About to blow a gasket!!!

[kwiatek7]

Hi all,

A year ago I got diagnosed with C Diff and still trying to recover. Ooh how I wish I would get back to normal sooner than later but some improvement is better than none. I am into fitness (I am 27)and I been trying to get back slowly into it after not being able to be active for months. It’s real hard for me to take it easy but I am trying my best. I have noticed when I try a little harder (see my body limits) afterwards I feel so miserable and my stomach is so upset; this last for a few days. Have any of you experienced this and why would this be? Too much pressure on my body organs perhaps? Mind and body at times can be on different pages. Also I been making protein shakes and I think that the protein is upsetting my stomach (year dealing with food sensitively and still not seeing much improvement so frustrating); have any of you dealt with this issue or know someone that has?

Thanks for your advice in advance.

Agnes

[Jackie25]

Good morning Agnes :) I hope this finds you well! I, too, am very into fitness and just wanted to share my experience with you. I was diagnosed with c diff the beginning of December if I remember correctly. I took a few rounds of medication but a long taper and pulse of vancomycin is what finally cured me. However-I had to take a round of Bactrim for a horrible UTI I got during my recovery so I actually had a positive c diff a little less than a week ago. And now I am back on vancovancomycin. This round seems to be much milder than the last and I'm doing great so far!

During my last round of c diff and recovery I felt awful for a long time it felt like. And not being able to workout was torture! I found that anything too strenuous made my stomach feel very uncomfortable. Mainly a lot of cardio (running sprints more than anything) it just made my stomach feel like it was being jarred around. The wonderful people on this site made me realize I needed to start slower. With other illnesses you take your meds and are usually on the mend pretty quickly. C diff doesn't play this way, however :/ it takes a LONG time for some people to feel halfway decent and be able to carry on the way they had before this infection. And it does suck- but try and stay positive. Light exercise will help with that :) I know it does me anyway! I try to remind myself and look back at see how much progress I've made from when I REALLY felt like crap. Any progress is better than none at all!

And I also can no longer have protein shakes after my workout- looking back they would make me use the RR before I even had c diff- now they sorta upset my stomach and sometimes just don't dogest very well. I'm not sure why-but I simply just don't drink them to avoid any issues. I wish I had better answers for your questions- I just wanted to share my story so you know you are not alone!

[kwiatek7]

Thank you Jackie for sharing your experience :)

I would think that a year later my body would be more ready but it disappointing that it’s not. The first few months (like half a year) I couldn’t exercise at all so the gym was out of the question and now I am excited to be back but its slow process. I try to do a little more to see if my body will be okay and bammmm I feel like crap. Uggghhh. I wonder why protein is not good for the stomach. My diet is so limited and its torture. Is that the same case for you?

[daisy]

kwiatek7, have you tried other sources of protein instead of a protein shake? I eat vanilla greek yogurt, mixed with reduced fat peanut butter, sliced almonds and grounded flax seed. I tolerate it really well and I like it a lot. Just giving you ideas...

[kwiatek7]

Thanks Daisy for the ideas.
I do eat other sources of protein but I bought this protein powder from the Vitamin Shoppe that I take pre or post workout. Never thought it would make my stomach so uneasy (I have a limited diet as it is). It has been a whole year that I been dealing with C diff. post issues and it blows my mind how long it can take to recover and I feel like I wont ever get back to 100% myself. I hope this time next year I will be much better. I hope we all get better; no one deserves to suffer so long.

[Jackie25]

I'm not sure why the protein powders are hard to tolerate, but I do get protein from other places (food) on a daily basis. But I do miss my shakes lol I can no longer take BCAA powder either, it also makes me have an upset stomach. I was wondering if maybe it is the flavoring/sugars in both? I don't really eat much sugar anymore as bacteria and infections tend to thrive off sugar so maybe that could be a reason why. It does take awhile to heal, and patience is not something I'm usually too good at. But I believe also that one day we will all feel back to ourselves :) and hopefully there will come a day when no one is infected with this nasty bug again!

[kwiatek7]

Hmmm the protein powder I use has no flavor and not much sugar but I agree I also can no longer tolerate sugar; its a killer. I used to not be able to go a day without chocolate or something sugary and now I have to watch it. I wonder if this will ever go away or how long it will take me to get over this. Like you, patience is not my best friend. I am glad that there's other people out there experiencing the same thing so I know its normal somewhat :/

[kwiatek7]

By the way what kind of symptoms do you experience when you have sugary stuff?
For me I feel like my body is just uneasy/weird/funky, I get jittery, I think I have little bit of IBS as my stomach is so messed up on top of that I become anxious and sad.
I hope I have no other underlying issues. I feel so sick now and I think it has to due to bubble tea I had today. A year and still struggling. Ugghhh. I think I might go see a dietician or something but I wonder if there are some that specialize it C Diff. patients because that would be great.

[Jackie25]

When I have sugary stuff, even too much fruit, I also get jittery and my stomach will rumble and sometimes cramp up on my left side. It's nothing too painful or aggravating but it is annoying. Seeing a dietician might be helpful for you :) on a daily basis I consume boiled eggs and gluten free bread with a handful of blueberries for breakfast, and lunch and dinner usually consist of either turkey or chicken, white rice or potatoes, some sort of bean (for the fiber) and green beans. It's not very exciting-but my stomach handles these foods very well. And if your into working out these foods will be beneficial for you as well :)

I know what you mean about the comfort of knowing you are not the only one going through a particular issue or symptom. C diff can make you feel alone since typically (in my case anyways) I had never heard of c diff before being infected with it, and have never met anyone before this site who had it either! But you are definately not alone!

