Yeast /fungal infections

Are we? I haven't had one in 12 years with my jpouch.

Sue

I think taking too many antibiotics might be a culprit.

Never had problems with yeast or fungal problems but when I am on cripo antibiotic comes with a vengeance.

I've had probably about fifteen in the nine months since my surgery. Some of them were triggered by antibiotics. Some of them were triggered by the antivirals (acyclovir) I started taking to treat a new diagnosis of HSV2. And I'm sure having more to clean up in the back area due to j-pouch output consistency doesn't help: we're more likely to "miss a spot" or wipe in the wrong direction and transfer bacteria... not to mention anyone who experiences occasional nighttime anal leakage.

I figure they'll slow down when I slow down on the meds that tend to trigger them.

It has to do with empty space. Broad spectrum antibiotics kill bacteria in your skin and elsewhere in your body, not just the bad stuff in your gut. When the bacteria dies there is empty space that needs to be occupied. Mr. and Mrs. Fungus and their family are happy to crawl into that empty space just like you crawl into your empty bed at night. Microorganism populations remain in balance in ideal conditions. When antibiotics or antivirals are consumed, those populations are thrown out of balance and the microorganisms compensate opportunistically by filling any voids that are created.

I think rotating antibiotics helps, especially going onto xifaxin, which is mostly NOT systemically absorbed, thus giving skin bacteria a chance to repopulate. If you stay on cipro and flagyl for months without rotation on higher dosages, the bacteria in your skin gets genocided. The result could be a monster yeast infection. I have been there and done that.

If I feel a yeast infection coming on in my legpits (the area of my body that seems most prone), if I see that little red patch of rash, I douse it with Zeabsorb AF powder and that kaboshes it. The key with any yeast infection is identifying and treating it immediately, because if you don't, if you think it is some other kind of rash and put Desitin on it, it can spread and become a monster rash that could take months to resolve.

As a chronic antibiotic user, I have found that antibiotics at higher dosages have exposed me to not only yeast infections but also warts, which are a viral infection. In a few cases the wart and yeast infections were simultaneous and virulent, as when I was taking an Entocort, an immunosuppressant, and antibiotics simultaneously. When you put this stuff in your body, you are not only shifting the microorganism balance of population in your body, but also suppressing your body's ability to deal with the resulting imbalance. I have found out about all these things the hard way.

Probiotics should help by introducing good bacteria into the system.

I am under the impression that most probiotics are designed to help restore a good balance of bacteria in your intestinal tract, which is not an area where yeast or viral infections are likely to manifest. They are more likely to manifest on the skin.

I've been lucky not to have any vaginally, touch wood, but I had a few under my wafer when I had my temporary ileostomy, and then a really nasty one in the same area after my takedown -- I don't think my skin liked having a damp dressing on the area even just for the day or two it was there immediately after surgery, and it took a long time to get it diagnosed and treated because the surgeons weren't as familiar with skin issues (I finally ended up emailing a photo to my old WOCN who diagnosed it right away).

Anyway -- I was on high doses of flagyl and cipro continuously for quite a while before my surgeries and I'm positive they changed the bacterial situation on my skin tremendously. During that time period I had absolutely no body odor, which my doctor explained is because the antibiotics are excreted partially through the skin. This was kind of a cool side effect at the time but it definitely left me vulnerable to fungal infection as well.

I don't think having a j-pouch automatically makes you more susceptible (unless you are having leakage/wiping problems like boot mentioned - LOVE my bidet), unfortunately most of us have been on tons of antibiotics and those can definitely set them off.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com...fection/page3_em.htm

You can get yeast infections every where. From Thrush in your mouth down through your esophagus into your stomach into your intestines IF you have a weakened immune system. I think one would have to be very ill for this to happen.

I thought it was more common, like the vaginal kind which can be transmitted between partners. I have known people that have had internal yeast infections but am now wondering if it was in their blood or in their GI tracts.

I don't think we necessarily have more yeast, but I do think we get infections more often because we unfortunately (though unintentionally) tend to create situations where yeast thrive. Antibiotics are the main culprit, and I've had a couple of lovely vaginal infections when taking cipro. But outside of antibiotics, moisture is also a huge factor. Since we typically go to the washroom more often as well as have more liquid bms, it's kind of a double edged sword. The increased moisture, wiping and irritation does create an environment for yeast to grow. Using barrier creams can also create a moist environment for yeast to thrive. Other factors, which some of us have, include anemia and/or prednisone use, both of can lead to the development of thrush. Of course, all these things coupled with taking antibiotics obviously increases the problem exponentially. That's why it's so important to dry the area completely after showering and after bms. A layer of baby powder with the barrier cream can help things stay a little drier.

I know first hand how bad moisture can be. I had a pretty nasty yeast infection in my belly button early on with the ostomy. Depending on how I positioned the wafer or what system I was using, the barrier would partially cover my belly button at times. It would get wet when I showered and if I didn't dry it off very well, the moisture could become trapped under the barrier. I'm sure sweat was also a factor. I had my ostomy for 2.5 years so I learned to adapt. I would dry inside my belly button with a q-tip. Later on, when I got to be more "expert" with my ostomy, I learned to position it around the belly buttom (diamond trumps square! *LOL*) and I started actually cutting a little divot in my barrier when necessary so that the belly button was left completely uncovered. Didn't have any further problems with yeast with those little adaptations.

