Just diagnosed

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Chsmom
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Just diagnosed

Postby Chsmom » Tue Mar 19, 2019 5:24 pm

Oh boy, my head is spinning. Not not from my nausea, but from all of the information I’m trying to gleam from this site. I need some help.

I’m a 51 year old female in the US. I started Omnicef for a bad sinus infection a week ago Monday. All was going fine until diarrhea started on Saturday. I was in the bathroom every waking hour, had a low fever and just felt awful. I stopped the antibiotic and suffered through what I hoped was just a stomach bug. When the diarrhea didn’t stop over the weekend, I went in to see the doctor on Monday who thought it was a stomach bug as well, but had me send a stool sample to the lab just in case. It came back positive for c diff. I just took my first dose of vancomycin and bought some florastor as well. The vancomycin is 125 mg every six hours for 14 days. So a few of my questions-

Have a trip planned to see my healthy but 85 year old parents on Friday. Do I need to cancel?

When do I start taking the probiotics? And the timing around the antibiotic?

Read kefir is good as well. How/when should I add that?

What do I need to do to clean the spores from my home and laundry?

I know you’re not doctors but have been through this so would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance.

Musings
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby Musings » Wed Mar 20, 2019 10:52 am

C.diff is spread fecal to oral so you should be fine to visit your parents as long as you, and they, practice proper hand washing protocol. You can also go an additional step and bring the bleach sanitizing wipes with you to wipe down the handle, door, etc. after using their bathroom.

You don't have to take probiotics but if you choose to, the advice is to space several hours from your antibiotic dose. The probiotic with some studies in regards to c.diff is Floraster. Please note though, probiotics can cause GI upset in some people so wouldn't go overboard with them.

Kefir can be added at any time but like probiotics, doesn't sit well with everyone so start with a small amount to see if it settles well or not. I did the plain variety as those with additional flavors tended to be packed with sugar.

As far as cleaning, not sure we can ever guarantee that we eradicated all the spores which is why hand washing should be first and foremost. You can use a bleach solution to clean non-porous surfaces and add bleach to your laundry.

AllisS
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby AllisS » Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:36 am

The CDC has helpful tips for handwashing; see, e.g., https://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/index.html

The quest to try and eradicate invisible "spores" is, as Musings also suggests, a fruitless endeavor. If diarrhea isn't resulting in "accidents," very little in the way of disinfecting should be necessary. If it gives you peace of mind, you can either use a homemade bleach solution of one part bleach to nine parts water on bathroom hard surfaces, handles, and knobs or you can purchase Clorox Germicidal Bleach Wipes online (they aren't sold in retail stores or pharmacies for some reason). Make sure to use disposable gloves with either of these bleach options. No need to use after each time in the bathroom, especially if the bathroom isn't shared; maybe once/day while symptomatic.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

Ril
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby Ril » Wed Mar 20, 2019 8:26 pm

Hello Chsmom and welcome to the site. Please read the first thread on rules for posting.

I never used kefir and not everyone does. Be careful not to overdo all the “extras” until you see how you are doing.

I only did my laundry in hot water and bleached whites or underwear. Remember what bleach does to colors. There is no reason to add bleach to all your clothing or linens/towels unless unless fecal matter gets on them.

There is a lot of good information in the CDI section of this site.
Good luck!
Rita

panda18
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby panda18 » Thu Mar 21, 2019 2:40 am

I think it would best not to visit your 85 year old parents just to be on the safe side. I was hospitalized for c diff and was not allowed to return to work because I work at a retirement community.

The hospital gave me a probiotic and recommended I continue while I was in vancomycin 250 mg every 6 hr. I took the probiotic after vanco.

roy
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby roy » Thu Mar 21, 2019 6:05 am

If you have D then cancell the visit.
Hospitals consider a patient is no longer contagious 48 hours after the BMs are back to normal.
If your parents have not taken antibiotics during the last 3 months they wont catch c.diff even if they came into direct contact with spores but for my own peace of mind I would not visit with an active infection.
Probiotics are taken exactly half way between Vanco doses and continued for many weeks/months after meds are finished.
Kefir is probably a lot more potent than pills, especially if you make your own (Google it) and the base does not have to be milk.

Chsmom
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby Chsmom » Thu Mar 21, 2019 10:13 am

Thank you for the advice. I was freaking out about the cleaning part so your posts have calmed me a good bit. I have canceled my trip. Honestly don’t have the energy even if I wasn’t contagious. How long does the diarrhea usually last after starting the Vanco? I’m so nauseated most of the time and feeling a bit defeated. :( I have not added any probiotics in at this point but plan to try the kefir after lunch.

