New here, very scared and depressed

[rhona]

I was having D once or twice a week since September/October. Normally I am constipated and eat chocolate and drink coffee to make me go. I had been eating poorly, lots of chocolate and coffee. In January I cut back, still had issues. Went to the dr. She told me to go cold turkey no coffee. Tried that. D went to once every other week, definitely got better. Constipation came back. Feburary went to the hospital with severe stomach pain. They ran a bunch of tests. Found out i had ovarian cysts. Went to the ob to deal with those, then finally went to a GI a couple weeks later. My bowels started to get very yellow. I thought it was from drinking mountain due instead of coffee. I stopped that too. She thought I had IBS. Did a colonoscopy. I tested postive for C-diff. I was shocked and scared. A close friend of mine died from this last year. I am so stressed. I don't know if my bm's aren't improving because of my panic attacks and depression over this.

In October I was on Augmentin, December - Levaquin (both for sinus infections), Macrodantin in January for a UTI, and Bactrim in March for another UTI.

Do you think I contracted C-diff back in October? Even though my symptoms were mild then? Or could that have been IBS and the last Bactrim was the one that gave me the C-diff. That is when my bowels started becoming yellow all the time.

I'm so glad to have found this group. I have spend hours reading posts over the weekend. Everyone seems to have much more severe symptoms than I do. The c-diff symptoms aren't that annoying. Except, for the no appetite and the few foods I am able to eat, that don't aggreviate it. I've lost 28 lbs since January. The worst is the stress and panic I feel that the C-diff doing more damage and getting worse. And it's bringing up all those feelings about losing my friend.

Thanks to anyone who has read this long-winded intro. I'm looking for any support I can get.

[Nancy1]

rhona,
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.

Antibiotics cause cdiff for many people, so my guess is that's what caused yours. If cdiff had meant to kill you, it would have done so already; that is, the small percentage of people who die from cdiff do so early in their infections.

Be sure to read the Ten Commandments of Surviving Cdiff, in the FAQ section, especially #7, about never giving up hope. Also, look at Coping with Cdiff, also in FAQ. I printed both of these out and read them every day. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[beth22]

My c diff started the way yours did. I was always constipated and then every once in a while I would get diarrhea - I had taken antibiotics prior too. It would go away and then come again a few weeks later. I would have these bouts of nausea in between. My stools would get yellow sometimes too. Finally, I got a lot of mucus and the doctor tested me and it was positive for c diff, but I was still constipated. He said I had pseudomembraneous colits and gave me vanco. In hindsight I wish that I hadn't taken it. I think that my on again off again symptoms would have stood a better chance of going away on their own, but who knows.

Are you taking anything for the c diff? Vanco? Flagyl?

[Vikingjeff28]

That was going to be my question, they diagnosed you with C diff and they are treating it with Flagyl, Vanco?

[rhona]

I am on flagyl. It's the 9th day and I feel horrible now. Yesterday I got D quite a few times and I am sick to my stomach. I think I am going to go to the hospital and get checked out this morning.

I was concerned about being on Batrim so close to the colonoscopy that it could have produced a false negative result.

[rhona]

I was all dressed to go to the hospital and the doctor called me back. She was out of town yesterday. She said not to go to the hospital unless I was dehydrated, to stop the flagyl, drink lots and hydrate, and see her in the office tomorrow.

She said it was probably the Bactrim that gave me the c-diff. Which really makes me mad, because my UTI could have been treated with macrodantin.

If shes retests me tomorrow for c-diff would a negative result mean anything only one day off the flagyl?

[beth22]

In my case I always tested negative after being on vanco, but then relapsed weeks later with a positive test.

[Mommy23]

Don't be afraid to question your doctor, find out how much experience she has with cdiff. If you don't feel comfortable find a new one!!

We can't really answer medical questions, but my experience is similar to many other always negative on the meds and even for weeks after. I take a very long time to show a positive.

[rhona]

Roy you have given me a lot to think about. I was concerned about my diagnosis because I had so few signs of c-diff. I was only having one soft yellow bm a day, and D maybe once a week (except for two days ago while on the flagyl where I had several). I was not tired or fatigued.

I went to the doctor today. She said wait and see when I get a BM what it's like and then if I have D, she gave me an rx for Vanco. She told me to email her this weekend and let her know how I am doing. I am scared to take anything else. And I wonder like Beth said about my mild symptoms.

She also says she doesn't retest, but treats for symptoms. But I almost think she should retest me because of Roys advice and my mild weird symptoms. I would hate to take the Vanco for nothing.

My nausea has gotten better today, but I am weak and dizzy if I do too much, and still have a metal taste in my mouth.

I am SO grateful for everyone here! It's so comforting to have people who understand.

[Kathy George]

I went on for months with a doctor that didn't see to have any knowledge in regard to C-Diff and I suffered because of it. It's your body and, if you want to be retested for C-diff insist upon it. If you doctor is not willing, then I would seek another opinion. Good Luck to you.

[Mommy23]

Okay, the color was and is a totally indication for me that the cdiff is active, but that is just me. Everyone is different.

During recovery you may have many strange BM's, it can take a very long time to recovery, if you keep treating every time you have a loose BM you body will not get over it. The three day rule is helpful. Your doctor sounds like she is handing out the vanco like candy, expecting you to decide the course of action.

[rhona]

I'm 41 years old.

How long off the flagyl should I wait to be retested to get an accurate result?

TMI below.
I generally only have one bm a day. Yellow and soft over the last few weeks. (Used to be conspitated; then the last 6 months constipated alternating with diarrhea once a week). Recently, it seems to vary quite a bit each day what it looks like. Sometimes pencil thin, but not that often. This week my last day on flagyl, when I started getting sick from it, I had 5 or 6 that kept getting looser until I had diarrhea, but I haven't had any bm since then 2 days ago.

When I questioned my doctor as to my symptoms not being that bad as most people, she said maybe I am just a carrier of c-diff.

[Nancy1]

We used to say that you should wait 10 - 14 days after stopping Flagyl or vanco to get a good test result. Later, though, some other info (can't remember what) showed that you don't have to wait that long. I tested positive after 6 days off of vanco, but I tested negative after 15 days off of levaquin and a day after a flex sig showed pseudomembranous colitis, the worst form of cdiff. Go figure! These tests are just not that accurate.

[beth22]

The test only shows the presence of toxin, so one test may not show it as that particular piece may not have evidence of toxin. That is why some doctors have you test 3 days in a row. With my last relapse I had 3 samples and the first one was negative, even though I already had the symptoms. Had it not been for the other sample, I would have wound up in the ER, so as Nancy said, those tests are not that accurate.

[Mommy23]

sorry that didn't copy too well. Here is a link to the chart.
http://www.emedmag.com/html/pre/gic/consults/061503.asp