First time having C. Difficile

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YoungFn
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Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:03 am

First time having C. Difficile

Postby YoungFn » Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:24 pm

I just started Flagyl last night and was wondering how did you guys do on that medication?
Last edited by YoungFn on Wed Jan 10, 2018 11:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.

amg
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Re: First time having C. Difficile

Postby amg » Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:11 pm

So sorry you have c diff.

Flagyl is a BAD drug to treat c diff. It has a lot of side effects and it destroys a lot of your natural occurring good bacteria in your gut that you need to fight c diff. Flagyl actually sets you up for a higher risk of relapse of c diff. Docs who know a lot about c diff avoid using Flagyl.

If I were in your situation, I would ask for Dificid. It targets c diff more closely, sparing more of your good bacteria, and is more effective than Flagyl with a lower recurrence rate.

Good luck and I hope you feel better fast.

MKW
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Re: First time having C. Difficile

Postby MKW » Wed Jan 10, 2018 5:54 pm

Hi, there are three medication options to treat c Diff. Flagyl, Vancomycin, and Dificid. Flagyl has the worst side effects and the worst outcome of the three. However, many doctors still prescribe it as the first line treatment. It is generally concluded the only reason is due to the cost. You should try to discuss with your doctor if you can switch to Vanco or Dificid. Many people take one round of Flagyl and recover, but you will up your chances for a better outcome if you take one of the other drugs.
The problem is once you have an active infection you can end up in a recurrence cycle where your treatment is also killing off the good bacteria needed to keep c Diff in check, then you just develop active infection again. C Diff recovery occurs when you kill off the c Diff bacteria AND you have enough good bacteria to keep any c Diff that remain from overgrowth.
You should schedule an appointment with a GI specialist now just in case to discuss treatment options if your infection were to recur after this treatment... I made the mistake of hoping for the best and was not prepared for what happened to me. So I always tell people with this to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.- melanie

Ril
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Re: First time having C. Difficile

Postby Ril » Wed Jan 10, 2018 9:35 pm

Hi Youngfn and welcome to the site. Please read the first thread on rules for posting.

Sorry you are going through this. Flagyl is a harsh drug with many side effects but still often prescribed although not even FDA approved for the treatment of c diff. I took Flagyl and luckily tolerated it well although many do not. While you are taking it it is a good idea to also take a probiotic, especially Florastor or its generic, because it does not interfere with the medication so does not have to be spaced out. It is believed it helps maintain and restore the good gut flora that is depleted by the medication you are taking.

The majority of people are cured by the first or second round of medications so you will recover. If you are having difficulty tolerating the Flagyl or feel you want a better option contact your dr and request a medication change to vancomycin or Difficid. Drs don’t prescribe Difficid often enough and it is a costly medication but generally will prescribe vanco.

Best of luck to you,
Rita

georgina
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Re: First time having C. Difficile

Postby georgina » Thu Jan 11, 2018 1:06 am

We do not wanna scare you but also we do not wanna lie , most of us that have taken Flagyl had a terrible time while on it , some didn't even make it to the end of the course. I was one of those people that could take more then 6 day , by the 7th day I was switched to Vanco. I had serious nausea and was vomiting everything I was eating and drinking , D was not resolving , tachycardia (but that can also be due to dehydration) , low BP , suffocating and lots of nasty symptoms . For me it was the "drug from hell" , never again!!
As others said , Flagyl is not a FDA approved drug to treat Cdiff but most doctors still prescribe it because it's low cost. If you feel that you improve while on it it's great , but if you feel like it's failing and the side effects are too much to handle , pay a visit to your doctor and ask to be switched to Vanco or Dificid.

smb5118
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Re: First time having C. Difficile

Postby smb5118 » Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:51 pm

I was given Flagyl via IV and Vanco and did fine which is surprising as I am sensitive to most antibiotics. Flagyl is actually one of the antibiotics doctors prefer to prescribe post Cdiff because it is less likely to cause a recurrence. Watch out for new food sensitivities though. I can no longer tolerate avocados, olives and popcorn. My doctor told me to steer clear of dairy but it actually calms my stomach.

Pepto Bismo is also really helpful. I never took it before but it is very calming on the GI tract. My GI prescribed VSL3 which is great. I order it online. It isn't cheap and has to be refrigerated but it doesn't upset my stomach. Many probiotics can cause upset which is not what you need after this experience.

BTW - 50 year old woman. 1.5 years post Cdiff.

FrankS
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Re: First time having C. Difficile

Postby FrankS » Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:15 am

Avoid alcohol and anything (cough drops) with alcohol in it as it will make you very sick. I could tolerate Flagyl pretty will and I though it cured my infection, but it came back two weeks later. It would leave a bitter taste in my mouth with some foods but it wasn't that bad for me.


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