My Fight

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.
hollilla
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Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:36 am

My Fight

Postby hollilla » Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:10 am

So this is my fun story! I got a nasty nasty case of mastitis that about did me in. I went on antibiotics that did not help and the infection ended up spreading to
both breasts. I called in the DR office and the put me on (dun-dun-dun) Clindamycin. No warnings, no instructions. I thank my lucky stars that I read the warning page(s) so I knew what to look for. I took the 10 day dose and felt fine. Loose stools, but not bad. The day after I stopped taking the drug I broke out in a rash on my chest, breasts neck and face. It wasn't too bad so I didn't worry... this was Merry Christmas. One week after I stopped the meds I started feeling achy and had loose bowel movements. I shrugged it off and took IBP for the aches and headed to a friends house with my hubby for a dinner date. By the time dinner and the movie was over I was shaking. By the time we got home I was shaking uncontrollably to the point that I couldn't hold my glass of water (splashing all around) I started laughing and then started crying. This is about when the diarrhea started and I noticed a sore lymph node. The next day it only got worse. After remembering that the Clindamycin could cause this I did some research and my hubby pretty much told me I had to go in.
I arrived at the clinic and the first nurse I talked to looked like I was an idiot, the triage nurse was a little understanding but it seemed like they were all "whatever you have diarrhea" But the DR that actually saw me was awesome. She was very understanding esp when she heard my stomach gurgling "honey, if you need to run out of here I will not be offended!" ;) She ordered labs for me and I was anxious to hear so I called in after not hearing from them (this was New years eve) and did not want to have to wait until monday- they made me come in as they do not give results over the phone. Long story short (too late), I was put on Flagyl. My New Years was this "4-3-2-1-" *toast- sip- RUN!! to the bathroom.
Here is how I battled it: I was able to get on the meds with in 48 hours of onset, 500mg 3x day for 14 days, I kept a sad bland diet until I felt better. I ate a LOT of yogurt, sourdough bread, chicken breast, broth, oatmeal etc. It took a couple days for the meds to kick in, but then I got constipated which got me worried, so I adjusted to Activia and apples/ fiber to get things "moving" again. I know this sounds silly, but I kept a log of my- uh, "logs". This helped me determine how many times/ how often and if it was slowing down or if it had been too long (don't want a plug, need to get those nasty things out). FYI the count was 50 x in one week ;). I don't know if it helped, but it made me feel better by saying "take that you B@#*&*)ds!" when I took the meds. ;)
I evetually would add soemthing back into my diet one at a time/ one day at a time. So far so good. I stayed away from dairy except yogurt and drank almond milk (almond choco milk is tasty btw). I have problems with some things, tomato sauce and cream and beef are my aversions now. I did loose that extra baby weight and am back into my old skinny clothes, so "woohoo!".
As for 'relapse' I look at it as more of a flare up. One week after I stopped the round of meds I started to feel the all too familiar urges. I went about 5 times and at first they were "soft serve" (sorry) but by the end there was mucus. I realized that I had not had any yogurt since I stopped the meds and got cocky. I ate some yogurt and started a good probiotic and felt much better the next day. Here is what I come to conclude with my body. I believe that I will always be susceptible to the critters rage, so I need to keep them in line. I have since started toaking Florastor totally reccomend!) and have been doing great. It seems that if I stop taking it I start getting achy and looser stools, so I make sure I keep taking it.
As for the lower back pain when reintroducing food, I totally experienced that. It is a lot better now that I have been on a healthier diet and my body is trying to get back to normal. This is was not fun and I truely wish the best of luck to all out there experiencing this horrible disease. I have learned some valuable lessons with this:
1) DR's are there to help and guide, but it is up to you to fight for your health (IE demanding a stool sample right away) and
2) READ THE LABELS/WARNINGS to your medications so you can be aware of the signs.
oh... and 3) crapping yourself silly 50 x in one week is an excellent way to drop 10 lbs, but not sure it was worth being dragged thru hell!
Reading these posts made me feel better about what I was going through and am so glad to see that there is support out there.

tmhayes
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Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 12:33 pm

Re: My Fight

Postby tmhayes » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:55 pm

OMG you are so funny and I am so thankful for this story. I feel like I could literally put my name on top of yours it is the same exact story. Thanks for posting.

smonker
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:29 pm

Re: My Fight

Postby smonker » Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:25 pm

I have a somewhat similar story--complete with the 10 pound weight loss which was the only highlight really. I am doing (or think I am doing well now), so I will tell the whole tale.

