Frequency/Recovery Questions

[NikaNik]

Happy Monday, all!

I've searched and found various conflicting answers (some from a while ago) so I figured I'd ask these three questions here. I took my last dose of a Dificid taper yesterday and am praying to be on the road to recovery. Appetite still isn't great, but I'm hoping that will work itself out.

1) To those of you who are c diff free now, did you experience varying frequency during recovery? Before c diff I went maybe once or twice a day. On the Dificid it was anywhere from 1-4. Should I panic if I go more or less?

2) The color has varied from brown to golden/orange and the last few days has been more orange-y. Is that a sign of impending relapse, or can recovery color vary from day to day sometimes?

3) With active c diff I noticed I had lots of gas with passing stools. I didn't have too much of that on the Dificid but now, just a day after my last dose, I'm noticing it again. Does gas with passing stool happen in recovery too?

I know the rule is if you're not having watery D 3 times a day for more than 3 days, don't panic...but my mind is super anxious at the moment. Thank you, as always!

Nikki

[Aud]

I'm sorry I can't answer your question but it brought up one I asked on another forum. May I ask what schedule you were on with your taper?

I'm also very interested in hearing answers to this as I am currently taking care of my 84 yr old mom who starts deficid. We are currently in Florida where they are snow birds and i need to get them home to Wisconsin. I've been here close to 3 months. I would like to schedule plane tickets home after the deficid but not sure how many days after last dose day for optimal safe travelling, its a 3 hour flight. If it's going to reoccur I want to have her back home. Thanks

[NikaNik]

Hi, Aud!

Sure thing! My doc put me on 2 a day for 10 days, then 1 pill a day for 20 days. He said he's had good success with this regimen! Another poster on here (NanciT) did the same taper but with another 20 days of 1 every other day, then 1 pill every third day. She's six months clear after a 10-month battle! I asked my doc about doing her regimen since it sounded awesome, but he didn't want to do it yet.

I felt pretty great on the Dificid, other than some loss of appetite here and there and 3 days of D (attributed to too many raisins!). He also has me on something called Enteragam - it's supposed to disable the toxins and help with IBS. Hoping it works out!

I'm only 35 and this has been very rough emotionally and physcially - I can't imagine for an 84-year-old. Your mom sounds like a tough cookie. Sending blessings & prayers that she is c diff free very soon!

Nikki

[Misscshell24]

Yes, no, yes, and yes :)

My bms have been all over the place. I think the biggest turning point for me was when I stopped worrying. I know, easier said than done. Also, I'm sure I'll always worry, like all do, to some degree. But c diff can consume so much of your life and thoughts, I personally did better once I decided to take a mental break from worrying. Of course, if I have concerning symptoms, I'd check with my doc. But every person's recovery is different. Some go back to normal and can eat whatever they want and others it take a long time. For weeks my bms were all over the place, with M and gas and varying color(depending on what I eat). I think you just have to listen to your body and focus on what you can control, whether it be diet or probiotics, and do all you can to be physically and mentally healthy again.

[NikaNik]

Ha! Thank you, Misscshell! You're awesome. You're so right about the worrying. I think that's my biggest life lesson from this. I've ALWAYS been a worrier (diagnosed with GAD in high school). This has taught me that no amount of worrying and stress will change anything anyway so why NOT focus on being happy and stay positive? It makes me feel a heck of a lot better when I do that (and I'm sure it's easier on those around me). I am not in control no matter how much I think I am so I've got to just ride this out and take one hour, one minute, one second at a time. That's really all we have anyway. : )

[beth22]

I still have gas. It doesn't mean a relapse. It just means that you have trouble digesting certain things and that your bacteria is out of balance. It takes time for things to settle down. If you are able to eat yogurt, that used to help me before c diff, but after I couldn't tolerate it. I got a lot of food intolerances after I went off vanco. On vanco, I could eat pretty normally. You will see yourself what sits well and what doesn't. But, it does take a long time and you will have ups and downs. I used to panic every time I had D, but more often than not, I would test negative. And even when I did test positive, I took Pepto Bismol, and subsequently would test negative. Not sure why.