What should I do?

[mono]

Hello everyone,
I'm a 25 yo male. I was diagnosed with c diff a week and a half ago. My doctor prescribed Flagyl, which I finished yesterday.
The Flagyl made me very nauseated, so I'm glad I'm done with it, but I'm afraid my c diff is not cured yet.

I'm feeling a little bit better because I went from going to the toilet 6 - 9 times per day (with severe diarrhea) to 2 - 4 times per day (with mild diarrhea) now. Definitely a lot less, but still too much since I used to go only once per day before the c diff. I also still have pain (cramps). When I go to the toilet, I usually have mild diarrhea, and other times the stool seems to be somewhat solid but really soft. Also, sometimes when I have to go, I have a lot of gas/farts (sorry, I know it sounds gross) with only a very small amount of diarrhea.
What worries me the most is that I also still have blood loss. Sometimes there's no blood at all, other times the toilet paper is really red or pink. This started happening right before I started taking the Flagyl, so I don't think it's a side effect of the Flagyl. It appears there is more blood when I have gas. When the stool is somewhat solid, there is no blood.

It is clear something is still wrong. Is it possible that I'm slowly curing from the c diff, since it seems I have to go to the toilet less and less? Or is time not going to solve this?
I also read a lot about Fidaxomicin and Vanco, which supposedly seem to be better than Flagyl. Should I ask my doctor if I can try one of these? I have no mecidal knowledge at all, but I just want this to be over. The c diff is really affecting my life. I can't go out with friends anymore, I stay at home all day.
It's still unclear to me how I got c diff, because I haven't had any antibiotics in 2 years and also haven't been to a hospital for over 1,5 years. I also always wash my hands after going to the toilet and before eating.

Thanks for your time, any advice is appreciated.

[Lisa33]

Hello mono - Welcome to the site. Please read the first forum for all new users on rules of posting, standard intro, etc. So sorry you are dealing with this. Flagyl really shouldn't be used as the first line of treatment anymore, and for most, it does make you feel sicker than the c-diff. Vanco and Dificid have higher cure rates. It's hard to tell if the c-diff is gone in your case as it does seem like you are still going a lot and have blood. The blood may be from hemorrhoids, but you should definitely communicate this to your doctor, as any blood should be checked out. I do think that if I were in your shoes I would ask my doctor about his thoughts on going with a round of vanco or dificid. The less meds the better for a cure, so the other option would be to wait and see if things improve or if things take a turn for the worse. But, I would have the treatment plan in place now just in case. I am one that believes that probiotics aided in my curing c-diff. I took VSL-3 and Florastor while battling c-diff and in recovery. Probiotics do not agree with everybody, so start off slow if you start to take them.

Unfortunately, there are more and more cases of people getting c-diff infections in the community. I hope that things improve for you. Just be patient as being cured from this awful illness is not something that happens overnight, nor is it ever black and white. There is a lot of guessing that goes on, which is what drives the anxiety. If you are seeing improvement, even if it's slow, that is a good sign.

Feel better,
Lisa