JUNEYB, Saw your questions in case histories...

[Jenny]

Hi,

Sorry you have found yourself posting in this forum. There is so much information here, FAQ's is a great section. I can't reply to you in case histories, hence the new post here. Don't worry you will get used to it.

I see that you are a fellow RA sufferer. I have come to believe that alot of the meds I have been on for RA have predisposed me to this infection, including prednisone, methotrexate, hydrochloroquine and numerous anti-inflammatories. Many of these drugs upset your gut flora. You will come to realise how important it is to sustain a healthy gut flora.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think your symptoms may be mild. You do not mention intense D, cramping, dehydration or any of the other multitude of symptoms that many get. Yes many people get some D with ab's but c diff usually is really harsh D, having said that some people experience constipation. If you are coping, managing to eat and stay hydrated it would seem you have no choice but to finish your ab's for your infection. Erythromycin is one of the middle of the road ab's for causing c diff, along with flagyl hopefully you will be able to clear your infection and then get onto dealing with your c diff. In addition to keeping up on fluids I would suggest some yoghurt with live cultures to help your flora with minimal side effects. Florastor is a good probi and culturelle is another good one, but probably won't have much affect with all your ab's, space them well apart. Watch out with the florastor if you are prone to yeast infections. Keep your food simple if you can. You don't mention problems with eating. The BRAT diet helps a little with frequency. I do not know if your allergy meds are affecting your gut flora, but hopefully you will be on the mend soon and taking less drugs which I think helps us recover from c diff.

Prednisone is a biggy. I don't know if you are having a painful flare, but if I were you for the time being I would talk to your DR and ask if it would be okay to postpone the pred until you have recovered from your infection and c diff. Just my opinion and not medical. It all comes down to how bad c diff is. I think the worse symptoms are the harder it is to bounce back. Some people can just stop taking the offending ab and symptoms go away. There's a possibility that when you've finished treatment for your oral infection that you may improve on your own. Again you don't mention too much about your symptoms.

Anyway, one thing that is very important no matter how mild or bad c diff is, is good hygiene. Don't know if your Dr spoke about this. My first Dr who diagnosed me said nothing about hygiene. I always wash my hands frequently, but the way I washed them after acquiring c diff changed. Be very very thorough, check out the hygiene section in FAQ's. Don't use alcohol sanitizers, they don't work. Bleach all food prep areas. If you have others in your home, use a seperate bathroom if you can.

Hope this helps,

Take Care

Jenny

[nsewell]

Guess what I replied in the case history section and I knew I couldnt!! My mind is gone.. Sorry guys you'll have to erase it.

[Nancy1]

JuneyB,
Welcome to the group that no one wants to join. Be sure to read All Users Read This First, Dr. Borody's article, Dr. McDonald's article (in the FAQ section under Articles by Experts), and all areas in FAQ that interest you. Most people (about 80%) recover from cdiff after 1-2 rounds of Flagyl or vancomycin, so I hope that you are in the lucky majority. Let us know how it goes.

[juneyb]

I have hours of lots of yucky diarrhea, then nothing for many hours. I get cramps that take my breath away, then I am ok for quite awhile. I am dehydrated and working on that. I eat a lot of plain organic yogurt which is full of the good stuff everyday of my life just cause it is what I do. So I will continue that and add probiotic capsules. I am on Humira and Methotrexate for RA, but as soon as the first infection was dx'd I had to stop. It has been 4 weeks now, so am hoping I won't have a bad flare...just stiff and less dexterity now. For now these infections trump my RA.

Thank you all. Another question...do the symptoms of c diff come and go? Can it 'lie dormant' for a time, so to speak? Over the past few months, even before the antibiotics I had bouts of the yucky d and horrible weakness and cramps. Then I would feel better for awhile. Now I am experiencing it much stronger.

Thank you.

[Jenny]

Hi Juneyb,

Those sure are c diff symptoms you describe. I would guess that there is a small chance that your RA meds triggered your earlier symptoms by disrupting your gut flora which they do and your healthy eating habits kept c diff at bay but not enough to stop some of the symptoms you described. The ab's are most likely what put the balance in favor of c diff flourishing. Were your earlier symptoms much worse than your usual IBS? Weakness and cramps go hand in hand with D that results in dehydration. It does not matter if it's a stomach bug, IBS or c diff, hydration is of the utmost importance. Many of those with c diff that end up in the ER are suffering from dehydration.

I have also put my RA meds on hold, it's been 5 1/2 months. Just recently started alternating advil and mobic to help with a flare that got out of control. Hope to start enbrel in a month. No methotrexate anymore though. How long have you been on Humira and methotrexate?

Feel Better

Jenny

[juneyb]

I have been on Methotrexate for about 7 years and Humira for 5. I was origanally dx with IBS maybe 10 years ago.

I appreciate your help so much.