Hello

[wellington]

Hello,

My name is Daniel and im 28 y/o. I wanted to tell you guys about whats been happening to me the last couple of weeks and maybe I can get some feedback. ~ 2 & 1/2 weeks ago I developed serious diarrhea that went on for days. I'll spare the community the details, but it was pretty bad, probably what alot of you have experienced. at the time i had recently gotten off a small dose of levaquin that I was taking for abdominal pain. i saw my standard doc on 12/14. he gave me MORE levaquin (for the diarrhea! what the hell). he also ordered bloodwork and a stool sample (both came back normal, i confirmed that today). the doc mentioned appendicitis and I became very anxious and went to the ER that evening. Blood work was done as well as well CT scan with barium and dye. both were normal. symptoms came and went. sometimes my stool was normal, sometimes abdominal pain, sometimes a low grade fever. the ER dr. said "this could be some form of colitis" he gave me nothing.

~ 1 week later (1 week ago) on 12/21 i went back to the ER. i was afraid i had appendicitis again. another CT scan (barium and dye) was performed, more blood work. this time the radiologist reported "minor inflamation in the intestines". blood work was normal. ER (same one as before I might add), again said it may be some form of colitis. i was given cipro (i did not fill this), flagyl (been taking it now, i have 2 days left, been taking 3 x500mg daily, 1 every 6 hours) and ativan for anxiety. i have an appntmnt with a GI on 1/2. my fever seems to have subsided.

i dont know what i hope to accomplish by telling you guys this. im just really scared because ive never had a problem like this. i keep thinking about going to die.. heh. i dont even know if i have c-diff, or if im in the right place. whatever is going on, by bowels are messed up. 1 day ill have normal bowel movements sort of.. they are soft, but solid. the next I will have terrible watery diarrhea (yesterday i went ~10 times). today my stool has been kind of normal.. but ive gone 4 or 5 times, i cant remember. im tyring to drink alot of gatoraide. there has been no blood in my stool, the abdominal pain seems to have passed although i am tender in that area. i have no fever that i can tell, but i sometimes feel really cold. ehh. im sorry for rambling. im just really scared something terrible will happen. ive missed so much work cause of this, im afraid im about to be laid off. the stress isnt helping this at all.

thanks for reading my story

-Daniel

[Bobbie]

Daniel,
This isn't a medical site, and we don't work in the medical field & can't possible diagnose you, but I would ask to be tested for C. diff. as your symptoms do match those of C. diff. (but could be another GI problem). Since you were on an antibiotic (See FAQ-Antibiotics), C. diff. is a since most cases (but not all) are linked to the use of antibiotics.

Read PLS READ BEFORE YOU POST to guide you through the site. Read Dr. Borody's and Dr. McDonald's articles on C. diff. FAQ contains info. on nutrition, hygiene, dehydration, etc. Also read FAQ-Testing. The most accurate testing occurs when you have been off Flagyl or Vancocin for 10 to 14 (l4 best) days -- if possible -- and is the 3-day testing which involves bringing in a sample every day on 3 consequtive days. Use a sterile (not just a clean) container. There are many false negatives with C. diff., however.

We understand why you are upset. You are smart to see a GI.

Even if you have C. diff., 80% recover with one to two rounds of Vanco. or Flagyl, and there are several other new treatments now. Often a GI will want to do a flexsig or a colonscopy and biopsies done during either are usually helpful in diagnosis. The colonscopy has more risks but does tell more. Again, it is most accurate, if you are off Flagyl or Vancocin for 10 to 14 days if possible. Call your GI before your appointment to confirm this.

You are young, which is in your favor, although there has been an increase in cases of young, otherwise healthy people developing C. diff. (It used to be considered an infection of elderly people who were ill with other problems and were hospitalized or in nursing homes.)

Keeping hydrated is definitely a smart idea. Stress can aggravate any medical condition so try to "chill out."

C. diff. is definitely not a "sexy" disease, but if you have it, you will recover. Also, the GI can rule out other problems if you do not have C. diff.

Good luck. Let us know what the GI says on Jan. 2.

[cindym]

Wellington, You might check to make sure they tested you FOR cdiff. It requires a test all of its own. Good luck and definitely follow up with your doctor!

[Nancy1]

Daniel,
I got cdiff after taking 1 Cipro and 4 levaquin pills, for diarrhea. Then I was misdiagnosed for a month. (Later my doc told me she didn't think I had cdiff because I had had such a small amount of antibiotics.) So I surely hope you don't have it, but the possibility exists. I agree with what Bobbie and Cindy say about getting tested. Good luck.

[sickofdiff]

I got my C diff one day after stopping a 5 day course of Cipro form a UTI....it took over 2 weeks to diagnose as I didn't fit the profile...my doc thought at first it was a viral bug.

[wellington]

I wanted to post an update. i havent seen my gi yet (1/2). but i got my stool test in the mail today (earlier the nurse just told me "negative")

Stool Results:

Colostridium Difficile Toxin : Negative

Fecal Leukocytes
Examination for WBCs: Rare WBC's Seen

^^ i wish i knew what that meant.


Final Report:

12/23/2006 Gram Positive Flora only recovered. No Normal Gram Negative Flora, Salmonella, Shigella, Camphylobacter, Aeromonas or Plesiomonas Recovered.

OVA and Parasites with Trihrome Stain

O&P Concentrate #1 Negative
O&P Trichrome #1 Negative.

Can someone who understands these reports explain this to me please.

[whitepine]

make sure the test was for both toxin A and toxin B! Sometimes labs only do toxin A...call and make sure! Usually you do 3 tests too, and it should be a diarrhea sample.

