Positive test, no symptoms but prescribed antibiotic?

[gordon44]

Hello, 38 male new to the board. Love this place as a resource, sharing of information and personal experiences.

Had wisdom teeth extracted and placed on Clindamycin for 7 days. Noticed my stools towards the end getting more loose. Perceived this as normal due to the antibiotic taking a toll on my normal flora. 5 days post antibiotic course I had stomach pains and diarrhea. The pain and discomfort went away after day 1 but diarrhea persisted for 2 weeks.

I took probiotic pills and Kefir to restore my flora. Literally the last day (day 14) of diarrhea I finally got to visit the doctor and they didn't think I had C. diff. Their diagnosis was a side-effect from the Clindamycin as the manufacturer literature states. Regardless, it was in the best interest to test for C.diff. I submitted my sample, which ironically, was the last one to meet sample criteria for testing. Miraculously, the next day I was normal and had been for the next 8 days.

Then I get a phone call a week after my sample submission. C diff positive, toxin B and culture confirmed. They start me on Flagyl 500 mg 3x for 14 days.

My question, is the 14 day duration of Flagyl necessary if I have no symptoms? I kind of feel my doctor is just reading literature and not looking at the big picture.

Thank you

[beth22]

If you have no symptoms, generally one does not treat. Your own body might have kicked the c difficile. First treatment is to discontinue the offending antibiotic, which you did. I would continue to take your probiotics and see if you get more symptoms. Is your doctor aware that you don't have D? If not, call and tell him or her. Flagyl can give c difficile too. I treated when I should have waited and it started me on a cycle of relapses. I am not a health professional, but this was my experience.

[amyc]

If you started the flagyl it's probably best to finish it. If you haven't started it I wouldn't take it unless the symptoms come back. But definitely call your doctor to let them know what's going on.

[georgina]

If the D subsided is probably best not to start treating , treatment should be taken in the presence of symptoms not only a positive test.

[gordon44]

Thanks for the replies.

"If you have no symptoms, generally one does not treat. Your own body might have kicked the c difficile." - Those were my thoughts too.

"Is your doctor aware that you don't have D? If not, call and tell him or her" - I explained via phone and e-mail that I was expressing zero symptoms since the doctor visit and up to receiving my test results (a week later). According to them, if I have normal stools and no symptoms then the C.diff has been eliminated. I find some contradictions to their reasoning. To this day I have had no symptoms other then what I am assuming is some of the sides from Flagyl.