A question about antibiotics

[cryingsilly]

Hello everyone. I had a quick question about taking antibiotics after having recovered from cdiff.

I had cdiff last year from march thru september. Was on Vanco the whole time and had relapses when I would stop.

In september I did 9 fecal enemas and finally got rid of cdiff. All tests were normal after that. I was left with pretty severe IBS that I deal with now, its constipation now instead of D...I can deal with that!

Now however, I have a pelvic infection that has to be treated with antibiotics. I think they will use azythromicin or zithromax.

I have some fear of course of cdiff coming back, not so much fear though as I now know I can do these infusions and be better quickly.

Here are my questions, not sure if anyone has had experience with this.

Should I do infusions during the time I am on antibiotics as a precautionary?

Has anyone of you that have done infusions had to do this before?

I have been giving it alot of thought, and am just unsure of wether to see if it comes back, or to do the infusions during antibiotic treatment.

Thanks for any imput!

Darlene

[diane]

I know how scary it is to think about antibiotics!! My doctor told me if I had to take them to take vanco and yogurt every day and a week after. I hope everything turns out ok!!

[ClDif]

Hi Darlene,

if I were you I'd take loads of probiotics and florastor while on the ABs, spaced as far apart from them as possible. With Florastor, it has actually been clinically proven that people that tale it while on ABs are much less likely to develop c diff. Then if you feel like it or want to be extra careful I'd do a few infusions right after you go off the ABs, even if you have no symptoms of c diff returning. But that's your call - you could also just wait it out and see what happens. You might be lucky, others here have tolerated Azithromycin... Doing the infusions while on ABs probably is not the best idea, most good bacteria would be killed immediately. Then again, if you don't mind and your donor doesn't either you could do some while on ABs and some after, double insurance so to say ;-). Good luck!

[Karien]

Would you do the infusions by yourself or through clinic/Dr?

[whitepine]

I would go on Vancomycin orally as a preventative. My GI told me that if I ever need an antibiotic again that I should go on Vancomycin at the same time. I would also go on 4 capsules of Florastor a day plus VSL # 3.

I would do fecal infusions after you are done with the Zithromax. A few right after you are done (about 3 days after because Zithromax lasts in the body for about 48-72 hours) and then do another infusion about a month later just to be sure. that's my experienced non-medical opinion.

[whitepine]

How are you doing now? Wondering how you are and if you are ok? How is your pelvic infectiona nd did you go on antibiotics? Sending support :)

[cryingsilly]

Hi.. thanks for wondering about me. The docs are STILL trying to figure out what to do with me. The problems is, all of my symptoms may be caused by Lupus, which I was diagnosed with just prior to getting c.diff.

They actually cultured what they thought was the bacteria, and it came back normal.

SO thankfully I didn't have to take antibiotics.

Karien, I did them by myself with support from nengfriend the first time, and would do it again that way, was very easy for me compared to the months of unending c.diff.

[Bobbie]

cryingsilly,
How did you get infusions in MT? (Not known for innovative medicine. Remember, I am from MT.)

I was diagnosed with Lupus for years -- until this year. Have Reynaud's syndrome -- can affect test.

[cryingsilly]

HI Bobbie, yes your right Reynauds can effect the ANA titer that they use to test lupus with. A lot of times Reynauds goes hand in hand with lupus and they are diagnosed together. My diagnosis comes from the joint swelling and pain, the speckled pattern of my titer and the constant fevers, hairloss and swollen glands. Luckily I have not had it attack a major organ : ) I also have Sjogrens syndrome as well, which is another connective tissue disorder that effects the saliva glands and the eyes. Fun stuff!

I got infusions in Montana by doing them myself. I researched it very carefully. Called several GI offices that DO do the procedure but were out of state, talked at length with Neng Friend and in the end...it was incredibly simple. I used my daughters stool, a dedicated blender, saline water, a mesh strainer and disposable enema bags.

To be honest I was terrified at first, just terrified. Felt as if I were swimming in uncharted waters. But when I saw the results...there was no fear lol. (I did 9 infusions just to be sure)

I am not giving medical advice because we don't do that on this forum hehe, but ...the supplies literally cost me less than 30.00, and I was done with c.diff after the first infusion. It was AMAZING.
I do feel good knowing that that option is out there for me again should I have to take any antibiotics in the future.

[Bobbie]

crying silly,
Glad the infusions worked for you. (Again, the tiresome caveat: this site doesn't suggest or give out medical advice but reports what works for our posters.)

I also have the symptoms of Sjogrens - dry eyes (use Restasis -- has worked wonderfully for me) & a dry mouth but have the biopsy done to clarify the diagnosis. Now, however, I am having chronic UTI's & am terrified (Do all the "natural" stuff -- cranberry juice & pills, lots of water, etc.) . Could be many reasons: age, genetics, use of IV vanco., etc. Have been on Macrobid off & on for months. See uro. at the U. of KS Med. Center Tues. Should get sensitivity test result back tomorrow. Hope to God it's E. coli because Macrobid should still work. Uro. wants me on a preventative dose of it all the time; my GI says there is a "rare" (& I am always "rare") that even even Macro on a regular basis could cause C. diff. Life just keeps getting better & better.

Hope you are enjoying MT weather -- I don't miss the winters, altho. it hasn't been much better in KS this year.

I still correspond with friends in Great Falls, Lewistown, Fairfield & Butte so keep up what is going on in the state. I miss it in many ways. My friend's daughter lives in Missoula; guess it is "booming." I went to college there my first year. Neat city.

Glad you didn't have to take an antibiotic. Congrats. on "curing" yourself -- took a lot of "guts."