Angst on the vancomycin pulse - frequent formed bm's

[eholt]

Hi all,

41 year old (once very very healthy) female here. Had first bout in June - went about 12 days until treatment with flagyl then to vanc as soon as I could. 10 day course. Like clockwork back with a vengeance after 1 week. Lots of pain and damage with the relapse - multiple trips with lots and lots of pink mucus poring out (colon damage).

Treating the relapse with 2 weeks of 250*4 x day vancomycin got the stools under control quickly. At the end of that I was having day of 8-10 bm's a day - all formed but crazy urges cramping. Asked to taper / pulse down from that.

Thought I was relapsing into a 3rd bout bc of these frequent bm's, tested negative when down to 1 vanc per day (unusual to test I know but thought I might need to go to dificid)

Am now am on an every 72 hour pulse (with kefir, as per the Baaken study)

The urgency cramps and frequent bm's remain (start with huge bms and then just cramping and elimination throughout the day). Have to stay by a toilet. I go back to work as a teacher (!) in 3 weeks. Working mom of 3 young boys too.

My docs seem to think it is PI-IBS. I'd love to keep the faith that I am healing but such angst! Any thoughts from the board?

*could too many probiotics cause frequency?(4 glasses of kefir, + 3 floraster per day)
*could c diff be just lying below the surface and I am keeping it "at bay"
*can vancomycin increase frequency? I have been on it a month!