Had a 1on1 with him this afternoon, he said go ahead and finish out this round of Flagyl, and if I relapse he will start me on the other antibiotic, or send me to a Infectious disease Doc, or both more likley he said.
So it went good, I told him I have no problem finishing off this round of flagyl, and if it makes me better than that is great, I told him I just want to get better.
I also got health insurance now which is a real plus!
Cdiff smell?
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Yavina
- Brand New Poster
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 2:28 pm
Hi everyone,
I'm completely new to this site and tried to find the best thread to ask my question about the smell of c. difficile.
My GI specialist first thought I had c. diff from using clindamycin but now thinks it could be ulcerative colitis. I don't know what to think annymore after seeing many doctors with different views.
I'm currently healthy with no symptoms but when I had the big D., I couldn't smell anything in the air but when I inspected the mucus there was a definite horribly pungent smell that I didn't recognize from anything.
Can anyone offer me more details about the "smell"?
I'm completely new to this site and tried to find the best thread to ask my question about the smell of c. difficile.
My GI specialist first thought I had c. diff from using clindamycin but now thinks it could be ulcerative colitis. I don't know what to think annymore after seeing many doctors with different views.
I'm currently healthy with no symptoms but when I had the big D., I couldn't smell anything in the air but when I inspected the mucus there was a definite horribly pungent smell that I didn't recognize from anything.
Can anyone offer me more details about the "smell"?
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Nancy1
- Administrator
- Posts: 1902
- Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:48 am
Yavina,
Welcome to the group that no one wants to join. Be sure to read Dr. Borody's article, Dr. McDonald's article (in the FAQ section under Articles by experts), and the areas in the FAQ section that are of particular interest to you. I am so glad that you are currently healthy. And I hope you stay that way! Did you have a stool test done? Did your doc have you on Flagyl or vancocin?
About the smell, I always had it with relapses, so for me it was one way to be sure that cdiff was back. It is hard to describe. It smelled strong, kind of like a bad barnyard smell. Whew, it made my eyes water.
Welcome to the group that no one wants to join. Be sure to read Dr. Borody's article, Dr. McDonald's article (in the FAQ section under Articles by experts), and the areas in the FAQ section that are of particular interest to you. I am so glad that you are currently healthy. And I hope you stay that way! Did you have a stool test done? Did your doc have you on Flagyl or vancocin?
About the smell, I always had it with relapses, so for me it was one way to be sure that cdiff was back. It is hard to describe. It smelled strong, kind of like a bad barnyard smell. Whew, it made my eyes water.
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Yavina
- Brand New Poster
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 2:28 pm
Hi nancy1,
Thanks so much for your help.
I started being sick March 25 and this really helpful website has been one of my best sources of information on the subject, particularly because sufferers also offer their experiences. As I've gone from doctor to doctor, opinion to opinion, and through different experiences and info sources though, I have to admit that I've often been completely at a loss and forgetting some of it's good advice.
Originally, after four days of horrible diarrhea coming from nowhere, with mucus and some blood, I saw my GP who told me I probably had IBS and gave me a prescription for Lomotil and a referral to a GI specialist for a colonoscopy. I waited 3.5 weeks for the apt and in the meantime, after taking Lomotil for a week to allow me to go out of town for a funeral, I got horrible stools (but no pain) and what looked like big splotches of dried blood when I stopped taking it. I went to the ER where they diagnosed me with CD and put me on 1500/day of Metronidazole (generic for Flagyl as you know) for seven days and told me not to eat milk products or any fiber.
Three days after finishing that, the sandy stools w/ a bit of blood and mucus galore started again. Thankfully I got to see the specialist two days later who put me on Metro again, with a 5-week dose reducing program with no diet restrictions.
Three days after I started being on just 250 mg/day, I saw mucus again (with no smell this time) when I was out of town and I panicked (I had forgotten all about the 3-day rule!) and put myself back on 1500/day until I saw the specialist again 5 days later. That's when he told me he wasn't sure I had c. diff anymore (although in the past he had said that it often recurs), that it could be UC. He gave me Salofalk and asked me to see how I was doing within a week.
