new

[Pat3]

This is my first posting. I am a 62yo fm. I was sick for almost 2 weeks and thought I had a bad bug. Pain became unbearable. Finaly going to the er. By then I was with high fever and do not remember anything. Thank goodness the er did all the right tests and was admitted with a very bad case of C Dif. It was awful and had many tests scans and bags of meds. Flagal #1 plus potassium, electrolites and plenty of fluid all by iv's. After 8 days am home but still with bad stomach ache, weak and mild diareah. What can I do for the stomach ace. I did find I was worse with dairy. Have lost so much weight from not seemingly getting enoughh noutriments. Thank you for any support.

[klt03301]

Hi Pat. I'm very sorry to hear you've been so sick and are still in pain. I'm sure someone will post soon and welcome you to the group. I apologize for not being able to help you with your question about the stomach ache. What type of pain is it? Cramping, just an ache, sharp pains? I know my stomach ached for quite some time, even after I was cleared of C Diff, but everyone's different. Maybe a heating pad would help? Have you talked to your doctor about it? Maybe he/she could give you the info you need. I was weak and lost a lot of weight too, like many others here. I want to encourage you by telling you that I went through what I consider a nightmare, and 5 months out of it...I'm feeling GOOD! It's a miserable bug, but you will get better :-) I didn't believe it, but so many kind people here told me I would, and I have. Sleep was the best medicine for me, but I did have to get help with that. It's good that you already know to avoid dairy. I'm sure someone else will post soon and be more helpful to you. You're in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope you feel better soon!

Karen

[Pat3]

Thank you. My stomach pain is achey, bloating, sharp....just plain hurts. Almost constant. I need all the support I can get as I have no family around here. My husband takes care of most everything but travels too.I just want to be me.

[klt03301]

Hey Pat, I well remember just wanting to be "me". Gosh, those days were miserable and I thought it would never end :( I lived alone while I was going through C Diff. I actually had to go stay w/my Mom for a little while because of the physical and mental drain of this bug (and I'm 47 years old). I had the achey and bloating pain, but I didn't have sharp pains. It was difficult to get through. If your stomach is distended to a significant degree, or your pain is extreme/unbearable, you should definitely call your doctor or speak to the doc on call! Those are symptoms you don't want to leave for long, as they can be dangerous. We are here for you. It's a lonely illness to have to suffer through, especially when you have a spouse who travels and you have no family close by. You know your body better than anyone, and if you feel you need to call the doc or go back to the ER...do it! I made 4 ER trips over a 3 month period (I'd had surgery, so the first one was complications from that). I'm sure that sounds excessive, but I was so frightened and sick and alone. I understand how you feel. Please let me know how things are going with you! Also, feel free to send me a private message anytime!

Karen

[Bobbie]

Pat,
Welcome to the site. Read the first forum ALL USERS READ THIS FIRST & its subtopics – especially the announcements: PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU POST and GUIDELINES FOR POSTING TO OUR DISCUSSION BOARDS. They will guide you in using the site & answer some of the most frequent questions. Read Dr. Borody’s & Dr. McDonald’s articles and some of the topics in FAQ – especially Hygiene, Nutrition, & Testing.

Let's hope you are one of the lucky ones who recover with one to two rounds of Flagyl or Vanco. If antibiotics contributed to your C. diff., be careful about taking them again. (See FAQ-Antibiotics.) Some people can tolerate them without a problem; some develop C. diff. again. (See Dr. Borody’s article.)

Pat, we've all gone through the same situation -- not fun, but you will recover.

You didn't mention if you'd been on antibiotics. (You can "pick up" C. diff. other ways such as in hospitals.) If you continue to have symptoms, I would see a GI or an ID. If Flagyl doesn't work for you, most docs. then try Vanco.

For stomach pain, try a heating pad or there are other meds. that can relieve cramping. Ask your doc. about them.

Yes, bleach is helpful in C. diff. See FAQ-Hygiene. Also, pls. read the rules re. posting -- only one post "to a customer" in one day. You can ask as many questions as you would like in the post. Our resources are limited, several of our moderators are on vacation or out of town so I am sure you will understand.

Good luck & keep us posted.

[gm37]

Hi, Pat!
I am so sorry that you have had such a bad time with this bug. Now that you know what it is, I hope you will start to feel better soon.
I am a 58 year old female who was sick for about 6 weeks before I was diagnosed. I am a teacher and they called an ambulance for me one day at school when I became disoriented. I was very dehydrated. The ER did all kinds of tests and did not find the c-diff. My gp told me to take pepto and exercise more! Can you imagine!
For me, the Flagyl made my symptoms disappear, but did not kill the bug. My GI gave me Vanco and that seems to be helping.
I know that I felt quite discouraged at first, but I slowly got better. It just took lots of time.
Keep me posted on your progress.
Anne

[cindym]

Flagyl can make your stomach ache worse than anything! I hated flagyl and it hated me to the point it tried to kill me!