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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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It's good to talk to people who know what's going on, the doctors just pushed the pills. I had to learn on this site about S. Boulardii. Taking it twice a day and it's a game changer. I was getting better till l started it. Are you US or Canada?
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1 ReactionI’m US, I live outside Wash, DC. My usual gastro Dr sent me to a gastro at Georgetown Univ Hospital. The G’town gastro was the one who requested the c-dif test. I first saw him last Monday and got the results Thursday. Amazingly it was the G’town Dr and not a staff person who called to let me know of the c-dif. And when I sent an email to the hospital portal site with additional questions, he was the one who called back. He’s been very responsive so far. But the bottom line is getting rid of this c-dif which scares me like the devil. After coming off two bouts of diverticulitis and now this I don’t even know what to eat any more. I’ve been eating a lot of tuna fish sandwiches and soup, baked potatoes and chicken. Losing a lot of weight. And I don’t think I’ve had more than 3/4 hours of sleep the last few months. My anxiety just keeps getting worse. I think I’m driving my psychiatrist crazy. I’ll have to ask the Georgetown Dr about S Boulardii, or is this a medicine only available in Canada?
I ordered germicidal bleach spray and wipes on Amazon. I like your idea of buying a bunch of white washcloths to use to wipe things down. Much cheaper than buying wipes or using spray and paper towels. I try to spray around the toilet after using it. And to make sure I close the toilet lid when flushing. I told my kids to only use their bathroom and stay out of mine. I also try to wash all my clothes on hot and dry everything in the dryer. Since I’ve lost so much weight I don’t mind if they shrink. I’m constantly washing my hands and they feel like sandpaper, but anything to try to be safe.
S. BOULARDII is two different brands here in Canada. Florastor or Renewel are the brand's. It's a probiotic, yeast based. It works great against c diff. I take it along with a regular probiotic.
You must remember to take this day by day, be grateful for the good days. I found relaxation meditation every day, also did light yoga.. also go to massage therapy.
I don’t know if they sell Floraster here or not. I have a lot of questions for my GI Dr. I know I keep telling myself I need to relax, but I suffer from anxiety disorder so I never know from one day to the next how I’m going to feel. But I know I need to try some type of relaxation therapy to try to get my mind right.
Doctor told us do NOT use Immodium with c. Diff as it will allow the toxins to build up (didnt work anyway). S.Boullardii is sold in US as Florastor. It really helps as it is a probiotic yeast (so you can start it even if you're on an antibiotic) and you can't really take too much. It creates a hostile environment for c. Diff. We also took VSL#3, which pharmacists keep in the fridge, to rebuild the good bacteria. But nothing works as well and as fast as an FMT. It is the only true cure.
Thank you for the information. These are all things I can bring up with my gastro Dr.
I looked and they do have it in US. Highly recommend it.
I also suffer from anxiety and l do meditation everyday. When it gets really bad l take an Ativan, C Diff seems to feed on anxiety.
I also take Ativan and propranolol for anxiety. My psych would like me to take something else, but I’m too afraid to take anything else. I really need to learn how to relax.
@concernedmtnmom I completely agree with you. I take s. Boulardii and visbiome(formerly vsl#3) every day. I also had the fmt in March, 2019, after 4 bouts of cdiff. It saved my life!