I had j-pouch surgery almost 4 years ago due to Ulcertive Colitis and have been very happy with the results with one exception. About a 4 months ago I was urgently hospitalised as I had sudden pain in the anal-vaginal region. They had to operated urgently to open 2 anal-vaginal fistulas who were infected. Now, my surgeon put me on antibiotics (Cipro). I've been taking Cipro for 3 months now without success...but the fistulas don't seem to go away. And it still hurts so much some days, I have trouble walking and sitting...I then need to take Demerol for the pain. I can't imagine that I will live like this forever. My other doctor (gastroentorologist) suggested that I take a new probiotic VSL # 3, which I started about a month ago, but doesn't seem to be working...should I continue. Also, my gastroenterologist suggested that I might combine a second antibiotic to the Cipro I'm already taking. He prescribed Minocin. Which I haven't taken yet. I'm seeing my surgeon again this afternoon. Don't know what she will have to say this time, but when I saw her 6 weeks ago, she told me a should be taking Cipro for a few months.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I need help or at least comfort with this please. Thanks.
Hi! Carolina22, I have had my j-pouch for 13+ years from UC. I had a anal-vaginal fistula a few months after step 2. My doc prescribed Flagyl for a few months. It seemed to do the trick. I know what you are going through. I felt so gross and hated to share this with my husband. He is very understanding and I could not have gone through this without him at my side. I felt like I was getting a fistula a few months ago and my NYC doc prescribed Levaquin & Flagyl. I can't tke Cipro..too many side effects. I never got the fistula, so it worked. Maybe you should try the second antibiotic?
Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought you should not take antibiotics with probiotics? You should search this site for more info. Just click the "Find" tab. This site is a wealth of information. I hope your doc has some good news this afternoon.
Posts: 96 | Location: Warwick, NY | Registered: August 29, 2007
Dear BarbieG, Thanks for your reply. It helps to know that others when through the same thing. Thanks for your suggestions. As for taking Flagyl, it's not possible for me, as I was intoxicated by Flagyl many years ago, and I'm not allowed to take it anymore. As for Levaquin, I will ask my doctors, as I never heard of it before reading about it on this web site....Maybe it's not available in Canada...I don't know...but I will ask my doctors and my pharmacist.
As for taking Probiotics with Antibiotics, I had the same concern when I started taking the VSL#3. But my doctors say that as long as I don't take it at the same moment. For example, I take my CIPRO at 10am and 10pm so I take my VSL#3 around 3.00pm. This way it should be o.k. according to the doctors. In any case, the worse that could happen is that the VSL#3 wouldn't be effective, but it would affect the effectiveness of my Cipro.
Yesterday afternoon, I saw my surgeon in Montreal again and she says she will do an exam under general anesthesia in a few weeks. She wants to go look and see by herself what's exactly is happening and what would be the next logical step. While I will be under anesthesia, she says she might be putting in a setton in my fistula if there's still infection, but she doesn't think there will be, as the MRI didn't show any sign of it. She might also install a new thing the have....she says it's "PLUGS" that would be inserted in my fistulas. She says that we have a 50-50 chance that the plugs stay in...but we know quite rapidly, as if they don't stay in, they will get out in the 3 of 4 following days. And while a wait for the exam under anesthesia, the doctor is keeping me on Cipro and Demerol for the pain.
So, I will see what happens from there.... I hope this will be over soon...as it's really painfull and uucomfortable.
Again, thanks for your support and help with this.
Dear Holly, Thank you for redirecting me to the right forum....I just went to have a look at the section you are refering to and it seems to have a lot of info. I will have lots of reading to do this weekend. Again, thanks for letting me know!
