Afraid of CDiff Again...

[richard]

Since yesteday I've been having Pharyngitis, my Doctor told that I had small white marks that were due to Bacterial infection... and he gave me a recipe for 250mg / 12h a day of an AB named 'Zipos' that contains Cefuroxime... which is and AB with high probability of develoving Colitis and then CDiff...

I've been clean from CDiff for about a mounth, and I would hate to came back... I told my doctor about my previous colitis + cdiff and he didnt seem very worried... its not that I dont trust him... I just dont want to relapse.

If anyone have been on a 250mg of Cefuroxime (2nd gen) please drop me a tip on how you went thru.

Maybe the dose is too small in order to lead to colitis again.

Im also considering to call to my GI doctor and ask for advice.

Thanks!

[Nancy1]

Richard,
If I were you I'd call my GI doc sooner rather than later. Sounds like your other doc isn't too familiar with antibiotics causing cdiff. Good luck.

[Christina]

I would have them do a culture before I took the antibiotic. That way you'd know for sure if you needed it. I often get white marks in my throat, a few times a month actually with really bad sore throats. They do clear up on their own but if they get to bad I have a culture run just in case. They have never come back as bacterial and always clear up but it can take about a week or so, sometimes longer.

I would be persistent about the culture. You don't want certainly don't want C-diff unnecessarily.

[richard]

I would be persistent about the culture. You don't want certainly don't want C-diff unnecessarily.

No doubt about that. By far I would rather live with this pain for a week to two than to have cdiff again. No way.

Since cdiff I've become, and I know this is common in other posts, anti-AB. They must be the last resort. I would never take them again just to get better faster. Unless we're talking about life threating or a few weeks of pain.

Last time I caught cdiff for 3 months and from what I've read I was lucky in only carrying it for that time...

I'm going to try to call my GI and if possible let the infection be solved by its own. It hurts, but cdiff hits a lot harder.

[richard]

I've spoke to my GY doctor and she mentioned that most AB have the probability to cause Colitis.

She advised me to try to use VSL3 to minimize the impact of the AB.

VSL3 seems somewhat new, and from what I've read on the website its seems preety strong.

Anyone has ever tried this?

[Christina]

I tried it when I had C-diff. It's very expensive but it did help some people to recover from C-diff. I couldn't continue taking it as it gave me diarrhea and mad me extra nauseous. I ended up relapsing anyway so I moved on down my list of stuff to try. It's a good idea thought to maybe try with the antibiotic. You may want to ask her about Florastor. I was told if I ever need to take another antibiotic to take that along with it at the C-diff dose of 4 per day.

[Bobbie]

Richard,
VSL3 has some med. research behind it. (Believe it was "invented" by a doc. whose son had 'pouchitis.' At least that is what the original "hype" was.

Probiotics haven't worked for me in the past & I am at high risk of getting it again. (Had it for 4 yrs. the lst time; again 2 yrs. later). When I had pneumonia again last Nov., I took it (I was on a Z-pak) & recovered getting C. diff. again. I don't know if the VSL3 helped, being off antibioitics for so long (6 yrs.) helped, or the if the Z-pak (a medium offender) didn't react that way for me.

Here is some info. on it. (Paraphrased.)

Probiotics containing a strain of Bifidobacterium or a combination of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus have been used to treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome with success. A product should contain at least one billion live organisms (or organisms that can be activated) per suggested daily serving.

VSL#3 is a probiotic that contains 450 billion live, freeze-dried, lactic acid bacteria in a combination of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus. Therefore, the product contains the appropriate quantity of appropriate live organisms to treat IBS. There are no safety issues associated with probiotics when used regularly at recommended doses. Quality can be a big concern with probiotics and VSL#3 has not been tested by Consumerlab. It is, however, one of the products used most often in clinical trials.

VSL3 is expensive but worth a try if you wish to do so. I don't believe there is any scientific proof that it works against C. diff. but several other posters have used it with good results.

[poltroon]

Well, I don't trust any doctor who just tells me not to worry about it. Doctors are not omnicient and most of them don't know much about c diff. And, unfortunately, they're trained to dismiss what they don't know. You have to live with the outcome, not him, and I would want to get the feeling that the doctor understands the c diff issue and really thinks that it is so important to knock out this infection that he thinks you have that it would be worth risking, say, a multiday hospital stay to recover from the treatment.

[Bobbie]

I agree with poltoon. Always question your doc., & if you are in doubt, get another opnion. They are human & not infallible.

[Jayne]

Perhaps your MD suspects "strep." as cause for need of AB. Ask-and if so then have strep culture done (not the quick one as it can sometimes be inaccurate). If is it strep, then you do need ABs. I too have developed a paranoia of ABs & dread the day they say I "have" to take them- for fear of reoccuring c.diff. I was on Florastor probiotic (which I purchased from my pharmacist kept behind their counter- no prescription needed) for my 1st 2 months (3/day). My GI doc also recommended VSL#3. It costs a little more than Florastor. Ask your GI doc if he thinks Florastor would be just as good. Hope you remain c.diff free.