Mrs. D.

Thanks for the additional information. I was on a z pac.

You can at least take acidophillus tablets instead of yogurt...

I knew a young man with UC...he was not following his strict diet & ruined his digestive tract...same surgery as posted above...He feels great now, and compliant in his eating...

I hope that you get this cleared up...:hug:

Zithromax can be difficult on the liver/gallbladder in some people.
It is not so likely to cause diarrhea like other antibiotics...say Clindamycin which is used in dental treatments often.

So I wonder if you are having a bile acid/gall bladder issue?

Call your doctor if you have concerns. But if your doctor is not acquainted with Psyllium use in these situations, he/she may not know the correct answer for you.

Mystery diagnosis had an interesting story about an overactive gall bladder issue that caused terrible diarrhea. Incapacitating diarrhea. The answer was using a sequesterant like the link I gave you.

This is the subject....http://ibs.about.com/od/causesofibs/...a-Syndrome.htm
And I suspect it is more common than suspected.
Zithromax has liver complications associated with it... and it may be your problem. If you get sicker when you eat, and feel better fasting... that is one sign. When you eat those bile acids come raging down, and if there is nothing to digest, then move into the bowel and digest IT.

Since the meds for colitis are not doing much for you...please consider this.

My son and h have Crohn's disease. I'm going to use the dreaded S word. Steroids. They have really helped my son and h get into remission. Oral prednisone is what is normally used for Crohn's. Maybe your GI doc should consider switching you to a different med other than asacol? Talk to your GI doc, Barb. I have IBS. I sometimes 'go' up to 20 times a day it is awful. This sounds like utter misery for you, hon :hug:

Once the inflammation takes hold....from the initial trigger, both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis...become self sustaining. There is a cytokine response, that is not understood well, that continues in the mucosa.

That is why it is important to nip it early with common sense things first.

Steroids are one alternate therapy. But now there are the injectable biologicals being tried as well.

This page of a good link lists the immune suppressing treatments.
http://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-dise...verview?page=2

Once this immune cascade is in place (certain people react to triggers this way and others do not) the sequesterants will no longer work. The Psyllium seed OTC and the RX ones are for removing irritating substances from the colon that are irritating it.

C. difficile is the most common bacterial assault following oral antibiotics. It is more likely in hospitalized patients, and those who receive certain antibiotics and less so with others. Amoxicillin and Clindamycin...the latter very much so... are more likely to cause overgrowth, and Candida in the bowel.

Steroids were the next thing to try on my doctor's list. I am going to call and see if I can just start the **** things. I hate steroids, but this is worse.

Barb - :hug::hug: Still keeping you in my prayers and hoping they find something to help you, even if it means steroids. Let us know how you are doing.:hug:

Deep prayers for you continue, dear...:hug:

Awwwwww Barb, I am so sorry for your pain.:(
I will pray that the steroids work without the carpy sides..:hug::hug:

Still waiting to hear from the doctor about the steroids.