I had a cracked molar which was removed by a dental surgeon who gave me clindamycin. (No warnings and I did not check it out--unusual for me, but I didn't). After seven days of the clinda. I started to feel strange and on the eighth I was racked with chills and after that the D started. I spent the next few days on the couch and in the bathroom with not much in between. I called my primary who said it was probably some intestinal flu going around. I kept wondering if I had eaten something off. For some reason, I kept thinking about this fantastic scone I bought at a local bakery and wondering whether it was made with bad cream or something and thinking that I had been punished for indulging myself. After day five of the bathroom trips, I started reading my Merck manual. I began with cholera, which I knew I did not have but I had read a book about it recently and the D seemed so similar. But I then checked colitis and came across an entry for "antibiotic-induced colitis". Merck then listed some of the prime culprits: Clindamycin was the first antibiotic on thelist.

I called my GI doctor who called back and said I most probably had C-diff. She said "antibiotic-induced colitis" used to be called "clindamycin-induced colitis." She said she would phone in a prescription for flagyl, but she also mentioned trying probiotics. I had heard awful things about flagyl, so I didn't take it. I bought some yoghurt and a powerful probiotic (can't remember what it was), ate the yoghurt, took the probiotic. The next day the D was much, much worse and it was the next day as well. I called my GI doctor back. She gave me a prescription for Vancomycin. I started taking it, but the D continued to be overwhelming and by day two I had another bout of chills. I called my GI dr. again, and she said I should go to my primary to be checked. I was able to get an appt with the nurse practicioner. On the way, I stopped to by a depends product because of the D. Anyway, the nurse-p said I was dangerously dehydrated and that I needed to go to the emergency room. So, I did this and ended up in the hospital for two days hooked up to IV's with fluid, etc. I had a high white count & had lost about 80% of my protein. They continued the vancomycin, did a culture, and the C diff was confirmed. I am in my late sixties: My GI doc said I was lucky I got this at home and not in the hospital. Anyway, after day two in the hospital, the D had subsided to a manageable 3x per day, and I was sent home.

My dr. continued me on the Vanco (with a gradually stepped down dose--and I admit that I didn't take it through to the end) and recommended that I take probiotics and drink Gatorade. I don't like Gatorade but I found an electrolyte product called "power pak" that is really good: It has 1200 mg of Vitamin C and a bunch of other stuff (including potassium). It comes in little packets that can be dissolved in water or juice. It is vegan, gluten free, and is low in sugar. I'm also taking a probiotic called Ultra Flora Plus DF (by Metagenics) (this is a powder that has to be refridgerated) and also a one a day probiotic pill that comes in weekly packets. Got this at Sam's Club. I am going to try some of the other products recommended in this forum. Am not really far enough along to be sure that these are working. The good news for me, though, is that I am able to eat pretty much everything that I have always eaten--including fiber--and that I don't have D anymore. Not that the plumbing system is entirely normal--but as compared with the raging C-dff D it is fine.

But, the cautionary note is that I am only several weeks out of the hospital. I don't have my former energy back--tire more easily, etc. But I guess I am extremely lucky to be feeling as well as I do. But because of the fatigue, I started a net search on C-diff this evening and I found this forum, and I am really glad to have all of the suggestions about probiotics and to have the information that I may well have a relapse. It is nice to know that I may be
able to use diet and probiotics to fight this thing if it does come back.

Re. the 10 pounds, five are back and the other five seem well on the way.


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