Re: Antibiotics in PSC patients

[Guest guest]

>

> Thanks for that info.  My Dad had a very serious sinus infection and was told

antibiotics

can worsen his psc condition and cause liver damage so he did not take it. 

Thankfully his

body killed the infection after about 1 month or so. 

=====================

Lori -- Let me " second " what has already said: Yes, PSC patients often

take

antibiotics, some of us even take them on a constant basis. gave rifampin

as an

example. Another example is Xifaxan (for hepatic encephalopathy). I've been

taking it

daily for the last two years and it has been a miracle drug for us.

My drs. have all emphasized to us that ANY infection can be dangerous in a PSC

patient

and therefore, many (perhaps most?) of us keep antibiotics on hand at all times

so that we

can get started immediately in case of a bout of cholangitis, or whatever. Most

of us don't

have strong enough immune systems to battle simple infections and so the risk is

that we

can go septic more quickly than the average patient. (One of my drs. doesn't

even want

my cats to get on my lap anymore because of the risk of a scratch getting

infected. I

haven't told the cats yet that they are persona non grata! They think they can

still walk all

over me!!)

I don't recall how advanced your Dad's PSC is, but personally I would be far

more

concerned about the risk of an infection than the wear and tear on the liver.

Perhaps,

though, your Dad has some other condition that would make antibiotics more of a

problem for him. As you said, though .... thankfully the sinus infection ran

its course and

is now healed.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC