Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

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Clberg
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Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Clberg » Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:01 pm

I have been battling CDiff for over 10 years. The past year has been the worst ever. I have been on Vancomycin and just finished Dificid. I can’t get this CDiff to go away. My dr just suggested an infusion that’s very new. It scares me to death to think about doing something so new with very scary side effects. Anyone have any information on this infusion? Or have had any positive results?

roy
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby roy » Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:47 pm

Do you mean you have copious watery D 3 times or more a day and its lasted 10 years?

NanciT
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby NanciT » Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:52 pm

I am just getting through a Dificid taper and I have an Infectious Disease Specialist that I see. I had CDIFF in 2014/15 and recovered after months of treatment at the time. I also saw 3 GI's.

My current ID doctor did mention this to me due to the fact I was so ill 5 years ago and now have it again. I was in the hospital and did get IV antibiotics before coming down with CDIFF this time.

I read through the side effects and complications of Zinplava, my understanding is it is not a treatment but an infusion given up to 6 months after treatment. At this time I am not going to consider this and I have not found any reviews on it, just the information on the study.

NanciT

Footie97
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Footie97 » Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:17 am

I am on a long taper of Vanco right now. I have been actively battling C Diff for 5 months. I was recently hospitalized for failed outpatient treatment for CDI. I know that I have been + for c diff for a relatively short period of time but I have lost significant amounts of weight in my battle.

My ID and GI have recommended Zinplava if I fail with long Vanco taper since FMT is available only in “emergency” cases due to COVID. I have read the studies and will consider. Luckily my GI was involved with OpenBiome since it’s inception and I have been approved for FMT if I fail.

As with all newer treatments of any disease, do your research and ask lots of questions and make the decision that is best for you!

Good luck and let us know how you are doing

Avalon18
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Avalon18 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:04 pm

My doctor has just recommended Zinplava to me. I may actually have it next week. It is my understanding that I will be continuing my vancomycin or other antibiotic treatment during and after the infusion. The Merck site indicates that Zinplava is co administered with an antibiotic. It is a monoclonal antibody treatment, similar in concept to some Covid-19 treatments. The infusion is given in an outpatient setting and takes an hour. In my case, the treatment would be given in my gastroenterologist’s medical building.

My C Diff is not responding to a 2nd higher dose of vancomycin. I’d had 125mg 4x day for 14 days with no improvement, and right now I’m on 250mg 4x day for 14 days with little change. My doctor is considering a change to Dificid, but he will probably prescribe the Zinplava in any case.

I have been hoping to see microbiome oral capsules instead of FMTs, but they are still in the FDA approval process. The capsules can apparently be the equivalent of an FMT, but are processed in a way to eliminate contaminants that present risks in FMTs.

In my case, I had symptoms of C Diff in mid-October, but it was not identified as C Diff or cultured until later in November. It is my first bout with C Diff, and is proving very difficult to treat.

beth22
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby beth22 » Thu Dec 24, 2020 2:32 am

Good luck with the Zinplava. I have read good things about it. I think it is worth trying and hopefully will be the answer for you. I did not respond well to vancomycin either and wound up doing an FMT, but now with COVID, that is probably not a good idea and I don't know if that is being done now anyway. I guess it depends on where you are.

NanciT
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby NanciT » Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:10 pm

If you do get the Zinplava, please let us know how it goes. The question has come up a few times but I don't believe we have anyone on the site who actually did get it.
At one point I was going to get it, but Dificid worked for me in the past and also once again.

Wishing you the best

NanciT

Ril
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Ril » Fri Dec 25, 2020 8:59 pm

I have no opinion and absolutely wish you well but am curious about why your dr decided against trying Dificid and going with the Zinplava.
Best of luck to you for a cure! As the others said please let us know how you do. This has come up before with no resolution.

Merry Christmas!
Rita

Avalon18
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Avalon18 » Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:29 pm

I had the Zinplava infusion today. I’d never had an infusion before. The patients in the infusion center, including me, were seated in recliners with IV equipment next to the chair. The infusion was managed by a nurse, and it was relatively uneventful. It took about an hour, and I had no side effects. The nurse at the infusion center told me that the Zinplava would be superior to another round of antibiotics, and would be the best option to prevent recurrence of C. Diff. My doctor told me that he wanted to hold off on Dificid - he did not think I would not need it. He also felt that the Zinplava would have a better chance of stopping the C. diff than the Dificid. Right now I’m finishing the Vancomycin. I hope this treatment works... FMTs are not being done right now in my area due to Covid-19.

Happy New Year to all..

NanciT
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby NanciT » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:44 am

Thank you for updating us, please let us know how you do and if you have any side effects to the infusion over the next weeks. I did alot of research on it recently as I was getting through my Dificid taper. Due to my hypertension, we decided not to do it.

Check back with us, let us know how you recover from CDIFF.

Wishing you the very best!!

NanciT

Avalon18
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Avalon18 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:45 pm

A week after the Zinplava, I contacted my doctor about my progress, which seemed a bit slow - although there was some improvement. There were no side effects, but in my case, no marked improvement occurred. The nurse at the infusion center said she did about 30 infusions of Zinplava a year.

My doctor said that a course of Dificid would now be advisable, so I’ve started a 10 day course of that. Initially, he’d thought that the Zinplava would work better than another antibiotic. It seems to be a trial and error process. The Dificid is not a tapered dosing. I’m thankful I have insurance; the Zinplava was over $4,000.00 and the Dificid runs about $4,800.00 without insurance.... Vancomycin is no bargain either. C. Diff is not only miserable and persistent, but the drugs are very expensive. I just hope to see an end to this infection soon.

beth22
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby beth22 » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:40 am

Hopefully between the Dificid and Zinplava you will now get well. Let us know how you do.

Bobbie
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Bobbie » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:17 pm

Avalon18,

Medicine is an art and not a science. Hopefully, you will improve soon. Keep posting. I remember how frustrating this is.

Pfried
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Pfried » Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:21 am

Hi, wondering how you responded to the combination of Zinplava and Difficid? I have heard excellent things about them. Recommended by my ID doctor.

Ali-Mar
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Re: Anyone heard of an infusion called ZINPLAVA

Postby Ali-Mar » Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:52 am

Sorry to hear you have been fighting C Diff for over 10 years now and I hope you are doing better.
Flora Medicine is a naturopathic clinic in Portland that makes FMT pills, I am not sure if they still have any due to COVID but might be worth contacting them. You can send an email to cofounder dr Piper drpiperdobner@gmail.com

Following is the link to their website.

https://www.floramedicine.com/
Male 54, contracted C-Diff on Feb 5, 2020, diagnosed on March 2nd, Took Flagyl for 8 days, Vanco for 10 days, relapsed 5 weeks post-Vanco. finished Dificid Taper on June 20 relapsed two weeks later, had the FMT on July 14th, 2020


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