probiotics & Flagyl

[mimiof2]

I'm so glad I found this site! My husband was diagnosed with c diff back in Nov 2008. He has ALWAYS been healthy so this has been a real struggle for him ! He is on his 4th regement of Flagyl. He seems to get better then he starts feeling bad after he finishes each round. We have been doing the probiotic drinks(Dan active) & eating yogurt. I tried to find Florastor but for some reason our pharmacy's didn't have it. They recommened Flora Q which I think is the same thing. He was in hospital for 3 days when he was first diagnosed because he was so dehydrated and his heart rate was sky high ! He has lost 20 pounds. We hope after we finish this round of meds we can have a colonoscopy done to be sure nothing else is going on . From everything that we have read it takes ALONG time for this to go away. I hope our Gastro Dr. is doing the right thing by us - but I wonder if we need to be on stronger meds?? Also has anyone had problems taking probiotics with the Flagyl ? I have found alot of good info in my search .

[Bobbie]

mimiof2,
Standard Introduction
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.

The majority of people (almost 80%) recovers with one to two rounds of Flagyl or Vancocin, but an unlucky small percentage does not and can suffer for months. Everyone eventually recovers, however, unless other factors are involved (advanced age, other severe health problems). If antibiotics contributed to your husband's 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.)

Questions
Probiotics are a "might work, might not" subject. Some "swear by them." They don't seem to make a difference with others. (See FAQ-Bacteria for Breakfast -- a book about probiotics.)

See Treatments & FAQ for further info. about probiotics. Flora Q is a probiotic & is not the same thing as Florastor. Florastor is a yeast (originally called S. boulardii). If you can't find it locally, google it.

If your husband does take probiotics, space them as far apart from the Flagyl as possible (or Vanco.) as possible as the meds. will kill some of the "good" bacteria. (Not necessary with Florastor.)

Since your husband has had such a struggle, I'd suggest Vancocin to his doc. (Check your insurance policy first; it's expensive.) Any testing done (including a scope) should be after he is off meds. for 10 to 14 days as meds. can affect the test results.

Best of luck to you.

[Nancy1]

I couldn't find Florastor in my local pharmacies so I ordered it online. There are a number of suppliers. I used Newton-Timmermann. Florastor is not killed by Flagyl (or vanco), but I can't say for sure that it or the other probiotics I took made any difference. The only exception was Primadophilus reuteri, which gave me my appetite back, so I could finally stop losing weight. I lost 27 pounds to the beast.

I had cdiff for 8 months and was finally cured by pulsing. See FAQ for more info. I don't know if stronger meds will help.

[anlockwood]

I am one that swears by Florastor. Myself and my 10 month old son both have had c diff and he is actually just 2 weeks off meds for his first relapse. I did research on the Florastor and found studies done that if taken with treatment and following treatment that is can reduce the chance of relapse up to 50%. Those are pretty good odds. I had both my son's GI and the dietician at the hospital swear by it. It is rarely carried in pharmacies but if you have a local Walmart they can order it for you through the pharmacy. Just tell them you need to order an otc probiotic that they don't stock and tell them Florastor 250 mg capsules and they can order you a bottle of 50. They can usually have it there next day unless ordered Friday thru Saturday, in that case it will be there on Monday. For me in Iowa it costs $38. I have been taking it since just after stopping my meds and find when I don't take it my stomach is a little more out of whack. My son also takes it and the only reason he relapsed unfortunately was that he caught a flu bug at 73 days post-treatment and that was enough for the c diff to take back over. Also I think maybe finding a new Gastro or seeking an ID Speicalist(the best for c diff) is in order. It is very rare to try Flagyl four times without giving vanco a chance. It sounds like maybe pulsing or tapering would be a good treatment for him to try. I am so sorry for all of your husbands struggles. I will pray for him!
Amanda