New to C Diff: Will This Be the New Normal for Life??

Maybe you need another stool culture to see if you still have an infection.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I had C Diff infection in July 2024. Your experience sounds similar to mine. It’s been very difficult, I lost almost 40 lbs, etc., but things are almost back to normal for me now although I suffer C Diff anxiety now. I have started to travel again (with a prescription of Dificid in case “it” comes back).

Here’s what helped me:

1. Probiotics. ProBioMed 250, replaced with Visbiome and Florastor (over the counter).

2. Low FODMAP Diet (Google it) for temporary IBS caused by C Diff Toxins and antibiotics (including Vancomycin) that destroyed the lining of my gut and eradicated my healthy microbiome. This diet, which I followed for a couple of months, was a tremendous help. After a couple of months I SLOWLY reintroduced foods one at a time. Now I eat a normal diet.

3. Keep a daily food journal and keep track of any reactions/gastro issues you have with any foods.

4. Avoid anything that harms your microbiome (foods contaminated with glyphosate, alcohol, PPI’s, bowel cleanses, any food that causes diarrhea, broad-spectrum antibiotics, etc).

5. Eat fermented foods (Siggi’s yogurt, real sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.). NOTE: I was not able to tolerate these foods for a couple of months, then introduced them slowly.

6. Check out CDiff.org, ProgenaBiome.com, Dr. Sabine Hazan and others on YouTube.

7. Avoid hospitals, nursing homes (C Diff spores are all over those places) and anyone who has an active C Diff infection. Avoid family and friends who have diarrhea until resolved.

8. Wash your hands with soap and water constantly (regular hand sanitizer does nothing for c diff). Clean surfaces that could be contaminated with C Diff with bleach and water.

9. Get a good gastroenterologist. If you can’t find one locally, there are docs who do telemed nowadays.

Sorry such a long comment…I have so much info to share.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. ❤️

@cas924
Oh thank you so very much! All of your info is appreciated. I cannot imagine this issue going on for months to years on end. All my life, I never had to think twice about what I ate. Now life is completely changed. I miss eating well so much, and amazing foods are glaring at me everywhere - from TV, the radio, online, recipes, conversations, advertisements, much less cruising the grocery stores; and I'm walking out with oatmeal and white rice. Per your advice, I found the FODMAP diet and signed up for the ProgenaBiome newsletter. The C.Diff site I found earlier this week, which too, was a godsend. I will research IBS and consider that too. There is comfort in finding a community here, so thank you again. All the very best in your continued health and living well. 💕

I completely understand how you are feeling regarding the food situation. I tried to eat my favorite foods, but it always ended in disaster within minutes after eating. My gut was just too inflamed and damaged to handle much in the beginning. At one point all I could eat was saltines and homemade chicken broth with rice. I was starving and malnourished. I lost a lot of weight in a short period of time and my hair started falling out. So frustrating because I love to eat. However, I just got so tired of the diarrhea/loose stools that I was willing to try the probiotics and Low FODMAP diet. They helped sooo much. I was able to eat and the mild foods allowed my gut to heal. I was initially frustrated with the diet because my most favorite things (garlic, onions, etc.) were forbidden and appear in almost every single food item in the grocery store and restaurants. I mean even in canned chicken breast, some tuna, even in places you’d least expect. I’ll save you some frustration and tell you that there are Low FODMAP friendly foods you can buy on Amazon and some grocery stores (spaghetti sauce, salsa, ketchup, etc. you can even buy garlic infused olive oil that smell and taste like garlic, but nothing to cause issues.) Get familiar with the FODMAP friendly symbol that appears on the “good food” products. Remember this should only be temporary until things calm down. You’ll get back to eating your favorite things soon.

I also signed up for the ProgenaBiome newsletter, but I’ve never actually received one. I just keep up with the doctor through YouTube, Twitter/X, plus I am her patient.

Also, I wanted to mention that another one of my gastro docs gave me a kit to keep at home, to use if I develop c diff symptoms, to fed ex a stool sample to a lab that checks for c diff. Ask your doctor if you can have one or 2 of these kits on hand.

Hugs and prayers that you heal quickly.

All the body organs depend on “Good Gut Health” – antibiotics are necessary, but can wreck gut health.

I always had gut issues – certain food wouldn’t agree (gut inflammation, nausea) and I was taking prescription meds to buffer the gut against the sinus and headaches prescription (why do I see red flags…). I was on antibiotics for too long also and didn’t realized how bad it wrecked my “Gut Health” and “Intestine Health”. My new ENTs made me think about that.

I was eating Prebiotics food - Banana (little on the green side), Apples, Oats, Almonds, Kiwifruit and Probiotics food - Yogurt (sugar free), Sourdough bread (google to find items you like) – after the antibiotic treatment.
My question was – Am I getting enough of the Prebiotics and Probiotics? That question lead to discussion about rebuilding good gut and intestine health - “L-Glutamine and Zinc Carnosine” for gut and “Lactoferrin” for intestine health. So I research those ( https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements ), any side effect and bad interaction with the prescription meds taking, blah blah blah and research what ingredients, testing – more blah blah blah and headaches – to find what would be best for me. Pass it by the doctor and given the green light.

For me, it was a 60 day treatment plan to rebuild good gut and intestine health.

Everyone one is different and should consult with PCP or Provider Specialty(s) before trying any new medications or supplements.

Best Wishes,
🍀

I am so sorry you have contracted this disease. I know it is difficult and try to prevent is always, as I am prescribed antibiotics often. I use FlorastoreOTC during and following antibiotic Rx. So far so good. It might be worth a try. I also drink a small amount of Kefir that can be found in the yogurt section of your grocery store. Both of these are helpful. This is a disease that has had successful intervention. I hope this disease can be abated for you. I would seek a specialist if these products do not help. A dietitian/ website can list foods to avoid. I wish you well and God speed in this endeavor.

@texgrand6
Thank you so much for your kind words and ideas. I have made progress the last couple of wks with diet and by taking Florastor. I am loving Kefir (I do plain and blend in blueberries, banana, etc) - so guess that's a newfound perk of this wild journey. It continues to boggle my mind tho what little direction doctors want to provide. Even asking the gastro more specifics about C Diff etc -- no real definitive answer for what I think to be a serious matter. This online discussion group and my other research seem to provide the most info. All the best w your health too!

Thank you, day31. I highly recommend finding the very best, smartest doctor in you area that you can. C.diff is a fairly new illness as far as discovery of causes. It is still being investigated to learn more about it and possible cures. So far it has no successful cure. Learn as much as you can learn about it and find a specialist quickly that will help you. Much of the learning for me is from medical journals or news coming from,them or research hospitals. A website I have found very helpful is Medscape.com. You can register a free account as a consumer or professional. I registered as a consumer and used their search engine to find info about all sorts of subjects. Information is power. There may be names of doctors or recommendations there as well.

@cas924 , your story is so amazing. Thank you for sharing this information. It is a small miracle that you were able to conquer this disease. I must pass this information to a friend whose mother is ill with this. Something like you have done might help her too.

What preventative antibiotic were you given?