Treatment For Diarrea

[nomadspike]

In McLeod Ganj, India for the last 2 weeks after 4 months in Thailand. About a week ago I got diarrea and after 3 days decided to go to the pharmacy (pharmacist is supposedly also a doctor). He prescribed "LUCIPRO-T" tablets, a combination of 500mg Ciprofloxacin & 600mg Tinidazole, one tablet 3 times a day for 5 days. Today is my third day (condition is improving) but yesterday I developed a skin rash. At first I thought they were mosquito bites, but now feel certain they're a side effect from the medication. I googled the antibiotics in the combo and discovered that skin rash and hypersensitivity are possible side effects. I returned to the phamacist today, told him about the rash, and at first he told me it was not from the medication. After telling him what I read online, he suggested I stop the antibiotics and he gave me an ayurvedic medicine, ANTI-MOT PLUS which I will try.

Has anyone else had any similar experiences with the Ciprofloxacin/Tinidazole combo?

Thanks

[kyb789]

In McLeod Ganj, India for the last 2 weeks after 4 months in Thailand. About a week ago I got diarrea and after 3 days decided to go to the pharmacy (pharmacist is supposedly also a doctor). He prescribed "LUCIPRO-T" tablets, a combination of 500mg Ciprofloxacin & 600mg Tinidazole, one tablet 3 times a day for 5 days. Today is my third day (condition is improving) but yesterday I developed a skin rash. At first I thought they were mosquito bites, but now feel certain they're a side effect from the medication. I googled the antibiotics in the combo and discovered that skin rash and hypersensitivity are possible side effects. I returned to the phamacist today, told him about the rash, and at first he told me it was not from the medication. After telling him what I read online, he suggested I stop the antibiotics and he gave me an ayurvedic medicine, ANTI-MOT PLUS which I will try.

Has anyone else had any similar experiences with the Ciprofloxacin/Tinidazole combo?

Thanks

I never had the combo, but Ciprofloxacin 500 is standard issue for intestinal disorders and parasitic infections. I've had the generics in Thailand and they work, but not at good as the original (maybe fake or cheap imitations). Depending on the parasite, the doctor may bump you up to Flagyl which is a highly potent substitute. NEVER take alchohol with Flagyl unless you want to be hospitalized. But Ciprofloxacin usually does the trick.

[Luckydog]

Please Gents! Before going down the medication Road, when you have 'The Squirts', just boil some plain Rice and have a few bowls of that.

Most of the time it will flush all the bugs out of your system. It's cheap and harmless.

[karenbenn]

Hi nomadspike

It looks like any medication can cause hypersensitivity reaction, and Ciprofloxacin and Tinidazole are not exceptions.

What was the diagnosis for which antibiotic combo was prescribed? If the diarrhea was the only symptom, it is somewhat strange to start with potent antibiotics.

[technocracy]

Nomadspike,

Firstly you've did the right thing if you've had continuous bout of diarrhea for 3 or more days then yes you need a treatment and you did the right thing in going to a doctor. However what this treatment should be is dependant ideally on a stool check to identify the exact type of nasties causing your problem.

There is generally 2 types of dysentry - ameobic and bacterial and then there is the giardis. But also the other reason for diarrhea could be food poisoning but this is normally accompanied by vomitting.

The Cipro and Tinidazole combination is treatment for both ameobic, baterial and giardis!

The type strength of the particular strain of dysentry is dependant on with variety you get - in general the ameobic will knock you senseless and you'll be feeling like you've been beaten with a stick all over for an hour or two as well as various no so nice effect like nausea, dizziness and even hallucination!

Baterial is the 'nicer' of the two which is normal restricted to explosive pan splattering and accompanied with the 'I need a toilet NOW' feelings.

Giardis - a bit like ameobic but not so severe additional affects - but accompanied by large gurglings of your stomach and wind.

My advice would be if I was you I'd go to a clinic and get a stool sample if your feeling really ill - otherwise dependant on your exact symptoms get the individual antibiotics rather than a combo. Also I would get Metronidazole rather than Tinidazole as it's been around far longer. Cipro kills most baterial infections you can mention and Tinidazole does the ameobic and giardis.

All this is speaking from first hand experience! I've experienced all 3, even had bacterial and ameobic infection at the same time in Nepal - which at the time I actually felt like I wanted to curl up in a ball a die. I can now quite easily tell from my own symptoms what type of infection I have.

However I will always fight it out for 2-3 days and see if my body can sort itself out first and see if imodium can help.

[nomadspike]

Thanks both of you for the good advice. Here in McLeod Ganj there are only a few pharamcies doubling as medical centers and other than the Delek Tibetan Hospital there is not much choice for decent medical advice. After three days of explosive splattering I opted for the one medical center/pharmacy that happened to be open and the pharmacist prescribed those combo tablets without any stool test whatsoever. I had no fever, aches nor vomiting so I do believe he took the attitude give the combo meds which will sort out whatever it is. Fortunately I had a look online and discovered that here in India the pharmaceutical companies try and push the combo tabs - but I was alarmed after reading the possible side effects and the fact that one should never drink alcohol during treatment and for three days after! In any case it looks as if whatever infection I had is cured - no more runs to the toilet and a much improved constitution. The rash is slowly healing but the itching has been a real nuisance! I've been taking ayurvedic tablets the last two days with no side effects whatsoever just as a precaution though.

Nomadspike,

Firstly you've did the right thing if you've had continuous bout of diarrhea for 3 or more days then yes you need a treatment and you did the right thing in going to a doctor. However what this treatment should be is dependant ideally on a stool check to identify the exact type of nasties causing your problem.

There is generally 2 types of dysentry - ameobic and bacterial and then there is the giardis. But also the other reason for diarrhea could be food poisoning but this is normally accompanied by vomitting.

The Cipro and Tinidazole combination is treatment for both ameobic, baterial and giardis!

The type strength of the particular strain of dysentry is dependant on with variety you get - in general the ameobic will knock you senseless and you'll be feeling like you've been beaten with a stick all over for an hour or two as well as various no so nice effect like nausea, dizziness and even hallucination!

Baterial is the 'nicer' of the two which is normal restricted to explosive pan splattering and accompanied with the 'I need a toilet NOW' feelings.

Giardis - a bit like ameobic but not so severe additional affects - but accompanied by large gurglings of your stomach and wind.

My advice would be if I was you I'd go to a clinic and get a stool sample if your feeling really ill - otherwise dependant on your exact symptoms get the individual antibiotics rather than a combo. Also I would get Metronidazole rather than Tinidazole as it's been around far longer. Cipro kills most baterial infections you can mention and Tinidazole does the ameobic and giardis.

All this is speaking from first hand experience! I've experienced all 3, even had bacterial and ameobic infection at the same time in Nepal - which at the time I actually felt like I wanted to curl up in a ball a die. I can now quite easily tell from my own symptoms what type of infection I have.

However I will always fight it out for 2-3 days and see if my body can sort itself out first and see if imodium can help.