need advice now...

[needhelp]

I had cdiff in Sept, finished Flagyl Oct 5th after 10 days of 250mg 4x/day. Since I finished the flagyl the D stopped. But I have been having PI-IBS type symptoms.

Here is the problem, I called my primary and demanded an referral to a GI dr. My primary is a NP so she consulted with her superior who is a MD and he said that I probably need another course of flagyl. I don't have D, these symptoms are strictly IBS. How bad would it be to go back on flagyl? Wouldn't it get rid of the little bit of good bacteria that might have already built back up in my gut? I do eat a simple diet mainly BRAT and some chicken, potatoes and rice. It seems like my body is in the process of healing. I haven't had D since I finished the flagyl.

I am afraid of this treatment they suggested. I think it could be detrimental to be taking antibiotics for no reason. This goes to show the drs don't always know how to treat this. Maybe I am wrong, what do you think? Thank you for any feedback!

[trob25]

I wouldn't take the Flagyl yet, but I'm not sure what your symptoms are? No D is excellent, that makes it seem less likely the C-Diff is back. Flagyl wipes out everything, so yes, you would lose whatever you have gained along with any C-diff, if it is actually there, so I would be wary of it unless you are certain.

I don't like Nurse Practitioners for serious ailments, so I think you might need to consult a different doctor or at least ask her if you can have a stool retest. A GI would be preferably, but is it that you can't get seen without a referral?

[needhelp]

trob25, thank you for responding, I was panicking when the NP and Dr wanted me to go back on flagyl.

I went to my primary's office (who is a NP) and she did blood work (which won't be back until Monday) and gave me the Rx for flagyl. I asked her, wouldn't this wipe out all the good bacteria that has been building back up? She answered yes and started to see my concern. She said not to start it and we will wait for the blood work.

I have never been so frustrated. I can't see a GI without her referral and for some reason she doesn't want to give it to me. I demanded it the other day and she keeps saying it will take 3 months to get an appt. I know that is not true because I called the GI doctor's office and they said it would take a month. I don't mind waiting, I have been sick for 2 months I can wait another month. I will keep asking for the referral.

I had one good week where I was eating constantly and no pain. Then Thursday it all started again only this time it is much worse. I am very nauseous, and it feels like an explosion in my stomach and intestines. I don't have D and haven't since I finished the flagyl. There is worse pain localized on my right lower abdomen which has me worried about appendicitis. If I am not better tomorrow morning I will go to the ER. I just haven't had someone to bring me to the hospital or I would have went today.

I am frustrated out of my mind with this!

[HEATHER28]

Needhelp

Did your NP do a stool test to check for CDiff? Blood work is going to tell if you have a infection going on but, it is not going to tell you weather or not you have CDiff.

Keep asking for the referral to the GI. It sounds like she doesnt know very much about Cdiff, personally I would look for a new DR.

[TheVike]

I agree with roy! I d wait it out and suck it up I know where you are coming from i had nausea for a several months after my one and only course treatment of ZFlagy which resolved the D brought my temp down and white cell count!!! But the gut was all whacked out and I slowly ate what little I could wth Pro B and yogurt and natural stuff! I bet there are others in and out there there willt ell you the same regarding how toatally the MOnster messe up your stomach for a LONGGGG time! remember the 3 day rule too IF in fact the D returns! It is probaably just post diff IBS which should resolve over some period of time Some it takes days and others weeeks and like me literally months!

[klt03301]

You wrote:

"I had one good week where I was eating constantly and no pain. Then Thursday it all started again only this time it is much worse. I am very nauseous, and it feels like an explosion in my stomach and intestines. I don't have D and haven't since I finished the flagyl. There is worse pain localized on my right lower abdomen which has me worried about appendicitis."

This happens to me often lately; the nausea, pain (especially lower right abdomen, no D). I'm just having to tough it out again. I go through good and bad periods. I know how you feel. I'm almost 9 months out since having C Diff. It took literally months to feel human again, and just lately I've had a bad spell. It's unpredictable, and that, to me is the worst part.

Hang in there and best wishes...Karen

[Hua Kul]

Hello needhelp, you wrote, "I am very nauseous...I don't have D...There is worse pain localized on my right lower abdomen..."

Those are three of the five classic symptoms of a cdiff infection of the cecum, which is a transition "pouch" between the small intestine and the colon (see a diagram here, http://coloncancer.about.com/od/glossaries/g/Cecum.htm ). The appendix attaches to the cecum. The other two symptoms are fever and leukocytosis (high white blood cell count). Read a description of these symptoms here (first paragraph), http://coloncancer.about.com/od/glossaries/g/Cecum.htm

So if you have fever, nausea, lower right abdominal pain, no D, and if your blood test comes back high in white cells, that would fit with cdiff in your cecum. I think my father-in-law contracted that while my wife and I were living with him. She had it and he would occasionally empty her commode. He was scrupulously clean and always wore rubber gloves, but while she still had it he had to be admitted to the hospital with all five of those symptoms. At the time I wasn't aware of this iteration of cdiff so didn't suggest it to the doctor, and he didn't test for the toxins because my father-in-law didn't have D. He was quite ill and had significant swelling of some internal organs and fluid in the lungs, which the doctors attributed to congestive heart failure. However, he recovered well and doesn't have those symptoms now yet still has the same heart! (little joke there). Anyway, best of success with your treatment.

