Diverticulitis with C.difficile

Posted by fpats17 @fpats17, Mar 20, 2019

hello all and I am glad I found this site. I was recently diagnosed with diverticulitis in August. Spent 3 days in the hospital, w/micro perforation put on liquid diet and IV antibiotics. Cleared up.. fast forward to January 2019 CT scan reveals I had MILD diverticulitis but no pain this time and only slight change in bowel habits. Back on low fiber and treated with usual cipro and flagyl. Now here we are March and follow up ct scan says diverticulitis again, But between January and March got C Diff along the way and then e coli while in Mexico. I demanded to be put on a different antibiotic so they gave me Amox/Clav but second culture still says I had c diff. Now I cannot tell if this is c diff or div. Doctor ordered me Deficid for the c diff since the amox/clav should handle the div. I am sure hoping that this is just the c diff and the deficid will take care of it! But at my wits end.

Based on what i read and on this site and others I have spoken to, the diverticulitis seems to come back even after surgery. I am seeing a surgeon next week but am very reluctant to get a resection if it is not going really solve the problem. Also, has anyone else dealt with both c diff and div at the same time? This is completely nuts! any guidance or insight would be helpful since this is driving me insane. thank you all. fpats17

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@dpete19743

Can you get diverticulitis if you have c diff? I'm asking for a friend who I think was misdiagnosed. I thought because with c diff you have no bacteria you couldn't get things like diverticulitis. Any input would be helpful

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I had BAD diverticulitis and ended up having a large portion of my large intestine removed. When I was in the hospital at Mayo in Phoenix, they tested me several times for CDiff as I was on multiple antibiotics for a long period of time. So I would say yes, it is possible to have both. Hope this helps!

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@oceanone

When I have an attack pain left quadrant abdomen under left flank at the back (the worst pain) even pain in my left hip I try to do bowel rest for 3 days trying to avoid antibiotics if that does not work I start an antibiotic treatment witj probiotics (to protect my intestinal flora from the antibiotics) but I need to continue to be on a liquid diet until I can slowly re-introduce sôlid food which can take many days. My problem is that I become so weak with this regimen that I also become confused. I cannot take productd like ensure because they contain lactose nor energy drinks because they contain sucrose,
Is there anyone in my situation & in the affirmative what do you do beside going to the ER & wait for hours to get an intravenous solute!
Would very much appreciate your input!

Jump to this post

Can you get diverticulitis if you have c diff? I'm asking for a friend who I think was misdiagnosed. I thought because with c diff you have no bacteria you couldn't get things like diverticulitis. Any input would be helpful

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@dpete19743

Can you get diverticulitis if you have c diff? I'm asking for a friend who I think was misdiagnosed. I thought because with c diff you have no bacteria you couldn't get things like diverticulitis. Any input would be helpful

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Hi, @dpete19743 - I wanted to let you know I moved your post on diverticulitis and C Diff to this thread on diverticulitis so you can talk with others discussing issues related to this condition. Hoping members like @suez @oceanone will return and offer their input related to the possibility of getting diverticulitis and C Diff, from what they have seen in their own health or read about.

Will you explain a little more about your friend's potential misdiagnosis, dpete19743?

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When I have an attack pain left quadrant abdomen under left flank at the back (the worst pain) even pain in my left hip I try to do bowel rest for 3 days trying to avoid antibiotics if that does not work I start an antibiotic treatment witj probiotics (to protect my intestinal flora from the antibiotics) but I need to continue to be on a liquid diet until I can slowly re-introduce sôlid food which can take many days. My problem is that I become so weak with this regimen that I also become confused. I cannot take productd like ensure because they contain lactose nor energy drinks because they contain sucrose,
Is there anyone in my situation & in the affirmative what do you do beside going to the ER & wait for hours to get an intravenous solute!
Would very much appreciate your input!

REPLY
@oceanone

When I have an attack pain left quadrant abdomen under left flank at the back (the worst pain) even pain in my left hip I try to do bowel rest for 3 days trying to avoid antibiotics if that does not work I start an antibiotic treatment witj probiotics (to protect my intestinal flora from the antibiotics) but I need to continue to be on a liquid diet until I can slowly re-introduce sôlid food which can take many days. My problem is that I become so weak with this regimen that I also become confused. I cannot take productd like ensure because they contain lactose nor energy drinks because they contain sucrose,
Is there anyone in my situation & in the affirmative what do you do beside going to the ER & wait for hours to get an intravenous solute!
Would very much appreciate your input!

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Hello oceanone. I find that I can go on soft foods, instead of liquids only, to give my colon a rest. I drink Smart water to keep hydrated without depleting my electrolytes. That usually is enough without antibiotics.

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@dpete19743

Can you get diverticulitis if you have c diff? I'm asking for a friend who I think was misdiagnosed. I thought because with c diff you have no bacteria you couldn't get things like diverticulitis. Any input would be helpful

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Yes you can. I just got out of hospital and was diagnosed with c diff and diverticulitis.

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@dpete19743

Can you get diverticulitis if you have c diff? I'm asking for a friend who I think was misdiagnosed. I thought because with c diff you have no bacteria you couldn't get things like diverticulitis. Any input would be helpful

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What is c diff? How is different from diverticulitis?

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@banksmonica

Yes you can. I just got out of hospital and was diagnosed with c diff and diverticulitis.

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How was it treated? I’ve got both right now.

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@maxine50

What is c diff? How is different from diverticulitis?

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1) Diverticular disease is caused by small bulges in the large intestine (diverticula) developing and becoming inflamed. If any of the diverticula become infected, this leads to symptoms of diverticulitis.
2) C. diff (also known as Clostridioides difficile or C. difficile) is a germ (bacterium) that causes diarrhea and colitis (an inflammation of the colon). C-diff is also contagious and it is important that the person use good hygiene to avoid spreading.
Broad based antibiotics like clindamycin and amoxicillin are known to cause C.diff because they not only kill bad bacteria but also good bacteria in the intestines.

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@imstillalive

How was it treated? I’ve got both right now.

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I developed diverticulitis and was given anti-biotics that then gave me C-diff. I enrolled in a study about FMT, fecal microbial transplant. Yep, they put in someone's healthy poo into you via enema. In about a couple weeks, my suffering ended. No more C-diff. So very grateful I found them, in Burr Ridge IL. And they paid me for participating in the study, lol.

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