Help! Perplexed about what to do about upcoming trip to Hawa

[Deanne Lessley]

I am an R.N. who has just finished a 7 day course of Flagyl 500mg 2x/day for c.diff. I had a great weekend but today, 6 days after stopping it I started having diarrhea again and feeling low energy and chills (no temp).
We have tickets to go to Kona, HI in 1 wk.
Do you think I should chance it (the rest of the week might answer the question for me) My Dr. has given me a script for Vancomycin course.
Also, we will be working at a university and I have a concern that I might contaminate others.
That Flagyl is YUKKY! Is the Vancomycin any easier to take?
Thanks for any input you can give. Deanne

[fire7163]

Deanne:

For me Vanco was far easier to deal with, except for the price !!! ( and there's a way to fix that). If it was me, I'd got to Kona and have a great time. It'll be good for your head. Pack your survival kit of Gas-X, Pepto, and ect. I firmly believe that you can control how much of a victim C-Diff makes you. You may not be in the best shape, but go for it !! I go to Alaska to "play" with bears each summer, even when I was relapsing. As for contaminating others...I share quarters, the kitchen, bunkroom, and the John's with the rest of the crew. We share the flue, and colds, but no one have gotten C-Diff. We just follow standard good hygeine and lot's of hand washing. You've got an internal infection in your digestive tract, you're not Typhoid Mary.

Enjoy the sun

Fire

[Nancy1]

Deanne,
Welcome to the group that no one wants to join. Be sure to read All Users Read This First, Dr. Borody's article, Dr. McDonald's article (in the FAQ section under Articles by Experts), and all areas in FAQ that interest you.

You've gotten lots of good advice. You're right, you should know if you have relapsed before you leave for Hawaii. Most people (about 80%) recover after 1-2 rounds of Flagyl or vanco, so I hope you are in the lucky majority. I felt much better on vanco than on Flagyl. Have fun in Kona!

[carrie]

I know it is hard to even think of travelling but I myself had a trip planned to Europe with my teenagers and got c-diff the week before I left. I was on Flagyl and got through it. Some of it was wonderful and other experiences were a bit off. I'm glad I never cancelled but when I look back it was a little risky. I relapsed while over there but fortunately friends were meeting me in Austria and had got extra meds from my doc. I hope you can go just make sure you are over prepared. I do hope I never caused anyone to get sick but that thought has always stayed with me due to some of the unsanitary conditions I came across especially the trains in Italy.

[feelinghopeful]

I got C-Diff about 1.5 months before I was supposed to go to Canada. If I'd been on Flagyl (which I was on for the three weeks) it would have been fine. Flagyl stopped the D and other symptoms but I had an immediate relapse. The doc then put me on Vanco, 250mg. 3x a day and this was not working so I then went to an infectious disease person the day I was to leave (had to drive from NY to New Hampshire alone to meet up with my boyfriend because there was no way I could go on this trip the way I was and my boyfriend had made some appointments there but I was determined to go) who put me on 125mg Vanco 4x a day with Rifampin 2 or 3x a day. I got sooo sick in Main we had to cancel the rest of the trip. Once home my GI put me on 500mg Vanco 4x a day and that absolutely got rid of my symptoms but ultimately never cured me after taking about 100,000$ worth of the stuff. I guess what I'm saying is, if you make sure to have enough meds so you can keep yourself from getting sick, don't miss that opportunity. If Flagyl kept you well just bring some for the duration. I am so angry that my first vacation in ages didn't pan out because of this stupid disease. I didn't know what I was doing yet with C-Diff so it never even occured to me to take more or less of anything. My guess is you'll be fine and I would go but like others have said, arm yourself so you are certain to enjoy yourself. Being a nurse I'm sure you'll know when and if to adjust your meds - if you even need any by then. Wait at least three days before assuming a med isn't working but if possible, try to bring enough to make sure you have what you need. I felt too vulnerable and sick to enjoy myself. Alcohol always instigated more sever problems for me so I couldn't even drink once I realized the correlation. My boyfriend only gets so many vacation days a year and I blew it for him, which didn't make me feel too great, either. I tried, though. Who knows when I'll get that opportunity again. Layoffs, big mortgage... go if you can. Sometimes you can't get these opportunities back.

[cindym]

Deanne- In my opinion if you are well enough to be questioning if you should go------THEN GO. If things were under control on the meds before they will be again. Flagyl made me horribly ill and actually made my symptoms much worse (read my history). Under normal circumstances and once controlled on meds but having a bad day I could take pepto caplet (one or two) and it totally slowed everything down to where I could go on about my normal routines. Have a great trip..........Cdiff is a beast who tries to take control........show it who's boss! ha!

[Bobbie]

Deanne Lessley,
As the other said, "GO. ENJOY!" You have meds. to control the infection. As a nurse you know about good hygiene -- it will protect you & others. Be esp. careful in restrooms. I always "flushed" twice before & afterwards.

As a safeguard, ask your doc. for a doc. referral in Hawaii. Also, if you cancel, you can get a voucher for another trip (for a price) if you have a letter written by a doc.

Who knows? Maybe sun & surf will "cure" you!!

As a nurse, pls. help us tell others about C. diff.