First recurrence and many questions
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 4:41 pm
Hi all and I'll try to keep it as brief as possible. I contracted C Diff after my surgeon put me on Cipro and Flagyl for 10 days before an anal fistulotomy (I know, yuck, but it happens to the best of us) at the beginning of November, then gave me a big hit of Clindamycin during the surgery, followed by another 5 days of Cipro/Flagyl. I had C Diff symptoms several days into the pre-surgery round of antibiotics and asked my surgeon 2x about this being C Diff. He said that if my diarrhea wasn't watery and bright yellow, I didn't have it. Right. I know now I did have it. Well, things got progressively worse after surgery until I ended up in the hospital the second week of December with a positive C Diff culture. I received IV fluids and they started a 10 day cycle of Vancomycin 125 mgs 4x a day. Oh, they also found a small blood clot in my calf at the same time, probably a result of surgery, so lucky me.
I was released 3 1/2 days later and the vanco firmed things up by day 4. About 2 weeks and a few days after ending vanco on 12/19, the symptoms returned-- gassy, fluffy stools 6-7x a day. Mild gassy pain in abdomen. I called my GP Saturday afternoon (day 2 of symptoms) and he prescribed 21 days of vanco 125 mgs 4x a day. Today is Monday, so I'm hoping things firm up tomorrow or Wednesday. I did not call the ID doctor that saw me in the hospital because he and his associated barely entered my hospital room (probably due to the "Sign of Shame/Abandon all Hope Ye Who Enter Here"), stood as far away from me as he could and when I told him I already had IBS-D, he said "well then all bets are off."
Questions:
1. Is this 21 day course of vanco usual for 1st recurrence? Shouldn't I be on a pulsed/taper? Fidaximycin?
2. What the heck do I eat? Dr. Google says avoid sugar, gluten, dairy, raw fruits/veggies... so meat and rice????
3. I started taking Florastor halfway through the 1st vanco round, along with drinking about 1.5 cups of kefir every day. Is this supposed to help?
4. Once I'm done with the 3 month Eliquis blood thinner for the blood clot, I'll be able to go back on my oral Diclofenac for arthritis-- which is like a miracle drug for me and keeps me active and volunteering and taking care of my elderly parents. But I have to take a Pepcid with it in the morning. I'm seeing that antacids can contribute to C Diff returning? Even OTC Pepcid once a day?
I'm an otherwise healthy 64 yr old woman-- take meds for hypothyroidism, hypertension and arthritis-- although that one is on hold now due to the blood clot resolving itself. I feel so utterly hopeless right now, like this will never go away and I'll never be normal again. I'm so anxious and depressed and I know I'm bringing everyone else around me down too. I need hope and reassurance, I guess.
I was released 3 1/2 days later and the vanco firmed things up by day 4. About 2 weeks and a few days after ending vanco on 12/19, the symptoms returned-- gassy, fluffy stools 6-7x a day. Mild gassy pain in abdomen. I called my GP Saturday afternoon (day 2 of symptoms) and he prescribed 21 days of vanco 125 mgs 4x a day. Today is Monday, so I'm hoping things firm up tomorrow or Wednesday. I did not call the ID doctor that saw me in the hospital because he and his associated barely entered my hospital room (probably due to the "Sign of Shame/Abandon all Hope Ye Who Enter Here"), stood as far away from me as he could and when I told him I already had IBS-D, he said "well then all bets are off."
Questions:
1. Is this 21 day course of vanco usual for 1st recurrence? Shouldn't I be on a pulsed/taper? Fidaximycin?
2. What the heck do I eat? Dr. Google says avoid sugar, gluten, dairy, raw fruits/veggies... so meat and rice????
3. I started taking Florastor halfway through the 1st vanco round, along with drinking about 1.5 cups of kefir every day. Is this supposed to help?
4. Once I'm done with the 3 month Eliquis blood thinner for the blood clot, I'll be able to go back on my oral Diclofenac for arthritis-- which is like a miracle drug for me and keeps me active and volunteering and taking care of my elderly parents. But I have to take a Pepcid with it in the morning. I'm seeing that antacids can contribute to C Diff returning? Even OTC Pepcid once a day?
I'm an otherwise healthy 64 yr old woman-- take meds for hypothyroidism, hypertension and arthritis-- although that one is on hold now due to the blood clot resolving itself. I feel so utterly hopeless right now, like this will never go away and I'll never be normal again. I'm so anxious and depressed and I know I'm bringing everyone else around me down too. I need hope and reassurance, I guess.