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New to C Diff: Will This Be the New Normal for Life??
Newly diagnosed w C Diff due to “preventative antibiotics “ for a dermatology procedure 5 wks ago. I never heard of this infection before now but learned a lot from research. Med professionals saw no urgency in my earlier symptoms of high fever/diarrhea/fatigue until after 13 days, I insisted on fecal testing. Vanco worked but gave me a horrific debilitating stiff neck and shoulders after six days. I weigh hardly anything, and believe the powerful drug was brutal on my body, as neck pain went away soon after finishing Vanco. I'm wondering if I now have a reoccurrence after 1-wk off Vanco, or did I eat soft veggies too soon, as I worked to encourage positive gut health. Back on the BRAT diet but that’s not yet working. And when does nutrition take a hit, and we get another illness? Wondering too, if I'm over-hydrating which continues the watery diarrhea? I'll see a dietitian and GI specialist soon, but med staff seem clueless up til now. I miss real food and feeling like myself, which was athletic and very healthy as a retiree. Is this now the new normal, constant hyper-thinking on this? Needing to always stay near home? No more fun socializing midst great food? Is it like C Diff is “in remission “ until someday it shows up? This is all so unbelievable, maddening, sad, and honestly scary. Feel like I'm walking on eggshells yet can’t eat the yummy omelet. Any hope and guidance appreciated. Thanks, Everyone.
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Maybe you need another stool culture to see if you still have an infection.
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1 ReactionI’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.