Sorry TMI but has anyone had side effects from antibiotics like this, am panicking

[Flightputsonahat]

Sorry, have rung NHS direct as googling got me into a right old state

Have been taking cefalexin for mastitis - 5 days worth didn't knock it out and so then they prescribed 7 days at a much higher dose.

I've been having stomach cramps for 3 days so stopped taking them yesterday morning (after completing 5 days worth) but since then am still having urges to go to the toilet and when I do there is some blood.

I looked it up and it said this could be a rare and severe complication of the cefalexin...caused by overgrowth of C difficile in the intestine...so I am now in a complete state.

NHS said that even if it is this (pseudomembranous colitis) then it usually responds to just stopping the medication. But mine hasn't stopped, in fact it seems worse than yesterday.

Heeelp.

I have heard recently, on another thread, that you CAN feed on metronidazole but it just makes the milk taste bad....maybe someone else knows if this is true?

I don't know but when I was BF ds2 I took various drugs and DS2 didn't mind, he was just happy having his boobies to himself.

Thankyou - I've jst got through to NCT helpline and she's going to check and ring me back.

I read on a drugs website that it isn't known if it's safe or not but is carcinogenic to rats

if you don't want to stop, you could pump and dump if it is dangerous, and re-start when you finish the metronidazole.

did you give a stool sample, btw?

Hi Tissy,
thanks for checking up...I was prescribed the metron. over the phone, no examination or sample needed - he said if it were negative it would just have missed the bug, and positive, well he'd only prescribe the same thing anyway!

But I started to get a low temperature and so talked to another Dr at the practice this evening - she was worried and asked me to come in then, so we did, she did an examination, couldn't see anything untoward, sent me off with two sample bottles and a bloods firm to do tomorrow...we only live 2 minutes from the hosp anyway so that's Ok.

She was sceptical about it being antibiotic related full stop, which was strange - but has ordered a raft of different tests on the blood etc so at least we'll know by probably Tuesday.

Just hope not to feel so sick and nasty soon.
I get in a right panic when I anticipate the worst!

She said it might just be a simple stomach upset. She could be right I guess but I don't think the ab's would have helped if so.

I mean I think if it was just a stomach upset the ab's prob made it worse than otherwise iyswim?

I know nothing, anyway...but she seemed to think I would be alright eventually.

Please please please everyone taking anti-biotics: please eat loads of live yoghurt while you're taking them, especially just before you take them. ABs kill everything and then you're vulnerable to anything else; eating live yoghurt will keep your gut healthy. You won't get upset tummies, diarrhoea etc, or at least you'll be a lot less vulnerable to them.

A friend of mine was given abs, didn't respond so was given more stronger ones; didn't respond so was given more and stronger ones; got iller and iller and iller. We were all very worried about her. She went off to France to see if a better climate would help, was very very ill, saw a doctor there who took her off all the abs she was on and told her to eat yoghurt. Within a week she was better.

Well...just had a call from the rude Dr. (who was actually very nice)

he said I tested positive for C Diff. and so I need to complete the antibiotics and if I am fine at the end of the course that's good, if not then they need to retest and give me other drugs.

he also said that whenever I need an antibiotic in future for anything at all, I need to tell them that I am allergic to Cefalexin and keep to as narrow spectrum an a/b as possible for whatever I have.

Ths is really scary actually s I have had recurrent dental probs in the past and am afraid of what might happen in the future...visions of taking hopeless pills that won't knock out something, because the wide spectrum ones are going to make me ill

I guess you don't get to 35 without something sinister on your medical records...
anyway, that's what it was, but i am feeling much better.

Oh yes and he said (I was asking loads of questions, and he came out with 'flight I had forgotten how bloody detailed you are, just stop worrying and take your tablets and you'll be fine!! )

he said NOT to take probiotics. No. He said stop it at once, because nobody knows which bacteria you need and which ones uyou already have and it is all a waste of time. So that's a saving on actimel I suppose...