C. diff relapse?

Posted by patts @patts, Sep 1, 2019

How many have had a relapse. I finished my two weeks of vancomycin and believe I still have it. Did a stool sample Friday, so I guess I’ll see. Tired of isolation, Clorox and mood.

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Profile picture for patts @patts

Okay, all my c diff people, lol. Doc says I’m cleared to go out now, etc., since my bowels have pretty much righted themselves. I finish off my Vancomycin prescription midday tomorrow.

I’m going to bleach mop the bathroom and fixtures and continue with the Clorox wipes at least another week. I’ve an appointment to see her in three weeks. But IF I start having sympathy again, to call her immediately.

She will then prescribe a 6-week taper program and/or go with a FMT. Funny, being a gastro doc, she’s freaked out by the thought of FMT. I told her if it works, I’m all for it.

I told her my concern with multiple relapses and how I’m afraid I’ll telapse right before our dream British Isles cruise next August. She said she’d give me a prophylactic Vancomycin prescription to keep me “clear.”

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And I have relapsed. 🙁. Will be starting a taper for 6 weeks tomorrow (CVS had to order it). So, I’ll miss 2 trips in those 6 weeks. Staying home for 6 more weeks isn’t gong to be fun.

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Profile picture for Dana, Volunteer Mentor @danab

Ho @patts, i sure feel your pain. Are you sure its a relaps? It took me a month to finally get over the symptoms. I had finished the meds but still needed frequent bathroom visits. Them finally after a month my bowels started acting a bit more normal.

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Can you tell me more about your experience? I have had Cdiff that went undiagnosed for 7 months. I am on my last day of 10 day dificid and but still have between 1-3 watery diarrhea episodes most days. But I can tell it’s definitely working, all my other symptoms are less also. Did you do retesting and did you still have diarrhea after your antibiotic treatment for the c diff? I’m worried I’m still contagious

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I would think if you’re still having diarrhea you may still have it, but I’m not a doctor. After my first dose of Vancomycin and still having issues, I was tested and it came out positive. The second time turned out to not be c diff. I asked my doctor about how I could tell and she reminded e that c diff has a certain odor.

Voice your concerns with your doctor

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While I have never experienced a relapse, I did contract it three separate times. Then that was the last of it.

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Profile picture for patts @patts

I would think if you’re still having diarrhea you may still have it, but I’m not a doctor. After my first dose of Vancomycin and still having issues, I was tested and it came out positive. The second time turned out to not be c diff. I asked my doctor about how I could tell and she reminded e that c diff has a certain odor.

Voice your concerns with your doctor

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Will you do FMT?

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Hi, I 'm new here. I have a question about whether my C. Diff. is gone or not. I have had IBS for 10 years and the symptoms are the same except my C. Diff stool has a sickening sweet smell still. I was diagnosed with C. Diff on 1-28-22 and my GI doc started me on Flagyl (metronidazole) for 14 days. After 11 days, the cramping had stopped, but I still had diarrhea with belly distension and smelly stool so I called my GI doc and he ordered Vancomycin 250 mg 4 times a day for 14 days. I started the Vanco on 2-11-22 and am now on the 10th day of that. I had a couple of days where my first stool of the day was formed but the 4 movements afterward were diarrhea. Today, I'm back to very loose stools all morning. So basically, I've been on antibiotics for 3 weeks and have morning diarrhea with that sickening sweet smell. Usually, with my IBS, the diarrhea would stop by noon and I was fine the rest of the day until the next morning, but my stool was not that sickening sweet smell. My IBS always vacillated between diarrhea and constipation so I'm wondering if I still have the C. Diff. since now, I'm done with the diarrhea by 11 am, but my diarrhea still has that sickening smell. Anybody else experienced anything like this?

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Profile picture for p95 @p95

Hi, I 'm new here. I have a question about whether my C. Diff. is gone or not. I have had IBS for 10 years and the symptoms are the same except my C. Diff stool has a sickening sweet smell still. I was diagnosed with C. Diff on 1-28-22 and my GI doc started me on Flagyl (metronidazole) for 14 days. After 11 days, the cramping had stopped, but I still had diarrhea with belly distension and smelly stool so I called my GI doc and he ordered Vancomycin 250 mg 4 times a day for 14 days. I started the Vanco on 2-11-22 and am now on the 10th day of that. I had a couple of days where my first stool of the day was formed but the 4 movements afterward were diarrhea. Today, I'm back to very loose stools all morning. So basically, I've been on antibiotics for 3 weeks and have morning diarrhea with that sickening sweet smell. Usually, with my IBS, the diarrhea would stop by noon and I was fine the rest of the day until the next morning, but my stool was not that sickening sweet smell. My IBS always vacillated between diarrhea and constipation so I'm wondering if I still have the C. Diff. since now, I'm done with the diarrhea by 11 am, but my diarrhea still has that sickening smell. Anybody else experienced anything like this?

