Post c diff recovery?

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NewLife
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Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:55 am

Hi all,
I'm a 26 year old female in need of some guidance. I am about 5 weeks out after my last antibiotic for c Diff. I took clindamycin for a "supposed" toothache for 4 days. I noticed things were not normal so I stopped the med. Fast forward two weeks later things are still not normal so I go to the ER where they find I have c diff colitis. I was given flagly for 10 days then relapsed a week later and then vanco. I did an alimetrix or cotton swab test to see if I still had c diff about 2 weeks later after finishing the vanco. It came back positive but my GI doctor thinks its gone since at the time I wasn't having any bowel movements for 4 days.

Well now I've noticed that I have to almost strain for bowel movements. They are formed and 1 or 2 times a day but I have this constant ache on my left side of my abdomen. I can eat white bread, eggs, butter, salad without any D...I take florastor 2 or 3 times a day. I am curious to know if anyone has had this too. Has this been pi ibs or part of normal recovery for anyone? Or does this
sound like c diff is still there?

I'm really hoping this will all go away. My husband and I were really wanting to start a family but now I am worried about taking any antibiotics for fear of a recurrence.

roy
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby roy » Sun Oct 21, 2018 1:31 pm

Sounds 100% normal, only lack of D indicates if c.diff is gone, not a test.
Also only D indicates you need treating for c.diff even if a test is positive.
You have a good GI.

NewLife
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Sun Oct 21, 2018 1:46 pm

Thanks Roy.

Does it sound like ibs at all? My GI wants to do a colonoscopy in November to check for UC. I did have some bleeding a couple weeks ago for a bout a week and a half. But that has resolved. I have not noticed any blood in the stools nor do I have D. I'm nervous about getting a colonoscopy so soon especially if it will wipe out all the bacteria I have been trying to replenish.

sammyp
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby sammyp » Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:04 pm

I'm 8 weeks into recovery from CDiff and I now have what I believe to be PI-IBS-C which is constipated specific. I had it mildly before CDiff but it's a lot more severe now. Lots of straining for BMs, lots of pain and gurgling and gas from not being able to go. I manage good BMs about once every three days and in between they are usually hard and pellet like once to twice a day. Your GI sounds really good and I'm glad he's not overtreating you - your body truly begins to heal after antibiotics since they can be rough on your system too. I've noticed a huge trend with overtreating because people expect to take medicine and feel well but that's not the case with CDiff. Our guts are healing from a major infection and it takes time and patience. Recovery is a bumpy road with lots of ups and downs. I still have really bad days 8 weeks out from treatment but as long as D doesn't return for 3 days or more, I chalk it up to healing. If I were in your shoes I would give my body more time to heal and not risk a colonoscopy but only you and your doc can make that decision. Congrats on five weeks of recovery - that's awesome. I hope you continue to improve.

roy
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby roy » Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:02 pm

I dont think I would agree to a colonoscopy when all the symptoms point to normal recovery.

Dont forget.
If your GI does not "do something" his pay day suffers!
American health system is sometimes $$ orientated when it comes to invasive tests.

NewLife
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:03 pm

Thanks for the replies. Sammyp your case sounds similar to mine. When I have a BM they are usually pellets once or twice daily with some straining.
Does anyone know if this will ever go away with time? And what tests are done to diagnose pi ibs?

sammyp
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby sammyp » Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:18 am

IBS is a exclusion condition meaning that it is diagnosed after all other possibilities are exhausted. Usually a good GI doctor can kind of tell based on symptoms but if your symptoms are severe (blood in BMs, chronic diarrhea, etc) he'll probably want to do some tests (blood work, stool samples, colonoscopy, endoscopy) to rule out something more serious. If you do have IBS, changes in diet or lifestyle will likely help. Increasing your water and fiber intake (I started taking the Phillips fiber gummies and they have helped). Getting some light exercise could help move things along. You could also try adding some high fiber foods back in to your diet but do so slowly and only one at a time to make surw it doesn't bother you. I think if you bring your IBS concerns up with your doc he would be able to help as well :)

