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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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Oh Lacy, my heart goes out to you. I wish I could give you a hug. Thank you for researching the other effects of c-dif. This episode of c-dif is different from when I got it in 2019. You are absolutely correct about the loads of laundry and I’ll probably get brain damage from breathing in the disinfectant. I wish my bathroom had a window. I don’t think doctors test after the vancomycin treatment. I’m in the States and I asked for the stool test in 2019 and my Dr also said they don’t do follow-up testing. It’s a very frustrating infection. Please take care.
...I did a quick search and one site said some people get bloating and constipation when they have a-typical C.Diff....I didn't know that. I had quite a bad few months and year... diagnosis of narrow angle glaucoma and four of my very few friends passed away... having the very bad diarrhea led to a lot of laundry, disinfecting, and ultimately isolation from which I never really recovered that was 2018 and I was 75. I was told once the vancomycin treatment was over they don't test again (Ontario) for c.diff as it can live in the body...unless diarrhea starts again, but as I had IBS-D ... and ended up with fecal incontinence, was not tested again...its odd that some people get it and get over it quickly, am happy for them, but was no so in my case, unfortunately ... Take care, J.
Thank you for the wishes to get better! I was on antibiotics for my bout of diverticulitis in late Feb which led to the c-dif (I also had c-dif back in 2019). Basically what I started experiencing was just a lot of needing to use the bathroom during the day - a lot of soft, but for the most part, formed stool. My gastro sent me to another for a second opinion and that gastro did a test for c-dif which came back positive. Just a vicious circle of things.
@judy75 I already had IBS-D ; then five or more antibiotics for UTI in as many months which caused C.Diff. In my case and I thought all cases, symptoms of CDiff include profuse diarrhea. When I started weeks of Vancomycin I was told not to use my anti-diarrhea meds, so you can imagine what I went through (as many others) and the constant thin diarrhea let to a painful behind! But as you have other bowel issues that I didn't have, am not sure if not going to bathroom is OK for you , but my thought is if you are eating, then where is that processed food going .... maybe someone here with more knowledge would know but I would keep count of the days you have not had a bowel movement..... hope you are better soon. J.
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1 ReactionI was diagnosed with c-dif last Thursday and have been on vancomycin - 125mg 4/day. The past few days I haven't really needed to use the bathroom much - almost feel constipated. Is that normal? I have internal hemorrhoids and a tortuous colon and two bouts of diverticulitis since Oct so I don't know what's normal any more. But just curious on feeling stopped up with c-dif. Or maybe it's my hemorrhoids making things weird. The gastro Dr said not to really worry about it, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
@dilly69 I so hope this works for you! Keeping you in my prayers. Keep us posted.
Glad he prescribed something and hope it helps you... good look with your recovery and hope you will continue improving. May God bless! Keep us posted!
Hi, so saw the Internist today. The results; when the C Diff was at it's worse, l developed fissures from such violent diarrhea. So he prescribed this gel that l squirt in my butt and it stops the Anal canal from opening to far and enables the fissures to heal.
Apparently it burns a bit when you first use it but it has to be better than the pain of trying to have a bowel movement.
Will let you know how it works
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1 ReactionI'll reply after doc appointment. I'm doing 30 minutes walking a day or working in garden and hoping things will pick up
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1 Reaction@dilly69 Hello again. Yes I have had no (former) energy since C.Diff 2018...long time... had full blood count last week and all seems ok (walk-in clinic dr.)... hope you get some answers from your GP today.... I now have to summon up strength to make a sandwich... but who knows if its anything to do with the actual illness or the many meds? Take care, J.