mucus

[puremess]

I need to know if anyone who are over c-diff have something similar.
This dreaded symptom just won't go away. Alot of times I can see excess amount of mucus (jelly like thing) on the toilet paper. Somethims it's yellowish and sometimes it's dark. It happens when I have normal stool. Any ideas? Have been off all meds since January.

[Nancy1]

I've been off of vanco (recovered from cdiff) since June 2006. Yes, I saw mucus occasionally on the toilet paper for a long time after. I can't remember how long this was exactly, maybe 6 months? I knew it wasn't cdiff because I usually didn't have bad D with it. When I have bad D (and I still have that once in a while), that only lasts about a day or so. I know, all these symptoms are scary.

[Christina]

Yes, I get mucus still quite frequently even when I have normal bowel movements or even if I have diarrhea. I have IBS and that is one of it's symptoms.

[Bobbie]

puremess,
Love your name. Ain't many of us after C. diff.?

Mucus usually means irritation or inflammation. As Christina & Nancy said it's typical after C. diff. esp. if you have IBS.

[puremess]

Thank you everyone for your reply. It makes me feel much better. I read about IBS and saw that the mucus can be a symptom. However, since this symptom was present during my c-diff battle, I thought maybe c-diff is still here with me.
Bobbie, the name puremess is the exact desciption of what I was during my battle and the current condition it left me with. It's been six month since I stopped vanco and still everyday I have all kind of weird issues.
Just out of curiousity does anyone's liver enzimes were elevated during or post c-diff. I've never had this problem but ever since the c-diff my ALT enzimes are elevated.

[labgirl]

Puremess- mucus was always a symptom (and still is) whenever I've tried to come off vanco or xifaxan, along with cramping, pain, and diarrhea. I'm not sure I'm over it yet, but everytime I come off the same thing happens so I'm staying on xifaxan for now. (I was diagnosed April 2006). As for the liver enzymes, my ALT and GGT have been elevated for quite some time now. I've had an ultrasound done and everything was normal, but there is no explanation for the elevated liver enzymes. (They are only mildly elevated).

[Christina]

Like labgirl, mucus was always my first symptom of a relapse. I had never had mucus prior to getting C-diff, ever. Now it's normal for me. It would be extremely rare (almost never heard of) for C-diff to recur after 6 months unless you were infected by a new strain. I'd check with your Dr. if you're worried by my non medical opinion is it is PI-IBS.

Have you had a colonoscopy post C-diff to rule out anything else but PI-IBS for continuing symptoms? If it turns out to only be IBS there is treatment available, if you need it.

[Bobbie]

puremess,
I "got over" C. diff. in l999. It was my 2nd bout of it. My lst bout lasted 4 yrs. (l993-1997). Before C. diff. (except for allergies & sinus problems I was healthy.

For the last l4 years, I've had one "weird" thing after another & have many health issues so am a "pure mess," too. Some problems are C. diff. related, but others are probably genetics & age. Also, I'm sure stress has contributed. All of us with C. diff. know about stress. It's hard on both physical & emotional health.

Try to find something positive to concentrate on -- anything that gives you pleasure. I love to read & garden & do lots of exercise & volunteer work altho. I'm about "volunteered" out. Working helped me until I lost my job.

Most people escape with few side effects but almost everyone is terrified of taking antibiotics again if they contributed the first time.

Everyone has to try to find his/her own solution. C.. diff. is a difficult disease in so many ways & also a lonely one. As it becomes better recognized (which is slowly happening), prevention & cures will happen & spare others what happened to us.

[puremess]

Thanks Bobbie for words of encouragement.
Labgirl, my ALT level is also mildly elevated. I had an ultrasound done and everything checked out normal. Now that you have mentioned that yours are also elevated do you think it's somehow c-diff related? Maybe the vanco or flagyl have something to do with it? Although I am done with all medication since january. So many questions with no answers from doctors.

[labgirl]

Puremess- both the doctor and pharmacist agree that they don't think the vanco caused my elevated liver enzymes since very little vanco is absorbed into the bloodstream. I tend to agree, although we all know how doctors can be wrong. I was only on flagyl about a month, and that was back in April 2006. I don't think it would be xifaxan either since very little of that gets absorbed. I was on vanco from Oct. 2006- April 2007, then had my blood tested shortly after that. My liver enzymes are checked once every 6 months since I'm on medication for high blood pressure. I've been on Benicar for about 4 years, and I've never had elevated liver enzymes before C diff, so my guess it that the C diff does something to the liver. I'll have them checked again in October, so it will be interesting to see if they have gone back to normal.

[puremess]

The whole thing doesn't make any sense to me. My liver enzymes were always normal. The first test showed elevation when I was on vanco for like seven months. Then the doctor had me retake the blood and although they dropped they were still mildly elevated and that was last August. This year they are still elevated. So if the medication is not the cause then c-diff is still present or it damaged the liver???????? Wow that would be really bad. I have an appt with GI in September maybe he can give me some explanations. Honestly, I doubt that he'll give me any definite answers.