Angela's Success

[chev]

I was diagnosed with c-diff in March. I was prescribed Clyndamycin by my doctor for a month sore. Two weeks after completing my treatment I started to get diarrhea I thought it was food poisoning at first so I went a whole week of discomfort and then I started to see blood in my stool. I immediately went to my doctors who sent me for a tests and told me to take over the counter Imodium’s to stop the diarrhea while we wait for the results. She said the results will probably take 8 to 10 days. I did not take the Imodium’s I knew that wasn’t the answer and after some research I read about the drug Clyndamycin and the risks of taking it. I had all the symptoms of Clostridium difficile. I called my doctor and she just brushed me off, saying that I shouldn’t believe everything I read on the internet and let’s wait for the results. Meanwhile, I couldn’t eat or drink, I was going to the bathroom after every sip of water so I stopped. I couldn’t go to work. One morning I just couldn’t even get out of bed, I was so weak. My husband took me to hospital and I was dehydrated. They did some tests and said that the results for c-diff would take two days. Why could they do it in two days and I was still waiting for my results from my doctor’s office and it was now 10 days. The hospital put me on Cipro, which made me feel worse. I was still convinced that I had c-diff and no one would listen to me.

Two days later my doctor’s office called and said that my results are back and that I had c-diff. By then I had found another doctor, but she also did not want to prescribe anything to me until my results came back from the other office. Finally, I was prescribed Flagyll, a horrible drug that made me feel sick but stopped the diarrhea. I stopped taking the Cirpo. I was on Flagyll for 7 days. Three days after treatment it came back, I went to the doctors that same day and made her prescribe me Vancomycin. She was reluctant because of the cost, but I would not leave, I was not going to be put on another dose of Flagyll. So she eventually put me on Vancomycin for 14 days. Vancomycin is a much better drug I saw immediate results and felt better. Thankfully my insurance paid for it. I did a lot of research, read books on stomach conditions and anything I could find on c-diff. This website was a life saver; it was so good to hear from other sufferers and what worked or did not work for them. I was with people that understood what I was going through. It was also a little discouraging at times because I thought no one is cured from this.

I changed my diet, did not eat any carbs apparently I read that the overgrowth of bad bacteria thrives on bad carbs. I ate more raw vegetable, if you can stomach it, less starch, overdosed on yogurt and kefir which are still part of my daily diet. I also took and still take probiotics (culturelle). I believe it all helped, although my doctor told me not to waste my money. After the Vancomycin I did not have a recurrence. It has been 8 weeks with no symptoms. I am still on my own special diet which is similar to the Candida diet, although now I splurge on the weekend. I lost over 10 pounds while sick and have not gained it back but at least I am not losing anymore weight. My stools are almost normal, although I don’t remember what that is anymore. I feel fine. As I said earlier I still eat a lot of yogurt and now take 1 Culturelle a day instead of 3 while I was sick. I also took GNC multi vitamins two twice a day, plus L-Glutamine.

I hope this helps anyone going through this right now, it is such a tough illness to combat but it can be done. I feel that you need to take your health into your own hands and go to your doctors equipped with information that will help you get the treatment you need. A lesson learned for me is to be more proactive in my health and make wise choices. I would have to be really sick to take another antibiotic again or any drug.

[Bobbie]

chev (Angela),
You are a smart woman to be assertive in your own health care. Why is it docs. often don't want to believe us? We live with ourselves & our loved ones, & our "feelings" are often superior to their knowledge & experience. Glad your C. diff. improved & you are feeling better.

Clindamycin is a big C. diff. offender. See FAQ-Antibiotics. Thx. for posting your success story.