antibiotics

[Aileen]

Hi folks, does anyone have any views/thoughts on antibiotics post transplant? Tx'd in 2009, all is well, but recently contracted a throat infection. Soldiered on with honey and lemon and all the usual comforters, but when I went to my GP on Friday, she said she really would advise I take amoxycillin 500mg x 3 times daily which is the standard dose. I know amoxycillin to be a broad spectrum antibiotic. She assured me it would not interact adversely with immunos (pred, myfortic and tacro, currently reducing pred to nil over a period of months) I collected the prescription, but just thought I'd fly this on here, find out other experiences with antibiotics some years out from a tx. It's the first time I've needed antibiotics. Thanks all
Aileen

[MandyV]

Hi Aileen - I have had a few difference courses of antibiotics (mostly tx clinic prescribed) for various different bugs over the years. My view is if you need it, then take it! I have turned down antibiotics from a GP who said ' I wouldn't normally suggest it but since you are a tx patient ....' but otherwise take as required. If you are concerned your pharmacist is the drug expert to double check the interactions or your tx clinic.

[bigbuzzard]

I think I'm with Keith here in suggesting a cautious approach. I read this article in New Scientist recently suggesting that a previously unrecognised consequence of our use of anti-biotics could be permanent changes to the natural bacteria in the gut. Before it was thought that these recovered quickly from taking a course of anti-biotics.

I'd never suffered from gut problems until nearly 2 years ago. Since then, it's been a bit of a constant battle - food not being absorbed properly, resulting in a weight loss of ~25kg. It comes and goes, and is better now than it has been - at least I've stopped losing weight. I had a transplant in 2007. I can't remember whether I took anti-biotics before the gut problems started, though I have a feeling I did. I've been on a few courses since then - and things do change in the guts when I do, though not in predictable or easily describable ways.