Problem with oral antibiotic absorption

Good morning everyone

Warning this may be TMI!

I am battling quite a severe urinary tract infection. It has been 14 days & quite honestly I am struggling!

I am currently on my 3rd antibiotic... All 3 are top gun antibiotics and sensitive to the bacteria, but not working.

Has anyone (who is post RNY) had difficulty with the absorption of antibiotics?

I am drinking over 3 litres of water daily... Taking

the cranberry capsules 4X daily... I just started a holistic herb (UVA URSI) that treats UTIs, but still very uncomfortable. My GP is at a loss....

Does anyone have any insight ?

I appreciate your input...

Sandra.

Mahalo

See if you can send the pharmacist at Guelph General Hospital an email. I think his name is Pat. He is very knowledgeable on what drugs work on post-ops. There has been some research that says post-ops may have trouble dissolving the gelcaps that some drugs are in. You could try opening up the capsule and mixing the contents with liquid then drinking.

It would be best if they cultured the infection and gave you an antibiotic specif to the strain. My mother used to have this issue and it was the only way they cleared it up

Hello!

It was cultured 3 X & I was put on Cipro which should have been appropriate but it is a horse pill and I think that it just isn't being absorbed. I was given a powder form that I mixed with water yesterday. I guess we will wait and see!

Thank you

agree with cravingchange. I cannot do gelcaps. in my case they get stuck. I talked to the pharmacist when i was put on antibiotics about opening the capsules and she said that would be fine. I would talk to the pharmacist about the capsules you have and if that will work. I used to be prone to UTI's. I feel your pain.

That is a horrible feeling. I don't have any advice but hope you feel better soon

Am 9 years out from my RNY and have never had problems absorbing antibiotics. Have had urinary tract infections and since cannot take Cipro which worked best but resulted in horrible facial rash identified by dermatologist as FDE ( Fixed Drug Eruption) which is an allergic reaction to a drug, have had to take less effective/slower to respond antibiotics. BTW, Cipro 500 white solid pill I imagine you are referring to, about the size of a gelcap, had no problems in swallowing the torpedo as narrow end went through pouchie's stoma, as is the case with all my gelcaps. For ex I take daily omega 3 fish oil gelcap, and I know it is bit larger, so hangs around my pouch until the gel is disolved,I help by drinking hot tea or coffee, and about 10-15 mins later I get fishy burps, so know that the gelcap disolved and oil is going through stoma into intestine.

As to urinary tract, a culture should be done to determine exact antibiotic to be used, although I was started automatically on Cipro 500 each time as is the go to med for urinary tract and even diarheia problems. With cistitis you need immediate relief. When culture results came back, I got switched to appropriate drug as can't do more than a few days on Cipro or start reacting with facial rash. Now we start me on Metronidazole right away instead of Cipro, gelcaps so I down with tea to melt the hard cellulose cap.

Good luck, maybe a pillcutter to halve the Cipro pill? But think you said you now have a powder version to put in water? Hope it helps as cistitis is painful.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, and I hope it will clear up soon.

I had pneumonia for 2 weeks and was on antibiotics for 10 days. I had to take 3 big pills at the same time, once a day, but was allowed to cut them up into 4 small pieces each. It took me an hour to take all 12 pieces, but they worked. They had another pill (same antibiotic) that would have been easier to take as it was just one pill a day but it was an extended release one and the pharmacist knew I couldn't have that. I had no trouble absorbing them and it cleared up the pneumonia, thank God. Maybe cutting them up helped with absorption?