Newly diagnosed with Cdiff

[justrz]

Im so glad i found this forum. The stories posted are very helpful.

My story.

Went to ER with severe stomach cramping and diahrreah (D) on 11/11/19 and was diagnosed with CDiff.
I was in hospital for 4 days as my white blood count was 24,000. Obviously fighting an infection.
I was released on 11/13/19 with 10 days of Vanco.

Life was grand on the Vanco. Perfect Bowel movements and starting to eat food. That all came to a stop after 8-10 days off Vanco. Now I have cramping and D (cant spell it so I will just use D. Ha! Not sure if Im relapsing or my colon is just figuring everything out on its own.

I am eating boring food and probiotics. My wife does not have it yet they it is very contagious. We are being very careful and using separate bathrooms and I am not allowed in the kitchen.

I have . follow up with my doctor on Tuesday (12/10) but wondering if I should go to ER again. The cramping and D happen about every 2-3 hours and then Im fine with just soreness and fatigue. Im eating a very bland diet.

What does a getting back to normal feel like compared to a relapse?
R

[beth22]

It's very hard to tell a relapse from IBS, but relapses generally get worse quickly. You could call the doctor's office and see if they can order a test for you that you can submit and they might have the results on 12/10 if you submit it on 12/09.

C difficile is contagious, but it is fecal to oral route, so if your wife practices good hand washing hygiene and you do the same, it should be fine. I had many relapses and my husband never got c difficle nor anyone else that I was in contact with.

[georgina]

I don't understand why u are not allowed in the kitchen? As long as you wash your hands very well after using the toilet and you are not having accidents in your underwear , you can go everywhere you want. As you probably read , after Cdiff nobody gets better overnight , the gut needs time to heal , abnormal stools are to be expected . If you start having frequent D you will need to go back to your doctor.

[Medena]

Follow the 3 day rule...
If you have D 3 or more times per day for 3 days = go to the drs and get yourself tested!
What you described does sound like a relapse, but it might be IBS. Better check as things can progress for worse quite quickly, if the beast is back..

[justrz]

This support group is so helpful for my spirit.
Thank you for the feedback on the kitchen.
I did end up going to urgent care last night and was given another round of Vanco.
I also left a sample for them to process. Hoping this next round fixes me up. Trying to eat bland food and keep my energy up.

Im looking forward to the pain subsiding in the next few days.
R

[Ril]

You actually should not retest and just be treated or not based on symptoms. That is proper protocol. And unfortunately this close to medication treatment test also may not not be accurate.
You didn’t describe the pattern of your d so hard to say if it was IBS or a relapse but you were already diagnosed by a dr. Hopefully the dr was knowledgeable in c diff.
Good luck to you for a speedy recovery.

[Medena]

Also, find a good GI doctor knowledgable in cdiff treatment. Keep ER for emergency only.