hi ..have been rotating four antibiotics for about 2and a half years..made adjustments in that time but lately my four are working very little time..i use xifaxin,keflex,tindermax and levaquin..

you once said you have to keep changing up..is it time to add another one to mix?had some amoxicillan and popped one tonight out of desperation..

if it works would you just go back to old rotation again thereafter? could use your experience after 15 years..

thanks
rebe

Rebe,

In the last year, I have shortened my rotation to 2, although Amoxocillin is 3rd in my rotation and I have stash of it if I need to use it to throw a change-up to the pouchitis. The amoxocillin is my baseball equivalent of a change-up. Currently I alternate between a cipro/flagyl/pentasa cocktail of 1000 cipro and 1000 flagyl and 2000 mg pentasa daily one month, and then 200 mg xifaxin two pills 3 times daily (total dosage of 1200 mg) and 2000 pentasa daily the next month. My GI told me to try and stay on the xifaxin as long as possible due to it not being absorbed and I am able to stay on it longer than 30 days at a time by making adjustments in my regimen. He ordered blood tests on me and especially my liver chemistries and they look good as of the last few months. As noted in another thread he also did a bone density scan on me which showed mild ostopenia in my left forearm, possibly due to calcium/vitamin D deficiency and I am now taking a supplement for that.

September is my calendar month for xifaaxin and I will rotate back to cipro and flagyl in October. Remember as I noted here in early 2010 that staying on cipro and flagyl too long is VERY DANGEROUS and when I tried doing it for about 3-4 months I ended up with a terrible yeast infection that I needed to take anti-fungal pills for to make it go away.

One adjustment I make is that if I start feeling irritated I will take 8 chewable Pepto Bismol tablets between dosages of antibiotics (at least 4 hours before or after). Another adjustment may be to increase my fiber intake. I always take two metamucil wafers at bedtime and I am convinced that my pattern of pouchitis showing inflammation near the inlet on top and the outlet on bottom, demonstrates that smoothness of evacuation is imperative in controlling the pouchitis. When my pouchitis was at its worst it was always due to not taking metamucil wafers or too much imodium resulting in me getting mucked up in the pouch. So if need be I might increase my wafer intake to lunch and bedtime instead of just bedtime.

Whatever you do clear the plan with your doctor because we rotation people may need to get our liver chemistries checked periodically.

Please note that I have not been on the board in quite some time and if you need to get in touch with me it is best to send a PM because I am not on here every day. I have been doing very well (as good as ever) with my rotation noted above but I am dead meat if I go off it for even 3-4 days, the deterioation starts pretty quickly.

I have no side effects at all other than I have to brush my tongue due to the discoloration of it from the antibiotics. It is kind of weird but now I brush my tongue just like I brush my teeth, and do not have any other issues that I have noticed.

I also use an anti-fungal powder in my groin area at bedtime to prevent return of the yeast infection. I also keep the area very dry and blow dry it after showering. I know it sounds weird but inadequate drying of that area is what could lead to a yeast infection especially when taking cipro and flagyl at higher dosages.

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

thank you for your quick response..i needed it..will take up your suggestions(fiber,pepto bismo)..will use augmentin and then switch back to my standbys..hoping i can get back to a month before switching again

thank you so much

rebe