I rarely post anything positive on here because frankly I rarely have any positive experience to draw from.

Since my takedown five plus years ago, I've had chronic pouchitis and haven't really found much of anything to suppress it.

I started on Cipro when it first started coming on, and immediately I felt awesome. A week later I was back to square one.

I went through Cipro, Flagyl, Augmentin, and a few other ABs I can't remember (Xifaxan? maybe) singularly, until their effects wore off and I'd have to try a new one.

After a while, I ended up trying a combo of Cipro and Augmentin, which helped stave off the pouchitis for the last few years. But if I ran out of an Rx and didn't get a refill in time and missed a dose, things would go south on me (I'd have pain and urgency and frequency issues) until my body got used to the combo again (usually a week to 10 days).

I finally grew tired of this and went to my physician and he suggested I go on Flagyl again. I knew it wasn't going to work on its own for very long, so I decided to try a combo of Augmentin and Flagyl. To my amazement, after only two days of the combo, I started to see major improvements.

I've read stories and suggestions from people about rotating ABs, but I never gave it much thought until now.

If nothing else is working for you, and you haven't given a combo a chance yet, I'd recommend going that route. I rotate Augmentin/Flagyl and Augmentin/Cipro every few days, especially if I know I'll be drinking on the weekend (in which case I'll rotate off Flagyl a couple days before).

Some days I have 3 BMs, but most days I only have 2. I have no urgency and no pain anymore. I feel as if I've finally reached that elusive "freedom" goal we all thought we'd have after takedown, only to find out we had pouchitis stopping us in our tracks.

Hope this helps someone out there with pouchitis. Sorry for being so long-winded, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible.

Dan

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FreeAtLast,

I started having issues with my pouch after only 1 month post takedown. I started taking Cipro and Flagyl and I felt great. Then I stopped, the symptoms came back. Doctor gave me Cipro and Flagyl for a month; I felt great, until I stopped. He did an MRI, CAT scan and a scope and all looked fine. Tried probiotics for 2 weeks and no help. So two days ago I started on Flagyl again and guess what, I feel great.

I don't mind taking antiobiotics long term since I feel good when I take them, but are they harmful long term. How about taking them forever? What has the doctor told you about that? I am at the point where this may be an option for me.

Thanks.

hi..i rotate 4 antibiotics all the time..one at a time..say every three weeks..and truth be told drs don1t love it because like all meds there can be side effects or resistence to an antibiotic say if you needed it for another illness..buti have been doing it about a year after 3 very bad years of pouchitis and know there are others on site who do the same for many,many years..and are okay..so just do it if thats all that works for you and you do not want to go back to bag..i know i asked dr.shen my doctor if i could add another one into my mix of four,just to keep the body on defense so to speak and he did not want to do that i suppose to have ab`s available for other issues that mat pop up..

the good thing is it appears that when off one for a period of time it works for me again

rotate as few or as many as keeps you okay..we are all different..if you can alternate between two great,if not try more alternating,and some people alternate two at a time and then switch to another two..just try the different rotations with the thought of less is better..for me i use four different ones wwwith a different makeup of ingredience..

my four are levaquin,kindermax,xfaxin,tindermax..

rebe

I see so many people on this site eating antibioics like its M&Ms,..I feel that not taking 2 Rowasa enimas during a flare will be tough to get rid of pouchitis. Im sure 2 antibioics are needed in some cases but not all.