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

Thank you for the reply. Yes like you said we have to be patient and be extra careful when taking antibiotics. Best wishes to you as well.

@euqcaj since you are taking psyllium and Metamucil, I hope you are drinking at least a glass of water after them as well as plenty of water all day otherwise you can get blocked up and have GERD symptoms.

No, I don't go at all unless I take Bisacodyl. I have a "tortuous" intestine. I have more intestine than a person of my size normally has, which has caused a slow transit time all my life. Before C-diff I had a regimen that stabilized me and I could live with. Unfortunately, the C-diff has changed all that. I'm praying that my body will eventually get it's "rhythm" back and I won't need to rely on a stimulant in order to go. I am still taking 8mg of physllium mixed in my oatmeal each morning, a miralax dose that I can handle, exercise 6 days a week, and the Bisacodyl every three days with Metamucil crackers. I have also noted that sometimes I'll feel great, normally after elimination using the Bisacodyl, etc., but then two days later if I eat something, all of a sudden there's some heartburn and bloating/bulging in my stomach and intestines. It's miserable. Sometimes worse than others. Again, I'm hoping with time this will change and I'll go back to "normal". I took 2 months of pro-biotics as directed by my gastro Dr. She thought that was necessary because the C-diff wiped everything out. I found that once I stopped the pro-biotics that I had less bulging and uncomfortable bloating. I read someone else on here mentioning that it might be too much of a good thing to continue taking it and with my experience, at this point, I would agree. And to answer your question about bowel movements, the consistency is soft because of taking the miralax (generic) store brand (but it's really miralax, only much less expensive because it carries the store brand name),..................... I hope this info helps you too. I guess we just have to be patient and try to keep healing in the best ways we can. I'm scared to death if I ever need anymore antibiotics but the Vanco worked to get rid of C-diff and I didn't have any more adverse reaction. I will NEVER take Clyndamycin again! Best wishes to you.

C Diff Spores can be shed in the house. I used bleach to clean my toilet and floors. About a slow recovery I too had a very very slow recovery 10 months later yes I am getting better now but nowhere near my normal. I don’t have the same bowel movements as before c Diff anything I eat now affect my digestive system. Although I eat very healthy diet lots of fiber fruits and vegetables. How are your bowel movements now? Formed? Do you go multiple times/day?

I have recovered from C-diff. Your mention of spores scares me to death. I was given Vanco to fight the C-diff and then later tested (blood draw) to see if it got rid of the infection. I was told it did. Do I need to worry about spores? Or would my blood test reveal if there were any or not? I still have not had a normal BM on my own since this happened. Feb.2021, with 8 weeks of slow recovery. I'm feeling much better now but have to drink a Miralax solution, use psyllium in my oatmeal, eat fiber crackers, etc. Will my body resume normal function someday after this C-diff infection?

I am so sorry to hear you are going through all this. Nobody deserves this evil c diff. So your c diff came back 6 months after your FMT in December? Just for being on Prilosec?
Are you taking any probiotic now? Have you taken them all along after your FMT? What about Boulardii are you taking any this is good for c diff. Read about it. What about your diet after the FMT. I had c diff and I worked with both naturopathic doctor and a nutritionist I didn’t rely only on medical doctors. I used bleach to clean that’s the only thing that kills those spores. Fiber is great to feed the gut microbiome and fresh fruits and steamed vegetables for you for now until you get better bit. My heart goes out to you as you battle this. Will keep you in my prayers.

In Oct 2020, i was dx with c diff. I was 47 years old female no prior hx of antibiotic use with in the prior months. After my third trip to the er they kept me 6 days because my Ct showed inflammation in my colon due to the c diff. Let me add that my gastro put me on Prilosec for the rest of my life he said, due to stomach ulcers. Acid suppression, is also linked to c diff vulverability. However, they decided the prilosec was more important than my risk of recurrent c diff. Dec 22nd, 2020 i had FMT by capsules, i swallowed 30 in 7 min. Although i was so deathly nauseasted all thru Christmas, the 5th day after my transplant i had the first normal BM i have ever had in i can remember. I have had bouts with diarrhea and constipation my entire life it seems.. My infection disease dr that did the FMT however, did not tell me i needed to increase my fiber for these 'microbes' I never heard him mention either. So, today is June 9, 2021 and i lay in my bed on my second round of yes, antibiotics. First difficid, now vanco.. scheduled for my 2nd FMT June 16th. Im wondering if my prilosec will keep me going thru this forever. Im depressed, anxious, upset, my view of how the health care field as a whole doesnt seem to care anymore...

Hi Scott, how are you doing? It seems we have similar symptoms. I have been off Vanco for a month now, diarrhea has stopped but still have side effects, anxiety, anal fissures(ouch)!!
Still take S. Boulardii once a day and a probiotic, vitm D, haven't got my strength back either. I'm 69 but feel 90.
Anyone know how long till back to normal?
Evelyn

MEDICATION FOR C.DIFF I just remembered when Dr. gave me Vancomycin for C.Diff, and after 2 weeks or so, still the runs so had another test and was on Vancomycin all summer: the 2nd prescriptions was for another Antibiotic called DIFICID. But my pharmacy said they could not get it... it was $2,000.00 Canadian but my plan would pay ... I might have mentioned this before but I sometimes wonder if I would have had greater success/less side effects and long term like fecal incontinence had I been given Dificid instead of Vancomycin but cant find anything about it here. I just researched and they said Dificid is b etter than Vanco but has anyone ever taken it??? (also called Fidaxomicin) Not sure if its just available in Canada - too late for me but now curious about it. Had I waited one week, the pharmacy would have got it in for me and I wish I had waited.

Internet search: Fidaxomicin Vs. Vancomycin: What's More Effective for Treating C difficile?

..my watery diarrhea was more pre c.diff when put on 5 antibiotics in 5 months for bladder infection which might not have had! running down my legs, showers at 3am etc., on vancomycin diarrhea continues the whole couple of months because while on antibiotic cannot take imodium! My rectal area was a total huge sore and dr and clinic nurse each gave me an ointment to use but had not had it on skin long before another bathroom bm. One thing I miss is a sitz bath... used to use portable one and gave me so much comfort if not cure;;;;; however, realized years after using that feces would leak into the warm water in the sitz bath and i think that was causing bladder infections or leaving feces around the skin when i did urine test as all ecoli. Was a wicked year.