Is there a difference if you get c-diff through anti vs. hos

[jenkelly15]

Hi Everyone. Well I'm 5 weeks off the vanco yesterday and so far so good. Hoping it is gone for good still very nervous, but I'm almost half way to the 90 days. Anyway, my question was actually about my grandmother. She was admitted to the hospital about a month ago and caught c-diff. She did 2 rounds of flagyl with no success and now is starting vanco. My question was is there any difference if you get it from antibitoc use or if you catch it. Actually my aunt who is taking care of her asked and I didn't really know the answer. I didn't think there was a difference, but I wondered if anyone knew the answer for sure. I can't believe my grandmother has c-diff now before I got it back in November I never even heard of it. Now, two people in my family got it it's crazy!!! Anyway, thanks for the help if anyone knows anything about this.

[jenkelly15]

Yes but I was told that 85% of people carry c-diff and when you get it from an antibitioc since it kills your good bacteria then the c-diff gets out of control, so I wouldn't really consider this catching c-diff if it was already in your body to begin with and just got out of control because you lost your good bacteria don't know if this is accurate or not. No I don't think she caught it from me it would be impossible I only saw her like once and I didn't go to the bathroom or anything. Thanks for your reply. I didn't think there would be a difference though from catching it or antibitoc use.

[MaryT]

I would like to add that, it is not impossible to catch cdiff in the environment without having taken antibiotics or PPI's, and it CAN be environmentally acquired. When I became sick with cdiff I hadn't taken an antibiotic in over 6 years and had never taken a PPI. I have no idea where I became 'overexposed' so to say. I had a nurse tell me I touched the wrong door knob, used the wrong restroom. I began to not feel well a couple of days into a trip to Dominican Republic and got full blown sick within hours of landing at home. I could have gotten it anywhere, or even visiting my brother in hospital the day before I left for my trip. However, I obviously had a compromised level of good bacteria in my own system (for who knows what reason) to have had the cdiff take over and make me sick.

[jenkelly15]

Yeah I was actually just asking that question because I got mine from antibitocs, but my grandmother on the other hand wasn't on any antibitocs when she was hospitalized. I guess maybe she was sick or like you said for some reason her good flora was already low who knows. Thanks for that input though because I was confused about how my grandmother had gotten it.

[jenkelly15]

No she was living with my dad, but got a stomach flu and went to the emergency room and they admitted her. She was there for a couple weeks, and they actually tested her for c-diff originally and she didn't have it. Then, a couple weeks after being there they retested her and she did have it. My aunt said she picked it up at the hospital when she was there.

[jenkelly15]

I don't know about that. All I know is my aunt said they told her she didn't have any antibiotics, but who knows maybe she did. I guess my aunt or dad should look into it more and see all the medication they gave her while she was at the hospital. Hopefully, the vanco will work for her.

[cindym]

jenkell- Due to the fact your grandmother had a stomach virus she was already compromised in the gut flora and therefore more suseptible to cdiff which most likely she was exposed to in the hospital. When the truth comes out most hospitals are full of cdiff and anybody with compromised immune systems are darn lucky if they get out of the hospital without acquiring it especially if given antibiotics. I am sure your grandmother got it in the hospital due to her gut being already compromised.

[jenkelly15]

Thanks cindy that makes a lot of sense. I can't believe I thought we all had c-diff in our bodies and since the antibitocs killed our good bacteria that's why it got out of control. It's very interesting to find out that you just catch the c-diff while you are in the hospital from taking the antibitocs. Thanks for everyones input. I hope my grandmother gets over it soon since she is over 80.