Questions & Answers

Antibiotic Use Q&A: pregnant, bladder infection and antibiotics; antibiotics and helpful bacteria; bacteremia and treated with antibiotics; antibiotics and alcohol.

Please provide information on advanced treatment and/or experts on the treatment of clostridium difficile. I have been on Flagyl, and now Vancomycin twice. It has not been a relapse at anytime.

Thank you for your question regarding herpes zoster, also known as shingles. Herpes zoster is a painful skin condition common among people over age 50.

Rosacea is a skin disease that affects the face. It usually begins with redness in the areas of the face and nose that normally blush. It is often mistaken for sunburn or acne.

Answer: Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Pseudomonas pseudomallei. The disease has several forms depending on the location of the infection, each varying in severity. Melioidosis is most frequently reported in Southeast Asia. The bacterium that causes the disease is found in the soil, rice paddies, and stagnant waters of the area.

I have been having a hard time getting rid of a case of Giardia. I have read about a new treatment for this and would like some input on it. The treatment is a peptide antibiotic, Bacitracin, stabilized with zinc.

A relative has been diagnosed with “common variable immune deficiency”, after losing 100 pounds with chronic diarrhea and after countless tests. What is it; how is it treated; who/where are the experts? Common variable immunodeficiency is one of several genetically based immune deficiency syndromes (as opposed to an acquired immunodeficiency such as AIDS). The syndrome is characterized by low gamma globulins, recurrent bacterial infections, and increased incidence of malignancy.

I have a 8 month old daughter who since the age of 4 months has had reoccurring ear infection in the right ear only, she never has any fever, or cold symptoms. Her pediatrician has treated them with amoxicillin and sulfa drugs as a preventative, but 2-3 days later she has another infection. The ENT wants to put bilateral ear tubes in. Is she too young? and are there any other options open that you could point in the direction of.

My daughter is expecting her second child (13 weeks pregnant). Her doctor has diagnosed her with “beta hemolytic strep”. She has been through several courses of antibiotics, and the infection persists. What are the dangers to the infant? How likely are those outcomes? What is the danger to my daughter?

It is possible to prevent strep throat. In people who have had complications of strep infection, such as rheumatic fever or recurrent cellulitis (strep infection of the lower extremities), daily preventative (prophylactic) doses of penicillin can be taken indefinitely.