I take small doses of Cipro from time to time with good effect on reducing BMs and have also noticed a reduction in peeing during the night which is of great benefit. Why should that be? Does it indicate something? I know Cipro is used for bladder infections.
Greetings from Catalunya
Paul
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It says in the instructions Of Cipro to drink lots of water with this medication. My guess is because it dehydrates you a lot more easier, that could be the reason why you pee less. Drink more water whenever you can and be careful. Also wear sunscreen with Cipro, it says in the instructions that it causes more sensitivity to the sunlight and light in general, so be careful with that too 
@Paul H The effect you’re describing isn’t listed among Cipro’s known side effects, so you may have to dig a little deeper to figure it out. Is your urine the same color when you’re on Cipro as it is otherwise? Is it possible that your fluid consumption changes? Plainly things are different enough to motivate you to take the Cipro in the first place. One possibility: I’ve found that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a full pouch from a full bladder, so if the Cipro eliminates the nighttime pouch fullness it might eliminate the illusion of a full bladder. It is important to stay hydrated on Cipro, as it can occasionally be toxic to the kidneys.
I had to stop taking cipro for pouchitis as I believe it affected my muscles (particularly in my legs). I couldn't walk at one point and went to the ER. I looked for a non antibiotic solution to pouchitis and have been taking Visbiome probiotic daily and it seems to work well. That and eating less. I had ulcerative colitis and had the J Pouch surgery in November of 2011 and take-down in July of 2012 fyi.
@Paul H, don't know your age, but my husband (who does not have a j pouch) recently took a long course of antibiotics for prostatitis. It reduced his nighttime visits by half. So the nighttime voiding could be from something other than the j pouch. Interestingly, the treatment for prostatitis that is not known to be bacterial can include antibiotics. Sort of like pouchitis.
I don't think there is any cause -effect between cipro and urinating more or less. You probably are not hydrating like you should be.
Cipro will thicken stools and will most definitely photosensitize your skin to sunlight. You will, without appropriate sunblock, burn in record times if you go out in the sun, especially for a first time. You gotta double and triple up on the sunblock during summer months when on cipro.
I do remember reading that cipro can do a number on tendons and right when those concerns were widely being reported, I was at my peak in terms of going to the gym. I was always waiting for my ACL or achilles to snap on the treadmill, sending me into a writhing heap of agony, but it never happened. I have not been to a gym since Covid started.
Thanks for your comments. I do hydrate regularly, especially a couple of hours before bedtime and sometimes with a rehydration sachet of glucose, sodium and potassium. I've often thought a fullish pouch could press against the bladder and even the prostate. I guess everything around there is more condensed since surgery. My motives for taking Cipro are loose and many BMs, sometimes with urgency but never any pain. I take short doses of 250mgs for 3 or 4 days or Rifaxamin in the same way. It sorts me out and I can go 3 or 4 weeks without it. Is it ok to take short doses or is it better to complete a course of 7 or 14 days? I find probiotics give me gas and bloating, Psylium no longer has any effect (it used to be my go to before surgery) and Immodium constipated me. With Cipro I will often get a mild headache which is a sign of dehydration so will definitely address this. My last Prostate test some years ago showed all normal and I don't have any symptoms.
Greetings from Catalunya
Paul
Paul -
You might want to try a longer course of antibiotics and see if symptoms return in 3-4 weeks. If they do, then the length of the course will not matter. It's pretty much all trial and error in treating pouchitis and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all. I was on cipro and other antibiotics in rotation and continuously for almost 25 years. I'd seriously deteriorate if I stopped antibiotics for 6 or 7 days and then be an absolute basket case and unable to function. If you can go on and off as you have suggested, you are and were way ahead of me in the ability to stage the pouchitis fight.
Paul, no one really knows if your very short courses of antibiotic are wise or unwise. If pouchitis were a conventional infection then very short courses would tend to lead to bacterial resistance, making the antibiotic less effective in the future. But pouchitis isn’t a conventional infection, so it’s possible that the reduced side effects (during a very short course) are worth the trade-off. You are making it up though - there’s no data to support your approach, whereas there’s a fair amount of data supporting a 10-14-day course.
Maybe you should voice your concerns with a doctor. I think they might be better.
