Tapering dose of Vancomycin works!

[csnider]

Hi all,
I posted on here a while back, and several people have written to ask me about my tapering dose of Vancomycin that finally allowed me to beat C. Diff after 8 terrible months. I thought I'd share my info here, as well as the way that Rifaxamine may be used as well, since Vanco is so expensive. Here's the details.

Medicines for C Diff:
Like I said I started out with the Flagyl and it didn't work for me. The C Diff came back 3 times, so they switched me to Vancomycin. I had side effects with the Vanco (ear ringing, crackling), so Dr. John Bartlett at John's Hopkins told me to taper back the dose and see if the side effects returned; they didn't! Instead of taking 4 125-mg capsules a day I took 2 (one pill every 12 hours) and slowly reduced my dose over weeks in a taper dose that WORKED! Here it is:
Vancomycin Taper Regimen
125 mg 4 times daily x 10-14 days
125 mg 2 times x 7 days
125 mg daily x 7 days
125 mg every 2-3 days for 2-8 weeks (pulse dosing)

Dr. Bartlett also said that he's never heard of C Diff becoming "immune" to Vanco the way it does to Flagyl. Apparently a lot of current strains of C Diff are Flagyl-resistant, which is probably why I couldn't get over my C Diff (and maybe why it's hanging on for you).

Also, if the Vanco is too expensive in oral form (without a prescription plan it can be $600 or more for a round of it), you can call around to pharmacies to find one that will make an oral dose out of the IV liquid Vanco. It's much much cheaper, and it will be an unpleasant tasting liquid, but is more affordable, so worth it.

If Vanco isn't an option for you, though, you could ask your docs about taking Rifaximin (pronounced Riff-ax-a-meen), and the name brand for that is Xifaxin (pronounced Zy-fax-in). When I saw Dr. Juckett at WVU's Student Health, he put me on this and it worked. I was C Diff free for 3 months, until I had to go on an antibiotic for another issue, which caused the C Diff to return. But apparently Rifaximin is being studied as a new drug against C Diff.

[jjglad]

I am currently tapering off of Vancomycin...my question to those that it has helped is....did you deal with going to the bathroom more or having some cramping as you are tapering off??

I have been dealing with "going" more the last couple days as I am weaning down to 2x a day of the 125 mg dosage. I am worried that it means that I am going to relapse?! Things are still formed mostly, but going more frequently for some reason?! I am still taking diff. probiotics and have added a Metamucil capsule each day to try and keep things bulked up. I also have a little Enteragam powder in my peppermint tea each day.

Can anyone share their success story from tapering off of Vancomycin, esp. if you did experience some issues while tapering and pulsing?? Please let me know what you dealt with so I can somehow tell my brain that I am not relapsing just because I am tapering! :)

Thank you!!!

[georgina]

Hi JJ
Usually you have a more frequency a day or two as you go down a dose of vanco , that is until the gut adjusts.Of course if things get bad and you go more frequent with diarreah and pain you should give a call to your doctor.Crossing fingers that this vanco taper will do the trick for you.Feel better soon!

[jjglad]

Thank you, Georgina! I sure hope you are feeling better soon too!

I am glad to know that frequency increases with dosage lowering...interesting though. Wonder why the dosage decreasing makes one go more? Hmmm...

Anyway, thank you!

[NanciT]

JJ

I think it's different for everyone. While I was on Vanco pulse/taper things were consistent for me. When I went on a DIficid Pulse/Taper I had far more issues especially as I went down in dose. Once I was off completely, I had IBS which made me feel like I was relapsing for quite some time. Luckily, I am CDIFF negative. Give it time as you complete your taper and once you go off it things often take time to return to"normal" and the healing begins. Feel better soon!

[Bobbie]

Dr. Bartlett is the doctor who discovered oral Vanco was effective against c diff. In 1979.
Previously, it was strictly an IV drug.