Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

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niccat
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Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby niccat » Sat Jun 25, 2016 4:05 pm

Hi all,

I'm new and thought I'd post my case here. I'm a 37-year-old female who was diagnosed with C.Diff. about 2 weeks ago, but has had GI symptoms as far back as late March (3 months, give or take). Constant nausea, fatigue, food "setting me off", occasional diarrhea.

I first talked to my PCP in mid-April. He ran blood work which came back normal and scheduled me for a HIDA scan in early May. It also came back normal. He referred me to a GI, who I was going to see the week following the scan. Instead, 3 days later, I was taken to the emergency room with severe diarrhea and dehydration. I was given a diagnosis of Colitis - general; they saw white blood cells in my stool, but didn't run a culture... so I don't know whether it was C.Diff at that time.

I ran a 10-day course of Cipro and Flagyl, as well as Zofran for nausea and hydrocodone-acetaminophen for pain. I saw the GI, and she scheduled me for a colonoscopy after I got off of this course of antibiotics.

The Cipro/Flagyl knocked me right out. After the treatment ended, I still had diarrhea - so the GI ordered a stool culture. The colonoscopy was normal and biopsies also normal, but the culture came back positive for C.Diff.

The GI started me back on Flagyl, but nothing changed after 4 days of treatment, so she switched me to Vancomycin 125/4x daily. On day 3, I woke up shaky, lightheaded, nauseous, with bad diarrhea, and went back to the hospital. I was clearly dehydrated and malnourished, and in a lot of pain. I was admitted and kept there for 5 days/4 nights. They continued Vanco, Zofran, and painkiller meds, along with probiotics and simethicone for gas.

I was on a full liquid diet for 2 days, then soft foods. Once I showed that I could eat and that my stool was starting to form more solidly, I was sent home. I've been home since Wednesday afternoon.

I am to continue this course of treatment until next Friday. I see my PCP on Monday and my GI on Wednesday.

Currently, I'm exhausted, nauseous, and have difficulty eating, but I have more solid (soft) BMs a few times a day instead of 6-8 watery ones. I'm really hoping for some nutritional advice, which I'll ask about elsewhere.

Will update as things change. Wish me luck. :) I'm so very, very tired... and there's so much life I'm missing.

roy
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby roy » Sat Jun 25, 2016 5:08 pm

I have copied your post here so you get replies.
Case histories is for a diary only.

Ril
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby Ril » Sat Jun 25, 2016 6:58 pm

Welcome to the site. Please read the first entry on the home page entitled Read Before You Post.
So sorry you have this illness and have been through so much.
You are fortunate that your GI switched you to Vanco from Flagyl. Vanco is a much better medication than Flagyl and is much better tolerated. Many people have horrible side effects with Flagyl yet it continues to be prescribed first. You will hopefully continue to do well with the Vanco and it sounds as though you are doing much better now and your stools are regulating.
You say you want nutritional advice and will post elsewhere. Please keep your posts here rather than multiple areas so we can answer you in a cohesive manner and not all over the place unless you start a different thread about a totally separate issue.
Most of us suffered from poor appetite, nausea and food intolerances during both c diff infection and recovery. We mostly all lost weight so do not get concerned. I could tolerate plain grilled chicken or fish, toast, herb tea, broth, baked potato, oatmeal and apple. I could eat only small amounts at a time. After a while I could add rice or pasta, no sauce. My diet had to stay bland for a long time.
Best of luck recovering.
Rita

amyc
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby amyc » Sat Jun 25, 2016 8:13 pm

Sorry to hear you got so sick. I was really lucky that my doctor's office ordered stool tests right away when I went in complaining of D that had lasted for a few days. I'm glad you have a GI and your PCP working with you. Hopefully this course of vanco will cure you.

cdiffrun
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby cdiffrun » Sat Jun 25, 2016 11:27 pm

Since you're asking for nutrition advice have you started eating more foods rich in probiotics to offset those killed by your antibiotics?

Things like yogurt, kefir, pickled foods, etc.
C Diff run - Run Diff Run! :)

My anti C diff recurrence regiment: Daily intake of Lifeway Kefir (15-20 billion CFUs and 12 strains!), boulardii + lactobacillus probiotics (I use Nexabiotic 23 strain multi-probiotic)

ramu
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby ramu » Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:07 pm

Greetings Layla. I hope you find relief soon. I will list some foods that helped me, though many on this site would disagree. I managed steamed zucchini and summer squash quite a bit. Its very soft and tolerable, easily digested, but doen't really help strengthen my stool. I used oat bran on a daily basis to keep things moving, but made my stools a bit scary. I did manage yogurt every day, but most say to cut dairy products. Of course, the BRAT diet is gentle (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast). It sounds like you are still in treatment, and everything takes time with this. My stools started forming after 3 days of vanco, but that is an E ticket park ride for sure. Just be aware that you can have WD in recovery and still be kind of 'ok'. I'm only on week four of recovery, and bm's were scary looking for 3 weeks (tattered edges, loose, not-well formed). Wishing you the best of LUCK :-D
Jonathan

niccat
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby niccat » Thu Jul 07, 2016 4:12 pm

Hi! I'm so sorry, I thought I'd posted this as a "diary", and admittedly I've been a little out of it... so I may have posted incorrectly.

I wanted to post an update. I ended up seeing my GI on 6/29, who wasn't convinced I was getting better, and she scheduled me for an FMT (via colonoscopy), which was done last Tuesday. I was put under, and don't remember much after the procedure other than wanting an egg McMuffin and having a rather embarrassing accident right before we got home. >.> I fell asleep a couple of hours after, and stayed asleep until the wee hours.

Since then:
- fewer BMs; in fact hardly any.
- increased gas
- decreased nausea, BUT difficulty wanting to eat. I just have no appetite.
- still a lot of fatigue. I've mostly slept since I got home from the procedure.

Thanks, everyone who suggested foods! I do have yogurt, but haven't tried Kefir. I've also taken a probiotic supplement to help repopulate the "good" bacteria. The eating part is rough! I get low blood sugar anyway - not diabetic, though it runs in the family, just mildly hypoglycemic. Gatorade and glucose tabs have been my quick-fixes. I want to eat something more substantial, but haven't found anything that actually sounds appetizing at all.

I did have a couple of Enu shakes (they're like Ensure or Glucerna without the awful fake sweetness). Those helped when I could tolerate them.

I know this isn't meant to be insta-recovery, and I do feel like I've turned a corner! I just wish I could/could want to eat. :)

amyc
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby amyc » Thu Jul 07, 2016 5:12 pm

Your GI sounds amazing. Have you tried baked potatoes? A big baked potato with a teaspoon of butter, salt, a little pepper and if you are OK with dairy, a little shredded sharp cheddar cheese melted on top was my go to. Potatoes are quite nutritious and I think delicious. Blueberry pancakes. Do you like scrambled eggs? I could always tolerate filet mignon (but of course haha) but fattier cuts of meat or fried food didn't sit well. Roasted carrots are delicious and easy to digest if you chew them well.

kayron
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Re: Layla's Case: 37/F in Treatment

Postby kayron » Thu Jul 07, 2016 8:24 pm

Layla,

Your story is similar to mind, but you had much better doctors. I am glad your cdiff is better from your transplant. I have been sick since the end of January of this year. It took me forever to get the doctor(s) to run a culture test on me. I have lost over 30 lbs since January. I am now on a Vanco taper (2nd time for Vanco) (Flagyl and Flagyl/Cipro - 1 time). I have had 3 positive tests and I hope the 4th one will be the charm. I have had to stay after the doctors to get them to do anything. It is refreshing to hear a story with a good ending.


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