20-30 bm's per day

[Woman51960]

I am relapsing again. This time seems more severe than any in the past. I never had blood before. This time was a little different. I literally could not stay off the toilet. I was having approx 20-30 stools per day and some are mixed with blood and black clots. I get severe cramps then have to runn.....for the toilet. I had been doing this for the past 2 days. Against my own belief I finally decided on going back on the vanco to get the symptoms to stop. I am now 24hrs into taking the vanco. It has ceased somewhat. Therefore, I am quite certain it is all from cdiff and nothing else. Just wondering if anyone has had the bm's this bad!!!
And, I thought 8-10 bm's per day was bad, hahaha...This time was worse than any I have experienced this far. This is the worst disease in the world and I wish some MD would come up with another cure that really works!! Has anyone on here had bm's so bad that they could hardly get off the toilet? Approx 20-30 or more a day.

I have had this disease almost 1 year now, and just can't seem to get rid of it. I think I may try the Oil of Oregano just as soon as I taper off this vanco again.

[Nancy1]

Woman,
Yes, with my last relapse I was going every 10 - 30 minutes night and day. They made me wait 3 days for a positive test result before giving me any more vanco. After a day and a half, and after I kept calling my doc in agony, they gave me cholestyramine, which made the D "only" every hour or two. I had water, mucus, blood, fever, nausea, and lots of pain. I could feel that my colon was swollen and thought maybe it was toxic megacolon and that I might die. If the test result had not been positive and if they had refused to give me more vanco, who knows, I might have.

[Bobbie]

Woman,
If you are passing black clots, I would definitely call your doc.

[Beverly]

When I first came down with cdiff I went 20-30 times a day. So weak by day three that I just laid on the bath mat on the bathroom floor all day (and night). Too weak to get out of bed to make the trip to the bathroom. This is a horrible disease and one you should not take lightly. My advice is to stay on Vancocin for at least a couple of weeks or until you have felt normal for some time. Do not bother with the oil of oregano, herbal stuff. This is a bacteria that from (what I've discovered) will only respond to Vancocin. I have had this for three years and over the three years tried all kinds of "alternative" medicines. Garlic, grapefruit seed extract, and everything labeled "for digestive health" in the health food store. Plus every probiotic there as well. At one time I was on 9/day Primal Defense because that is what my health food store manager said was the best....come to find out from Consumers Report it is the worst as far as it actually reaching your intestines...doesnt survive stomach acid. The ONLY thing that keeps it away is Vancocin. Thank God we have it. Don't get me wrong I do believe in building up your good bacteria. With proven brands that survive stomach acid. Also believe in exercise to help your immune system "fire" up. I just don't want you to develop pmc or toxic megacolon by believing someone who was helped by holistic methods. He might have gotten over it anyway....in spite of what he took. Most guys seem to relapse a couple of times and then drop off the site.......

[Bobbie]

I agree with Beverly. The only "proven" cures for C. diff. are Flagyl & Vanco. Dr. Borody mentions two other alternatives in his article.

Oil of oregano & other "cures" are listed in Treatments. Some people swear they help, but perhaps the person would have recovered anyway. "Buyer beware."

Run any alternative medicine by your doc. even though many know little about alternative meds. If you want to see a naturopathic (or homeopathic) doc., check out his/her credentials. Some have little training.

See FAQ-Alternative Medicine for more info.

[cindym]

In the beginning all my relapses were so fast and severe that as soon as they started I had to be on the way to the hospital to get hooked up to IV. Each and every time my blood pressure would drop to 60/40 and I almost died. None of my doctors after going though this about 6 times are agreeable to have me go cold turkey off the vanco again. With pulse dosing the relapses have been much easier and at first sign of trouble I start the vanco. NO MORE HOSPITALS FOR THIS OLE WOMAN if I can help it. Trust me if you are going to bathroom that often it is not IBS and is most definitely cdiff or a close relative. Hang in there.........time is everything with this bug it seems. I still am not over it but if you can believe it at this time it is one of my least concerns with all the other health issues going on. THANK GOD FOR VANCO!

[Woman51960]

As suggested by most of you, I am back on the vanco. Yes, I thought maybe it was toxic megacolon too vs just cdiff. For me, I guess each relapse is getting worse and harder on me than when I originally first came down with it, over a year ago. Things have simmered down considerably. It took two to three days at very high doses. I am now down to about 750mg per day and seem to be alright at this dosage. I guess I will have to stay on it for a few weeks then try to pulse down. One of my side effects from the vanco is my left hand gets very swollen and tingly. Have any of you ever experienced this while on the vanco? It is strange, but it happens everytime I get back on the vanco. Does anyone know what long term side effects can come from the vanco?

I appreciate everyones concern and advice. Just wish I could get it to go bye, bye!!! Hoping Tolevamer will hit the market sooner than 2008.

[Christina]

I've been told there really are no long term effects of Vanco (oral) because it only stays in your colon. The only risk is creating another "superbug" such as VRE but unless you're older and in and out of the hospital you need not worry. What choice do we have????

[Nan]

I too am very ill with my relapses, with also 20 plus bathroom trips/day, lots of bloody mucous, fever, achy, weak, nausea etc. They are usually out of the blue when I least expect them, although this last one I felt bloated a few hours before the explosion hit.
I am also a little worried about being on Vanco so long (it will be 2 years in January) but as Christina said, what choice do we have.

This article http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/151997 already posted by Christina, is from my local newspaper today in Tucson and talks about C. diff bacteria in meat from local supermarkets in 30 percent of the 81 samples, and the hypervirulent strain in several of those.. Makes me wonder as I, like most of you, have no idea when or where the initial infection began.

[cindym]

Woman- There are NO long term therapy studies with vanco. I called the FDA and was told that it was never meant to be a long term drug and therefore there had not been any studies. Scary............but hey.........I have been on it for more than 5 years now and still kicking! The alternative is worse than whatever the longterm effects could be in my opinion.