Enteroccus, Group Strep B and E Coli.... - Women's Health Message Board

Mum2 · 07-03-2004, 09:31 PM

Hi there can anyone help.
I gave birth 7 months ago with having group strep B, doctors didn't do anything as they said it wasn't a problem for me only my bubba. However in the past 2 months I have been diagnosed (from swabs) with enteroccus (cleared up after 1 week antibiotics), 2 weeks later more cramps, swab came back with high colonization of group strep b, after 2 weeks on more antibiotics it cleared up. BUT only 1 week of being off the antibiotics ANOTHER swab (it's been fun!) has come back with e coli.......!!!!!!
Soooooooooo my questions are:
why would e coli come up from a swab, i thoiught it was a gut thing?
why am i continuaaly having these infections, i live in a very humid country and am thinking that combined with the amount of antibiotics my body is more susceptable.
finally other than yoghurt can i be doing something else - i hate taking antibiotics and have now been on 4 courses in the past 2 months.
any info would b gratefully appreciated, it will b good to feel unbloated andwithout cramps.
Mum2 xx

Sarara · 07-13-2004, 07:48 AM

Hello! I know I am replying very late to your post, but maybe you'll see it anyway.

I work in an environmental testing laboratory, and two of the bacteria we test water samples for are enterococci and E. coli. You're right, they are "gut" bacteria, i.e. they are found naturally in the digestive system of warm-blooded animals (including humans) and are passed out along with waste.

The point is, somehow bacteria from your "back" are getting to your "front", if you know what I mean. My advice would be make sure that when you go to the bathroom you wipe front first, then back so that you are not carrying bacteria to your vagina that way. Also, if you wear thongs, then stop! Thongs and especially g-strings provide a perfect pathway for bacteria to travel from your anus to your vagina.

If you already follow that advice, then you need to sit down with your doctor and try to figure out how the bacteria are getting there. If you can take preventative measures, then you can stop the infections from happening.

The only other thing I can think of is that maybe the nurse/technician who is taking your swab tests is swabbing over too large of an area and picking up bacteria that aren't actually IN your vagina? It COULD concievably be a possibility......

I hope you can get this figured out!

-Sara