Reoccurrence question - how do you know?

[Chandler]

Hi everyone... I'm about 12 days out from my last Flagyl.

I'm still having stomach cramps and dizziness, fatigue, weakness, insomnia ...

This morning I had three BMs in a row. They were formed but softer than normal/

I'm concerned about the cramping and the more "urgent" feeling I had this morning while going.
The BMs are not watery, but soft and formed.

Anything to be concerned about or does it HAVE to be watery, really stinky, etc? How would I know? Do you get tested again?

[TowerL]

Chandler, sorry you are going through this. Not sure what others may think but after y first treatment I had similar symptoms. I was tested and came up positive. A round of Dificid was next which took that away. My dicots thought I needed more than just the first treatment. You may need a longer or different medication. However talk to your doctor, if you test negative it could just be normal IBS.

[Lisa33]

I would wait to see if things improve over the next couple of days. What you describe is typical of what usually happens in early recovery. See 3 Day Rule - IBS under CDI Info. If things start to go south, then maybe you should retest. Although, most doctors will treat relapses based on symptoms alone. The protocol for retesting is to wait at least 14 days after finishing meds, but the longer the better. You don't want to take another round of meds unnecessarily, as the treatment also wreaks havoc on your body. Healing takes place really once you are off meds. I would wait and see how the rest of the week goes. If the frequency starts to pick up and it turns to D, then definitely call your doctor. It's always good to have a next step plan in place no matter what.

I hope you don't need any more meds, and this is just the normal PI-IBS that the majority of us experience.
Lisa

[justme]

Chandler: It sounds like recovery symptoms to me, as they mirror what I experienced and I did not relapse. My Infectious Disease doc told me "if you are not having 3+ episodes of water D per day for 3 days, you are no longer in the active stage". If you retest too soon, you could get a false positive and would unnecessarily put more pressure on your healing colon. (I wasn't retested until a year later when I was in the hospital for another condition and they did a test as a JIC measure - it was negative). The colon takes awhile to heal. For some, it is quick and for others it is long and slow. IBS is an issue for many of us. Start the BART diet (bananas, apples, rice, and toast) and start taking probiotics (to add good bacteria) and prebiotics (to feed the good bacteria). Try to avoid dairy, spicy food, acidic food, alcohol, and anything else that might irritate your sensitive colon. Everyone seems to have different triggers that bother them and cause IBS. Drink lots of water and get a heating pad to help with the pain. Good luck.
Aloha,
Anne

[Bobbie]

Chandler,
Agree with others. Wait unless you become much worse suddenly and then contact doc.

The waiting is the hard part - why we call this the www disease - wait, worry, and wonder. We have all gone through this.

Best to you.

[Jackie25]

What you describe was a daily occurrence for me in early recovery-I would say for months actually. Formed but soft movements anywhere from 2-4 a day, mild cramping off and on, weak and tired....it was hard but it eventually got better.

I agree with the others about waiting it out a few more days and see how you do. Could just be a new normal for you for awhile :) congrats on coming off the meds and I pray you continue to heal!

[Chandler]

Ah thank you guys. So weird 5 BM yesterday and one today... So I guess I'm okay for now? Recovery is tough!