AllisS
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby AllisS » Thu Mar 21, 2019 10:20 am

You should see improvement soon after starting the Vanco. It's not possible to quantify "soon" since the timeframe will vary. If your symptoms remain the same or get worse, best to contact your GI. My guess is that your energy level will start to increase as the preoccupation with what to clean and how to clean it lessens! I hope so.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

georgina
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby georgina » Fri Mar 22, 2019 1:24 am

Vanco needs five or six days to fully kick in.
Kefir is a good source of probiotics but it's good to try small amounts at first to see if your gut can handle it , some of us were not able to tolerate it.

Chsmom
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby Chsmom » Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:52 am

Update- no diarrhea yesterday! I still have some stomach pain and some bloating, but I’m feeling a bit less nauseous and am moving forward. Now I can start thinking about recovery.

Questions about recovery-

I work in the office of a daycare and will be going back to work on Thursday (we are closed mon-wed for spring break). How to I keep myself and the kids safe?

Food- I’m so confused about what I can eat and can’t. I’ll read one thing saying eat this and then 5minutes later read something that says don’t eat it. I’ve been staying away from lactose and definitely been going mild. Chicken and eggs seem to work well but I think I need to expand a bit.

So what’s it like once the vanco is over? I hear about good days and bad, what’s a bad day? I’d rather have an idea of what to expect than go in not having a clue. I don’t do well with surprises. Lol this whole thing has of course been a surprise.

Last- how do I find a good gi doctor? My internist who gave me the antibiotic that gave me c diff is the only doctor I have at this time. Not blaming her exactly but she also said I had the flu (prescribed tamiflu without seeing me) and told me to take Imodium when this started. Neither of which I took. I need to find someone new and it may as well be a gi doctor. I’m in Charleston, SC.

AllisS
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby AllisS » Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:51 am

If your job role is in the daycare's office I'm assuming you have minimal contact with the children. If you're not having D then the risk to others is little-to-none. Irregardless, thorough hand-washing remains key; the CDC has good guidelines for this on its site.

There's no right-or-wrong diet for C. diff; it's mainly trial and error. But you may want to stick with bland choices for awhile.

I can't generalize about how it might feel post-vanco. Though I took it myself for treatment of C. diff, that was back in 2012, and my memories of that time are a little hazy.

As to how to find a good GI doctor, my Google search for Charleston turned up this: https://muschealth.org/medical-services ... us-disease
Though the department that's referenced is for infectious diseases, C. diff is listed as an area of expertise. ID doctors are often as helpful, if not more so, than GI doctors when it comes to C. diff. If you were to see someone in that department, you could ask for referral to a GI doctor.

Best wishes for your continuing recovery.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

AnxiousJ
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby AnxiousJ » Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:04 pm

Chsmom,

I am 3 yrs post C diff and live outside of Chicago but my best friend lives in Charleston. While she never dealt with this infection, she is a therapist in a hospital and heard a great GI speak about gut health at ECMC. She told me all about him. Apparently, he is a really terrific doctor and a specialist in diet and gut health. His name is Dr. Will Bulsiewicz and he's in Mt. Pleasant. He also has an Instagram page called Dr. B Gut Health MD. Glad you are feeling better and good luck with your continued improvements.

Jennifer
Last edited by AnxiousJ on Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

sammyp
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Re: Just diagnosed

Postby sammyp » Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:07 pm

Going back to work: if you're not having D, your chance to pass along is little to none. Hand washing, thoroughly and correctly is key. Definitely check the CDC website if you're not familiar with guidelines (I did and now I am such a good and careful handwasher).

Diet: it varies for everyone. For example, I was able to eat lactose without it but many can't. The consensus is to take it slow, introduce slowly and at small amounts, and go back to bland on bad days till things calm down. Expect raw veggies and fruit to be difficult. I'd stick to cooking things for now. Easier to digest.

Bad days: oh man. I could write a book about this. I am 8 months in recovery and STILL have the occasional bad day thanks to PI IBS. That looks like mushy stool, bloating, gas and stomach pain. Early in recovery there were many many many MANY days I thought I was recurring. You'll see people in this group talk about the 3 day rule which means if you get D it needs to be at least 3 times a day for 3 days consecutively before treating. Overtreating is a huge issue among CDiffers because we expect to feel better after meds but that is not how CDiff works. It's a long and arduous journey as your stomach heals. Off days are to be expected.

Docs: I personaly preferred my Infectious disease doc to my GI. Not sure how to find a food one as I got lucky (or unlucky?) Because my CDiff was severe and I was hospitalized for a week and then ID doc they assigned me continued to see me outpatient and he was great.


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