Living with IBS and Past CDIFF

Posted by rr1967 @rr1967, Dec 15, 2023

Hello all! I have posted here before and I appreciated all the information. I am providing and update and seeking more assistance.

I was diagnosed with my third bout of diverticulitis in July 2022 and my life has not been the same since. I was given Augmentin to treat the issue, but that led to a CDIFF infection and of course, the nasty effects of it. I was put on Vancomyacin twice to treat the Cdiff and I started taking Florastor probiotic.

I still have bouts of severe diarrhea and end up in urgent care. My gastro doc has run many tests: Fecal Calprotectin (normal), CT scans ( normal), Upper GI: Normal. I had a colonoscopy 2.5 years go and that was fine. My other blood work in the past came up fine too.
I am 56, vegetarian..almost vegan with the exception of lactose free yogurt.
I do suffer from chronic anxiety and depression and will be seeing a therapist to discuss medication in a few days.

Right now I am going through another bad flare up with my IBS, second time this year. I can have anywhere from 4-6 bowel movements per day. Some are normal, some of small pieces, some are loose. I have lost weight because I keep having to have bowel movements. I feel like I have to have a bowel movement many times a day even through nothing comes out or it is a very tiny amount. So frustrating!

I have followed the Low Fodmap diet to the best of my ability and it is not very sustainable for the long term.

I am not sure what else to do as I have become very despondent over the frequent bowel movements. My gastro keeps telling me that it is chronic IBS due to the damage done by the Cdiff. I am also a CDiff carrier as I will always test positive for it even without and active infection. I do not qualify at the moment for a fecal matter transplant though I am pushing my gastro to consider. Main thing is insurance may not cover it and the gastro docs may not even do it. I have tried Levsin. It works to reduce bowel movements but I get tired from it.

Not sure what else I can do?
Do any of you amazing folks experience what I am going through?

Thank you!
RR 1967

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pb50 | @pb50 | Dec 15, 2023

Have you had random biopsies of your colon to test for microscopic colitis? I had a similar history - diarrhea uncontrolled, stool testing revealed Yersinia, Bactrim treatment left me with C-diff. - also treated but diarrhea persisted. I had a colonoscopy with random biopsies and they confirmed collagenous microscopic colitis. I took Two months of a steroid (Budesonide) that is effective on colon but doesn’t produce systemic effects. Voila! Diarrhea conquered.

In my case the GI doc suspects one more known medication triggers - so I cannot take PPIs, NSAIDs, or SSRIs - a price I gladly pay for the end of my 7month nightmare.

Worth asking your doc’s thoughts. There are two types of Microscopoc Colitis -Lymphatic and Collagenous. Treatment with Budesonide applies to both.

jmue | @jmue | Dec 16, 2023

I am post Cdiff after antibiotic. Still learning. Having input from functional doctor is helpful. I take Florastor. Dairy free yogurt. Orthomolecular has several products that have been suggested. sbi and glutashield. Also make sure vitamin d level is solid. I take a tbsp of organic ground flax daily to bulk stool. I would say from experience it matters who you see and where you go. Teaching hospitals usually have a solid gi clinic with expertise in fmt.