I was on cephalexin (500mg 4x/day for 10 days) from Sunday October 10 to Wed. Oct 20. Had great floridian yesterday (10/23).
Any chance that the antibiotics could have caused diarhhea on race day? (See my “I’m cursed” thread at the end…)
I have been taking probiotics regularly for about 14 months as well.
Just curious. Thanks for any help.
I was on cephalexin (500mg 4x/day for 10 days) from Sunday October 10 to Wed. Oct 20. Had great floridian yesterday (10/23).
Any chance that the antibiotics could have caused diarhhea on race day? (See my “I’m cursed” thread at the end…)
I have been taking probiotics regularly for about 14 months as well.
Just curious. Thanks for any help.
“Chance” - absolutely
helpful 
How much of a chance?
i would say a slight chance. to have it 3 days after the end of the course isn’t normal. most of my patients will complain anywhere from the 3rd or 4th day thru day 10. i would say you would have had a higher percentage if you were on clindamycin.
I must have eaten something. Should have done Denny’s pancakes.
funny you mention that. I’m a pancakes-or-french-toast girl the night before a race if I have a choice. Usually french toast, french toast beats pancakes hands down.
Chance? Yes, but Cephalexin is a pretty narrow spectrum antibiotic, compared to Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Cefdinir, and others, so it’s more likely it was your nutrition strategy.
Maybe if your screen name didn’t sound like “MJ Poo” you would have better luck diarrhea-wise?
Chance? Yes, but Cephalexin is a pretty narrow spectrum antibiotic, compared to Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Cefdinir, and others, so it’s more likely it was your nutrition strategy.
keflex has comparable coverage compared with amox or augmentin. keflex is prescribed when people have allergies to pcn (non-anaphylatic type). Diarrhea is possible with any drugs you take. however, antibacterial will kill the natural flora in your instestine. This could cause diarrhea as well as the chemical of the drug. Some people will supplement the natural flora by eating yogurt with acidophyllus.
helpful
How much of a chance?
As was mentioned, Keflex hits mostly gram positive, relatively narrow spectrum abx and less commonly causes GI distress than others (Clindamycin is famous as was mentioned). And, the OP mentioned he takes “probiotics” as well for whatever reason, furthr making his nutritional strategy far more likely for an IM distance participant. However, his GI flora was certainly “cleaner” just before undertaking 140.6 and my guess his diet a bit off as well from usual. A fun series of events for sure!
Chance? Yes, but Cephalexin is a pretty narrow spectrum antibiotic, compared to Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Cefdinir, and others, so it’s more likely it was your nutrition strategy.
keflex has comparable coverage compared with amox or augmentin. keflex is prescribed when people have allergies to pcn (non-anaphylatic type). Diarrhea is possible with any drugs you take. however, antibacterial will kill the natural flora in your instestine. This could cause diarrhea as well as the chemical of the drug. Some people will supplement the natural flora by eating yogurt with acidophyllus.
UH? NO!
Keflex covers some gram positive bacteria. It is not acceptable for most respiratory infections except streptococcal sore throats. It doesn’t even cover pneumococcal infections, and it covers almost no gram negatives. Augmentin and Amoxicillin cover a wide range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria.
I didn’t say it wouldn’t cause diarrhea, but narrow spectrum antibiotics generally don’t kill enough of the beneficial bacteria to cause antibiotic induced diarrhea. AND, if he only got diarrhea during and or shortly after the race, the antibiotic is unlikely to be to blame.
In recent studies of probiotic use for preventing antibiotic induced diarrhea, there was little or no effect. It will be interesting to see what follow up studies show.
Chance? Yes, but Cephalexin is a pretty narrow spectrum antibiotic, compared to Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Cefdinir, and others, so it’s more likely it was your nutrition strategy.
keflex has comparable coverage compared with amox or augmentin. keflex is prescribed when people have allergies to pcn (non-anaphylatic type). Diarrhea is possible with any drugs you take. however, antibacterial will kill the natural flora in your instestine. This could cause diarrhea as well as the chemical of the drug. Some people will supplement the natural flora by eating yogurt with acidophyllus.
UH? NO!
Keflex covers some gram positive bacteria. It is not acceptable for most respiratory infections except streptococcal sore throats. It doesn’t even cover pneumococcal infections, and it covers almost no gram negatives. Augmentin and Amoxicillin cover a wide range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria.
I didn’t say it wouldn’t cause diarrhea, but narrow spectrum antibiotics generally don’t kill enough of the beneficial bacteria to cause antibiotic induced diarrhea. AND, if he only got diarrhea during and or shortly after the race, the antibiotic is unlikely to be to blame.
In recent studies of probiotic use for preventing antibiotic induced diarrhea, there was little or no effect. It will be interesting to see what follow up studies show.