Came home, took a few doses of Salofalk, felt stomach pains that I had never felt before and just stopped. Now, I think I just overreacted on the mucus and that the Metro had worked to cure my symptoms and that my digestive system is still irritated. Although in the back of my mind, I think, what if I've never had it? What if it's UC after all? I'm 39 and a little surprised that it would come now out of nowhere.
I'd appreciate greatly any information provided.
Thanks so much for your help.
I started being sick March 25 and this really helpful website has been one of my best sources of information on the subject, particularly because sufferers also offer their experiences. As I've gone from doctor to doctor, opinion to opinion, and through different experiences and info sources though, I have to admit that I've often been completely at a loss and forgetting some of it's good advice.
Originally, after four days of horrible diarrhea coming from nowhere, with mucus and some blood, I saw my GP who told me I probably had IBS and gave me a prescription for Lomotil and a referral to a GI specialist for a colonoscopy. I waited 3.5 weeks for the apt and in the meantime, after taking Lomotil for a week to allow me to go out of town for a funeral, I got horrible stools (but no pain) and what looked like big splotches of dried blood when I stopped taking it. I went to the ER where they diagnosed me with CD and put me on 1500/day of Metronidazole (generic for Flagyl as you know) for seven days and told me not to eat milk products or any fiber.
Three days after finishing that, the sandy stools w/ a bit of blood and mucus galore started again. Thankfully I got to see the specialist two days later who put me on Metro again, with a 5-week dose reducing program with no diet restrictions.
Three days after I started being on just 250 mg/day, I saw mucus again (with no smell this time) when I was out of town and I panicked (I had forgotten all about the 3-day rule!) and put myself back on 1500/day until I saw the specialist again 5 days later. That's when he told me he wasn't sure I had c. diff anymore (although in the past he had said that it often recurs), that it could be UC. He gave me Salofalk and asked me to see how I was doing within a week.
Came home, took a few doses of Salofalk, felt stomach pains that I had never felt before and just stopped. Now, I think I just overreacted on the mucus and that the Metro had worked to cure my symptoms and that my digestive system is still irritated. Although in the back of my mind, I think, what if I've never had it? What if it's UC after all? I'm 39 and a little surprised that it would come now out of nowhere.
I'd appreciate greatly any information provided.
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Nancy1
- Administrator
- Posts: 1902
- Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:48 am
Did the ER folks who diagnosed you with cdiff do a stool test? If so, was it positive? There are a lot of false negative test results with cdiff. In your first post, you mention taking clindamycin, which is definitely a big offender for causing cdiff.
I had mucus and pain (but not the odor) on and off after recovering from cdiff. As you mention, our systems are irritated and it takes a while for things to return to normal. It's been 11 cdiff-free months for me and I still am not all the way back. The 3-day rule (if we remember it!) is really helpful to keep us from panic.
I have a friend whose daughter has UC. It was so bad that at one point they were talking about removing her colon. She found that diet really helped her, and she still has her colon. Are you on any special diet now?
I had mucus and pain (but not the odor) on and off after recovering from cdiff. As you mention, our systems are irritated and it takes a while for things to return to normal. It's been 11 cdiff-free months for me and I still am not all the way back. The 3-day rule (if we remember it!) is really helpful to keep us from panic.
I have a friend whose daughter has UC. It was so bad that at one point they were talking about removing her colon. She found that diet really helped her, and she still has her colon. Are you on any special diet now?
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Yavina
- Brand New Poster
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 2:28 pm
The news isn't so good this morning - I have had a lot of heartburn these past two days, last night I started hot flashes and now I think I have a fever and the mucus is back with a smell and small stools. I started the Salofalk medicine again just to see where it gets me...
The ER did blood tests - only a bit of anemia, a parasite detecting test and a stool test - the last two came back negative.
Even with that information though, the GI specialist thought it was still c. diff.
I am not currently on any special diet but I will avoid spicy food and milk products just in case.
I will see what happens in the next few days but this morning, I pretty much want to cry.
The ER did blood tests - only a bit of anemia, a parasite detecting test and a stool test - the last two came back negative.
Even with that information though, the GI specialist thought it was still c. diff.
I am not currently on any special diet but I will avoid spicy food and milk products just in case.
I will see what happens in the next few days but this morning, I pretty much want to cry.
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