Help!

[puremess]

I have been off vanco for over 120 days. As of April I tested positive but without any serious symptoms.
For 2 days I have loose stools although once a day and today I started having snake like stool that is thin and long . Looked like what I had before relapsing previous times. Also have some stomach cramping. Did this happen to anyone who is off the treatment. I thought you can't relapse after 90 days????????????? Ughhhhh

[Bobbie]

puremess,
Doubt if you are relapsing after all this time. We did have one woman who relapsed after 2 yrs. (antibiotics were not involved in her case), but that is rare.

You are probably having "a bad day." Not uncommon after C. diff. Many of us developed IBS after C. diff. Symptoms are very similar. See FAQ-IBS & The Three Day Rule. You could also have a touch of the "stomach flu" or perhaps something you ate disagreed with you. Many (who never had problems with any foods BCD - before C. diff.) have this happen.

I'd hang in there a day or two. If you are still concerned, call your doc. & have another culture done.

[Allison]

If you get cdiff again after successful treatment this far out, it would be considered reoccurent, not relapsing, disease.
It happens, though not too awful common without a precipitating event (antibiotics again).

Try to follow the three day rule...wait that length of time to see if symptoms resolve. If you're still not right, I'd call the doc and see about a toxin test.

Good luck...hope it's just IBS.

[puremess]

Thank you for your replies. The last time I took the sample I tested positive that was back in April. I didn't have any big symtoms just loose stool once a month. and was off vanco for 90 days. So if I take another sample the chances of me testing still porisitve are very high. I am probably a carrier so maybe that means I can get c-diff anytime???? I hope not!!!! I just want to know when I can stop worrying and going crazy???? It has to get better soon!

[Allison]

"So if I take another sample the chances of me testing still porisitve are very high."

I wouldn't say they were very high if you do not have another cdiff infection....just a possibility. Most folks who test positive for residual toxins but are recovering with no symptoms of clinical importance, DO go on to test negative down the road. How long that takes seems to be pretty variable depending on the individual.

But testing positive with symptoms may require meds again. Go "with your gut" so to speak...call the doc if symptoms worsen or it becomes obvious it's not IBS acting up.

[puremess]

Thank you for your response. Hopefully it's just IBS.

[cindy w.]

Just needed to comment on Allison's post. I am delighted to learn that some people may continue to test positive for toxins while having tolerable symptoms and after completion of meds. My daughter is in this precise situation and I couldn't find any data to support that above statement made by Allison. My hope is that my daughter will slowly rid herself of residual toxins and be even less symptomatic. Further treatment has been considered by her docs and myself but I feel even more comfortable now just "riding it out" upon learning that this in fact could be. Thanks again so much for such wonderful info.!!

[Christina]

I tested positive 4 times from September - November of last year w/ mild, tolerable symptoms - no treatment. I finally tested negative in January of this year and things slowly resolved. I am OK now except for bad IBS issues. It takes time and patience but it will resolve.

[Allison]

Hi Cindy,

You prolly won't find any supportable data about it...my response was based on anecdotal experiences of those on the site who continued to test + but were clinically well and were being seen by docs very well schooled in relapsing cdiff.

Of course there are other docs who do not believe just a resolution of symptoms are a good enough end-point to determine treatment outcome and they'd like to see that negative test.

I'd also be comfortable taking this more conservative approach if it were my daughter AND I had excellent medical response from her docs and they agreed to monitor closely. If they are willing to treat immediately if a relapse is apparent, there is great value in being patient.

[diane]

puremess,
i still have some days of snake like stools.. I get that and cramping somedays it I know is related to something that didn't agree with me.

the

[puremess]

thanks Diane!