cdiff back after 3 years

[ladybug2]

Five years ago I caught c diff from visiting a hosptial and taking an antibitic. It took me 2 years to get rid of it. 2 very long vanco tapers. I was free of it for 2 years. I actually had severe constipation for the last few years and took 2 glasses of prune juice a day in order to poop. Two weeks ago I ate a sandwich and had horrible cramps instantly and pains that lasted for days. My stools were often about 6 times a day softer than normal but not loose. Every time i ate i got cramps and thought i had food poisoning. After one day of watery stools i asked for a c diff stool test which came back positive. My doctor was surprised and asked to redo the test which i did and it ( the pcr test) came back negative.. I contacted the doctor i used who is a c diff specialist and a major nyc hospital and he was also thinking maybe i did not have c diff. So I was tested via pcr again and it was positive. I have horrible cramping and pooping 5 times a day. Poop someone normal but thinner. I see the neon yellow I saw before when i had c diff. Last week I was also tested for c diff toxins which came back negative too. So now I have been on vancomycin for the last 3 days. 125 4 times a day . My insides feel like crap. The last time I had c diff was a lot different i had watery stools and more pain. How could suddenly have this again after 3 years? I didnt tae any antibiotic or anything. Could it have been living inside me all these years? Has anyone had c diff come back years later for no reason. If the vanco does not get rid of this I think i should ask for the dificid. Has anyone taken the dificid / If so how was it ? any side effects. I really had forgot c diff and thought I would never see it again I am so dissapointed.

[NikaNik]

Hi, there!

I am so sorry you're dealing with this. From what I've read on this forum, as long as the toxins are negative then you don't have an active c diff infection (you can test positive via PCR for simply having c diff in your gut but it doesn't mean it's causing an infection - I believe the PCR simply detects the presence of the DNA). So if someone has a positive PCR, then a toxin test is used to see if the infection is active or not.

Have you been on any steroid medications or acid reflux medications? They have been implicated in c diff. But perhaps the sandwich set off an IBS flare.

Again, I'm so sorry. Hang in there and try to take one moment at a time. This is a great place for support.

Nikki

[beth22]

I have had that happen too, but I did not treat with vanco. I took some Pepto Bismol for a few weeks and it all got better. You might have tested positive on PCR even if you never got the D. You probably have the DNA and are a carrier. Since last year, after I had taken antibiotics in the hospital, I got D and a positive PCR c diff test, but I did not treat. Now the hospital is following up positive PCRs with EIA to test for toxins. Mine was negative and so it is considered a negative test with no active disease.

Were you tested for anything else? If you got some kind of toxin from eating something contaminated, it would probably be a different pathogen. I got campylobacter from undercooked chicken and the symptoms were the same.

Dificid is supposed to be given first, before vancomycin. If the vanco does not work for you, then look into it, but hopefully you will be better and not need it.