God Bless,
--Hua Kul

[Hua Kul]

Oops, sorry, I accidentally pasted the same link twice. The cecal cdiff description is here, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/405773_3

--Hua Kul

[Bobbie]

Hua Kul,
Thx. for the info., but no one should diagnose themselves (or anyone else via the Internet). Needs Help might mention this info. to her doc. if she decides to be be seen. Remember, this is not a medical site.

Need Help,

Have to side with the "less is better than more," but if you continue to have pain, I would see your doc.

My husband had "the flu" last week, & I think I got it. I had a lot of pain in the lower right guandrant of my abodomen. Did go to my primary care doc.(called nurse & she said doc. wanted me to come in) but also wanted to check with her re. new osteoporosis med. Naturally, by the time I got in, the pain (had it for 3 or 4 days) was gone. She pressed on my stomach (I didn't have a fever or nausea) & said she doubted it was my appendix. Anyway, the pain didn't return.

If you see a doc., make him/her "prove" to you that you need another antibiotic. As Hua Kul suggested, blood tests to determine amount of infection would be one method. Remember, recovery from C. diff. can be slow. Do follow your "gut" (pun intended) feeling. If you feel you need to see a doc., do. it.

Last summer I had a strange growth on my elbow. I called "Ask a Nurse" & when I described the "thing," she told me it could be a staph infection & I should go to the nearest ER (it was a weekend) ASAP. A friend of my husband called about golf. He is a retired doc. & I mentioned the "thing" to him. He told me it could be Lyme's disease & I should go to to the ER ASAP.

Because I hate ER's (& hospitals in general), I decided to call a dermatologist. The one on-call said the "thing" didn't sound serious, & he'd work me in on Mon. morning. Turned out to be a sore similar to a bedsore -- caused from too much time on the computer -- I rest my elbows on the computer desk.

Help lines, the Internet, & friends can be helpful, but the best diagosis is one given by someone in the medical field on a "face to face" basis. He/she is not always correct, but if in doubt, see a doc. Do particpate in your own health care, however, & ask questions. If you don't agree (or "mesh") with one doc., get an opinion from another.

Because I am from an older generation, I hated to "bother" docs. at night or on the weekends. Often, I would be awake all night with a sick child or myself but wait, respectivefully & fearfully, until Mon. morning to call the doc. No more! Now, I don't mind making them earn their $$$!

.

[needhelp]

Thank you so much to everyone who has responded to me. You can feel so alone and frustrated when faced with this as you all know.

I found out this am that my blood work was normal. The NP is still dragging her feet about the referral to the GI. WHY!!!!!!!

But, I made some headway by getting her to schedule a colonoscopy. I am excited to finally maybe get a diagnosis but am scared of the procedure itself. She did say I would be under for the test but I have heard the prep is not so fun. Can someone tell me what is involved with the prep, do they do it there or do you prepare at home?

It won't be this week, which is good and bad, since it's a holiday but the sooner the better, I need help for the pain I am having.

Thanks again to everyone for your supportive words and general advice regarding my symptoms. It does ease the worry some and I have learned so much from this support group that if I hadn't, I would probably be back on the flagyl, for no reason, because I wouldn't have been informed. And that would have been detrimental to my health.

[Nancy1]

You prepare the colonoscopy prep at home. When my husband had a colonoscopy a couple of weeks ago, he was given a choice of 3 preps: drink a gallon of Golitely; take some pills and drink a half gallon; or take only pills. He chose the middle one. You can only have clear liquids the day before, and you need to be near the toilet. He made a huge mess and left it for me to clean up. He never cleaned a thing for me during cdiff, so I thought about divorce...

[sks001]

Nancy - If you have 2 bathrooms, I sure would have left the one for him to clean up the day after colonoscopy. Needs to be kicked to the curb or at least a good swift kick in the *** - lol.

Whatever happened to "For better or worse, in sickness and in health?" Can't believe he didn't help you during C-Diff. That's terrible.

[Bobbie]

Nancy,
sks says it best. I like "kicked to the curb." Why are some people so thoughtless including the ones who are supposed to "cherish" each other?

[needhelp]

Okay, I know it might be hard to keep up with my particular saga but in a nutshell, I finished the flagyl 10/5, have had NO D, just bad pain and nausea. Somedays I was having no pain, I went for a week with no pain and this past Thurs it all started again, only worse.

This morning I have D, for the first time since cdiff. I am not getting too panicky yet as I understand this could be IBS but I never ever get D, I usually have the opposite problem so I am concerned. I just want to be prepared so I don't have to be an inpatient again.

The NP gave me the Rx for flagyl the other day which I didn't fill because there was no reason to fill it. Now I am on standby. The dosing is 250 mg x 4/day for 2 weeks. That was the original dose I took and noticed that most people get a higher dose. IF I have to end up taking it, would it be wise to discuss increasing the dosage with the NP? It has been about 55 days since I finished flagyl and it took one 10 day course to get rid of the cdiff. Should I have a stool re-test to make sure or if I continue the D, just start the flagyl?

Thank you!

[feelinghopeful]

You're 55 days out so I would test again just in case it does show up. We all know about the inaccuracy of the test but on the outside chance it comes back positive that would spare you a lot of indecision and frustration. You would know what to do. If it's negative you're just back where you started, no worse off. If I were in you're shoes, I'd ask to up the dose. That's your call, though.