Antibiotics Cipro and Vancomycin...?

Question

...mom is getting both at different times of the day (I.V.). She is nauseous and tired a lot...are these side effects?

Answer 1

Your question is not well posed. Your mother is ill enough that doctors have decided that she would benefit from intravenous antibiotics. I can only make guesses as to what sort of infectious source she has, and I can only theorize as to what underlying medical problems she might have, but regardless of my guesswork, she causes doctors enough concern that they would choose to treat her with at least the antibiotic regimen that you describe, and perhaps other treatments for other aspects of her overall care plan.

Infection with bacteria causes systemic changes. Both by way of the chemical effect of the bacteria themselves (for education, google terms such as "endotoxin" or "lipopolysaccharide A") and by way of the body's chemical response to the bacterial presence (search for terms such as "septic shock", "cytokines", "tumor necrosis factor alpha", and "interleukins") there are derrangements to the normal human physiology that contribute to nonspecific problems such as fever, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, exhaustion, etc.

Additionally, when there have been significant stressors to human physiology such as illness, surgery, or injury, there are hormonal status changes that cause global shifts in the biochemical behavior of the body and its systems.

Although medication side effects do occur, it can sometimes be difficult to separate out that which is due to the medication and that which is due to the underlying disease process being treated.

My suggestion to you is that you have this conversation with your mother's doctor. Ask about what her diagnosis (or diagnoses) is/are. Ask specifically why these antibiotics have been chosen what they are being used to treat.

Doctors are supposed to be ready to explain their thinking and why they recommend the treatment plan that they do. They should be able to do this one or as many times as needed in order to put all questions at ease. However, the only way for a doctor to know that someone involved with the patient's care has unanswered questions is if they are ASKED!

Answer 2

Hi Alan,

Sorry to hear that your mum is not well. The list of side-effects to antiobiotics are extremely long - and scary. However, right at the top of the list for any antibiotic comes nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea (although both can be used to treat certain types of diarrhoea).

I am sure it is also possible to attribute the tiredness to the antibiotic but I would say that if she is receiving both of these antibiotics intravenously then she is probably not currently experiencing the best of health anyway and any illness can cause both nausea and tiredness.

So, the answer is... maybe. Unfortunately, no-one is going to be able to give you a better answer without taking a full history and doing a thorough examination of your mum. I suggest you ask her medical team.

All the best to her and to you.

Supe

Answer 3

Can very well be. These are very strong antibiotics and receiving these hints of a weakened condition to begin with. I am so sorry she is so ill. They can give her something for the nausea in the IV, like Zofran. The fatigue will persist, but the best thing for her to do right now is to sleep. That will help her heal.

Telling her you love her and you're doing ok is the best medicine of all.

Answer 4

Two clues here about your mother I'm afraid. Intravenous antibiotics and Vancomycin.

Vancomycin is a secondly line antibiotic, used when treating bacterial infections that are resistant to more common antibiotics.

This means that she is really quite ill. Also IV anitibiotics tend to have stronger side effects.

Answer 5

Some antibiotics can defiantly cause nausea and, depending on her affliction anemia my be a direct result. Ask your Dr. to switch her meds and test for the later mentioned.

Answer 6

other then diarrhea, loose stool not to my knowledge