Vanco Taper?

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fiver
New User
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:02 pm

Vanco Taper?

Postby fiver » Sun May 06, 2018 12:49 pm

Hi all,

I was in the hospital for c diff colitis/early appendicitis several weeks ago. Took Flagyl 14 days and things seem to normalize a bit (I believe there are underlying issues but the infection calmed down). 5 days later the diarrhea returned and my GI doc called in 14 days of Vanco. I actually had to request the Vanco; he wanted to put me on another round of Flagyl. How many docs really know what they're doing when it comes to this stuff? I like my doctor, he came highly recommended, but Flagyl isn't even the front line drug anymore. Vanco is. And if it didn't work the first time?! So my question is, should he be recommending a tapering of the Vanco? As it stands, I'm supposed to take it 4x time a day for 2 weeks and stop, but I've read a number of alarmist posts around the internet about problems stopping vanco without a taper period. Should I be concerned?

Fiver

Lisa33
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 2430
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:45 pm

Re: Vanco Taper?

Postby Lisa33 » Mon May 07, 2018 12:20 pm

I had the same scenario as you as far as treatment back in 2014. I was put on Metronidazole (generic flagyl) (may have been for 10 days, not 14). Things got better, but relapsed 2 weeks later. Was put back on Metro, but this time could not tolerate it at all. It made me sicker than c-diff. I pushed to be switched to vanco. After 9 days of hell, I was switched to a 14 day course of vanco, which was a Godsend compared to the Metro. Although it was rocky after finishing, I was cured. You may get different opinions on this, but I am one that feels that the least rounds of meds necessary for a cure, the better. The meds come with their own issues, and you don't start healing until you are off of them. Vanco still kills some good gut flora, while Dificid doesn't. My plan was if I relapsed again, then I would have done a taper. If still no luck, then Dificid. However, if it happened now, I probably would have gone with the Dificid before the vanco. But again, doctors and patients may have different opinions.


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