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Welcome @p95,
I think you might appreciate these related discussions:
- C. difficile – Are your guts ever normal again?
- Living with High-Risk C-Diff and Preventing Re-Infection
- What happens after C.Difficile? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-happens-after-c-diff/

@ngorman25 @foxx67 @mhi @jond @cece55 @ken82 @woogie @minge @sue6408 @snail may be able to share experiences with you.

You could ask your doctor to test for the bacterial toxins in a stool sample to determine whether you still have the c difficile bacterial infection. Have you talked with your GI specialist about how to distinguish between IBS and C difficile?

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Profile picture for p95 @p95

Hi, I 'm new here. I have a question about whether my C. Diff. is gone or not. I have had IBS for 10 years and the symptoms are the same except my C. Diff stool has a sickening sweet smell still. I was diagnosed with C. Diff on 1-28-22 and my GI doc started me on Flagyl (metronidazole) for 14 days. After 11 days, the cramping had stopped, but I still had diarrhea with belly distension and smelly stool so I called my GI doc and he ordered Vancomycin 250 mg 4 times a day for 14 days. I started the Vanco on 2-11-22 and am now on the 10th day of that. I had a couple of days where my first stool of the day was formed but the 4 movements afterward were diarrhea. Today, I'm back to very loose stools all morning. So basically, I've been on antibiotics for 3 weeks and have morning diarrhea with that sickening sweet smell. Usually, with my IBS, the diarrhea would stop by noon and I was fine the rest of the day until the next morning, but my stool was not that sickening sweet smell. My IBS always vacillated between diarrhea and constipation so I'm wondering if I still have the C. Diff. since now, I'm done with the diarrhea by 11 am, but my diarrhea still has that sickening smell. Anybody else experienced anything like this?

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Good morning. I recently had a bout of C Diff. I have UC for the past 18 years. There is definitely a different smell between the two. With the loose stools it could be from the high doses of antibiotics that your taking. Definitely speak with your GI DR. Best of luck.

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Profile picture for jjob73 @jjob73

Good morning. I recently had a bout of C Diff. I have UC for the past 18 years. There is definitely a different smell between the two. With the loose stools it could be from the high doses of antibiotics that your taking. Definitely speak with your GI DR. Best of luck.

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Thank you!

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Profile picture for p95 @p95

Hi, I 'm new here. I have a question about whether my C. Diff. is gone or not. I have had IBS for 10 years and the symptoms are the same except my C. Diff stool has a sickening sweet smell still. I was diagnosed with C. Diff on 1-28-22 and my GI doc started me on Flagyl (metronidazole) for 14 days. After 11 days, the cramping had stopped, but I still had diarrhea with belly distension and smelly stool so I called my GI doc and he ordered Vancomycin 250 mg 4 times a day for 14 days. I started the Vanco on 2-11-22 and am now on the 10th day of that. I had a couple of days where my first stool of the day was formed but the 4 movements afterward were diarrhea. Today, I'm back to very loose stools all morning. So basically, I've been on antibiotics for 3 weeks and have morning diarrhea with that sickening sweet smell. Usually, with my IBS, the diarrhea would stop by noon and I was fine the rest of the day until the next morning, but my stool was not that sickening sweet smell. My IBS always vacillated between diarrhea and constipation so I'm wondering if I still have the C. Diff. since now, I'm done with the diarrhea by 11 am, but my diarrhea still has that sickening smell. Anybody else experienced anything like this?

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I too am currently on Vanco same dosage 250mg 14 days. This is my first reoccurrence after initial diagnosis 12/8. I was on Vanco then Dificid initially. Am devastated that it has come back even tho this episode has not been as bad as first. I am 73, female and never experienced anything this awful. I feel sure this will come back again based on the odds. Feeling like FMT is my last hope. My GI has had 100% success rate with it but wants to wait till 3rd reoccurrence. Don’t know if I can do this again and not sure why I have to wait. Anyone have experience with that?

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