cdiffdiscuss.org

I've been posting for a few weeks now, and everyone has been wonderful in their support. To recap, I'm a 60 year old female, diagnosed with Cdiff after antibiotic treatment for sibo. I failed a 14 day treatment with Flagy and now my GI has me on 10 days of Vanco with a 2 month taper. This is my 5th day on it. My diarrhea is gone, and belly pain is less, but my anxiety if worse. I cannot seem to cope with the fear of relapse. It is consuming me. I see a therapist, I'm on prozac, and I have lots of support. I just need to hear from fellow sufferers that this will get better and eventually go away. I read through so many posts on this site, and everyone says that sooner or later something works, so why can I believe that and just let time do it's job? How do I cope with this anxiety? I feel like it's consuming me. Please give me some advice...

Sorry you are going through this, understand there is a gut/brain relationship and when things are off like CDIFF, it can cause anxiety. You are doing all the right things, we have many posters who go into therapy and it can help so continue.

The only thing I can offer is this is VERY common and it may take time. The fear it can leave us with can be difficult and it's all about working through it and time. Hopefully once you are done with Vanco you will see yourself slowly improve and have better and better days. It can be up and down and if you know that, it's easier to deal with.
Just know when you complete Vanco, that fear creeps up. You can read all about here on the site, hear what others are dog to push through this.
It sounds like you have had great improvement already which is wonderful!!

NanciT

Thanks, Nanci. Your words are very comforting. I have to remind myself that with this illness, the recovery is a long one. You're right, i have seen great improvement, and its normal to still have some belly discomfort right? Not really pain, just some achiness and gas. Is that from the trauma to the colon? Thanks again. This site is wonderful.

So many of us are right there with you. Im in therapy and on meds for anxiety, OCD, and PTSD from my ordeal with CDiff. For many months I was suicidal because I didn't want to live with the fear anymore.

I'm 12.5 weeks past treatment and I will say that things have definitely improved. I still have bad stomach days but I don't automatically assume it's reoccurring anymore because I've had so many bad days that ended up being just that and nothing else. But the fear definitely lingers. It's more like a whisper than a scream now but I feel like it'll take continued mental health treatment and time to lessen it.

I was the worst while on Vanco, crying constantly, never leaving the house, barely eating. But the taper pulse worked for me. I hope you continue to improve. My doc offered hope when I asked him "will this work? You've actually seen it work, right?" In regards to Vanco taper pulse and he said, "absolutely, it still works for most people".

I hope you continue to heal and seek services to help with your anxiety. You'll beat this. It will get better.

Am I right that you had pain before you had c.diff?
I am assuming that is correct because you were investigated and treated for SIBO.
Whatever that was then might be what's causing it now.

Yes I did, but I cleared the SIBO and this pain is more like lower abdominal discomfort. Kinda like trapped gas. Is that just from the cdiff damage to the colon?

how do you know you cleared the SIBO?

I did a breath test in October.

Bern: It will get better but it will take time. Unfortunately, IBS is often the side effect of C. Diff, but there are medications that can be taken that lessen or stop the pain from IBS. Following a diet of relatively bland food usually helps keep the discomfort to a minimum. I keep a daily diary of my food intake which helps me discover what food may trigger an episode of IBS. Try to stay away from the three "S" foods - sweets, salads, and spicy food. I hope this helps, but it is often an individual reaction. Some people can go right back to their former "normal" food intake, but others have a more difficult adjustment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking help to handle the emotional aspect of C. Diff and the usual IBS that follows. I did, and it helped.
Aloha,
Anne

Thank you for your kind words. So your saying that the belly discomfort is normal while treating cdiff as well as after with IBS? I guess I thought that once the diarrhea stopped that all the other symptoms would go away too. Is it because the colon is irritated?

You colon has been infected and irritated for a long time and has to heal, just like any other part of your body that has been irritated. If you have IBS you may be experiencing spasms which would cause pain but not necessarily d. You can ask your dr if he thinks antispasmodic medication might help you. Many of us have had to use that as well as watch our diets for quite a while...timeframe different for everyone.
Other than that, everyone has told you pretty much all there is. The anxiety is awful but you already take Prozac and if it is not helping perhaps it’s time to discuss medications with your therapist.
Rita

Other posters have already given you good advice. I also think asking your doctor for an antispasmodic like Bentyl or Levsin is a good idea. This would let you know if you are having muscle cramping pain or not. I can tell you when I had my FMT done, after 2 months on Vanco, my doctor said I had inflammation throughout my entire colon.
That was after treatment for a 4th active infection, but that just lets you know that those toxins do some damage.
One distinguishing characteristic of IBS cramping for me is that it moves around, or is just feels like it's your whole lower abdomen.
You may end up and need to take a benzodiazepine for anxiety. Don't be afraid to ask.
The fact is antidepressants are for depression, and anti-anxiety medications are for anxiety. Antidepressants work for anxiety for SOME people.
They say anti depressants are better because they result in "anti-depressant discontinuation syndrome" instead of "addiction". Really?... Thank you Big Pharma for that clarification.
I take .5 mg of Klonopin daily, and I split it into quarters. A lot of people take Xanax, which I have taken before. I find Klonopin less altering, and this may be because it has a really long half life. It also seems to have more of a muscle relaxant effect, which I believe helps with my cramping. I have taken it for a year and have never felt I need to increase my dosage.

There are some antidepressants that have antianxiety properties as well. You really need a medication consultation with your doctor/prescriber for a good assessment to get optimal relief.