Bye C-diff

We spend a lot of time talking about the bad news in this discussion group - here's the spot for the good news. If you've had c-diff and are now well, please tell us about it here.
kayla
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Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 4:42 pm

Bye C-diff

Postby kayla » Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:53 pm

Well, I have been off of vanco since the end of April 2006. For those who do not know my story here it is:

In June of 2005 I had my wisdom teeth cut out and was put on Clindamycin 3 a day for 7 days to prevent infection. The day after my final day of Clindamycin I got a bad case of vertigo....the whole room spinning for about4 hours one night. Of course this had me worried beyond belief. I went to the doctor and they told me that it was probably due to either the Rx or just the fact of getting my wisdom teeth cut out effected my inner ear. Well, I was still really freaked out and worried all the time for 3 weeks. I worried so much that it almost became bad depression. On my 3rd week after the vertigo and Clindamycin I got bad "D". I also started my period that day so didn't think too much about the "D". I took imodium at 7:00 that night but at 3:00 in the morning I woke up feeling like I had to go again so I took 1 more imodium. I laid down and had the worst pains in my stomach I had ever felt. I woke up the next morning having to go. After a week of having "d" and imodium not working and bad cramping, I finally went to the doctor. She said it was probably a virus and but me on Lomotal 2 times a day. I took the lomotal but it made me feel lite headed and somewhat dizzy, plus it didn't ever stop the "d" for more than 3 hours. After taking it for a week and it not working I went back to the doctor and she said to up the dose. The next day I noticed blood in my stool so I called and the doctor finally decided to do a stool test. By the time the results got in I was bleeding pretty bad and felt like I was going to die. Everything in my body hurt and I was so scared. I was put on Metronidazal for 10 days. During the time I was on it I had mild tingling in my feet at night but horrible body aches. It did stop the "d" though. Two days after my last dose it came back. I called the nurse hotline and they called in more Metro. enough till I could talk to the doctor on Monday. The doctor put me on another 10 days of metro. but on the 3rd day I started vomiting so badly that I was taken off the metro. My doctor then wanted to retest me that very day. Of course since I had had the metro in my system the test came back negative. My doc. told me to stay off the Rx until the next Monday when I could see a GI. The GI decided I must still have c-diff because of my symptoms and he put me on Xifaxin (sp?) for 12 days. He told me to take some sort of probiotic. After being the Xifaxin 4 days I noticed I was getting even worse. They then switched me over to vanco 125 4 times a day for 7 days. During those 7 days I was a little better but not totally. When the 7 days ended I was still going at leat 3 times every morning. I test for c-diff 10 days after the vanco and test negative but still felt horrible. Finally 4 weeks after the last vanco and me feeling terrible I got a virus my daughter had had the day before and it caused bad vomiting and with me "d". I tested for c-diff the next day and a week later the test came back positive. I had a colonoscopy done that Friday which showed bad scarring and inflamation from the c-diff. I was put on vanco 250 4x a day for 10 days then down to 3 for ten days and so on. When I tried to go down to the 3 a day I started getting worse again. So from that point on the doctor pretty much told me to go down on dose when my stomach had been feeling good for at least a week. I started the long course of vanco on Nov. 11, 2005 and my last vanco was in the end of April 2006. I had good days on vanco and bad. A week after my last vanco I had woke up feeling great, but about 3 hours later got bad cramps and horrible "d". I was freaking out! I took imodium and started feeling better. My stomach wasn't as bad the next day. A week after that I tested for c-diff again and it came back negative. Since then I have had good and bad days. Sometimes I feel like c-diff is back but then after taking the imodium I start to feel better and for the rest of the week will be fine. I have noticed that around the time of my period or ovulation that I will get nausious and sometimes get "d" but it doesn't usually last for more than a few days. I am currently experiancing the second day of feeling horrible and scared but it has been so long now that I know it must be IBS and I will just have to learn to live with it. I did take Florastor and Culteralle during my vanco experiance and 2 months after vanco but I have pretty much come off of probiotics because they seem to make me go more often. I pray I never get c-diff back and one day the IBS will go away as well.

Bobbie
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Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:00 pm

Postby Bobbie » Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:03 pm

Congrats. Kayla. Sounds like you are C. diff. free & just have the after effects. I, too, take Imodium for IBS.

NOTE: Many docs. have okayed it for inactive C. diff. & some have now okayed it for active C. diff. (altho. it was a "no no" in the past) but check with your own doc. re. this as we aren't equipped to give medical advice.

Thx. for posting & pls. post to support others. Way to go, Kayla!

HEATHER28
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 776
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:45 pm

Postby HEATHER28 » Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:14 pm

Kayla,
I am so happy to hear that you are doing well and feeling well!! As you know I too suffer from IBS but, I am doing much better then I was a couple of months ago. Thank you for all of your support and taking the time to talk to me. You helped me out tons!!! I hope you continue to do well, keep in touch.

Heather
Heather

Cdiff free 7yrs! Cdiff left me with IBS but, I am dealing with it!!
"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for. Perfection is god's business." Michael J. Fox

cindym
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 1660
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2002 8:10 pm

Postby cindym » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:14 pm

Congrats Kayla!
Cindy

Christina
Long Time Contributor
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Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:13 pm

Postby Christina » Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:27 am

That a girl. We're 1/2 way to Disney!!!!!!


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