few more questions

[ericam]

If Im asking questions that have been posted by someone else and discussed, I apologize. I have a 6 month old and c. diff, I dont have time to read many of the posts. --Ive been on flagyl for 6 months, not working. I went to see my gi, the only one in this town (Ilive in Dothan AL., not exactly a metropolis). Ive been tested for 6 months and just now had a positive test for c. diff, though I knew all along. He asked me if I had tried Vanco and I told him with no insurance there was no way I could afford it so he said to keep taking flagyl! We made arrangements to pay for it and he has called in iv liquid to be mixed with cherry syrup. They wont give me a price until it comes in next week. Does anyone know what the average price of this is? Also- my son has had c.diff but fought it off. Hes on antibiotics for his ears til Monday when they will be tubed. Hes going to stay with my in-laws for a few weeks while I try the vanco. Since we may be trading it back and forth. He go trid of it last time at their house. Hes starting to have that "smell" again. My other question is - I know bleach kills c. diff but what do you use to clean soft items- ie- furniture, carpets? I want this crap gone this time, and I kno it may not, but I want to do everything possible to send it on its way. Thanks - erica[/code]

[sks001]

Here's some helpful info ...

ViraPharma Patient Assistance Program (Vancocin):
http://www.viropharma.com/Products/Pati ... ogram.aspx

Partnership for Prescription Assistance
https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php

http://cdiffsupport.com/phpBB/viewtopic ... =pay+vanco

http://cdiffsupport.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=699

Also, at the bottom of the page, select FAQ's forum (not FAQ's at top of page) and look for Hygeine - answers a lot of questions.

[feelinghopeful]

I just read a book on bioterrorism and as would be expected, much was written about spores. It's difficult even for scientists to make spores that are adequately airborn. That having been said, C-Diff spores are moist when they leave the body. They don't fly around from the toilet. They are transported by touching. In hospitals, where patients have accidents on surfaces that other people (especially fragile patients) come into contact with, this is a real problem. If nobody has had accidents on the couch or the rug, then this is containable. Try not to eat with your hands for some time in case your son has been touching these areas but I doubt contamination would be substantial if it exists at all. The spores don't live forever, this is not something you have to think about forever. The loose canon is the young one who is hard to train in hygiene but not impossible. If you use enough paper and go in the toilet, flush and clean often with bleach, containment is not so difficult. Learn and teach how to flush and lift the seat (I use a little piece of toilet paper which I then throw in the pot), and how to turn a faucet on and off. Wash hands thoroughly and often. Use paper towels a lot - we all want to go as green as possible but these are extenuating circumstances. Use only white underwear so they can be washed seperately with a high bleach concentration. Hopefully you don't have cesspools like I do. A nightmare was having had C-Diff for a year and having to call the cesspool guys, twice, to open and drain that biohazzard right off the back deck. I don't even want to think about what happened to the finished basement. I felt so guilty I way overtipped the guys. I gave some vague indication to be careful (they looked at me like I was a loon) but what can you do? It had to be done.

Anyway, don't use cloth towels on certain areas of the body. If you really think about it, it's not all that difficult to keep C-Diff contained if not in the hospital. It's not something to panick over, like I did, but something to be logical about.

That was terrific info on Vanco from sks.

[cindym]

The liquid IV vanco mix is much less than the vancocin capsules but is still expensive. I can not remember the exact cost (I took it when there was a shortage of vancocin capsules) but it was indeed less but as far as medicine goes EXPENSIVE. Tell your doctor about your lack of insurance and there are ways and strings that doctors can pull to help you get the meds you need. If not contact your local community health department and they can point you in the direction you need to go for help. It is bad enough to have to experience the wrath of this disease without the financial drain it puts upon us. It is ridiculous!

[fire7163]

Ericam:

The vanco IV concentrate which you add water or juice to make the oral solution was around $ 70.00 v/s $2300.00 which I had paid before for the pill form. Be sure to check with your MD to see if their OK with the switch, some aren't, but most will agree to it.

Fire