Question About Exercise

[writerbettie]

I've had CDiff for six months, lost weight, and can barely stand, let alone walk. I had several rounds of Flagyl and am now on Vanco for six weeks. My doctor wants me to try tapering and then pulsing. I notice a lot of postings talked about exercise. On my good days, I try walking back and forth in front of my TV for fifteen minutes to half an hour. Every tme I do this the pain is much worse the next day and I run to the bathroom even more often. Does anyone else notice that exercise of any kind makes them worse? A few months ago I was jumping rope with my grandchildren.

I keep praying that this is a nightmare that will end. When I see how long some of you have suffered, my heart goes out to you. Hopefully, there will be a cure one day...a simple cure. I know as a former publisher and writer that if I survive this horrible "beast," I am going to write a book just on this subject. I've always been a "Medical Misfit," and this disease is one of the worst. I'm a senior citizen so my age might make it more difficult to recover from this...but I'm trying...when I"m not crying.

[Bobbie]

writterbettie,
If you would write an article about C. diff., you could do so much good.

One of our other posters is a reporter & suffered a long bout with C. diff. This person always promised to write an article (works for a prominent newspaper). So far, no go!

I am also a "senior?" (Don't you hate that word?) I am now 66 and had C. diff. when I was 52 & had a 4-yr. bout of it (extenuating circumstances). After 2 yrs. of being C. diff. "free," (I had Dr. Allen's broth -- see Doctors - Dr. Mark Allen), I got C. diff. again. This time the broth worked the lst time. I tend to get pneumonia even though I had the pneumonia shot. Last Nov. (after a trip to England to see our only grandchildren) I had C. diff. again. I survived a bout of pneumonia & tolerated a Z-pak. No one was more amazed than I was!

The point of this long post is that you will survive this although I know from experience how discouraged you are. I exercised most of the time I had C. diff. & I credit it with retaining what was left of my sanity. I've deverloped numerous other health problems (C. diff.? age? genetic?) & still exercise.

Do what you can altho. some simply aren't able to exercise. It's better than lying down & thinking about how awful you feel.

I won't be on the site for a couple of days as I am driving to Omaha for a wedding. We just got back from the UK 2 wks. ago (no pneumonia this time but I developed another UTI & am back on Macrobid -- supposedly a "safe" antibiotic) (see FAQ-Antibiotics). I am the healthiest "sick" person ever!

Remember, you will get over this. Pls. do write an article (or even a book) about this awful disease. You could draft it now (I do some writing -- nothing spectacular).

We have a lot in common -- I could be considered a "medical misfit," too. Maybe we could collaborate on a book and call it "Doctors I Have Known Intimately." (Small joke.)

Hang in there!!! Don't let C. diff. rule your life more than it already has!

[ldyhawkem]

I am also a senior and am now four months and counting off Vanco after a year. I also lost weight, was so tired all the time and in general felt very bad most of the time. The fatigue is still with me. When I questioned my doctor about working out or exercise during C-Diff, he did caution me to do only what I felt like doing. I've exercised and worked out at a gym most of the last half of my life.

I did do the treadmill as often as possible, but gave up my weights for a time since that caused me more pain as you have noticed. I tried picking the good days out of the week and making sure when I felt good I did as much as I possibly could. The exercise at least made me feel better about myself and I am sure did some good. And yes, I did notice the day after I did the exercise I was in the bathroom more than usual. It was still worth it for me.

Now I am finally back to trying to build up to my old routine, but it is going to take a while. C-Diff takes a lot out of you and while my overall health is good, a year's worth of C-Diff and Vanco drains you.

Hopefully, the Vanco will treat you better. I found the Flagyl to be very hard on me overall. I felt worse, reacted worse and it helped less. My doctor finally put me on a last course of Vanco over several months rather than the standard six week treatment. I tapered and pulsed over a four month period of time.

I would love to see a book written about C-Diff. My daughter just had heart surgery in one of the best known hospitals in our area and the brochure I found on C-Diff was written in 1997. It didn't even come close to describing the nightmare most people have gone through on this list.

I hope you soon feel better and are able to do more. It's very hard to limit yourself when you are used to an active lifestyle.

[fire7163]

Exercise for me is not an option, it's pretty much required each day on shift, and there have been many days of literally forcing myself to the treadmill and dealing with the over active bowels after. I found that each day I improved a little. I keep a log and can see trends in both BP and endurance. I'm no where near where I was before C-diff, but very slowly gaining ground to my ultimate goal of feeling normal. As for the effects of the drugs, I agree that they really pull you down, cause damage, and it takes a very long time for the body to fully recover and heal. You've just got to keep working at it and be fully prepared for the bumps and the many down days that are in store. Getting sick was easy,getting well is a lot of hard work. Just like climbing a steep hill, one step at a time. Just don't give up!!!