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C diff and diverticulitis
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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@donbarkman I am sorry to hear about your CDiff. It is an experience I will never forget . I was having surgery for diverticulitis. They were to remove 10” of colon . I had the antibiotics to take pre surgery. I took them the day and evening before surgery. . There was an error on the bottle for dosage. So after taking them , at 4 AM, I was crawling on my bathroom floor with dry heaves . Surgery was at 6 AM . Well of course I came out of the colon surgery with C diff. . Three days later I could barely make it to the hospital lab . I lost 15 lbs in that next 12 days . So am drinking orange juice and eating normally . I had no idea that C Diff bacteria feeds on fructose . I took flagil (sp). For two weeks . Not much help. I then took vancomycin. I remember . I remember that ! It was a tier 4 drug , so I had to pay all of my deductible with the purchase. It was 600$ . Vancomycin is readily available in liquid for introvenous use These were tablets . I took it for I think 18 days tapering it off . It worked on me. I read ,and read some more , about diet and C diff. That you can do online . I had this surgery 15 years ago . So CDiff 15 years ago too . No doctor ever told me anything about high fructose corn sugar ( it is so many things), dextrose , or the other things that c diff bacteria will feed on in your gut . Read up on this , it will help you . My dentist told me , his wife died , that her gastroenterologist doctor . Prescribed the liquid vancomycin for her c diff. He said the doctor had items that he mixed with it and she drank the liquid to cure it. He said , at the time the bottle of liquid vancomycin , meant for introvenus use cost less than 40$ . The tablets of vancomycin I took that helped cure my C diff , now my present doctor says are unavailable ?? I am not sure about that . Hope this helps you !! Blessed Be , Crystalena
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2 ReactionsThank you. Now I have to learn how to avoid c diff. You helped.
@lisalucier Difficid is for ten days. Hopefully that cures it. No plan yet with docs for how to go forward. You got me in the right group. Thanks.
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1 Reaction@pixie1960 , I have never had C.diff, but I constantly work to prevent it. I simply wanted to suggest that antibiotics for sinus infection can be given in a way to apply directly to your sinuses. A good ENT can do this for you. God bless your health journey.
@donbarkman someone said that difficid was horribly expensive . Is that true?
Absolutely. Retail for brand name Difficid at Walgreens for twenty pills….hold your breath…..$7,000. Generic version copayment after insurance just over $400. Most I have ever paid for a drug.
I had c-diff about 15 years ago after taking clindamycin for an infection. Eventually, ended up in ICU where I got the "big guns" ( I don't know what that was), but I was out of the hospital in 3 days and finally recovered. I started taking ALIGN probiotic daily, and drink kefir, or eat yogurt on a regular basis. Never again do I want to get C-diff. I was so sick.
My husband used to get diverticulitis regularly, then he started taking ALIGN, and it's been several years without another bout of diverticulitis. We buy ALIGN at Costco, where it is on sale on a regular basis. Hope this helps.
@treesab thanks. I never thought about buying at Costco. Align is expensive.