Trying to recover from a c. diff infection (Clostridium difficile)

I am trying to recover from c.diff. I am negative by stool culture for 1 year. I am experiencing extreme distention after drinking water or eating. I often can’t sleep due to the pressure of my distended abdomen. I have had all the tests ( gastric emptying, small bowel series,breath test ) Also I have not been hungry for 2 years. I feel if I could get rid of the cause of my bloating I could live again. Can anyone help me ? ( already been on fodmap 4 a year.didnt help)

Dear gut health, I was on the Fodmap diet 4 a year. It really didn’t help. Post c.difficile I bloat like I am pregnant and feel like my gut will burst. I went to an allergy Dr. between gut Dr. appointments and found out I was allergic to dairy now. ( I wasn’t previously) I have a low tolerance for gluten,but no actual allergy. So you may want check for food allergy. Eliminating dairy has decreased some of the symptoms. . I am new to this site. How do I ask my own questions?

Have you worked with a nutritionist ? My attempt at LowFodmap was a disaster when I was doing it on my own. Even yogurt gave me diarrhea. The nutritionist took me off dairy also. It has taken a while to tweak it but it seems to be working now. I am also off grains and most complex carbs. My initial diagnosis was suspected CDiff but I ended up with a SIBO or dysbiosis diagnosis, which may also help account for why we may be reacting to the diet differently. Best wishes to you.

@citygirlannie I am so sorry to hear that you’re having so many issues with CDIFF. Have you asked your doctor about the Fecal Microbia Transplant? If your Digestive system isn’t functioning correctly it may not help, but it may help correct it? This Infection is horrible and the antibiotic Flagyl gave my son terrible side effects! They were as bad as the CDIFF symptoms. Praying you find a positive answer!

@tammy1pike, I am in the Birmingham Al area. I’m on my third recurrence of Cdiff. I got it from clindamycin given for a serious sinus infection. I had taken it before for dental reasons so I didn’t perceive a problem. I was so devastated when I got it. I’ve been having gut issues for a year now. Last December I had a horrible episode of unbearable pain, then diarrhea & then vomiting. I thought it was a virus, but when I got up the next morning I was having lots of bloody stool. I immediately went to my Dr. A CT scan revealed I had ischemic colitis. After a months treatment for that I had a colonoscopy. I had to wait for enough healing so as not to perforate my colon. I was almost normal except for pain in my lower gut soon after eating. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis & had a polyp removed. I thought I was on the road to a somewhat recovery. Then I guess that since I had a compromised gut anyway this Cdiff had really beat me down. I’m 71 & I thought was a young 71. I have a heart problem too ( Afib) but my treatment was going well. I fell like I won’t live long like this. I’m tiny anyway, but now I’m at 85 pounds. I’m very weak. I just can’t get my GI to take me seriously. They just throw meds at me. 2 rounds of Flagyl & now I’m on vancomycin. I feel a little better & no diarrhea, but I’m horrified that it will be back as soon as this round of meds is over. I’m desperate. We have lots of medical care here in Birmingham that people come from all over for. I guess I’m just going to the wrong Dr. I’m sorry I’m making this so long, but like I said I have no life. Thank you for listening.

Have you worked with a nutritionist ? My attempt at LowFodmap was a disaster when I was doing it on my own. Even yogurt gave me diarrhea. The nutritionist took me off dairy also. It has taken a while to tweak it but it seems to be working now. I am also off grains and most complex carbs. My initial diagnosis was suspected CDiff but I ended up with a SIBO or dysbiosis diagnosis, which may also help account for why we may be reacting to the diet differently. Best wishes to you.

@sue6408 Hi sue Im not sure this will help but one time my abd. was bloated ,had alot of gas went to Dr. he told me to go on fiber and a probiotic this really helped me ,at that time I wasn't eating right just junk food so now I make sure I eat veggies every day and probiotic at least 3 x,s a week hope you feel better let me know if this helped .

@sue6408, are you wondering how to start your own discussion? If so, here are some tips:

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- Type a brief title, but be descriptive so that other members know exactly what you will be discussing.
- Type your message. This is where you can type in more detail about what you are experiencing or have questions about.
- In the bottom right corner from where you just typed your message, click the grey CREATE DISCUSSION box.

It is recommended that you do a search for the topic you wish to start your own topic on first. This is because if there is an existing topic that is similar that members are already participating in, you will likely get more responses to your question by going to where the members are already discussing that topic. If you don't find a discussion for your particular topic or question, then starting a new one with the directions above can be helpful to the group as a whole. Don't hesitate to ask if these instructions are not clear.

Thank you . I have added fiber lax. But it didn’t help my bloating which occurs daily.

@tammy1pike, I am in the Birmingham Al area. I’m on my third recurrence of Cdiff. I got it from clindamycin given for a serious sinus infection. I had taken it before for dental reasons so I didn’t perceive a problem. I was so devastated when I got it. I’ve been having gut issues for a year now. Last December I had a horrible episode of unbearable pain, then diarrhea & then vomiting. I thought it was a virus, but when I got up the next morning I was having lots of bloody stool. I immediately went to my Dr. A CT scan revealed I had ischemic colitis. After a months treatment for that I had a colonoscopy. I had to wait for enough healing so as not to perforate my colon. I was almost normal except for pain in my lower gut soon after eating. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis & had a polyp removed. I thought I was on the road to a somewhat recovery. Then I guess that since I had a compromised gut anyway this Cdiff had really beat me down. I’m 71 & I thought was a young 71. I have a heart problem too ( Afib) but my treatment was going well. I fell like I won’t live long like this. I’m tiny anyway, but now I’m at 85 pounds. I’m very weak. I just can’t get my GI to take me seriously. They just throw meds at me. 2 rounds of Flagyl & now I’m on vancomycin. I feel a little better & no diarrhea, but I’m horrified that it will be back as soon as this round of meds is over. I’m desperate. We have lots of medical care here in Birmingham that people come from all over for. I guess I’m just going to the wrong Dr. I’m sorry I’m making this so long, but like I said I have no life. Thank you for listening.