is no visible blood in the poo, but the in the afternoons it very watery mucus, but once I have gone it doesn’t occur again to the next day, but I don’t feel 100% afterwards for a few hours and it seem to be a a particular time.

Are these IBS related issues? I have never been diagnosed with IBS and not really had stomach issues like this continually before,

I do intend to see a GP, I was just wondering what this could be?

2

i would see you gp and as soon as you can, this sounds like ibs and if your bowel habits have changed you should see your doctor anyway.

3

It could 100% be from the Cipro. I had a terrible reaction to Levofloxacin (same family of antibiotics).

4

Many thanks for the replies. I will check this out with the GP, though comes in frequencies, as haven’t had it for 4 days so far.

I do think this is a form of IBS, one of the main things I have got from the Cipro reaction, which will never go is Fibromyalgia, I’ve got stiffness in the muscles now (not massively, but noticeable), and episodes of fatigue, although it takes years to get officially diagnosed, I think it’s nailed on I have it, the 1 big sideline of Fibro is IBS.

I wasn’t too bad health wise before Cipro, it has a lot to blame for.

5

lndHi, years ago I was put on Ceftin which is an antibiotic, can’t remember why but anyway after about the 3rd or 4th day I started having severe diarrhea so I stopped taking it because I new it was one of the side effects. I called docs an they put me on a different one for the other problem I was having and they said they didn’t think my diarrhea was from the med. well I suffered for months with horrible bouts of this everyday. I would feel fine and then out of the blue I would cramp up an run to nearest bathroom. it was horrible and effecting my daily life. I would also run a low grade fever at times and like u I would get to the point were there was only mucus left to come out but I was also getting small amounts of blood I could see. During all this I kept going back to doctors and calling them begging for them to do some kind of test to figure out what was wrong. it was like they didn’t care or even believe how bad it was. I messed in my pants many times also. I finally got my doctorvto do some blood work and when I got the results they said I had a toxin in my system which was causing all this. the receptionist asked if I had been out of the country prior to bieng sic and I told her no I had never been out of the country or anywhere. I was so happy to finally have a diagnosis and I knew it that the ceftin caused this toxin in me. the doc put me on Metronidazole which is a very strong antibiotic. the pills were huge and the after taste was horrible and lingering but After a couple of days on it I finally started getting relief. Not sure how long I was on it but it was alot longer then any other antibiotic I had ever been on. well it did the job an I had another blood test which came back negative for the toxin. you need to stand up for yourself you know something is wrong with you and many doctors make mistakes even though they won’t admit it. she still says that It was not a reaction from the Ceftin but I know it was. I am so sorry you r suffering and I am not saying that this is what you r suffering from. it is just my story and I want to make sure you keep pushing these doctors until they figure out what is causing you these bowel problems. hope get some relief soon hugs

6

I also wanted to say that I was also diagnosed with fibro sometime after this. I have had fibro for about 15 years now. I also have IBS which started long before my fibro diagnosis, IBS is one of many things that people with fibro suffer with. please make sure you follow through with going to a doctor to get a definite diagnosis of what is wrong so that They can treat what ever is causing these symptoms

7

Hi Summermilo

A very good insight story into how medication can affect you. I am sorry you had to experience these issues, it sounds a long journey and quite horrid.

I believe that what I m facing with now after the Ciprofloxin is chronic and it’s here to stay, but I am better, than I was earlier in April, so have to be thankful for that.

I have cut back on eating a bit, the trouble is I am Sertraline (anti depressant) low dose, to aid sleeping (from the Cipro) and you want to eat everything. I have noticed since cutting back on the volume of food, the running to then toilet has got a lot better.

I read on a website in the week, saying exercise makes your digestive system hold more contents, hence less poo frequency, it does seem to feel that my system is filling up too soon, so something I am working on, a bit like the Fibro diagnosis, as being a male, the doctors are dismissing it, but I have read many accounts of men who were on ciprofloxin for prostate (like I was) or other things got Fibro pretty much soon after.

Take care