hello. help!!!

[ericam]

Hi Ijust registered. My name is Erica, Im 26 and from south alabama. I had a c-section in April. I started having severe stomach problems shortly afterward. Ive been hospitalized twice but all they ever said was that my white count was elevated. however I was put on flagyl since it seemed to help. Ive been on it 5 months with a few breaks in between, during which I became violently ill. I had a colonoscopy about 2 months after it began and the dr said he saw nothing. So, I end up in the hospital about once a month with a bp of 70/50 and a laying pr of 140. Last night I was taken by ambulance to the hospital yet again and this time I tested positive. My GI dr was called and I still dont think he believes it. Hes been blowing me off for months. Did I mention I have a 6 month old baby?? My husband works 7 days a week so I dont have time to be sick. When I was in the hospital they found a thinkening in the left side of my colon? What does this mean? Ive been on flagyl for a looooong time with no help, as soon as Im done with them it comes back. What happens to people who cant get rid of this? My parents think Im a hyperchondric and wont help much at all. I have alot of bleeding and severe stomach pain. I am at whits end here. Please help

[raj138]

You need to find a new GI doctor if he doesnt believe you. Left side thickening of of the colon usually indicates some form of colitis, inflammation of the colon, which is attributed to a response to c diff toxins. It can also indicate an inflammatory bowl disease, but since you tested postive for C diff, it is most likey c diff related colitis. You may also want to ask for vancomycin, which is very expensive w/o insurance, but it sometimes works better than flagyl when there is colitis. I have been dealing this for 5 months now as well (with few breaks in between).

I have been told that its "in my head" as well. I think you need to find a doctor who is willing to listen to you and treat you on your symptoms before you get so bad that you need to go to the hospital everytime it comes back. There are different methods that you can take the medicine such as tapering down or taking it in intervals (pusling), both methods have been sucessful in recurring cases. If you read the "treatments" section, you will find that there are many different options available.

[Nancy1]

ericam,
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.

Whew, dealing with cdiff as well as dealing with a new baby. That is too much! They tell me that everyone beats cdiff eventually. You will too. I had it for 8 months. What finally worked for me was pulsing. See the FAQ section for more info. You are not a hypochondriac. As others have said, if your doc does not believe you, find a new doc. I felt much better on vanco than on Flagyl, so you might ask your doc (and your insurance) about it. Probiotics can help restore the normal bacteria in your gut; they have helped some of us. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.