Flagyl

my doctor just put me on a low dose of flagyl (an anti depressant) to slow my gastric emptying. has anyone been on this? i am worried about constipation...
~k

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery
on antibiotics while undergoing further testing by doctor
will start VSL #3 when antibiotics are done.

flagyl is an antibiotic not antidepressant

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Lori

Flagyl is an antibiotic, it fights off infections. Do you have an infection? I was on it when first diagnosed "just in case I had an infection" and it didn't make me constipated. It did have some nasty other side effects, like headaches, making my tongue have a white-coating and making everything, even water, taste absolutely horrible. But not all people have these side effects. I was taking 2 pills, 3 times a day I think....it might been less than that, I can't remember. Do you know if you have ulcerative colitis or just colitis?

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007
Current inflamation in the rectum
Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

Here's a site with numerous reviews of patients' experiences on Flagyl:

 

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=12623&name=FLAGYL

 

I think you really need to force yourself to eat while taking this drug to counteract some serious side effects.  I couldn't make myself eat, and I couldn't finish 4 days of it.  Lost about 15lbs.  It DID almost completely clear up my bowel symptoms while I was on it, but I absolutely couldn't take another dose after 4 days.

i was taking 4 a day and it didnt do anything to or for me.

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Lori

Back in 2004 and again in 2005 my GI put me on it for 10 days along with crypto. I had no desire to eat anything, I lasted 8 days, and only ate food the first 3 days I was on it. I lost about 12lbs, but it did help me.

wow, this is all good (but scary) to know. thank you so much for responding. did anyone have constipation while taking the drug? that is one worry i have...

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

I had the "everything tastes bad" side effect. Didn't seem to help my colitis one bit.

It can cause a mtalic taste in the mouth for some people, I never had any problems/side effects from it, but no help for me either....

Just make sure you're taking probiotics!! at least 2 hrs after taking any antibiotics for the day.

:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

i wonder why my dr. said it was an anti-depressant. weird. she was very adamant about it. weird. in any case, i have just started today and i am so happy to have so much feedback. any more insights would be appreciate, i am glad you all shared your experience with this drug. and can i just say YUCK!! it sucks that we all have to go through this. i love the support i get here and i love supporting others but i just want to say THIS SUCKS. ok, i have that out of my system. thanks for letting me vent :)

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

yucK! IT DOES MAKE EVERYTHING TASTE METALLIC.

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

The metallic taste is the worst. And never, ever drink any alcohol with it -- if no one told you that, they should be shot.

I actually quit coffee for about a year after being on Flagyl. I couldn't drink it while on it because it tasted so awful and figgered it was a good time to give up the habit. I started again about a year later.

I got Flagyl for c-diff, a bug in the gut. Your doc may think you have a bug in your gut that is causing your rapid emptying and is just trying to cover his/her bases.

Be sure to take your probiotics.

Good luck!
Mitz

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Sporadic proctitis since about 1985. Mother had UC, then J-pouch surgery 1983.
DX'd with clostridium difficile in 2000. Prednisone, two courses of Flagyl, then Vancomycin finally got rid of it. Symptomatic with UC after that.
Colonoscopy in 2001 dx'd left-sided UC. Was pretty darn ill at that time. Treated with prednisone, Rowasa, Asacol. Asacol not working so switched to Imuran. Three small flares since in 2002, 2005, and 2007.
Gall bladder attack 6/13; ultrasound showed stones; surgery before end of 2007.
100 mg Azathioprine and 225 mg Effexor XR (for chronic, longstanding depression) daily.

no one did tell me about the alcohol. why is that? ( i mean why is it bad to drink when you take it?)

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

I think you should look up Flagyl and read up on it. Fortunately, we have lots of resources available to us via the Internet these days to help us take responsibility for our health. Unfortunately, for those that don't take advantage of that and continue to rely on doctors and pharmacists to tell us what we need to know, we often get incomplete or out-and-out wrong information.

Flagyl and alcoholic beverages do NOT mix. You can get violently ill if you try to drink alcohol while on Flagyl.

Here's the FDA's site on Flagyl. Read up on it!
http://www.drugs.com/pro/flagyl.html

Mitz

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Sporadic proctitis since about 1985. Mother had UC, then J-pouch surgery 1983.
DX'd with clostridium difficile in 2000. Prednisone, two courses of Flagyl, then Vancomycin finally got rid of it. Symptomatic with UC after that.
Colonoscopy in 2001 dx'd left-sided UC. Was pretty darn ill at that time. Treated with prednisone, Rowasa, Asacol. Asacol not working so switched to Imuran. Three small flares since in 2002, 2005, and 2007.
Gall bladder attack 6/13; ultrasound showed stones; surgery before end of 2007.
100 mg Azathioprine and 225 mg Effexor XR (for chronic, longstanding depression) daily.

Flagyl and alcohol can make you throw up....you're not suppose to drink while taking any type of antibiotic in general...

If your doc was so adament that it was an anti-depressant I'd be looking for a new doc...unless she meant to say antibiotic but anti-depresant was what kept comming out of her mouth.

You should ask her again...see iif she changes her answer, LOL!

:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

thanks for the info! i'll start doing my homework and figuring this out. thank god for you guys!!

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

haha, if only....love the flaming lips reference! makes it easier to stomach!!

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

so apparently my doctor prescribed the WRONG medication. she wanted me to be on flagyl as well as a low dose antidepressant, but confused the two. NOT A GOOD SIGN. granted it was the RN and not my real GI doc but how scary!! thank god for this forum otherwise i would have had no idea!!!! thank you all for cluing me in!!

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

Flagyl came on the market in 1970s as an amebicide-- to be used against protozoan infections. From what I read on this site, it is being overprescribed to UC patients. This drug can cause peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage in the extremities, and should only be taken for a short time + with caution. Any doctor who calls it an "anti-depressant"-- or any RN, for that matter, should be removed from their employment before they kill some unlucky patient! / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 X 3 Colazal daily for July flare in descending colon; should be in remission soon)

agreed. in fcat, it was the RN's mistake , when i really should have been seeing the doc herself.

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Flagyl to slow gastric emptying

Katie..What med were you supposed to be on then ?

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i was supposed to be on amitriptylne (which i am now) on low dose to suppress the fact that i have a stomach on speed...have you ever been on this?

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Amitriptyline to slow gastric emptying
Forvia

IT makes you wonder how they got a liciense to practice. I know they are busy but that is just a little to much. When I was put on flagyl my doctor repeatedly told me no alcohol not even in cough syrup, said it would make me so sick I would wish I was dead. Unfortunetly the flagyl made me that sick without any alcohol. I always just ask my pharmasist about any new med I have to take, he takes the time to explain it all to me. and checks to make sure it can be taken with all my other meds.

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Rona

synthroid .088 mg, lowpressor 50 mg x 2, cozaar 25mg x2, imdur 30 mg
nitroquick, proventol, plavix 75 mg, protonix 40 mg x 2, asacal 400mg x 9
carafate 1 gm x 4, zyrtec 10 mg, rhinocort aqua nose spray, fish oil,
potassium.

it is scary. very scary

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katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery

VSL #3
Amitriptyline to slow gastric emptying
Forvia