Flagyl & Minocin at the same time? BudT update

[BudT]

This is BudT's wife, Lori, again as Bud finally got to the doctor on Monday and he put him in the hospital for testing re: Bud's abdominal pain.  Doctor thinks it may be diviticulitous (spelling?).  I guess that's better than other things it could be.  Doctor put him on IV flagyl and Rocephin. Should Bud continue with the Minocin during the days they are giving him the other antibiotics?  (I left this question with his AP doctor but sometimes it takes a while to get an answer so I thought someone here might know.)  Doctor wants to do CAT scan tomorrow as Bud is still experiencing some discomfort.  I'm asking a lot of questions as I don't want to have something done without justification.  I guess our medical experiences over the last 3 years have  made me very skeptical of the medical community.  (except for the great team of doctors we have addressing Bud's scleroderma.)

As a side note, we are fighting with our insurance to continue paying for Bud's monthly IV clindy.  I had almost forgotten what a wealth of information is available on this site.  I am printing lots of info. and will be composing an appeal using this info.  I really believe that the insurance's reviewing physican is letting his own biasis re AP get in the way and that makes me very angry!   

[Maz]

Hi Lori,

So glad Bud got in to see his doc on Monday and that they are finding some answers to his mystery pain.

I found this website about diverticulitis that you might find interesting.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20051001/1229.html

When discussing treatment it says:

“To provide adequate coverage of gram-negative rods and anaerobic bacteria, patients with acute diverticulitis treated as outpatients should receive metronidazole (Flagyl) combined with a quinolone or with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra) or amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin).

Patients hospitalized with acute diverticulitis should receive metronidazole or clindamycin (Cleocin) combined with an aminoglycoside, a monobactam, or a third-generation cephalosporin.”

Isn't it interesting that is an inflammation caused by anaerobic bacteria and that acute diverticulitis is being treated with IV Clindy?! Only speculating here, but if Bud has already been receiving regular IV Clindy, might his AP doc think this is some type of herx reaction? Maybe worth asking him about.

Do hope this treatment brings Bud out of pain quickly and resolves everything for him. Very interesting that this condition is also exacerbated after eating. Just goes to show that we can only suggest possibilities here and it was so good that Bud got medical treatment fast.

Not sure any of us is really qualified to answer the question about continuing to take mino either while undergoing this treatment….although it does sound remarkably similar to the combo treatment Dr S in TN gives his rheumatoid patients. Hopefully, Bud's AP doc will get back soon with his recommendation for him on this.

Please keep us updated on his progress and send our best to him!!! You mentioned before that he was down about AP working for him. Do hope he doesn't give up on it just yet – this could well be just a blip on the radar while on his road back to recovery.

Peace, Maz

[Cheryl F]

Lori:

I hope that Dr. F's office has gotten back to you.  Just as an aside, the Road Back Foundation got a call from Dr. F's staff yesterday, asking if we had any information on research supporting IV Clindy for Scleroderma.  I have several of our most in the know volunteers digging to see if there is anything.  The woman at Dr.' F's office said that they needed to try to justify the insurance payment for the IV Clindy.  Funny if that was Bud that they were working to get covered.  I recommended that they call Dr. S's staff because Dr. S does a week of IV CLindy for just about all of his patients.  I thought that would be a good place to find out how they successfully process those claims.

Don't think that I am being selfless in all of this, I believe that Dr. F will also be recommending periodic IV clindy for Jess, so maybe we can fiugre it out BEFORE our insurance declines the bill.

Hope Bud is feeling better soon.

Cheryl

P.S. Jess has been on Minocin and oral Flagyl at the same time, it was RXd by her prior AP doctor. 

[BudT]

Cheryl,

Thank you for responding to us!  I'm sure that Dr. F's office was calling in regards to our insurance.  Our insurance after covering the IV clindy for almost 2 years is now saying they won't unless Dr. F's office provides at least 2 papers supporting the treatment!  I believe this shows that the physican consultant our insurance is using is letting his own bias show through!  ANY INFO. THIS FOUNDATION CAN PROVIDE IS APPRECIATED!   Of course, I am already using the info. found on this site to help provide what our insurance wants.  It's important we get this resolved before the end of next week as Bud starts the next round of clindy in a week or so.  We always see improvement in Bud's condition with each course of treatment and I refuse to stop it now!!!  We will do what we have to do to pay for it ourself if need be but it makes me very angry that it should come to that.

Lori

P.S.  I believe you live in Rocklin?  We are in Yuba City. 

[BudT]

Maz,

Thank you for all your encouragement and support in providing the info. you have!  After 3 days of trying to figure it out, a CT scan finally showed Bud has a very severe kidney infection and is severely dehydrated.  While not good, this is better news then other things it could have been. 

Just to clarify, Bud is not down about the AP treatment.  It was just that he was feeling so good prior to getting this kidney infection, that now he is down about not feeling good.  I believe that what may have started this kidney infection and dehydration is that he has been very active working in our garage/workshop with several of his projects.  He probably thought he was drinking enough fluids but wasn't.  Also, even though we really do eat well (healthy foods), for some reason he got started on snacks of salty potato chips, corn chips these past few weeks.  I'm sure the salt and everything else in them did not help the problem.

He is starting to feel better tonight although all the laying around in the hospital is not helping the stiffness and joint pain associated with the scleroderma.  I'll be glad to get him back home and get him active again.

Thank you for all your concern!

Lori

[lynnie_sydney]

Lori
Organic cranberry juice (unsweetened) is really great for kidneys. My own (non- AP) doc recommended that when part of my initial herx caused a problem in my kidneys. It worked. I'm sure Bud is trying other things, but that is a good one to add to the mix. Best to you and to Bud. Lyn

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Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Kim]

Sending get well wishes to Bud and you too, Lori…..Kim

[Maz]

[user=77]BudT[/user] wrote:

Maz,

After 3 days of trying to figure it out, a CT scan finally showed Bud has a very severe kidney infection and is severely dehydrated. While not good, this is better news then other things it could have been.

Lori, this must have been a really rough time for you both not knowing what was going on. You must be so relieved to finally have some answers so that Bud can now get the treatment he needs to turn this corner. Gosh, really makes you wonder how docs ever diagnosed anything before all these high tech tests.

Sending all the very best for his full recovery and do hope the insurance company will see the sense in continuing his IV treatment.

It's such a blessing that you have one another to wade through this challenging time. Thanks so much for keeping us updated…we're all rooting for Bud!

Peace, Maz

[annie_diffuse_scleroderma]

I'm back.. sort of.  absent for a while.  the move from hawaii to cali was difficult, still unsettled.  in hawaii, i went broke and medicaid paid for all rounds of IV clinda, no problem.

[Cheryl F]

[user=109]annie_diffuse_scleroderma[/user] wrote:

I'm back.. sort of.  absent for a while.  the move from hawaii to cali was difficult, still unsettled.  in hawaii, i went broke and medicaid paid for all rounds of IV clinda, no problem.

Annie:

Welcome back!  WOW that is interesting to know that Medicaid paid for the IV Clindy, How'd you pull that one off?  I am glad they did, but it makes it even more incredible that those folks with supposedly premium insurance have to fight tooth and nail for the IV clindy to be covered.

Hope things smooth out and we see you around more often.

Cheryl

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