C. difficile – Are your guts ever normal again?

@ngorman25 Our year 2018 sounds much the same. Except my Cdiff started in the spring after taking Clindamycin. You are just one year older than I am. I also took Flagyl first, then 10 days on Vanco and after the 3rd bout, I did the Vanco taper for 6 weeks. Finally after my 4th bout, I took Dificid (fidaxamicin). I wish I would have taken it after Flagyl didn't kill all the Cdiff spores. Prior to approving Dificid, my insurance asked if I had taken Vancomycin. They approved it, but the co-pay was still almost $1,000. It ONLY kills the Cdiff spores and does not kill your good bacteria. If I were you, I would ask your doctor about taking it before I would do the FMT. I have NOT had a reoccurance since taking it last October. I knock on wood every time I say that or write it. I also take Florastor or another S. Boulardii probiotic every single day. If you are considering FMT, you might google Open Biome and read up of the capsule form of FMT. The cost is $635 and I'm not sure if my insurance would pay for it. But if I have a 5th bout, I'm going to ask my GI to order it.

I have not had a reoccurring infection ,just the same one for 10 months. (I am testing negative but still feel awful ) I have researched FMT and that would have been my next step. You can take a capsule or have it done thru colonoscopy.

Thanks Sue! I think I probably will have the fmt instead of trying dificid. I really don't want to take any more antibiotics than I have already. I had several antibiotics all last year for different reasons. I was "ripe" when I got an abcessed tooth in August and the dentist prescribed clindamycin, which finished me off! Then I got the "bastard bug" ,(cdiff). My gastro doctor called it that. I have had 4 flare-ups since September. I just dropped off a specimen, again, and am pretty sure it will be positive as I have had some diarrhea since Saturday. That's why I asked if anyone had any knowledge of fmt.

I would go for it. It has a 90% cure rate I read some where. Good luck.

Hello everyone,

I encourage you to also view the Gastroenterology & GI Surgery Page on Connect https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/gastroenterology-and-gi-surgery/ where Mayo Clinic experts talk about C diff. IBD, celiac disease and other digestive conditions, and also discuss various treatments, ongoing research, current events.
For instance, in this post Dr. Darrell Pardi writes about "C. Difficile Care at Mayo Clinic” https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/gastroenterology-and-gi-surgery/newsfeed/c-difficile-care-at-mayo-clinic/

I have tested negative 2x this year. I am still unwell with large upper abd. distention with eating and bouts of diarrhea , early satiety. Your reference in the links refer to recurrent occurrences of c.difficile. I no longer have the infection. If you know of any information, articles,etc. concerning treatment of the patient ‘s continuing symptoms post c.dif. I would greatly appreciate any help.

Sue, I am disheartened to hear that even after the cdiff infection is gone, that you still have many symptoms. I guess there really is no full recovery from this. Makes me sad that I will never be the same again.

@ngorman25 , if FMT is 90% effective, why are we bothering with more antibiotics? I don't understand why Dr's won't just go that route after one fail of antibiotics? I am on my first round of vanco after being diagnosed on Wednesday, but sadly I lived with Cdiff for the last 8 months or so and never went to the Dr. I would have bad flare ups at times, like when I had strep and was given antibiotics, but I never shared how my bowels were affected with Dr., shame on me I know. So I'm praying that this 10 day treatment will bring me back to normal because I'm so tired of feeling bad. Clindamycin needs to be banned!!

@femalegolfer I agree re. Clindamycin. Many dentists give it out for infections or prior to root canals. My dr. gave it to me for a sinus infection but I have a friend who was given it prior to a root canal.

@femalegolfer I agree with you as far as doctors waiting to offer fmt but I think there is some sort of rule that the patient has to have relapsed several times before it is offered. I also agree that clindamycin needs to be gone as I took it for an abcessed tooth in August. However, I think we don't have any chance of the pharmaceutical companies getting rid of anything. I just wish there was some warning to consumers as to the danger of taking it! And another thing, I think the pharmaceutical companies are trying to keep cdiff a "secret". I don't know about you, but I had never heard of it until I went to the hospital in September, where I was diagnosed. None of my family ever heard of it and most of my friends had never heard of it! It's right up there with mrsa which everyone has heard of.