Hi
I just heard from a surgeon that Avelox (mixifloxacin hydrochloride)is being used for pouchitis. Has anyone heard of this or had any experience with it. An internet search says its main use is for pneumonia or severe bronchitis but apparently it has other uses for other infections/inflammations.
Thanks
Tracey

Hi Tracey

I took Avelox two years ago for a Sinus infection and 'yes' for me it had the same reaction on the jpouch as Cipro..It was a
plus!
Char...

Avelox (moxifloxacin) is in the same class of drugs as Cipro (cirpofloxacin) - the fluroquinolones, so would be very likely to have the same type of effect. While there are variations between drugs, they are also very similar (e.g. usually if a person is allergic to one they would be allergic to another - like in the the class of 'penicillins' - people usually won't take any within that class if allergic to one, unless under medical supervision due to the likelihood of an allergic reaction). But we often find that one drug within a class works better for us so it is worth trying. This is sometimes due to drug-resistance (we will become resistant to one but a new one in the same class is slightly different enough that it works). If Cipro helped at one time but stopped, it may be worth trying - definitely worth disussing with one's doctor. This drug is for particularly drug-resistent bacteria and should only be used for that purpose. Otherwise we will run out of antibiotics to treat all of these bacteria/infections at some point. However I think there may be people with chronic pouchitis who eventually become drug-resistant to Cipro, etc. so this may be an option. Fingers crossed!

Thanks to Char and Muggette for their responses.
I've been taking cipro for about 7 yrs (!) for chronic something. The drs say its not poucitis as the pouch looks fine in the scope. Its apparently not cuffitis as the lining of the ciff was removed during the surgery. BUT I do get flu-ish symptoms - aches, fatigue, diarhea unles I take cipro. I"ve tried all the other medications both oral and anal and none work or I cant tolerate them. Cipro keeps things under control but I get tendonitis from it. I would like to get off of it and maybe find something that cures the problem. I thought Avelox might help but if as you pointed out its a quinoline I probably would have the same tendonitis from that. However, it may be worth a try.
Thanks
Tracey

I didn't know Cipro causes tendonitis, and I've been suffering from tendonitis..interesting. My GI diagnosed Crohn's and said it's probable that I developed this after the UC. I had no blood test; he said this after biopsing the pouch and following my sed rate.

One of the top side-effects from long-term Cipro use is tendonitis, however if you have Crohns I wonder if you could have the aches from that too? I don't know about Crohns (my husband and I are UC-ers) but don't Crohns patients get the aches, etc? However that DOES happen w/long-term Cipro use in many, so could be the culprit. There are other antibiotics you could try to see if it is that. Have you tried Flagyl?

I am "organizing" a visit to my doctor. This takes quite a bit these days Can anyone tell me what they have experienced as the most consistent/best treatment for your chronic pouchitis? Cipro (my doc says the 500 mg. is max) and 4 packets of VSL aren't cutting it-lots of pain. I'm starting to wonder if it isn't more adhesions and I dread getting scoped again (just went through bilateral mastectomy/breast cancer/chemo). I want no more invasions at the moment Thanks!

Flagyl worked the best for my husband but he got the paresthesias and didn't come off in time and wound up with (mild) permanent neuropathies in his fingertips. Doesn't happen with everyone and also he was on high-dose/long-term. They all have side-effects too, so can't aboid every med out of fear of side effects. Cipro and Flagyl are the top two treatments. Xifaxin is also being used with some success and has very low side effect risk as most of it absorbs right in the GI track rather than systemically.

FYI - My husband was on 1000 mg/day of Cipro for a very long time, so 500/day isn't the max per se, but may be what your doc feels comfortable as the max or the max for you. 1000 mg/day is a very high dose though and 'asking' for side-effects (IMO) which he got (the tendonitis) but he had a very stubborn case of chronic pouchitis and after coming off the Flagyl this is what helped. Sometimes there is just no choice.

VSL is best once pouchitis is in remission.

Everyone is different so have to see what works for you. Good luck!