Recurrence: Positive for toxins but no D---would you treat?

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bethFB2
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Recurrence: Positive for toxins but no D---would you treat?

Postby bethFB2 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:23 am

Hi! I'm a 36 year old female who was diagnosed with C-diff in May of this year. My case was pretty severe; I was hospitalized for a week and became septic. My colon was severely inflamed. After I was discharged I completed a course of Vanco and felt better.

All was well for 4 weeks after I finished the Vanco and then last Thursday I began having diarrhea again, with a rapid heartbeat and just feeling sick. I got a stool test done the next day. While I was waiting for the results, I began to feel better. By Saturday I felt well enough to go on a vacation with my family and walk 5+ miles per day. My stools were formed, no rapid heartbeat, no fever, minimal urgency.

I found out on Monday that the results of my stool test were positive for toxins. I told my doctor I was no longer having diarrhea and she said she would leave it up to me to decide whether to treat the recurrence, but made me promise if I had any diarrhea again that I would get on antibiotics right away. She wrote me an Rx for Dificid so I currently have that ready to go if I need it.

So right now, my stools are mostly formed (although they're green with an unpleasant odor). I go about every 12 hours. A tiny bit of cramping but not really urgency. I'm eating a low fiber diet and feeling mostly okay. But I'm wondering---would you start the Dificid just to be safe? My initial infection was so severe that I am terrified of winding up in the hospital again if I postpone treating this recurrence. But I also do not want to overtreat and risk another recurrence. My doctor has left it up to me and I'm conflicted.

Thank you for any advice!

beth22
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Re: Recurrence: Positive for toxins but no D---would you treat?

Postby beth22 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:31 am

I had the same situation. I had been negative for a few years and then hospitalized and given IV antibiotics. A few weeks later, I got a couple of days of D and tested. By the time the test came back, I was feeling better with no more D. Both my GI and ID told me not to treat, but I also have a bottle of Dificid that I got because I was traveling. I would get IBS symptoms, but no real D. I tested positive on PCR for over two years, but then it went back to negative. The EIA tests were negative and the hospital lab considered that to be a negative result. What type of test did you have? If it was PCR, it might not mean that you have an active infection as many people will test positive after treatment for a while or even longer.

bethFB2
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Re: Recurrence: Positive for toxins but no D---would you treat?

Postby bethFB2 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:49 am

Thanks for your reply! So I'm not sure if it was PCR...my test results say "C Diff Naat R: positive; C Diff Toxin: positive". They were the same tests I had done that detected my initial infection.

It's weird because last Thursday I could have sworn it was back and I was going to be super sick again. Same stool consistency, same urgency and cramps, going 5+ times per day, mucus in the stool, rapid heartbeat...and then I just felt better. So now I have the Dificid but I don't know when or if to take it.

roy
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Re: Recurrence: Positive for toxins but no D---would you treat?

Postby roy » Fri Jul 19, 2019 1:36 pm

If your own immune system beats c.diff and the symptoms say it's gone it's a perfect recovery.
Tests might be positive but that means nothing if the symptoms are gone!
Natures done its job!
If it's not broke dont fix it!

georgina
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Re: Recurrence: Positive for toxins but no D---would you treat?

Postby georgina » Sat Jul 20, 2019 12:46 pm

If you are feeling better you might wanna hold off the treatment and let your immune system take care of whatever cdiff left inside. Treatment is needed only when symptoms are present.However ,is very good to have a backup , the Dificid comes in handy if you start feeling sick again : having multiple bouts of D , abdominal pain etc. Have you tried a probiotic?


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