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

Hi. Is it normal to lose weight with c diff?
Is it difficult to gain it back? I was thinking I would gain after eating so much thanksgiving weekend. I normally weigh 130 and am down to 122 and have lost muscle tone.

@big001 .... C diff is such a hard thing to over come. I've had 4 bouts of it and used three different RX's. I even did the Vancomycin pulse and taper for 5 or 6 weeks. I was good for 3 weeks and then it came back with a vengeance. I then did 10 days on Deficid. It will be one month tomorrow since I finished that RX. Is the probiotic you're taking Florastor? My gastroenterologist has me taking that now since it has Saccharolyces Boulardii which survives stomach acid and colonizes in the intestinal tract where the C diff spores thrive. I pray this last RX works. Now with winter coming on, I hope I stay well. Last winter I had 4 sinus infections and the Clindamycin I took for the last one what was gave me the C diff this past April. Hopefully, you just have some bug that's going around. How long has it been since you finished the Vancomycin?

Unfortunately CDiff is one of those infections where relapses are common. From my experience, part of the reason we relapse after antibiotic treatment is due to improper diet. We are encouraged to return to a “normal” diet when symptoms subside and in my experience all of us who have suffered GI infections and take antibiotics have some form of dysbiosis or imbalance of good versus bad bacteria in our gut. A normal American diet consists of carbs, grains, sugars and other foods that may be otherwise healthy but not for someone coming fout of a gut infection. If you want to work on modifying your diet, look at SCD and Low Fodmaps diets. You may need to go on one of these for a period of time until your gut heals. Usually no dairy, very limited carbs, low sugar, and more protein, vegetables and certain fruits. I was initially diagnosed with CDiff, then SIBO and it has taken me three rounds of antibiotics and finally going on a low FODMAP diet to stop relapsing and start gaining the 20 lbs I lost in three months. The diet change was the missing component for me. I was eating rice, baked potatoes, toast, yogurt and all the foods that are bad for someone in my situation. But of course seeing a GI doctor would also be helpful. I finally had to seek a nutritionist to guide me through the process. Hang in there. Hope others here give you encouragement and feedback. Wishing you fast healing.

Hi, all! I am a 25 year old female who was diagnosed/treated for c diff about three months ago. The antibiotics (vancomycin) worked wonders initially; however, this past week, I’ve been experiencing abdominal cramping, pain in my lower left side of abdomen, irregular bowel movements, nausea, and general gas/discomfort. I am not sure if I am relapsing (I’ve had one case of diarrhea, yesterday, but stools have been mostly solid/soft otherwise) or if my digestive system is just not fully healed. I’m thinking the latter, so I am wondering if you all have any advice on healing your gut in the absence of actual c diff bacteria? I’ve been taking probiotics, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. Do you think an appointment with a GI doc would be beneficial? Not sure if there’s anything they can do or prescribe since I don’t think the bacteria is present. I have a friend who had c diff in high school and she said that her doctor prescribed her colitis medication. Is that typical for recovery?

My doctor is retesteting me mon im hoping this is just a bug going around

@guthealth ,nerofish so sorry your both having a rough time hope you feel better

@gina1963 with diarrhea you have to replace your electrolytes get water that has them In it or gator aide not the flavored just plain gator aide .Have you considered a fecal transplant they are haveing good results .

I do get lightheaded if my output of stool is a lot. Maybe you are dehydrated?

Has any one felt dizzy with the cdiff i had this since may got rid of it in october im having symptoms again i hope its just a bug

Hi @guthealth and @nerofish,

I’m so sorry to hear about your struggles with C.diff. I quickly wanted to jump in and mention some very recent information I found; I’ve copied some relevant notes: "Clostridium Difficile Colitis Medication" https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/186458-medication

"Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), which contains C difficile antitoxin, has been reported as an effective adjunctive treatment for refractory and severe cases of C difficile colitis/diarrhea. In some individuals, a poor host immune response to C difficile may be a risk factor for the lack of clearance of C difficile and may be the reason for the benefit of IVIG.”

I hope this helps some, and may I also ask if you’ve considered fecal transplant as an alternative to treat C.Diff?