HELP I think I'm relasping

[Bobbie]

jankelly,
About l out of 5 people develop IBS after C. diff. See FAQ-IBS. The symptoms are very similar so I "made up" the "Three Day Rule." (See FAQ-Three Day Rule.) It isn't medical -- just a "guesstimate." If your symptoms don't get worse after 3 days, it could be IBS. If they do get worse, it could be C. diff.

I "got over" my last bout of C. diff. in l999 after taking Levaquin for a sinus infection & then wound up in the hospital with sinusitis, pneumonia, a UTI, & C. diff. It lasted 4 yrs. -- l993-l997, probably because I developed other infections which required antibiotics. Both times, I was cured (but not until the 2nd round almost 4 yrs. after the lst) by "the broth." It worked the lst time after my 2nd bout of C. diff. See Doctors - Dr. Mark Allen, KC). I went to both Mayo & the U. of Mich. Med. Center & here the "cure" (for me at least) was in my own city! What irony!

Even though I never had a GI problem before C. diff., I have IBS. I'll be fine for days & sometimes weeks & then I'll have days of pain, D, cramping. About 3 wks. ago, I asked Dr. Allen to do a culture for C. diff. because the pain lasted for weeks. It was negative. I've been having a lot of personal problems, however, so maybe this was a factor.

I agree with the others. The good news is I think you are over C. diff. (Some do relapse after 7 wks., but the chances are good you won't. I always felt "safe" after 6 wks.) The bad news could be that you have IBS. This goes away with time for some; with others (like me) it continues. My unmedical opinion is that it could be related to the length of time a person has C. diff. or perhaps how strong the antibiotic was that caused it. (Vantin is now rarely prescribed because of all the C. diff. it caused.) Also, C. diff. does "a number" on your GI tract & it could just be healing -- without after effects.

Do get a heating pad. It's safe & no side effects. And do be careful about taking antibiotics again if they contributed to your C. difff. Congrats. I think you've "beaten the beast." Celebrate! (A slight damper -- if you symptoms do reoccur & continue, consult your doc.)

[Jenny]

Jenkelly,

Congratulations, I'm so happy that you got a negative result. It sounds like the symptoms you've been having are from IBS and hopefully that will pass in good time. Watch what you eat and hopefully you will find something that really agrees with you and start putting on some of that weight you lost:)

Take Care

Jenny