posted
I have had a fever 99.8 to 100.0 for the past three days. I know that's not very high but i have been having bowel problems and I have a central line so I don't want to ignore something that could be potentially very dangerous. I told my lyme md about the fever and bowel problems and he said it could be to many things to comment and if it persisted to go to the ER to have a cbc drawn but that it could also be a drug fever? I don�t even think they would consider that a fever in the ER! I have just started a new IV antibiotic could that be what is causing this? I am also really nauseous have neck and head pain and well pretty much everything else sucks too!
Posts: 253 | From CA | Registered: Jun 2011
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posted
What kind of bowel problems are you having? Diarrhea or intestinal pain? Is it possible that you could have a c. diff infection?
Posts: 227 | From Northeast | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
I am having IBS type of pain and nausea. I had diarrhea and now think i am constipated. I am on vanco and taking pro biotics and sacchromyces also so i don't think it's c diff. I really don't know. I guess maybe I am just herxing really bad. This all new to me. I don't understand why my doctor would't have told me that this is just to be expected though?
Posts: 253 | From CA | Registered: Jun 2011
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posted
You might want to google "VRE" and see if it applies to you. It stands for "Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus". My grown son contracted it while on Vanco. He was on it for a bone infection, due to surgery from an automobile accident a few years back.
-------------------- Corinne Posts: 529 | From Raleigh, NC | Registered: Jun 2006
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philly78
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31069
posted
Sounds like it could be a herx but I don't really know. Vanco is a pretty darn potent abx! I don't know much about its use in the tx of lyme and cos though. Is this your first abx? Just curious.
Did you try doing anything to detox? Maybe that would help?
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
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karenl
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posted
The blooddraw with the CBC could not harm you. I would have that done and then sign out if everything is ok.
Posts: 1834 | From US | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
Thank you for the responses. Well the VRE thing is really scary. This is not my first abx rocephin was the first IV I was on but my liver enzymes went up into the 800s! The detox has been an issue for me I am trying things but am at the point that I don't know whats working and whats making me worse. I started activated charcoal and bent clay at that time I was having diarrhea and then i think that might be why I got constipated. I don't know! The IBS sympt alternating between the two was one of the symptoms i had that lead me to seek a real dx. Along with about a hundred other things.
Posts: 253 | From CA | Registered: Jun 2011
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posted
Fever and bowel issues...but he was having alot of other issues at the time, so hard to say what was causing what. They treated the VRE with 2 other antibiotics and it did clear up fairly quickly.
-------------------- Corinne Posts: 529 | From Raleigh, NC | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
just to be safe, I would ask to be tested for it, since you are on Vanco. The test for it is not that "wonderful". They have to swab your rectum (sorry so graphic, but that is how it is done, from what I understand)
-------------------- Corinne Posts: 529 | From Raleigh, NC | Registered: Jun 2006
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sammy
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Member # 13952
posted
Since you recently started vancomycin I wonder if you might be experiencing Red Man Syndrome? It is a hypersensitivity reaction caused by histamine release.
Your symptoms that fit with this are the low grade fevers, headaches, neck aches, nausea, and general malaise. You could try taking some benadryl (adult dose 50mg) before your next infusion to see if that might help. Also, make sure you infuse your antibiotic over at least 60min. That will help prevent the reaction too.
Maybe the GI symptoms are from switching antibiotics? Some meds clearly help my GI symptoms and when I try to stop or switch to other meds then I struggle with abd pain, abd distension, constipation, gastroparesis, nausea...
If you are now experiencing constipation you could try taking some magnesium and or miralax. Both are very safe. Miralax will not inhibit the absorption of any meds so you can take it at any time of the day. Magnesium should be taken a couple hours away from any other meds or supplements.
All that said, if your gut instinct is that you are really sick and need medical help immediately then you should consider going to the ER.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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scorpiogirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Hi,
I always have stomach upset (pain, bloating, diarrhea) and extreme nausea whenever I start a new antibiotic. Since starting Zithro IV I started having a fever as well. Not high though... just hovering around 99.4-99.8 enough to be annoying! I also have a lot of pain and a full body rash that comes and goes w/out any rhyme or reason. I think mine is a herx... but I can't be sure.
As far as the Redman's syndrome I got that after my Hickman placement. They gave me Vancomycin and w/in 30 minutes my torso, neck, face and scalp was covered in hives. I couldn't mover my lips (they were frozen). I also had a slight fever. So they gave me Benadryl and I was fine after that. Perhaps you could try that first? I was told that you can get that reaction if you drip the IV too fast. So now I always double the amount of time recommended.
-------------------- Posts: 1391 | From Lyme Land | Registered: May 2011
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You guys are great! I just took a clay bath to see if that will help. I did experience redman syndrome with the first infusion and it was really bad! I did also take some benadryl earlier and that seemed to help a little. I also have some miralax that I will do tomorrow if I don't have diarrhea by then. I will also be speaking to my md about VRE. I will go and have a cbc drawn if nothing is better tomorrow. I think as of now I am ok but we all know how fast things can change.
Posts: 253 | From CA | Registered: Jun 2011
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Dogsandcats
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
How are you doing?
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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