Have C diff again :(

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mathewb
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Have C diff again :(

Postby mathewb » Mon Feb 25, 2019 9:07 am

I'm a 36 year old female and I got c diff after needing a lot of dental work from grinding my teeth really bad at night. I was on two courses of antibiotics and steroids. Then about 2 weeks later- c diff! It started off slow then got really bad on Jan 20th. I didn't have the normal symptoms, so a good friend who is a ER doc and my primary doc didn't think I had it. I was improving by limiting dairy. After a day or two- no more diarrhea at all. Then I get the call that the test result was positive and I started flagyl. I hate that stuff! It was the worst part. Then i developed oral thrush which I still have- treatment isn't working well. And as of Feb 18th, I have c diff again, treating with oral vanc. I want to cry. I just want to feel normal again and eat normally again.
As of two days ago, my stomach is feeling off. I cant eat much. I'm so scared this will never go away. We have a trip planned to hawaii at the end of april and I dont know if i should cancel.

AllisS
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby AllisS » Mon Feb 25, 2019 9:55 am

Hi mathwb, welcome to the site. Please read our guidelines for all new posters, which you'll find in the first section of the intro category.

Many people contract C. diff from antibiotics prescribed by dentists, despite the fact that antibiotics are seldom necessary in conjunction with dental work. (Without knowing exactly why you were given antibiotics, it's hard to guess whether you actually needed them.)

If the diarrhea has subsided your dr ought not have treated you on the basis of a positive test. There are often false-positive results following C. diff. But it sounds as though the D recurred -- is that correct? And vanco was prescribed due to its return (?) In any case, flagyl wasn't a good choice by your dr as your initial treatment and is no longer recommended because it has a higher rate of recurrence. The vanco is very likely to be successful. (This is the same course of treatment, flagyl followed by vanco, which I had about six years ago; it worked.) Thrush (which I also had) can be treated, with Diflucan -- though you say your treatment for it (what was it?) hasn't worked. Let the dr know, if you haven't already, so another type of treatment can be chosen.

It's extremely likely that you'll be feeling well enough to travel in two months! Though it's always a good idea to buy trip insurance, regardless of C. diff status.

Hope you feel better soon.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

roy
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby roy » Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:08 am

Your post is a little confusing because to diagnose c.diff a Dr must look at the symptoms first and only then confirm it with a test.
A positive test without symptoms does not mean you need treating.
If c.diff does cause diarrhea the first "traeatment" is to stop the offending antibiotic, if the diarrhea then resolves no more treatment is needed.
Treat the patient not the test result!
C.diff is only a disease if your body reacts to it, it can be part of the normal gut flora.

Also routine dental work should never automaticaly be accompanied by preventative antibiotics.

mathewb
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby mathewb » Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:30 am

Thank you for your reply! I should have provided more information. The dentist gave me amoxicillin first for 10 days starting December 16 (Ihad swelling after a filling she thought would need a root canal- which it did), then for a second procedure, gave me clindamycin on December 31st for 7 days along with a medrol dose pack after a second root canal that gave me a lot of pain afterwards. I had a lot of work done in a short amount of time. I was taking probiotics and kefir with the clindamycin, but I did not continue it that long after completing the antibiotic.
I was off all antibiotics by the dentist by Jan 8th, I believe. The first time the c diff symptoms started was on Jan 18th and got worse by Jan 20th, I had increasing frequency of D and horrible stomach cramps, but it started to slow down on its own before starting Flagyl. I saw the Dr on Jan 21st and gave a stool sample on Jan 22nd. When I took the stool sample, it was no longer D but very soft stool (I really hope that's not too graphic- apologies if it is). That tested positive and I received the call that it was positive on Jan 24th (by this time I was feeling better by limiting dairy and what i ate). I finished the Flagyl on Feb 6th (14 days of treatment), and then symptoms started up again on Feb 18th. This time I had urgency, some stomach cramping and soft stool but not D and I had lactose intolerance- same way the symptoms started the first time. I took a stool sample on Feb 18th (same day) as directed by the dr. I got the results on Feb 19th and I started oral Vanc on Feb 20th. The oral thrush started on Feb 1st and they gave me a 3 week course treatment of Mycelex troches. It did get better slighty but is slowy getting worse again. Woke up with a sore throat again for two days now.
Sorry for not providing more details the first time.

Musings
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby Musings » Mon Feb 25, 2019 11:42 am

Have to agree with Roy, even if there is a positive test, a doctor should be treating on symptoms as it sounds like your body was naturally taking care of the c.diff which is the ideal path when possible. Flagyl is no longer the accepted first course of treatment either and may have caused additional GI discomfort as that's one of its main side effects. If you are having soft stools only, would stick with a bland diet and not treat again unless symptoms match the test (3+ episodes of watery diarrhea for 3+ days) as it can take some time to return to "normal" even with a mild case of c.diff.

mathewb
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby mathewb » Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:48 pm

Thank you everyone! I remember when the dr called me the first time telling me it was positive for c diff- I questioned taking the meds thinking that I felt better if I avoided dairy and stuck to a bland diet. I should have listened to my gut. But I also didn’t know any better at the time.
I guess I have to finish out the oral vanc (125mg.. but now I’m reading I should have gotten at least 250mg), and then take it day by day. Waiting to hear back from the dr about the oral thrush. My body needs a break!

Appreciate the replies! I feel so alone in this.

MKW
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby MKW » Mon Feb 25, 2019 9:48 pm

Hi, I was on Flagyl for my first two episodes of c diff. And I developed horrible recurring oral thrush.
I was first given Nystatin and then the troches that you are taking. They helped with symptoms but it did not go away completely.
I finally got rid of it after my third seven day round of Diflucan. Basically, I suffered with thrush on and off throughout my entire ordeal with c diff. I was finally cured of c diff by an FMT.
It is vital you resolve the thrush and you need to report to your doctor the treatment has not been effective.
Absolutely for me it was caused by the Flagyl further disrupting my healthy flora and allowing Candida to overgrow.
Also, my c diff was caused by Clindamycin from my dentist. Honestly, I feel that it should be law a medical doctor has to approve Clindamycin prescriptions.

mathewb
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby mathewb » Tue Feb 26, 2019 12:59 am

Thank you for that info! Glad I’m not the only one that went through this. I saw my dr today and she wrote me diflucan for the thrush. I can tell she’s worried about me cause I’m not getting better. She said the flagyl works for most of her patients over the years. She also ordered complete bloodwork as well. I’m praying it all comes back normal

georgina
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby georgina » Tue Feb 26, 2019 1:31 am

You shouldn't have been treated with Flagyl in the first place , it is not FDA approved treatment for Cdiff. The trush is definitely because of the Flagyl , once you finish the treatment the trush will subside on it's own. If you don't feel improvement in your symptoms you should ask your doctor for Vanco or Dificid , these two are the FDA approved treatments for Cdiff.

mathewb
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby mathewb » Fri Mar 01, 2019 10:57 pm

Thank you! Today is my last day of oral vanc. Hopefully I’m okay from here on out :)

Ril
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Re: Have C diff again :(

Postby Ril » Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:25 pm

If you are still seeing your PCP it would be a good idea to make an appointment with a GI dr who has a good handle on c diff and understanding of the latest protocol for testing and treating. Hopefully you won’t have any other missteps but it’s always the best course when you run into any issues, and always a good idea to have one for future follow up “just in case”.


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