Reconsider before you take oral diflucan for an antibiotic associated yeast infection.

Ever wonder why antibiotics have been around for almost a century but the incidence of c. difficile infection---the really nasty enterocolitis that some people get after taking antibiotics--has been rising for the last one to two decades? What happened in the 1990's to change antibiotics? Yes, we got stronger ones--but that was because our normal bacteria got stronger (i.e. more resistant). Something else happened. Drug manufacturers introduced a pill that could treat vaginal yeast infections, eliminating the need for messy vaginal creams.

Here's a few links that have me wondering if that innocent little pill may be killing some good yeast in our GI tract while it kills the "bad" vaginal yeast. From Taiwan, 2006, prior use of an antifungal agent was the only factor associated with an increased incidence of c. difficile after antibiotic use. Does this mean that people who get yeast or other fungal infections after antibiotics have a weaker immune system that makes them more prone to c. difficile? Or, could it mean that the anti-fungal killed some things it shouldn't have killed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16783456

In case you are wondering if a yeast could help us fight c.difficile, yes, it can. Here is a link about a probiotic yeast that does just that.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC174670/

The rise in c.difficile may also be related to another new wonder drug, the proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec which have all but eliminated the need for surgery to repair bleeding ulcers. These are powerful medications in the fight against ulcer disease---but they may be too strong for some of the folks who take them to control plain old acid reflux. Loss of stomach acid may allow bacteria and spores to survive in the stomach and then to move on to the intestine.

Here is a general link about c. difficile. After reviewing it, I am inclined to suggest that anyone who has to take antibiotics take the mildest, most specific antibiotic, add a probiotic, stop using a proton pump inhibitor (try H2 receptor blockers like Zantac instead, its also otc) if possible (i.e. you are not using it to control life threatening ulcer disease) and do not ask for that diflucan tablet to use afterwards to get rid of the yeast infection.

http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/36/4/121/4