cdiffdiscuss.org

I went to the hospital on April 18, 2017 for a standard Coumadin blood thinner test. Prior to the test I used the wall-mounted hand wash.

The next day, I started feeling somewhat ill. Over the next week I experienced symptoms that I thought were IBS-D. Started feeling ill, losing my appetite and started suffering from diarrhea. Continued to get worse during the second week. Had no appetite, felt like I was going to faint, heart starting to race, felt sicker and weaker, started taking Loperamide for D. Thought I had IBS-D.

Went to hospital on May 8th, diagnosed with C-Diff on May 9th from stool sample.

So... I thought that I contracted C-Diff during my hospital visit on April 18, 2017, one day before symptoms started.

Yesterday, while I was looking back at my prescription history I noticed that I had taken 10 days of Clindamycin, from March 16, 2017 thru March 25, 2017. From what I have read at this site, Clindamycin is a known cause of C-Diff. But, I did not start to experience symptoms of C-Diff until over three weeks after taking Clindamycin.

I am wondering, from other victims' experiences, is it more likely that the Clindamycin caused the C-Diff, or more likely that I contracted it during my visit to the hospital?

Why am I asking? I would like to feel that the hospital is a reasonably safe place, since I have to frequently visit the place.

It's really hard to say. You could have picked up spores prior to your antibiotic use or after. The clindamycin is what altered your gut flora and allowed the spores to germinate and take over. With C. diff the best defense is a good offense; especially considering that you regularly have to visit someplace that by it's very nature is home to lots of sick people and C. diff spores. Taking florastor and a high quality probiotic is a good idea. I hope that youc ontinue to recover and can put this disease behind you.

The clinda destroyed your good gut flora and allowed c.diff to proliforate.
Antibiotics do not cause c.diff, they predispose you to it becoming an illness.
You could have picked up c.diff at the hospital or anywhere else.
1 week to 3 months after taking clinda it typical for the onset of c.diff symptoms.

Agreed with OCmama. Antibiotics don't cause c diff to be inside of our gut. It is a bacteria and needs to be ingested to get inside of us (c diff is all over, however typically ingestion can happen in high c diff spore areas like visiting or staying in a hospitals/nursing homes/doctor's offices etc. where one might touch a surface and then touch their mouth/face to eat or some such). C diff often stays dormant in your system after ingestion (you won't even know you have it because your good flora crowds it out). It's not until an antibiotic or PPI activates it by destroying your good flora, allowing the c diff to multiply and produce toxins. So you either ingested the spores before or after the antibiotic use. No way of really telling.

I hope you get well soon. This is a great place for support!

Thanks Roy, OCmama and NikaNik! I had not thought about the Clindamycin wiping out my protective bacteria making me much more susceptible and vulnerable to a C-Diff infection. That is so basic to C-Diff that it really bothers me, at 73, that I did not consider that myself!

Because the Clindamycin weakened my gut flora, I could have reacted to C-Diff spores from the hospital, whereas if I had not taken Clindamycin and had a healthy gut flora, I might not have gotten full fledged C-Diff from contact with C-Diff spores at the hospital, or anywhere else, like the dentist or the super market, etc.

I am currently on a Vancomycin taper. Doing well so far. Hope to get lucky!

Have a nice "low symptom" day.

NikaNik wrote:
> So you either ingested
> the spores before or after the antibiotic use. No way of really telling.

"Before"?! I'm going to stop trying to figure out where and when C-Diff nailed me. It is what it is. Just going to be very careful with washing hands in the future; and trying to strengthen my good flora.

The villain is the Clindamycin. There have got to be other alternatives than this antibiotic, perhaps going back to the days when they used to test the bacteria to use a more selective, safer and targeted one.

Thanks!

I agree with the others. Taking Clindamycin wipes out the good flora, it is one of the HIGH offenders. As far as where any of us pick this up it is everywhere and difficult to pinpoint.

Hand washing is the NUMBER one advice I give everyone. Have excellent hand washing skills with soap and water. If you have to go into a doctors office or hospital keep this in mind.
Since I work IN a hospital, I wash my hands constantly. Leave my shoes outside and train my students to do the same.
Standard Precautions

Happy to hear the Vanco taper is working, you will get there soon!

NanciT

NanciT I am so GLAD that you are out there teaching your nursing students about C. diff and how to prevent infections. The C. diff of 20 years ago was a rare nuisance. It is now a growing deadly plague. It is reassuring that there is a rising force within the medical community who recognize the danger and working to stem it. Grateful for nurses like you! :-)

My symptoms came on about a month after I finished Cipro and I was told that time frame was common.

After a course of Clyndamicin you are considered out of the danger zone after 12 weeks . Clindamycin is the highest offender and is not safer in ANY form , not even when is administered on skin.

Machaon, I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly. I also acquired C. diff following a course of clindamycin. This drug is still prescribed too casually by doctors and dentists. Please consider clicking on the link below this post to fill out an Adverse Event form, on the FDA website, about your experience with clindamycin.