C. difficile – Are your guts ever normal again?

Thanks, that is very good information.
Because I had my C-diff in Florida, and I now live in Minnesota, I no longer have a Gastroenterologist specialist here. But I had surgery at Mayo so I will ask the surgeon's follow-up staff to get some input from Mayo infectious disease experts. I am having a difficult recovery and can't imagine adding a C-diff infection.
Your infection was more recent than mine (Oct 2011). You don't mention a reoccurrence. I am wondering if the gut goes back to normal after a certain time, and one's chance of getting C-diff is like everyone else when taking antibiotics. Or if one remains a high-risk individual.
Anyone know a good Gastroenterologist/Infectious disease doctor in Minneapolis area?

I'm very sorry to hear your are having a difficult recovery. I pray for your speedy healing.
I don't believe your Gut ever goes back to normal sfter Cdiff. As my Family Dr put it-I think you have a different/new normal now.
Yes. I have had several reoccurrences since I was released from the hospital. I took 3 Rounds of FMT Pills by mouth which were supposed to Re-Colonize my Colon. They failed. My Infectious Disease Dr finally , on 1-30-2023, sent me to the Hospital where a Gastroenterologist performed a FMT (Fecal Matter Transplant) via the Colonoscopy type route. So far so good. So this is why I am so cautious about Antibiotics.
Since you haven't had a reoccurence in several years, you could possibly be out of the woods in regards to taking Antibiotics . But if I were you I would still run it by your surgeon's follow-up staff to get some input from Mayo infectious disease experts, as you said.
I am in Alabama so I'm sorry I wouldn't be able to recommend a Gastro Dr.
Take good care.

Thank you again for your replies.
I sympathize with your situation. That is most difficult. I have read about such cases and have been terrorized.
I only had a HUGE DIARRHEA, went to the hospital 3 days later and spent a week in a private room overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. I thought "And Medicare pays for this? They did and I have very good Medigap insurance also.

I know about fecal transplant. One needs a close relative???
I am wondering if I had a different strain of C-diff.-perhaps weaker than today - so the ten days of Vancomycin did the trick, and I had no reoccurrences.
They now talk about how certain infections are more resistant to antibiotics because Doctors prescribed them unnecessarily. (How many people got it from Dentist prescription of antibiotics!!!!- My dentist sent me flowers after).
But I have googled and googled and not found any reporting on probability of having a C-diff outbreak when taking an antibiotic many years after the last outbreak. One would think someone is collecting such data. A life without antibiotics could be a problem. Of course, I am now almost 12 years older and have lung cancer which means my immune system is also weaker. So now my risk is greater.

Well I found some info to my own question.
..."Once you have a C. diff infection, you may continue to have some detectable level of C. diff bacteria that live within the gut, which may never completely go away"
Here is link to article.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-prevent-c-diff-from-recurring-5219499#:~:text=Recurrence%20of%20infection%E2%80%94or%20reinfection%E2%80%94is%20common%20with%20C.%20diff,10%25%20and%2020%25%20of%20all%20C.%20diff%20infections.

Yea that must have been a pretty sweet gig in a private room overlooking the Gulf of Mexico! lol!

My transplant wasn't from a Relative but was (hopefully) screened carefully by the Hospital.
That's what they told me anyway! Its great you have had no reoccurrences in 12 years! you may well be in the clear to take Antibiotics. I'm very sorry to hear about your lung cancer. I wish you all the best!

I had a LOT of Upper Respiratory Infections growing up and all the Doctors around here anyway would give a Shot of Abx and writr a RX for you to take at home. I wish now I had toughed it out on a lot of sore throats, etc, knowing what I know now!! But, as you said, a life without any antibiotics at all would be a tough road to travel.

I'm sorry, I was evidently writing message when you sent your last one. Very interesting article in the Link! I guess im in the 60-65% Reccurrence Range! Hopefully you're in the 10-20% Range, but it does mention Cancer or other illnesses that lower your immune system can put us at a higher risk for reoccurrence.

You take care and we'll do our very best to steer clear of that Beast known as Cdiff!

you too...I will let you know the final result to this story

Yes, please do. I would be interested fo know.

I had C.diff in 2019 due to too many antbiotics for female bladder infection, and have not been same since. Now on top of ibs-d for years, then too many antibiotics, the c.diff has left me with fecal incontinence since 2019... but I read that it can have various effects on different people... so I hope you both get through this successfully. I have no choice than to take antibiotics again for more uti's (radiation damage way back 1985).... because if i dont can spread to kidneys: am running out of idea and hope - just been on another one and today all day so much runs and then blood around anus every time... and have alist of other illnesses so it's been a challenge at my age...wishing you the best,J.

For the UTI you should avoid an oral antibiotic and get the shots. Plain old, antibiotic shots like I got when I was a kid. This has been shown to avoid recurrent C. difficile infection because the anabiotic is not going through the intestinal track. As far as FMT goes, please review the warnings on the FDA website about the people who have been killed and whose lives have been greatly compromised as a result of one donor having monkeypox. Three people died right away and two others were very ill. FMT donors are people who are so desperate for money that they sell their poop. These people did not live healthy lives, and their choices are reflected in the quality of their Microbiome. This is a big business. One alternative to FMT is an infusion, called Zinplava. It works like Dificid in that it crippled toxin B and protects you while you immune system recovers. I had recurrent C. difficile in 1993 and almost died. Then, when my husband was terminally ill, they put him in a room where someone had a much more virulent version of C diff and I caught it. I tried everything for more than a year, and then found a doctor at Loyola University, who did not recommend FMT. He pointed out to me that, even though they screen for known pathogens, there are far more unknown pathogens out there. Every bad choice the donor made throughout his life is reflected in his Microbiome. Zinplava was cheaper than FMT and far safer. I recovered and was fine. I had a little IBS for about six months, but it resolved. You aren’t out of the woods because you get FMT. You can never take an antibiotic again for any reason that is orally administered. I took a mild antibiotic for 18 hours for a UTI, and suddenly i had symptoms. I was instructed to stop the antibiotic and take Dificid for one day at 12 hour dosing, then one tab the next day and wait. My body struggled but defeated the CDI. Do some research on the over-the-counter medication‘s that are damaging your micro biome almost as much as an antibiotic, things like antacids, ibuprofen, or other, NSAIDs, anti-depressants just to name a few. Ibuprofen is almost is damaging to the Microbiome as an antibiotic. I had no idea. But I’m glad I found out. I take a wide variety of probiotics, and after the initial bloating, I was greatly relieved and felt much better. I eat a high fiber diet. That is basically Mediterranean. It’s all organic and I never eat any meat, poultry, or eggs that have been treated with antibiotics. The probiotic foods I think are best are kimchi, Kiefer, yogurt, and sauerkraut. The best probiotic I have found is bio K plus extra with wellmune, 80 Billion. I also take two florastor capsules in the morning and two in the evening. And there is a very interesting scholarly article on nih.gov about how chocolate fights cholostridia in the immune system by suppressing it’s replication while at the same time feeding the really good bacteria that keep it in check.