See doctor about diarrhea after taking antibiotic clindamycin

Q. Your column contained a question regarding diarrhea from the antibiotic clindamycin. You advised the writer to see a gastroenterologist.

My family suggests that, in addition, he needs to see an infectious-disease doctor to get the proper antibiotics in the dosage needed to control C. diff.

We buried our beloved mother June 24. She contracted severe C. diff as a result of a short round of clindamycin. The infection ravaged her body, and she died as a consequence. She was 79. Before the infection, she had been taking only a multivitamin.

A. We are so sorry for your loss. C. diff (Clostridium difficile) can cause a dangerous gastrointestinal infection that can be very hard to treat. It is sometimes acquired in the course of a hospital stay.

A black-box warning in the prescribing information alerts physicians that clindamycin, like certain other antibiotics, may disrupt the natural balance of bacteria in the gut and allow C. diff to take over and cause potentially fatal diarrhea. The toxins the bacteria produce can make people very sick. That is why we suggest immediate evaluation of diarrhea following clindamycin treatment.

Q. Could you please tell me if there are reputable Canadian drug companies? Our medical bills are destroying us financially!

A. You are not alone. A lot of people are feeling the pinch of a bad economy. Many older people are about to fall into the dreaded Medicare doughnut hole, in which they must pay 100 percent of drug bills out of their own pockets until expenditures exceed $4,350.

For someone on a limited budget, going from a $10 copay to $120 for a prescription is shocking. We are sending you our Guide to Saving Money on Medicine with a list of reliable Canadian drugstores that accept prescriptions from the U.S. We also discuss how to use generic drugs safely. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. CA-99, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Not all pharmacies that advertise online as Canadian can be trusted. Some are not even in Canada. Legitimate Canadian drugstores are registered with their province and can offer substantial savings.

Q. I was recently placed on Advair for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Within two weeks, my voice was hardly understandable. I sounded like I was croaking.

Thank you for alerting me to this side effect. I stopped taking the Advair 10 days ago after my doctor changed my medication, and my voice is gradually returning to normal.

A. The steroid fluticasone found in Advair and Flovent can cause hoarseness, throat irritation and cough. These complications appear more common than many health professionals realize (Journal of Laryngology and Otology, October 2008). Other inhaled steroids include AeroBid, Asmanex, Azmacort, Pulmicort, QVAR and Symbicort.

Q. I had excellent seizure control with Keppra. When I was switched to levetiracetam, the generic, I had five seizures in four days. I want to tell the Food and Drug Administration: never again!

A. You are not the only person who has experienced seizures on this generic anticonvulsant. Please report your experience at www.peoplespharmacy.com so we can send it to the FDA.

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Favorite Home Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy.”

2009 King Features Syndicate Inc.