[labgirl]

Wellington- I would be sure to check also that the C diff toxin assay tested for both toxin A and B. Usually when there is an infection going on the stool is sometimes tested for white blood cells (WBC's). Looks like in your case there was a very small amount which can be normal. C diff usually shows a large amount of WBC's, but doesn't mean you do or do not have C diff if you are currently being treated. Your stool culture showed only Gram positive flora, and no normal Gram negative flora which would include E. coli, (the normal kind) among other types of bacteria. E. coli is part of the normal Gram negative flora that helps keep other bad bacteria in check and it looks like in your case, you do not have any. The other bacteria listed- Salmonella, Shigella, etc. are different types of bacteria that can cause the same symptoms as C diff and you were negative for that. (that's a good thing). An ova(eggs of parasites) and parasite exam is usually also done to exclude any parasites that may be causing problems too. Since it can be difficult to detect ova and parasites in the routine exam, this test is usually done 3X in order to maximize recovery of parasites if they are truly there. Hope this helps!

[wellington]

thanks labgirl. that helped a bit. so.. I *should* have had normal gram negative flora? the whole "rare wbc's seen" part concerns be a bit. im going to take this to my GI tuesday.

[labgirl]

Wellington- yes, everyone should have "normal" gram negative flora in their intestines. The fact that you had "rare WBC's" is not always conclusive since if I remember correctly, you are still on Flagyl. If you did have C diff, (even though your toxin assay was negative) the flagyl is probably responsible for reducing the amount of inflammation, which in turn would reduce the number of WBC's found in your stool. Good luck with your GI on Tuesday. I would hope he would write an order for another one or two C diff toxin assays since there's always the possibility of false negatives. If you find out the lab your sample goes to, you can always call and ask them if they are testing for both toxins A & B.

[Bobbie]

Wellington,
Again, all tests for C. diff. (including a colonscopy) are most accurate if you have been off Flagyl/Vanco. for 10 to 14 days (l4 best) as the meds. reduce the inflammation and "mask" the disease. If the GI wants to do a colonscopy, biopsies are often helpful. The test has some risks which the doc. will explain to you. Most people who continue to have C. diff. do have one. The prep is the worst part.

Take your lab results to the GI Tuesday and have him go over them altho. labgirl has given you a lot of good info. Always keep copies of any lab reports.

Make a list of questions (make it as short and concise as possible), give the doc. one copy, and write his/her answers on your copy.

Good luck on Tuesday.

[wellington]

Well I went to see my GI today and it was a poor experience. He almost immediatly told me "IBS". He said another stool sample would be worthless and the most definitive test at this point would be a colonoscopy. I didnt feel comfortable around him at all. I felt he was condescending to me the entire time. My original stool sample was taken from a specimen collected on 12/17 (at this time i was only taking levaquin). I did not begin the flagyl until 12/21. the GI wanted to perform the colonoscopy this friday. Ive cancelled the colonoscopy and setup another appntmnt with a different GI on 1/8. Part of my really wants to do the colonoscopy.... but im NOT comfortable with this DR. He also wants to completely sedate (im nervous about this) me because im taking 0.25-0.50mg of Xanax daily. He saids the normal stuff they would use would not do anything to me. I dont believe that.

So ive setup a new apntment with a different GI on 1/8. He is supposedly an older gentleman and at one point was a professor at some University. I dont know why, but that makes me feel better. Other then that, my movements have been about the same. mushy, very loose. Normal color has returned.. but there is still a funky odor to them. still no fever and no or very little abdominal pain.

[Bobbie]

Welllington,
Many docs. mistake C. diff. for IBS, but IBS can follow a bout of C. diff. (See FAQ-IBS and The Three Day Rule.)

Smart choice to see another GI if you don't have faith in the first one. I dislike condescending docs. intensely. "Follow your gut feeling" is so true -- and especially appropriate with C. diff.

Remember, if you are on Flagyl or Vanco., the results of the colonscopy (or any other tests) might not be accurate. (Best to be off Vanco. or Flagyl for 10 to 14 days (14 if possible). Biopsies are often helpful.

Good luck.

[wellington]

thanks for the positive response bobbie. i have some additional good news. the new GI i'm seeing on 1/8, both of my parents have seen. Conincidentally, he gave both my parents their colonoscopys. They said he is an excellent Dr.

Im not questioning this other mans ability as a GI. Im sure he has a fantastic tract record. But when im not feeling well, and anxious about my health: I need someone who will listen to me. I felt like everything I was saying to this man was going in one side, out the other.

Im going to ask my new GI if I can get an additional stool specimen. I question the authenticity of the original due to the time frame and the fact the specimen was completely normal (during this entire episode). But I may be wrong. we will see.

Another thing a bit unrelated. When I was a kid I was diagnosed with "connective tissue disease" via rheynaulds syndrome episode I had once and some bloodwork. I saw a rhuemetologist about this ~2 years ago and had full scale bloodwork done. It all came back negative. I mentioned this to the GI today and he ordered alot of blood work again.

Thanks for all the support and assitance you guys have given me.

[labgirl]

Wellington- I agree that you should change docs if you aren't comfortable with the first one. I had the same experience. My first GI doc was very condescending, and seemed offended when I asked questions that someone in the medical field would only know to ask. He said I had IBS too and that it couldn't still be C diff. I immediately changed to another GI in the group and liked him so much better. I went to the ID specialist today and really liked him. He was very thorough and asked a lot of questions. He made the comment that this disease has really disrupted my life for almost a year! He wants to try and treat this aggressively and put me back on vanco 250 4X a day (I'm taking 250 2X a day and still having symptoms). I'm to take this dosage for 2 months, then he wants me to start tapering and if things get worse again he wants me to repeat the colonscopy. He said he wants to also rule out ulcerative colitis. So.... here we go again!