After two FMT's, I finally received a negative for c-diff a couple weeks ago. I am very concerned, though, because I have a colonoscopy scheduled for the first week in December.
I was treated for colon cancer this past year - surgery/chemo/radiation - and this will be my first colonoscopy since the treatment. I know it is important to keep up on this and make sure all is well, but I am freaking out about having the procedure and then having to deal with c-diff after because the prep will clear out all the good bacteria that was just put there!
I have had ct scans and they show no new tumors BUT my cancer diagnosis was delayed a month while, after five ct scans, they could not "see" the 7cm tumor and they were treating me with high doses of antibiotics to fight what they thought was an infection. After problems with the tumor obstructing my colon, they did a colonoscopy and found the tumor. Obviously, I do not trust ct scans to determine what is happening in my colon and really want the colonoscopy, but I fear what will happen after fighting c-diff for 10 months!
How do I decide what to do?
Finally got a negative for c-diff..but colonoscopy scheduled
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Re: Finally got a negative for c-diff..but colonoscopy sched
Wow Jane, this is a tough decision, and I think that you have to really discuss this with your doctor. Maybe getting a second opinion on this one could be helpful. I can totally understand your fear of having a colonoscopy so soon after c diff as I had the same fear. I have put mine off for a year, and will probably schedule soon. However, you have a recent history with colon cancer, which is nothing to fool around with. Many on this site did fine after a colonoscopy. Maybe you can up the probiotic intake for a while after. But, I am not a doctor, so you should really discuss your fear and concerns with your doctor.
Sorry you have to struggle with this.
Lisa
Sorry you have to struggle with this.
Lisa
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Re: Finally got a negative for c-diff..but colonoscopy sched
Just thinking out loud but would your Dr consider doing another FMT as part of the colonoscopy?
You might even be able to be your own doner if your c.diff free and the donation is collected before the prep.
I have not heard of this being done but it makes perfect sense.
You might even be able to be your own doner if your c.diff free and the donation is collected before the prep.
I have not heard of this being done but it makes perfect sense.
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Re: Finally got a negative for c-diff..but colonoscopy sched
Hi Jane
A friend of mine had a colonoscopy a month after her CDiff active-infection and she was fine , no relapse or anything but i think she upped her saccharomyces boulardii when she did the prep.But as Roy said, maybe your doctor can make a top-up infusion after the colonoscopy just to be sure , or you can do this at home after the colonoscopy with the same donor from your last FMT.I now that you are afraid but let's hope that everything will be allright.I'll pray that all goes well.
A friend of mine had a colonoscopy a month after her CDiff active-infection and she was fine , no relapse or anything but i think she upped her saccharomyces boulardii when she did the prep.But as Roy said, maybe your doctor can make a top-up infusion after the colonoscopy just to be sure , or you can do this at home after the colonoscopy with the same donor from your last FMT.I now that you are afraid but let's hope that everything will be allright.I'll pray that all goes well.
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Re: Finally got a negative for c-diff..but colonoscopy sched
Wow this is a great article. I can't believe that something so promising and really makes perfect sense isn't further along and mainstream by now.
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Re: Finally got a negative for c-diff..but colonoscopy sched
Thanks for the replies.
I did email my doctor (I posted this info somewhere else on this forum...I am still getting used to all the different threads and where it is appropriate to post.....) and he said to eat yogurt with live cultures (which I do every day anyway) and keep our fingers and toes crossed that all is well after the colonoscopy. His office PA started me on Florastor a couple of weeks ago, which I would think would be better than the yogurt, so not sure if he is totally up to date with what I am doing. Yogurt seems like a weak answer to this question........
I know that my doctors (oncology, radiology, GP) have been waiting patiently for me to get over the c-diff so that a colonoscopy could be performed, so when I was scheduled for the FMT, I asked the GI doctor if he could do a regular colonoscopy at the same time. He said no - that he would check while he was "going in", but it would not be a true colonoscopy, so could not be used in place of the one scheduled for December. I am not sure why.....maybe they do not want to scope the colon, then have to go back up to complete the FMT because of possible perforation? Maybe colon is too difficult to examine while c-diff is active? I will certainly ask him - and I think banking your own stool to be used for any c-diff flare-up is an awesome idea! I just wonder if my hospital is equipped to do that. I know they get their frozen stool for FMT's from MIT. Not sure who actually processes it, though. Many questions to ask him next time I see him!
I seem to have done a "flip" and am confused by my recent symptoms. Rather than having runny D all day, I know feel like I am getting constipated, but I am still having loosely formed stools. This is good, I think, re c-diff, but I am cramping before, during and after I go - and never really feel like I am finished. It feels like a pipe that may have hard stool all around the edges, but D goes through the middle. Does that make any sense?? It just feels uncomfortable all day and my abdomen is tender. Maybe just my colon getting used to not having c-diff. Oh, good grief, when will I be able to go through a day without talking about "poop"?!?!? lol
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions - quite a bit to think about!
Jane
I did email my doctor (I posted this info somewhere else on this forum...I am still getting used to all the different threads and where it is appropriate to post.....) and he said to eat yogurt with live cultures (which I do every day anyway) and keep our fingers and toes crossed that all is well after the colonoscopy. His office PA started me on Florastor a couple of weeks ago, which I would think would be better than the yogurt, so not sure if he is totally up to date with what I am doing. Yogurt seems like a weak answer to this question........
I know that my doctors (oncology, radiology, GP) have been waiting patiently for me to get over the c-diff so that a colonoscopy could be performed, so when I was scheduled for the FMT, I asked the GI doctor if he could do a regular colonoscopy at the same time. He said no - that he would check while he was "going in", but it would not be a true colonoscopy, so could not be used in place of the one scheduled for December. I am not sure why.....maybe they do not want to scope the colon, then have to go back up to complete the FMT because of possible perforation? Maybe colon is too difficult to examine while c-diff is active? I will certainly ask him - and I think banking your own stool to be used for any c-diff flare-up is an awesome idea! I just wonder if my hospital is equipped to do that. I know they get their frozen stool for FMT's from MIT. Not sure who actually processes it, though. Many questions to ask him next time I see him!
I seem to have done a "flip" and am confused by my recent symptoms. Rather than having runny D all day, I know feel like I am getting constipated, but I am still having loosely formed stools. This is good, I think, re c-diff, but I am cramping before, during and after I go - and never really feel like I am finished. It feels like a pipe that may have hard stool all around the edges, but D goes through the middle. Does that make any sense?? It just feels uncomfortable all day and my abdomen is tender. Maybe just my colon getting used to not having c-diff. Oh, good grief, when will I be able to go through a day without talking about "poop"?!?!? lol
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions - quite a bit to think about!
Jane
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Re: Finally got a negative for c-diff..but colonoscopy sched
I would ask your doctor if they can perhaps do FMT maybe with an enema after they finish your colonoscopy if they don't want to go back up to do it that way. I know that a doctor I saw mentioned that and he uses stool from OpenBiome.
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