Post-Operative use of Anti-biotic Prophylaxis for Dental and other medical procedures

[jake]

Good Day All:

Well, it’s been a while since I posted a new thread and hope everyone is doing well. So 2 years post op for an ascending aneurism repair I have found one more unpleasant side effect of my new post-surgery life. I have had a few teeth cleanings, a wisdom tooth extracted and a unrelated surgical procedure as well. Each of these required the use of anti-biotic either for prophylaxis or to avoid primary infection.

What I am experiencing is that for several weeks post procedure where anti-biotic were used, I am having some most un-pleasant gastro-intestinal issues. Bloating, gas, gurgling, and things are simply not processing right!

It seems to subside after a few weeks, but what the hell! Is this what I have to look forward to every time I need to get my teeth cleaned?

So my chiropractor put me on a very high quality pro-biotic last week, I will have to let you know how that goes. Has anyone else had these issues or is it just me? Am I just sensitive to Anti-biotic?

 

[ski girl]

Sounds like you should be using a different antibiotic, and not trusting a chiropractor to treat intestinal problems . . . .

I've never had any intestinal issues even with four weeks of massive doses (2g a day) of antibiotics to treat endocarditis. Let your GP know what's happening and they should be able to prescribe you something different!

 

[Tirone]

The bowl maintains a balance between different bacteria which are essential for our digestion. Antibiotics can disturb this balance and lead to different symptoms as you described. Probiotics are often used to reestablish the bacterial flora. It is often recommended to start with a probiotic on the same day as you start the antibiotic treatment. You can also try a probiotic yogurt from the local grocery store (it's all more or less the same).
Did you already ask your physician if he could change the antibiotics? There are different classes which all do their job. You might tolerate another one better. Depending on the history a microbiological analysis of stool can be helpful in certain cases. Also if you have fever or blood in your stool these are serious warning signs which need immediate medical attention.

 

[catwoman]

American Heart Association guidelines for antibiotics is that they are recommended for those with mechanical valves. It does not appear that you got a mechanical -- your profile mentions "valve sparing" surgery. You could dispense with the antibiotics. Not sure why your doctor insists on it. Those who have had valve replacement are at a higher risk of endocarditis than others.

When I was DXed with mitral valve prolapse in 1990, I went on antibiotics for dentals. It's no longer reommended, but a few dentists probably advise it. I tried a few antibiotics before my doctor & I decided that amoxi was best. One antibotic made me so sick I was home for 2 days after my dentist visit -- not with diarrhea, but with GI pain. A second one did the same. Normal dosages didn't affect me, but the 2,000mg did.

 

[tgmorris]

American Heart Association guidelines for antibiotics is that they are recommended for those with mechanical valves. It does not appear that you got a mechanical -- your profile mentions "valve sparing" surgery. You could dispense with the antibiotics. Not sure why your doctor insists on it. Those who have had valve replacement are at a higher risk of endocarditis than others.

When I was DXed with mitral valve prolapse in 1990, I went on antibiotics for dentals. It's no longer reommended, but a few dentists probably advise it. I tried a few antibiotics before my doctor & I decided that amoxi was best. One antibotic made me so sick I was home for 2 days after my dentist visit -- not with diarrhea, but with GI pain. A second one did the same. Normal dosages didn't affect me, but the 2,000mg did.

I asked my cardio about this as that's the way I read it as well when I was researching things after my valve replacement. He, in no uncertain terms, said that it's for persons with artificial valves and not just mechanical ones.

You are also correct that many dentists or hygienists would still recommend the antibiotic even if it is no longer on the AHA guidelines. Most likely to avoid any potential legal repercussions.

 

[DMS]

To help avoid the intestinal discomfort, I found that eating some good quality, low fat yogurt was a great help. Never had an issue with 4 x 250 amoxicillin pre-procedure dosages. Can't hurt to try anyway. Good luck.

 

[epstns]

Jake,
I have been pre-medicating for dental (and other) procedures for about 10 years now. At first they wanted to prescribe amoxicillin, which tore me up very badly. We tried a couple of others, and finally settled on clindamycin. I take 4 X 150 mg capsules prior to dental work and have had no problems. I don't know which antibiotic you are now using, but ask your cardio or dentist (whichever has prescribed the antibiotics) if there are other meds that can be used. This works for most of us - we eventually find a med that we tolerate. If we are within the normal health ranges, most of us do not need to use these antibiotics often enough to build any tolerance to them, and they can be used successfully for periodic dental work for years.

 

[jake]

howdy all:

Well, first to Catwoman....Yes, I do have my native bi-cusped aortic valve, but I have about 3 inches of artificial aorta. I was told by the suregon that bacteria love to stick to anything that is not original equipment, thus the need to pre-medicate. I usually pre-medicate with amoxicillin but for a particular procedure, they put me on Bactrim. This is some NASTY stuff! Needless to say, after a couple weeks on a probiotic supplement, thus far, no improvement. I don’t really know what to think. I am so sick of going to doctors all the time. It seems like every single time I go to a doctor, they want to send me for some radiological study of some sort. Its just getting kind of frustrating being poked, prodded, irradiated and drugged. I guess I just cant stand the thought of surviving OHS only to end up with cancer from the massive doses of radiation I have had to be subjected to since being diagnosed back in 09.

Oh yea! Im in that place again!