Can infection still cause normal stool?

[jalapeno1234]

Every morning since May 5th, the day I made the biggest mistake ive made in ages to take some Flucloaxillin (UGH) I have woken up in an anxious state due to what it did to me, I took three doses then figured my body REPELLED it completely. Straight after I took it my digestion went beyond haywire. No matter what I ate it was d* and acidic foods have had to be eradicated from my diet which is painful as I was used to a very healthy diet of chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, garlic, onion..you name it. I believe I got an infection but the doctors said i couldnt get c-diff from three doses of the stuff but the d* which I get smells very unusual although in the past when I got the odd bout, I guess I never smelled it as I didnt take notice. However, what I HAVE noticed is that since Ive followed a low fibre diet (mainly breads and pastas) I am recovering and having seemingly "normal stools" but when I have normal, solid and normal-speed ones, i feel the urge to go again ..if I was infected and eating these starchy foods, would they hide it? Im only wondering cos last weekend I had a weird one where it was like sand then very loose then the next day it was constipation. Im 99% sure that I have IBS but this flare up has lasted the longest its ever lasted

[Katerina1]

Hello Jalapeno, I can't really say what is causing your problems, but just to comment, I took only three doses of fluoxacillin last year and after only one day had awful diarrhea, nausea and weakness. GP told me to stop taking it. Like yourself, I ate low fibre food but it took several weeks to settle down. (My IBS continues though). I Shouldn't think a low fibre diet would hide cdifficile but maybe get some more tests if your gut issues continue. I've often had similar problems with antibiotics but GP will try a different one when that happens. My best one seems to be amoxicillin. Many with IBS find a low fibre diet helps. Hope things settle down for you.

[jalapeno1234 in reply to Katerina1]

This was helpful and reassuring, thanks Katerina - youre the only other person who took so little and got so ill within a short space of time, i do have IBS for sure as I have had flares since last year when lots of things snowballed, generally I know what to avoid but this has been dragging on so consistently yet weirdly on and off... I'll go to the docs on thurs for my h.pylori test but doubt this is the issue ... how long did it take for your symptoms to calm down?

[Katerina1 in reply to jalapeno1234]

Hello Jalapeno1234, time taken for my symptoms to calm down varies, it can be from being OK next day or go on for weeks. Usually my reaction to antibiotics will calm down within a few days of stopping them. My worst one was doxycycline which I will never take again. Once an IBS attack starts I often take buscopan, Imodium and sometimes prochlorperazine (for nausea) with the aim of interrupting or shortening the IBS. It helps a lot so I can get on with my life, although nothing seems to prevent the flare ups however careful I am. You mention yours is on and off which can be typical of IBS. Hopefully you are getting all the tests to exclude all the other possibilities. Good luck with your Hpylori test. Katerina1