I guess my MD better stop giving me keflex when I come to him with coughing and a high fever.
pneumococcal infection please define…CAP? in which case Levaquin or cipro better.
Ah, the “Keflex Reflex”
Why you are getting multiple BACTERIAL infections is a questions I’d be asking (assuming not viral, but …). Also, better study the seemingly increasingly common (at least on this site, rare otherwise in the general population) fluoroquinolone (Levaquin, Cipro, etc.) side effects with tendinopathies. Are you on immunosuppressive therapy for something?
I would guess that most of these are viruses. The Keflex is of little value in such cases, even if they are bacterial. Keflex doesn’t get into lungs, sinuses or middle ears very well, anyway. It is most useful for strep throats and skin and soft tissue infections. Unfortunately, due to the rise of MRSA, which is mostly due to the overuse of antibiotics, it is of little use in those skin infections in the last 809 years.
Upper respiratory infections start slowly and peak around 72 hours (48-~100) at which time there is often higher fever and yellow or green mucus. The symptoms usually begin to abate after that. That color is caused by white blood cells producing and enzyme that causes those colors. Fever is a beneficial component of the immune response and doesn’t mean one has a bacterial infection.
I don’t understand 80% of what’s in this thread. don’t know who referenced my nutrition ‘strategy’ being off. Whatever happened to me happened before the race started. Very likely, it was Friday evening or Friday afternoon.
Ate normally on Friday, eating nothing I’ve not eaten 50 times before. Friday night, ate at an Italian restaurant and had linguini and marinara with a chicken breast. Went to bed about 9:30 or so. Someone I ate with had the same thing, and they had no issues that I know of.
Saturday AM, felt great. Drank 1000 calories of Boost and water. Had two BMs. First was not abnormal. A little soft, but that’s what they’ve been for the last 1.5 weeks or so (antibiotics, I’d guess). Second one at 6AM was all liquid. I thought that was nerves.
Zero stomach issues from 6AM to Mile 30 of the bike. Bike nutrition was nothing new. First two hours, took in about 700 calories of EFS Lemon Lime. Mile 35, stomach began feeling off. Mile 38, hit the toilet again for another watery BM (straight watery). Mile 65, another episode, then another one at 75. Came into special needs 2 at M78, and knew that any nutrition I was taking in was going straight out. Ended up going three more times throughout the day, again BMs of straight water.
But the odd thing is that about 90 minutes after the race, I ate a burger, 4 slices of pizza and 2 bags of chips.
So, I’m trying to do a process of elimination. Was it the antibiotics? Was it the nutrition on the bike? Was it food I ate Friday night? Just trying to figure out what caused me to flush ~$600 down the toilet.
IF it were the antibiotics you would likely have continued to have diarrhea, but not absolutely. It’s possible that it had enough effect that you didn’t tolerate the Boost, but that is a lot of Boost. Doesn’t Boost have 240 Cal per ounce? If so, that would mean you drank a liter of it, plus the water. If you have a bit of lactose intolerance that might have added to that. The fact that it only returned several hours later and well into the bike, and resolved after the race makes it more likely that it was all a nutrition issue. But, who knows it might have been all of the above.
Do you normally have that much Boost before a race? I mix up my carbohydrate sources and spread them over a few hours to prevent such issues.
BTW, there is ONE probiotic that has been shown to reduce the incidence of antibiotic induced diarrhea. It’s a fungal probiotic called FlorAstor. (BTW, blue cheeses are also fungal probiotics, but I haven’t seen any studies on them for this purpose.)
I thought that it might be the Boost, maybe it was ‘sour’, although it tasted fine. I had my first ‘episode’ about 30 minutes or so after I drank my last Boost. I’m fairly comfortable thinking that wasn’t it, but I could be wrong.
In races’ past, I’ve had two or three Boosts, and it’s been a pretty normal/regular part of pre-race or pre-workout routine.
Also, I’m not a doctor and didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express (ironic, b/c I actually DID!), but it’s never taken a Boost to leave my system in 45 minutes; I thought it took longer than that.
Boost is pretty hypertonic and then all the water. It has to go somewhere. I don’t know about you, but i get a little loose the morning of a race, just due to nerves.
I eat a Force Primevil bar (Trader Joes, but Costco has something similar), followed by a Powerbar (C2), some Gatorade endurance over about 1.5 hours starting at about 3am. I have some Preformance (Cytosport) about an hour before and some pedialyte right before I get in the water. That’s close to 1000 Cal but it’s over 3.5 hours, and it’s varied. (I also use Infinit and have zero GI issues with it.)
I eat a Force Primevil bar (Trader Joes, but Costco has something similar)
What’s the name of the bar at Costco? Do you know? No Trader Joe’s in Tampa, but do have Costco.
They are “maple walnut apple bars” they are a whole wheat roll in a cylindrical shape. I don’t know what Costco calls them but a roadie I know gets his there.