“Diarrhea and medication ”
I was diagnosed with covid last Tuesday I was given an antibiotic because I said I had an ear infection I had explained to him that 10 years ago I had cdiff and I was very worried an antibiotic he assured me it'd be OK and to take a probiotic which I did I took Florastor. Azithromycin 500 1 day and 250 for 4 days. I was only able to take 2 days worth 500 and 1 day of 250. The diarrhea began I freaked out of course stopped immediately. I have some soft stools still. Could tgis also be from the covid? What are my chances of having c diff again from 2 days of antibiotics
Female | 60 years old
Complaint duration: 5
Medications: None Tylenol and probiotic at the moment for covid
Conditions: Low platlett adhesion
4 Answers
The diarrhea was probably from the Azithromycin. Sure it could have been the associated CoVID infection but I doubt it. Azithromycin is not a common antibiotic that induces Cdiff infection so less likely.
hello: I feel your pain. I had influenza and fluid behind my ear in 2017 and had similar symptoms of diarrhea from azithro as well as severe 330AM dry heaves. I finished the darn 5 day course but vowed I would never take it again and would never take an antibiotic for "any ear issues" unless i had pain to go along with it. I was not symptomatic from my ear but obviously a lot of nose blowing with influenza, just like with your Covid infection. Sadly, you could get C diff from azithromycin and only 2 days of it; I would give it another 24-48 hrs unless: the diarrhea becomes worse, fever, nausea and unable to hold down food or liquids, vomiting and more than 3 loose stools in a day. And then you need a test....I doubt the diarrhea is from COVID (w/ azithro on board- it hangs out in the system for >60 hrs after the last dose,) so find Covid as cause a little less likely, although some pts get diarrhea with Covid. Are you on paxlovid for the COVID as that can give pts diarrhea too? BUT I would continue that. No antibiotics are Cdiff free, however, in my years of experience, I have not seen C difficile with doxycycline as an antibiotic to remember. Best!
Maira Jessica Medellin-Peña
Infectious Disease Specialist
If you have diarrhea after antibiotic treatment, I recommend finishing the antibiotics (suffer from diarrhea during this period, try taking food high in fiber to make stools less loose) and once you finish the antibiotic treatment start the high dose of probiotics at least for 2 weeks and continue with normal probiotic dose for at least 3 months. The ingestion of probiotics together with antibiotics is inefficient as probiotics are bacteria and the antibiotics will reduce the amount of live probiotic strains making them useless.
Thanks for the question. If the diarrhea is improving, it is not due to C. diff. Azithromycin itself can cause diarrhea. Covid-related diarrhea is unusual and also lasts longer.