[kwiatek7]

Jackie, thanks for sharing that with me. So you diet is really simple and you don't go outside of it? I been doing the same but sometimes I experiment thinking my stomach is ready for it only to prove myself wrong. I been eating pretty much the same thing for around a year and it’s not easy. Going to parties/ meeting up friends/family is hard because they don't understand my food choices I make. I bet you have experienced this to and most of us on here. Just tired of always explaining myself and feeling like an odd ball. I wish I could eat like a normal person without thinking beforehand that I will not feel good afterwards. All the joy of eating is washed away, if you can’t enjoy the foods you used to like.

I also have never heard of C Diff. before I got it or knew anyone that had it. When I was going through the worse times my sister who is a nurse told me that she hoped that I didn't have C Diff. and then it came out to be just that.

I wish you a fast recovery! And thanks again for your input.

[Jackie25]

I go outside of those foods every once in awhile but not much, and if I do I try not to overdue it in fear that it could cause IBS issues and that would only rev my anxiety. I know what you mean about it being difficult going out with friends and family and having to still eat the bland food while they enjoy yummy fattening things (and alcohol-I miss a good margarita on cheat day! Lol) however, the way I try to look at it is that we don't really need those un healthy foods. Sure they're tasty but they're known to cause other health issues so really we are doing ourselves a favor :) sounds lame, but it really is the truth. C diff is a difficult thing to go through but once I joined this site I realized there's a lot of people out there who have had or have it now- I think it's more common than most people realize.

Also I thought I would mention this to you as I was thinking about it today- I found a natural protein powder. It's vanilla flavored but is gluten/dairy/sugar free I believe. Brand is isopure. I'm thinking of trying it to see if it handles okay with my stomach! That would be awesome! I hope your feeling better, time heals all!

[Bobbie]

Unfortunately, everyone is different regarding what they can tolerate after c diff. Try some of the hints the others gave you. Also, see CDI- Nutrition.

A probiotic called Primadilphus Reuteri has helped several posters gain weight. You can buy it at Wholre Foods or drugstores like Walgreen's Get the type that needs refrigeration as it is supposed to be more potent

[kwiatek7]

Jackie, thanks for your input. I miss having a good drink as well and I hope one day we will be able to drink again without feeling sick. That’s a good way of looking at it and I totally agree with you; not lame at all. This site reiterates that we are not alone.

Wow, that protein powder sounds interesting. If you buy it, you have to let me know how it works, please :)
I have my good days and bad but lately it’s been iffy. I went back on these multivitamins that I haven’t taken in a while and I think it’s upsetting my stomach. I am trying to pay close attention to what I put in my body and remove anything that causes me to feel sick. I hope you’re feeling better as well.

Bobbie, thanks for the hints; I will look into the nutrition. I am certainty not trying to gain weight; my metabolism blows and losing weight was always a struggle. I take synthroid for my thyroid so I am trying to examine/see if perhaps that’s not helping me but hurting my stomach as well. Not sure if there were posts about this but if you recall one please let me know. Hope you’re doing well yourself.

[justme]

Unfortunately, the healing process with this disease can take a very long time for some of us. Despite my advanced age (71) and health issues (heart), I am in fairly good health. I was a total gym rat for over 25 years and continued to maintain a pretty rigorous exercise routine for my age until C. Diff. Like nothing else, it laid me low. I lost 47 lbs. during the first 6 weeks and struggled to gain it back. Like Jackie, I have kept to a simple diet of carbs, protein, and fruit with forays into cooked vegetables. Dairy sweets,and spicy food are still a problem and I've been trying to get back on probiotics, but it continues to be an iffy adventure. It has been 2 years and 2 months since my C. Diff recovery and I still am not 100%. My colon gets sore whenever anything moves through, whether it is solid or gas and stays sore for sometime afterwards. Exercise has been a gradual process, starting with slow short walks, stretching, and very light weights. I am back to an almost normal exercise routine, but I'm careful (now I have to worry about my aging joints). Those who experience this disease, recover quickly and are able to resume a normal diet and lifestyle are very fortunate. But there are many of us who may never get back to what we once considered to be our "normal". Patience has never been one of my virtues, but C. Diff has convinced me that it is something I have to develop. Good luck to all of you.
Aloha,
Anne

[kwiatek7]

Anne,

Thanks for your input. I am so sorry to hear about your health issues but glad you’re in fairly good health now. Wow, 2 years and 2 months?!? It’s been a year for me and some days are so rough I just want to give up but that's not a choice. Have you been dealing with some IBS issues? And if you have, is there really any help out there for it? I am afraid of taking prescribed stuff from the doctors now and rather take the natural path. I am going to see a naturopath soon. Patience has not been my best virtue either but now we are able to work on it. This whole experience taught me so much already but I am read to get back to my normal/smarter choices self but it doesn’t work like that :(

Thanks again,
Agnes