Id love to know your experience with vancomycin

[emmarose]

My GI just suggested putting me on vancomycin. I was refusing antibiotics for a while as I was first offered flaygl and for my body i know this is not the right thing to take. vancomycin I am much more open to taking. He told me there are no side effects and it doesn't go through the blood. that its much gentler and safer.
Im wondering if you any of you suffered bad side effects with vancomycin. The one Im most concerned about is how it effects other gut bacteria. I know some antibiotics are specific and gentler on our healthy bacteria. I choose not to do flaygl for the specific reason of anything to harsh on gut as I ve taken some time to rebuild it.
so grateful for any of your knowledge and or experience.
thanks!
Emma Rose

[suebat]

Hi Emma Rose,
I just finished my second round of Vanco & had no side effects that I noticed at all. The pharmacist recommended taking Florastor as well & it seemed to help me. I could actually eat again & felt a lot better.
I hope you get better soon!
Sue

[Lisa33]

I was lucky and had zero side effects on vanco. Flagyl made me extremely sick, so I was switched to vanco. It was like a night and day difference. The terrible nausea and side effects diminished within 24 hours of switching to vanco. Roy had said in another post of yours that Vanco does kill some of your good bacteria, so it's important to take probiotics spaced appropriately from the vanco (vanco kills probiotic live bacteria as well). Florastor is a yeast probiotic that is not killed by vanco, so you can take that whenever you want to.

[getwellsoon]

I had soft mushy stools for months during and after Vanco. Did not make me nauseous or any of those issues, could actually eat better while on it.

[Bobbie]

I did not have any side effects from Vanco and I was on and off it for years, It enabled me to have a nearly normal life and to work, travel, and exercise. Far more have side effects from Flagyl.

[susant]

I felt much more normal on Vanco. Flagyl made me feel worse than I did with active c diff. I was lucky to have no side effects from vancomycin.

[beth22]

It gave me a lot of gas and mushier stools. Also, it made it so my stools did not have any smell at all to them, except maybe antiseptic. I think in my case it wiped out a whole lot of good bacteria. Stools also turned yellow on it.

[sickofthis]

I did really good on vanco. No side effects at all, I was able to eat and BM were pretty normal. Every time I went down a dose I felt terrible for a couple of days by then it evened back out. I was able to do things and live a semi normal life, I just had to take my vanco in a little cooler with ice if i wasn't gonna be home for my dose. Liquid vanco is way cheaper than pill form.

[emmarose]

Im very grateful for everyones reply. I was considering no antibiotics, but my intuition is clearly telling me vanco. it helps to hear everyones experience. thank you :)

[Bobbie]

Emmarose,
Pls kept your posts in one or two forums as it makes it easier to answer and help you.

Read PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU POST in the first forum.

Feel better.

[emmarose]

Thank you for the help.
Sorry for making it confusing to follow my post.
If I have a new question or topic, may i create a new post?

I am now wondering peoples expeince with DIFICID, and what they prefer (between dificid and vanco)

I now have have the option of dificid or vanco.
I would like to know peoples experience on and after dificid.
Do you have a preference with dificid or vacno.
After all your experience, in hindsight what would you try first?
I am particularly cautious … as I said I weigh roughly 90 pounds with a history of gut problems, so i really am grateful to gain some wisdom from your experience.
Thank you for this site and your support.

[beth22]

I have not taken Dificid, but Dificid is only supposed to kill the c diff and not as much other bacteria as vanco. There have been a few posters here who have been cured by Dificid after having failed on vanco. Dificid is meant to be a first line drug and is most successful when it is taken first and not after the other meds. Had Dificid been around when I first got c difficile, I would have taken that.

[getwellsoon]

Dificid cured me after over a year of Vanco etc. I would go with that. Most people tolerate it well but I did not feel well while taking it and for a few months after but it could have been because I was just so sick with PI IBS. Just my opinion. Hope you feel better soon.