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

3 Weeks? I have been going though this for over 3 years. I wake up in the morning, feel as if I have food poisoning. Diarrhea and loose stools all morning and after noon with horrible cramping and severe pain in my intestines. By afternoon on a "good day" the diarrhea stops but my stomach feels as if it has been kicked repeatedly by a mule because the intestines are so stripped. My stomach hurts so bad even to move or walk. I usually just want to sleep. On worse days, this goes on all day, with the cramping and stomach pain and running to the bathroom usually nothing coming out by afternoon. I lay in my recliner and try to rest. That is the only thing that seems to help any. It was worse 3 years ago then it is now. My bms are very narrow and soft if it isn't all watery and loose. I have bms starting in the early morning, (waking me up at 5am or earlier) I can not go back to bed because once it starts it doesn't stop. If I am lucky by 2pm, the pain is still very bad but the diarrhea has stopped. I usually don't have another bm till the next morning when all hell breaks out again. The really bad days I wear pull ups and wish for death because the pain is so bad and I can't make it to the bathroom on time. As for it effecting my "social life"....what is that? I could care less about a social life. I just wish the pain would stop. Here is my theory of what I think has happened. I kept having bladder infections. The VA (Veteran's Hospital) Doctors kept giving me antibiotics. Dr. Bender at the VA hospital in Gainesville did me the worse damage, he left me on antibiotics for 2 solid years. I think that has permanently damaged my intestines and even my bladder now. I also have horrible bladder spasms. Bladder Spasms don't stop for hours and it is worse then any tooth ache you can imagine. It feels as if your bladder if OVER FULL and you really need to urinate. One of the things "Dr." Bender told me to do for the bladder spasms was to drink a cup of water with a couple of tablespoons of baking soda put in it. When you drink this, it makes you throw up. It doesn't help at all. I believe this damage is permanent. I have been able to go 3 years without taking any oral or intravenous antibiotics. I go to extraordinary lengths to avoid colds and infections. That is another entire story. I believe the antibiotics has caused this damage. The pharmaceutical companies have not done any studies on what long term use and over use of antibiotics does to people. IF they did they would be sued. I may be wrong but that is all I can come up with. Now what has helped me is this: I take Calcium Polycarbophil 625 mg tablets. I take 9 a day. 3 of them with each meal. It is very important to eat something, it only gets worse if you don't eat I find. On my really bad days I eat only saltine crackers and sometimes a can of Campbells Chicken Noodle soup. It seems to help. Another thing that I think has made a big difference is "Beano", Walmart makes there own brand and you take less of them. I take one of the Walmart Brand 3X a day. Lastly I take 9 to 12 pills a day of Probiotic 10. I can't always afford it. The VA won't pay for most of my meds. I buy the Probiotic from Costco. They have the best prices. I have had people tell me to eat Kimchee (it is fermented cabbage) and drink Apple Cider Vinegar. DON'T DO IT. I tried it and thought I was going to die. The Calcium Polycarbophil and Beano helps the most. I don't really know or can tell if the Probiotic 10 is helping at all. One thing that did seem to make it worse were my vitamins. I have stopped taking all my vitamins. Another thing that will really make it worse is greasy, friend foods, cabbage, cauliflower and ice cream and milk. I hope this helps and thank you for listening to me whine.

What state do you live in

Mayo Won't has some VERY strict rules before they will do them. I don't meet the criterial to have a fecal transplant done. After all the doctors I have seen, I don't trust any of them. Mayo is the only place I will go for treatment. Honestly, I would rather die then go back to the doctors I have seen. They are the ones that put me in this position.

So here is my update 4 months with cdiff finaly and slowly recovering ...1 thing i think is helping i got germacide bleach at lowes and i do my bathroom and kitchen 2 times a week reg bleach wont kill cdiff has to have sodium hyclortite in it my dr told me to do this and im thinking she is so rite

@guthealth. In the past I had intestinal problems Went to Dr he put me on more fiber and a good probiotic. This helped mine The probiotic put the good bacteria in my system guess this was what it needed In the beginning I thought more fiber but I have diarrhea but it worked. I never had cdiff but from what Ive heard a fecal transplant has helped others ,might be something to look into?

So sorry to hear about your pain. I am in the same boat, Developed diarrhea, gas and bloating following a course of Clindimycin (a terrible antibiotic in my opinion). Doctor thought I had CDiff, put me on Flagyl for ten days, got a little better but then I slid back. My tests came back negative for CDiff and I finally got to see a gastroenterologist who thinks I have SIBO and put me back on Flagyl. I am a little better but eating little and feel a lot of bloating, lost ten pounds in two months. Did you test positive for CDiff? Have you seen a specialist? Unfortunately, I don’t think PCPs know much about this. Mine is the one who basically messed up my GI by prescribing Clindimycin for a minor UTI, Try to get to a specialist if you can. In my case I have a bacterial infection but it was not CDiff but dysbiosis caused by too broad acting an antibiotic. I hope you feel better soon. Using Loperamide and a low FODMAPS diet is helping me a little bit. I am beginning to accept that my recovery from this is going to be gradual. Baby steps. I know what you mean about work and social life because I am sick of apologizing to my friends and or going to a restaurant and end up spending money for a meal I can’t eat or that gives me horrible diarrhea. This is not fun. Hard for others to understand how this can turn your life upside down so fast. Do hope you find answers and feel relief soon.

Fecal transplant is supposed to correct the problem by having good bacteria set the intestines on a normal path. I would certainly opt for it if I was experiencing the problem you all describe. Please consider this break-through in gastro procedures. Wishing you all wellness.

I feel for you, I’m going through the same thing. I was prescribed antibiotics and now have had a c diff infection for 3 weeks. I’m on a second course of antibiotics and they are not working nothing is. I’m loosing weight, and I’m severely depressed due to my social life, work life and personal life being negatively impacted by this infection. The doctor told me I may have an “upset stomach” She never mentioned colitis caused by a C Diff infection being a possibility if she had I would have never taken the antibiotics. I’m very upset by negligence on the part of my doctor. Something has to be done to help all of us who are suffering from life changing ailment.

Paula please ask about Fecal matter transfers which have over 90%cure rate for C Diff.

I have been going though much of what you described and worse. Is there any chance we could talk via phone? I maybe able to offer you some suggestions. I am not selling anything. Just too much to type on here. I am also a patient at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Florida. I have had C -diff 3 times. If I get it again I think I'll die. I can't take flagely or vancomycin anymore either. My bowels are all messed up too. It is from the over use of antibiotics and over doses of them I believe. Have you ever had your appendix removed? I had a nurse tell me that is what has caused a lot of problems for people. The appendix actually the seed vault that produces the good bacterial we need in our guts. When our appendix is removed we lose the good bacterial it produces. My name is Paula.