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Stool consistency while on vancomycin and its significance
I apologize up front if this is not the right “board” to ask this question, but can anyone share with me what I should expect regarding my stool consistency while on vancomycin? I am on my second course (actually in the first week of a four week taper right now) and the consistency of my stools seem to have regressed back to what they were after I had been on vancomycin a few days. When I started the vancomycin, my stools were watery diarrhea with small flecks in it. After a few days, I had formed but very soft loose stools that did not stay intact when flushed. Then they progressed to firmer but still soft stools that partially stayed intact. After I started Florastor (saccharomyces boulardii) 10 days into that 14 day course, my stools started firming up to well-formed small stools (usually three or four at a time). I thought that was a sign of curing cdiff. Then I read that saccharomyces boulardii can cause constipation, and figured that could be the cause of the firm stools. I was dejected. Then about the time I started on the taper, I started having softer looser, stools, like a step or two better than watery diarrhea. Then a couple days of firm stools, then back to very loose, soft “stools” nearly the consistency of diarrhea. Is this a sign of recurrence? If so, how can that be when I am still on vancomycin, albeit a lesser dose?
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Thankyou for your reply. I don't have
C-Diff. though!
How is your stool now getting any better on vancomycin?
Hi, don't mind sharing at all. How else are we going to understand this. Tapering off vancomycin : 2 pills a day then miss 1 day, take 2 miss 1 day. Than next week, take 2 then miss2 days. For a week.
The stool before diagnosed was watery diarrhea with this jelly type substance coming out. As the vancomycin started to work, became soft and slightly formed. Stayed like that till now. There was a distinctive smell which tells you you still have c diff, also a burning sensation when going. It was so violent in the beginning l developed fissures. Weakness and blood platelets dropped dramatically, 1 step from hospital. I'm pretty tough though this has taken me down for 7 months. That's it basically, if not for a very caring husband l would have definitely been in hospital.
Truly My heart goes out to you. I do hope you will get out of this very very soon. Glad to hear you have a great support otherwise we cannot go through this alone. Please keep us posted on how you progress. You will be in my prayers.
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1 ReactionThank you for sharing. It’s great that your husband is so supportive. I am going through this too, and I can’t imagine doing this without the support of my wife. This disease is frustrating on so many levels, not the least of which is that science, diet, treatment, medicines for recovery, are all over the place. The diagnosis, short of another test, appears to be the type of stool you have, and as you say the “smell,” at least that’s my thought. When I got it last October as result of a surgery, my symptoms were similar to yours. In the three months since, I’ve recurred twice. I’m on my third course of meds (second time on vanco). I also am weaning. My “wean” is a little different than yours, but I understand there are so many types of tapers and pulses. My movements have stayed mostly very loose throughout this three months. There were a few days at the end of this last full dose (before the weaning) that I had formed (still pretty soft) small stools. But then that switched back to loose stools for a few days, then small formed stools, now I’m back to loose stools, some looser than others. I was hoping for a gradual return to solid stools, at least maybe as a sign the vanco was killing all the cdiff. My diet, at least during the last two courses of meds, has remained exactly the same, very bland protein, fiber(slow and easy), very small amounts of starch, and no sugar unless it’s from the banana a day. I am taking a yeast based probiotic. I can’t figure why the stool consistency fluctuates and whether I should be placing any significance on it as a sign of getting better or worse. Would love to know whether what I’m doing is working. It’s frustrating not knowing, and thinking I won’t know until watery D returns.
Thanks mhi. See my reply to dily69 where I explain they improved toward end of this last course of vanco t full dose, then went back to very loose, then improved at beginning of taper, but now back to very loose in the middle of taper and w pulse. Frustrating and a roller coaster, as stools appear to be the only guage for whether you’re getting better, at least that I know of.
We seem to be in the same boat.l've also eliminated sugar and saturated fats. Take ginger for the nausea. It seems to help. No alcohol but do have a joint every other day just for anxiety as l find stress is not good. Lots of fruit and cooked veggies. Take Florastor for probiotic but there's no proof that probiotics really do any good.l had complications with UTI's and more antibiotics. That has prolonged the C Diff. Just want my life back and some strength in my body
I think getting some strength back is also a sign.plus stopping weight loss, l dropped 35lbs., and haven't gained anything back.
Hope you will get better after Vancomycin. You won’t know until you are done the antibiotic. My stool is still loose now formed but loose and looser at times even 5 months after finishing antibiotic and testing negative for c Diff toxin. This will take time to regulate.
I cannot even get the weight I lost back. I stopped loosing but despite how much I eat cannot gain weight. I wonder if it is because the microbiome flora has changed.