NewLife
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:09 pm

Thanks for the reply. I haven't had anymore blood in my stool nor do I have D but I will bring it up to my GI and see what he thinks. I hope you continue to improve. :)

Ajs
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby Ajs » Mon Oct 22, 2018 4:33 pm

Hi Newlife! I would also be cautious on the colonoscopy for a while unless symptoms worsen. Although it’s not very common, I do have a friend who relapsed immediately after having a colonoscopy. She had been symptom free for quite a long time and wasn’t on antibiotics. I am almost 9 weeks since my FMT and I still have bad days. I’m trying to figure out what my triggers are, but it’s hard to pick up on any kind of pattern. Like you, I’m hoping that it’s just part of the recovery and not cdiff trying to flare back up. Wishing you the best!

NewLife
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:56 pm

Thanks Ajs. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of doing a colonoscopy and at the moment I feel that I want to know what damage has been done or if something else is going on. But on the other hand I want to let myself recover and see how my body handles it. I don't want to relapse. I wish you the best as well and congrats on 9 weeks!

NewLife
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Sun Nov 04, 2018 7:22 pm

Has anyone here actually fully recovered postcdiff 6 months to a year? I mean back to eating normally, normal bowel movements, and no abdominal issues?
Last edited by NewLife on Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

roy
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby roy » Sun Nov 04, 2018 7:56 pm

My mother died of it but I have 2 friends that recovered fully within 14 days of starting meds.
For most people (80%) c.diff is no more than a few days of inconvenient D and not a serious illness.
A younger healthy person is not the typical victim.

NewLife
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Sun Nov 04, 2018 10:43 pm

I'm so sorry to hear that Roy. Cdiff is a terrible infection that robs us and I wish no one would ever have to go through it. Thanks for sharing. I am almost 2 months out with better bowl movements every day but I'm also bloated some days with some discomfort. No D or really any C. But I've also avoided dairy since this whole thing started with the exception of muffins and butter. I'm hoping that one day I can have milk and ice cream again but I fear trying it. I feel that I may have pi ibs but am hoping it will go away eventually.

NewLife
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby NewLife » Sat Dec 08, 2018 4:52 pm

Well I'm almost 3 months post cdiff and still don't feel real improvement in fact sometimes I feel worse. It's hard trying to be patient. Often times I wonder if there is something else going on in my intestines like SIBO or yeast overgrowth or who knows. Everyday or most days I feel bloated and swollen on the left side of my abdomen. Recently started to feel heartburn/burning in center of my abdomen. My bowels seem weird course that is normal in recovery but I'm not certain on some things. I eat white rice, chicken, salmon, shrimp, (with vegan butter, salt, and black pepper, sometimes I use turmeric or ginger) eggs, Zucchini, yellow squash, rolled oats with banana, cinnamon, shelled hemp seeds, dairy free coconut milk and bone broth protein powder. Sometimes I do go out and eat hibachi but I always get white rice and chicken teriyaki without the sauce and salad. (I'm thinking salad probably doesn't help) I also take florastor, raw one multivitamins, and today took one syntol amd pill....which could be bad for sibo but helps with digestive cleansing. Can't win. I was trying to add more foods in but I think it hurt me more. So I am now avoiding wheat, dairy, and sugar. I feel so lost in this and even hopeless at times.

Ril
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Re: Post c diff recovery?

Postby Ril » Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:36 pm

As long as your BMs are normal you may have IBS if you are having abdominal spasms. I don’t know what the pills you are taking are but you don’t need digestive cleansing. They could be an irritant. Your intestines need to heal. You mentioned salad. If you are eating salad don’t. Salad is one of the worst things for most of us, along with any raw vegetable or high fiber food. Recovery can be rough. Mine was but you will get through it. If you feel like the pains are cramping you can talk to your dr about the possibility of taking antispasmodic medication.

Rita


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