Another Newbie with questions

Veteran support board users and new posters - use this forum to talk about whatever you want. Topics may be C. diff. related but are not required to be. Post here about posters' birthdays, holiday greetings, vacation plans, etc. If it doesn't fit in another forum, put it here.
Bennet
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Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bennet » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:46 pm

Hi I'm female and turning 61 soon. After 10 days on Clindamycin for a skin infection I began getting the classic C diff symptoms. I'm now on day 8 of a 14 day course of Flagyl. I was wondering if anyone can tell me if there have been any studies that show 14 days of Flagyl is more effective in curing this over the 10 day dose. I'm planning to gut it out with the 14 day dose despite uncomfortable side effects but I guess I'm looking for reassurance that 14 days will have a better outcome. Also, I have bought Kefir to drink but ran across a study done in 2016 that said Kefir actually made C diff worse. This study was done on mice, though. Anyway, I searched the forum and couldn't find answers to these two questions so was hoping I would get some feedback from you.

Thank you.
~Bennet

NanciT
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby NanciT » Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:55 pm

Hello and Welcome to the site Please read the first thread for all new posters

Unfortunately many physicians start with Flagyl. That is because of cost but actually it is not an indicated treatment for CDIFF. There was a paper posted here recently from ID medicine and it states patients should start with Vancomycin which is indicated for treatment of CDIFF.

I don't know if anyone can tell you a longer treatment will help. We do have posters that took one typical round and have done fine. But I for one failed Flagyl and relapsed quickly.
If you are doing well and symptoms have improved, complete the coarse ad hopefully it will take care of it.
Kefir is mentioned on this site over and over again, alot of posters have taken it. I have not seen a negative study.
Hopefully this will working for you
NanciT

MKW
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby MKW » Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:52 am

Hi, sorry to hear about your ordeal. I developed C Diff after taking Clindamycin from my Dentist. I am 46.
I was an unfortunate one who kept relapsing and finally had a successful FMT about a year ago.
My GI Doc who did my FMT runs a c Diff Clinic at university of Virginia.
She recommends kefir over all priobiotics to patients, if tolerable. Kefir is actually low lactose even though a dairy product.
Most people are cured by one or two rounds of meds. Probiotics/kefir are a won’t hurt might help approach to preventing relapse.
The Infectious Disease Society of America and society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America recently released new recommendations to treat initial episode of c Diff with vancomycin or fidaxomicin - not Flagyl. If you do relapse, mention this if your doctor wants to prescribe Flagyl a second time.
Best of luck to you! Also it can be helpful to read up on home care tips for cleaning and laundry. There is info on this site and the C Diff Foundation website has good home care tips.

AllisS
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby AllisS » Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:34 pm

I'm yet another one who contracted C. diff after a course of clindamycin. I hope you'll submit an Adverse Event Report about this dangerous drug to the FDA; you can access the site via the link at the end of my post. Though it may seem futile, unless patients report their experiences there may never be sufficient data to strengthen the black-box warnings for clindamycin and to discourage its use as an antibiotic of choice among physicians. I don't think we can rely on doctors to submit the data.

Best wishes for your recovery.

Allison
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

Bennet
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bennet » Thu Mar 15, 2018 6:36 pm

Thank you everyone for your replies. Very helpful information! Allison, I will file the adverse reaction report. I've read through these posts and keep seeing Clindamycin implicated over and over again.
~Bennet

Bobbie
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bobbie » Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:26 pm

Bennett,
Welcome to the site. As you have seen, you have a lot of company. Read the first forum for the history of the site and the rules of posting.

Ril
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Ril » Sat Mar 17, 2018 9:13 am

Hi Bennett, another “vote” here for someone who got c diff after taking clindamycin for a skin infection. There is a good reason you keep seeing it on this site. It is not your imagination. And I too started with Flagyl but was cured by vanco. I took the Flagyl for the usual 10 days and that is what you will generally find.
Rita

Bennet
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bennet » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:36 pm

Thank you Bobbie and Rita for your replies. Well, I ate a few of Kefir cups and really liked the taste but I don't think I will be eating any more. I have bladder pain from high histamine foods and so now I will have to juggle what I can eat that will help the C diff but not mess up my painful bladder issues :-(
~Bennet

beth22
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby beth22 » Sun Mar 18, 2018 1:52 am

Try taking some probiotics. There was actually a study that is posted somewhere on the site that was done with vancomycin and kefir and the group that took vanco as well as kefir had fewer relapses. Kefir comes plain as well as in fruit flavors. Maybe you would do okay with the plain one. I don't know about the taste though.

Bennet
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bennet » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:56 pm

Thank you Beth. Wonder if the study showed the probiotics helped with Vanco treatment that the same would hold true with Flagyll? I've been taking probiotics. Hope it works.
~Bennet

Bennet
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bennet » Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:05 am

I took my last dose of Flagyl yesterday at 3:00 pm. I stayed on it for the full 14 days even though I never felt I was getting a really good response to it. I had cramping and very loose movements through my time on Flagyl. Anyway, I woke up with full blown WD 3 times already this morning. I wanted to wait and give this the 3 day rule but with not being able to eat and already losing 13 lbs from this I threw in the towel and started taking the Vancomycin.
I sincerely hate starting a new antibiotic.

Did anyone else relapse that quickly off of Flagyl?

~Bennet
~Bennet

beth22
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby beth22 » Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:27 am

That is pretty quick, but if your symptoms never really got better, it may not have killed off the c diff to begin with. Hopefully, vancomycin will be better for you. If you feel you are not improving on it, then call your doctor. It's possible you might have some other infection in addition to c difficile. It can happen.

Bennet
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bennet » Fri Mar 23, 2018 7:35 pm

Beth, that is what I'm thinking that the Flagyll never really took care of it. I'm on the second day of Vancomycin and feel a lot better already. That Flagyll is some nasty stuff.
~Bennet

Bobbie
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bobbie » Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:03 am

Bennett, Vanco allowed me to
Have an almost normal life.
Last edited by Bobbie on Sat Mar 24, 2018 1:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

Bennet
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Re: Another Newbie with questions

Postby Bennet » Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:07 am

Bobbie, so glad to hear that!
~Bennet


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