The area where moisture collects on a man's body is groin/armpits/legpits. Hence "Jock Itch", which is a yeast infection male athletes get because they are wearing a lot of padding, and sweating heavily in these areas. But active guys are prone to getting this because the sweat and moisture collects in areas where fungi can grow. My dermatologist told me the average male will collect a lot of moisture in the groin area just by walking around and not doing much. After I was hit with the mother of all yeast infections in legpits and groin in early 2010, and ultimately knocking it out by going off cipro and taking an antifungal (diflucan), I implemented new hygiene rules that go beyond what most men do. Rule #1 is every time I shower I blow dry my entire groin area and especially the legpits where I turn the heat up to high. I bought the blow dryer at Walmart and the cashier looked at me funny because I have a shaved head. Fortunately she did not ask what I do with it. Anyway after I blow dry, I use Zeabsorb powder in the leg pits preventatively at night. I worry more about skin yeast infections because the internal ones are usually the result of a severely weakened immune system.

Now and then I will see a red patch develop in the legpit and I quickly put it out with the Zeabsorb. They can start and be stopped very quickly when you know what you are dealing with. Women obviously have different issues but I think I have got the male ones covered.

Thank you for the responses.I wonder if I had it since surgeries 2 years ago.Probotic are helping me alot

again THANK YOU

Cassiecass

Yes Josh, I take Saccharamyces Boulardii+MOS, which is similar, to guard against c.diff infections. It is a probiotic, different than the VSL#3DS that I take.

Just a couple weeks ago, I got taken off Flagyl because I developed a white sore under my tongue. Candida. About a week after sore appeared for first time, my left knee became sore and inflamed, which is also a symptom of Candida. Within 2 days of being taken off Flagyl, problem disappeared.

Unfortunately, my bowel frequency, pain, spasms, and cramping have all dramatically increased without flagyl.

I keep a daily bowel, medication, food and pain diary dynamically linked to graphs, and the day I stop taking flagyl, pain and frequency graphs spiked dramatically.

If my stock picks did that, I'd be rich. LOL.


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PDXDavid,

What dosage of flagyl were you taking and for how long?

CT,

I was on 250mg 3 times a day, since June, 2011.

Never a problem with it until the sore appeared on the underside of my tongue.



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That's fairly typical. You don't have a problem until you do. The longer you are on any drug, the risk of side effects go up. Doesn't mean you shouldn't use them in the first place, just be ready to reassess at any time.

So, what is next for you?

Jan

Not sure yet.

Next week I have exploratory surgery to try to find the source of the fistulas. At the same time he's going to scope the pouch again.

He (my surgeon) keeps looking at and dismissing crohn's, but once again he's talking about maybe it's crohn's....



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PDXDavid,

You can't stay on one antibiotic that long. You have to rotate antibiotics every 2-3 weeks, or you are begging for a yeast infection. You rotate in xifaxin and your body gets a break and skin bacteria gets to regenerate which keeps yeast infections at bay. You can also take lactulose for a week or two to give your body a break and then rotate in another antibiotic.

CT,

In fact, my Dr. (surgeon) said I shouldn't have been on them for so long, and asked who prescribed them. When I reminded him that he did, he was embarrassed.

I suspect - but don't know for sure - that his MA was just rubber-stamping the pharmacy requests for refills.

Also, I'm intolerant of Cipro (it gives me hip pain), so that limits what I can take.



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There are xifaxin, augmentin and others that are out there as well as lactulose which is a prebiotic that can give you a one week break. But to take flagyl for 2.5 years straight with no rotation, all I can say is I am surprised it took that long for you to get a yeast infection. In my case cipro and flagyl for 4 months was too long. If you find something to rotate to, you can go back to the flagyl, but then you will need to rotate again.

Diet. Sugar and gluten will kick them in. Candida diet might help.

quote:

Sugar and gluten will kick them in.

You're probably right. I have of late been craving old fashioned bubble gum, and have not done much to resist the craving. (Translation: I have been chewing bubble gum like a 10-year-old with a sugar addiction.)

If my knee hadn't also swollen up, I would probably have just gargled with vinegar until the spot disappeared (which I did anyway), and continued on chewing and blowing bubbles to my heart's content.

But it was not to be, and me and my beloved Double Bubble are now estranged lovers.

Sigh. Oh well, it was beautiful while it lasted.





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Evening

Thank you in advance.how long do we stay on probotics ?

Cassiecass

While everyone is diferent, I'd think most would take some sort of probiotic (different folks have preferred brands) for the long term.

I think the PH of the J-Pouch is not too friendly for the good critters, so eventually their death rate will surpass their reproductive rate, and need recharging.

I'm guessing that most folks who take them take them daily and will do so indefinitely.

Along those lines, I wonder how much colestid and omeprazole help provide a more friendly environment in the pouch for the bacteria.



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I take a PPI, Omeprazole, and I believe the consensus is that it is better not to take such medications unless there is a good medical reason, like GERD. I don't know how it relates to yeast/fungal infections.

The probiotics I take include VSL#3DS, and am doubling up on it currently as just took 3 weeks of antibiotics. Plus I take s.boulardii twice daily to ward off c.diff infections. I eat at least 2 Greek yogurts daily and there are probiotics in them but they are minuet compared to the others I take.