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Trying to recover from a c. diff infection (Clostridium difficile)
I am trying to recover from a c.diff infection. This started with taking clindamycin in mid January and 3 days later I became ill with diarrhea and felt sick, loss of appetite etc...Went to the er twice, tested negative for c.diff on my 2nd visit. The Dr. told me to take imodium to rest my colon since I tested negative. That evening I had diarrhea and took the Imodium. Became constipated with pain lower right side. I went to a GI dr. pleading for help, I did another stool test and it came back positive for c.diff. I tried flagyl but could not tolerate the side effects. Tried vancomycin for 10 days. Did not work. Tested positive again, Went to a new gi doctor who prescribed dificid for ten days. I am 31 days post dificid and I have almost constant gut rumbling and urge to go. My 1st bm in the morning is usually semi normal, but after that they are always either pencil thin and or small pieces (2 to 5 times a day). This has been my routine since the vancomycin. I do not get dull blown diarrhea..... My dr. wants me to have a colonoscopy but I an scared that the cleansing will wipe out all my good flora. I currently take 2 florastor pills and 1/2 vsl3 per day. I eat fermented pickles for the probiotics as well..... I have many food intolerances since this whole mess began (fiber, many vegatables, dairy). I also have a strange taste in my mouth most of the time, have very little energy and fight with depression. My primary gave me Xanax .25 but I only take them at night when I cannot sleep...... Went to a nutritionist who put me on a no wheat, soy, dairy, gluten diet. Does not seem to be helping or hurting. I lost 20 pounds and cannot gain any weight (I weigh 120 at 5'7")... I am thinking it might be sibo, or candida but cannot find a dr. to test for these....I am in the right place for help or advice ? The urge to go is awful and limits my once active lifestyle.....
Thank you, Scott
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Have you made any changes on your diet? That seems to have done the trick for me following antibiotic. Clindymycin killed my intestinal flora. Low carb, low fructose, low fermentable food is what has helped me post antibiotic use.
According to my nutritionist guar gum fiber does not ferment like the others. It is a product called nutrisource made by Nestle. No prescription needed.
@guthealth I've not tried Nutrisource.
I have had no bad reaction from it and it helps bulk up stools.
I started with Floraster 8wks. ago some slight decrease in bloating.I start the day off with a flat belly ! drink h2o ,I start bloating. By the time I have finished my dinner I look and feel 10 months pregnant. Some nights I don't think I will make it to the morning with all the pressure and pain. Even the mayo clinic told me they could not help me. I have eliminated dairy, beans, and cabbage family. I only drink h2o,don't chew gum. I wish I could find a Dr. to help me.
I was lost until I started working with a nutritionist. I thought I had eliminated everything harmful, but in reality I was making many mistakes with my diet. Bland foods like bread, rice and potatoes and Jello, of all things, can cause bloating, gas and fermentation because they are high in starch and sugar. I can’t emphasize this enough. I was a mess, experiencing diarrhea and dropping weight (20 pounds) and thought I had eliminated all potentially harmful foods because I had cut out gluten, dairy, coffee and carbonated drinks. I took rounds of antibiotics and kept relapsing after a week. After I met with the nutritionist, I realized all the wrong foods I was still eating that were harming me. Ask for a referral to a nutritionist. You are bloating because the food you eat is likely being fermented by bacteria in your small intestine. I was the same until I went on a guided diet plan. There are also elemental diets one can follow for a couple of weeks to reduce bad bacteria overgrowth. Florastor alone will not take care of the problem. I take that too but that alone will not solve the bacterial imbalance in our gut. I had to initiate the request to my GI doctor. It did not occur to him to refer me to a nutritionist until I told him I thought I was going to die if I kept dropping weight at that rate.
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2 Reactions@sue6408 Sorry Dr can't help you I thought no you should see a nutritionist like guthealth suggest good luck hope this will help you
Thank you for your help.
I will research nutritionist in my area. Thank you
Your pencil thin bm remind me exactly what I have suffered though for the last 3+ years. I'd wake up in horrible pain and be in and out of the bathroom so often I was wishing I could die. I have been taking some otc, meds that have helped some. If I had eaten anything like pickles that would have torn my stomach up more. I haven't touched any more antibiotics in 3 years. A colonoscopy shouldn't cause you to lose your good bacteria. Only the use of antibiotics will do that. I have been though every horrible and nightmarish test they have and NOTHING showed up. Here is my theory, the over use of antibiotics has causes damage to my intestines and other parts internally. The pharmacy companies have never done any real testing on what happens when a person is subjected to over use of them. Therefore no one knows what happens as a result or knows what to look for on any test. if the pharmaceutical companies did any testing they would have the snot suit out of them. Therefore they will never do any research on people that have been overdosed and overprescribed antibiotics.
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