Problem:C.diff but need for other abx for CFS - please help!

[popo]

Hi dear group!

Please I need your help.

Timaca a group member of cdiffsupport and cpnhelp.org recommended this site to me.

My problem is that I am ill with chronic fatigue immune disregulation syndrome due to intracellular bacteria for 5 years now (Chlamydia pneumoniae and Bartonella) and that I have to take ABX for another year.
Anyone else had this dilema here ? for example people with lyme need abx too.

I developed my second Clostridium difficile infection . I got test results for c.diff. toxin a few days ago. The first Clostridium difficile Infection was 3 weeks ago. It was treated with tinidazol 1gm p.d. for 10 days. I took my other ABX (which I am on now 9 months) for Chlamydia pneumoniae and bartonella as well.
But since it came back I stopped my regular abxi (Doxyi and Azi.) and metro/tini pulses (which are only 5 days a month).

I went to my doc and he prescribed vanco oral 250x4 (2 weeks or so) and is willing to treat me afterwards with the Rifaximin Chaser.
Since this is my first relapse I hope I will eradicate it for ever....

My problem is that I am ill with chronic fatigue immune disregulation syndrome due to intracellular bacteria (Chlamydia pneumoniae and Bartonella) and that I have to take ABX for another year. I can t wait months till my intestine is restored with good probiotics.

So my and my docs plan is to take a break from abx for 4 weeks while doing vanco and the chaser.
After that I am going to restart my cap(combined Antibiotic protocoll) with Rifampin 600+azithromycin 500 p.d. and Metro or Tini pulses.

I think its wise to choose Rifampin because it has anticlostridial activity. And furthermore is active against my bartonella coinfection.
Furthermore I can space the tinidazol pulses like I want, which is also active against c.diff.

I hope this 1 month break doesn t create resistance for cpn and bart.

But because i am starting a different regimen than before (Azi/Doxy)with Rifa/Azithromycin daily and Tinidazol ín pulses - which I didn t took before, maybee there is less concern about c.diff . Am I right?

Or should I pulse vanco. oral for the spores when restarting the cap?
Or is rifampin and metro in pulses enough?

So is it possible to completely eradicate the C.diff. including the spores if you treat long enough? (Tappering/pulsing etc)

But who knows , maybee I had the c.diff subclinical for a longer time - because diarrhea was since beginning of my illness my main smptom.

Anyone else had this dilema here ? for example people with lyme need abx too.

Best regards

popo

[ClDif]

Hi popo,

quite honestly, I think no matter which broad band ABs you take longterm and so soon after c diff, there will be a significant risk for relapses. Even if you waited for a while, et's say a year, to try to build back your gut flora, there is a chance - and I don't think such a small one - for a relapse if you have to go back on your AB regimens for more then, say, a week or two.

Your best bet would probably be to take vanco along with your other medication, but not even that is proven to prevent relapses for sure. I can't say whether the combination of rifamin and metronidazole would be enough to keep c diff at bay for good - it's probably a matter of trial and error or wait and see. It is not clear scientifically why people relapse, but most of us here suppose it is because of lingering spores.

I think it'll have to be a matter of very carefully weighing up what's worse - the CFS symtoms or the c diff and then there'll still be no guarantees.

It's a very difficult situation to be in. I understand, may be dealing with lyme myself. Never quite sure really, but longterm AB treatment for me personally is too risky right now, after the nightmare of c diff. But that's a very personal decision of course as my symptoms don't compromise my quality of life too much.

Good luck to you! Am sure you'll get more valuable advise here.

[Nancy1]

popo,
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, having to fight 2 serious illnesses at once is lousy. ClDif has given you good advice. I believe that Timaca had Lyme as well as cdiff, and last I heard, she had beaten cdiff. They tell me that everyone beats cdiff eventually, but I don't think that means that you have eradicated the spores too. We all have to be careful about taking antibiotics after we recover from cdiff, for fear of getting it again, because the spores can remain in our innards. I understand that that makes a very difficult dilemma for you.

I don't know the answers to most of your questions, so I hope that others here can give you more info. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[popo]

Thanks for your replies!

Timaca is now also on combined antibiotic protocoll for CPN and Lyme and is doing well so fine.
Since I have no choice - What I can do is take care of the spores when I am on the abx again.
Since Rifampin is an agent to kill c.diff and the tinidazol which I have to take in pulses is also an ABX against c.diff there shouldn t be much concern about these two agents .
The only abx which I more have to take where some worrie is, is Azithromycin 500 p.D.
Maybee I am doing an extra pulse of vanco for the first weeks while back on abx.
Even in german lyme boards some people had C.diff while on Ceftriaxon. Mostly of them were cured in the first rounds and still back on abx, because they have to treat this other serious illness.

Is cdiff an illness what can be underlying for a long time and causing chronic fatigue syndrom?
Thank you all!