Wife has C Diff

Posted by mikeackerson67 @mikeackerson67, Aug 22 9:13am

She tested positive for 027/NAP1/B1 on August 3rd. Went on vanco for ten days. There was a slight improvement, but not much. Got a negative result on August 13th, but she was still anxious and wanted more answers since she was still feeling meh, so she went back to ER and they put her on Dificid. Within 2 days she started feeling better and had four straight days of feeling almost normal. Then her stomach started gurgling and she has had small diarrhea episodes about 3 times a day. It looks brown colored and sometimes there are semi solids floating in the toilet bowl, but not yellow. She even had some little rabbit sized pellets as well. She has tried some anti-diarrhea meds to help alleviate, as her doc said it might help. She basically eats wheat toast, saltines, apple sauce, eggs occasionally and mashed potatoes. Drinks gatorade and water.
My questions are:
1. Is she eating the correct things and what else should she try that you might have had success with? I see the lists of food, soluble fiber and so on, but what has worked the best for you? Her last ER visit she asked when she could start eating normal again and the Doc said she could now, basically. During those four days I know she ate some cookies, she had a sausage muffin egg and also a hamburger patty and some corn. Was that too soon and could it have started her issues again? I've talked to her about trying different foods, but of course when I mention that it is usually when her stomach is upset and food is the last thing she is thinking about. Should she try to eat more even if her stomach is bothering her? What can make her poop more solid?
2. Should she drink more fluids and how much have you consumed to help? Its around 60 oz a day.
3. Is it normal for her to go back and forth, feel better and then not feel better? I've seen online, which is so difficult to navigate because of varying opinions and information (although a majority of it says the same thing), that even if you tested negative, which she did, you can have issues for days, weeks and even months. I'm sure she has seen "years" herself and that is an extremely horrible outcome to witness or read about.
4. Does sleeping upright or at an incline and not flat on the back help?
I don't think she would ever join a message board like this, so I am joining to try and help her get some information because it always seems like she doesn't get enough. I know how crappy (pun not intended) this disease is by seeing peoples journeys online and watching her struggles.
I try to tell her to keep positive and have a fighters mentality, to do whatever she can to help her feel better and try and do some different things.
If I can get some answers to my questions, that would be great and if I can get any other suggestions to help her that would be great. ANYTHING different for her to try to help. Please.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

I should also mention that she is taking 5billion probiotics as well.

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Dang, I forgot to mention that she has also drank 2% milk during her "okay to eat normal" phase. Was that a bad idea?

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One more thing to add. I read her test wrong. She is positive for toxin producing c diff and presumptive negative for 027.

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All GREAT questions. Ive had C-Diff as a result of antibiotic treatment for a different intestinal bacteria called Yersinia. The treatment with Bactrim wiped out my normal gut flora and an opportunistic C-Diff took up residence. Once diagnosed and treated i was ok - until another intestinal malady called collagenous colitis moved in. Im on my second relapse of that as we speak.

You didn't mention a Gastroenterologist. Is your wife under the care of one?

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She had a referral for one. Hasn’t seen them yet

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I’m going on 8 years of suffering from Cdiff that probably could have been prevented if I would have been told to take a probiotic when taking an antibiotic. I ended up finally having a fecal transplant which helped but the Cdiff ate my guts out. I have severe pain 24/7 from the Cdiff, Mayo won’t see me until I go 3 months with no pain medication, I can’t even go a day because the pain is so severe. I’ve had every test possible done several times to see if anything new that can explain the severe pain I am having but nothing shows. I know I did not have this pain before I got the Cdiff.

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@mikeackerson67

She had a referral for one. Hasn’t seen them yet

Jump to this post

I Strongly suggest you get into see that person.

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I completed 10 days of vancomycin for C.Diff about 5 weeks ago. Stools were still loose for quite after I finished the antibiotic. It seemed like everything I ate went right through me, so I lost the desire to eat. I read that some folks can develop temporary IBS-type symptoms after C Diff, so I started to follow the Low FODMAP diet to specifically avoid trigger foods until things calm down. A doctor recommended a very powerful (and expensive) probiotic called ProBioMed 250 (250 billion). Once I avoided known triggers and took that probiotic things really turned around for me. I have found that my family practice/surgeon/nutritionists have not been helpful - they contradict each other. I finally found a great Gastroenterologist a couple days ago and recommended the following to me: Florastor Probiotic 2x per day and Visbiome Probiotic 1x per day, both taken with meals, for the next 6 months. He also highly favors FMT (Fecal Microbiota(?) Transplant for recurrences. He says he has 92% cure rate.

Also, since you are living with someone with C Diff, I highly suggest you look into probiotics for yourself, use a separate bathroom and use a bleach solution to clean surfaces, etc (while she is contagious).
Visit the website cdiff.org. Check out the map of the states to locate C Diff expert Gastro docs in your state.
Best of luck to your wife during this most challenging time.

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