Taking vanco prophylactically with symptoms: Wondering about potential relapse after successful FMT
Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 10:09 am
Hi all. I am a 48 year old female. I suffered with cdiff for over a year, being treated with mostly Vanco but unable to come off of it without symptoms accompanied by positive tests for toxins. I was finally cured with an FMT. Now, approximately a year and a half later, I started Vanco prophylactically a few days after I began a seven-day course of doxycycline for cellulitis. I stopped the doxy over a week ago and am now on schedule to taper off the Vanco, but I’m having symptoms. Compared to my previous experiences, my symptoms don’t seem like full-blown cdiff. There is a bit of the familiar smell, I think, and I’m having frequent bowel movements: 3-6 in the AM and a couple of more later in the day. Stool is soft, w occasional diarrhea.
Around the time I started Vanco (this time around), I felt unwell and was tachycardic. That went away but the changes in my bowl movements continued. I felt a little better only after going to 3x/day Vanco (from 2) and adding more fiber to my diet. I suspected that I might need more fiber when my stool was missing form but was not diarrhea. Then I went down 2x/day, had diarrhea right away, and so went back up to 3x/day yesterday, when I also took a dose of immodium (I don't normally take this). I’m feeling better today. Only one bm so far.
Another background fact that may be relevant: A couple of months after the successful FMT, I underwent a necessary surgery and was given one dose of antibiotic prior to the surgery. Within a week of the surgery I started having diarrhea and tested positive for cdiff toxins. However, during the weekend when I was waiting for the test results the diarrhea cleared on it’s own, and so I never ended up treating and remained fine after that until a few weeks ago.
Does anyone have advice about questions I ought to be asking to sort out whether this is cdiff? And can cdiff be present but in a controlled way while on Vanco (represented by minor symptoms)? In other words, is it possible that cdiff is present and is being partially “held back” by Vanco? My doc hasn’t suggested testing at this point because treatment began prophylactically and now he will continue treating based on symptoms rather than test results.
Thank you. And best wishes to all of you searching for cure and those of you who have been cured.
Around the time I started Vanco (this time around), I felt unwell and was tachycardic. That went away but the changes in my bowl movements continued. I felt a little better only after going to 3x/day Vanco (from 2) and adding more fiber to my diet. I suspected that I might need more fiber when my stool was missing form but was not diarrhea. Then I went down 2x/day, had diarrhea right away, and so went back up to 3x/day yesterday, when I also took a dose of immodium (I don't normally take this). I’m feeling better today. Only one bm so far.
Another background fact that may be relevant: A couple of months after the successful FMT, I underwent a necessary surgery and was given one dose of antibiotic prior to the surgery. Within a week of the surgery I started having diarrhea and tested positive for cdiff toxins. However, during the weekend when I was waiting for the test results the diarrhea cleared on it’s own, and so I never ended up treating and remained fine after that until a few weeks ago.
Does anyone have advice about questions I ought to be asking to sort out whether this is cdiff? And can cdiff be present but in a controlled way while on Vanco (represented by minor symptoms)? In other words, is it possible that cdiff is present and is being partially “held back” by Vanco? My doc hasn’t suggested testing at this point because treatment began prophylactically and now he will continue treating based on symptoms rather than test results.
Thank you. And best wishes to all of you searching for cure and those of you who have been cured.