Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

This forum is for discussions related to C. diff. including symptoms, doctors, medical advances, medications, If you are a new poster (joined within the last month), you can post more often for two months from your date of joining. After that time, one post per day only about "you." You can post more often to support others. Post other topics in Free Form Discussion and Chat Forum.
Stressed
New User
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:35 am

Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby Stressed » Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:19 pm

So tomorrow (Friday 4/14/17) I am only supposed to take my vancomycin 3 times a day for the next week. However, I've been taking it 4 times a day at 1:15am, 7:15am, 1:15pm and 7:15. I just took it at 7:15pm it is now 9:15pm. My mom said to just wait until 7am tomorrow to try and take it and then every 8 hours take it. So it would be 7am, 3pm, and 11pm. I'm scared for the hours that will take place without an antibiotic. Can I relapse within 12 hours of no vanco? This is giving me crippling anxiety right now...! My lower abdomen on the right is also hurting again. This pain is minor and I can manage without any ibuprofen (for now).

Night seems to be the absolute worse for me pain wise, along with the bloating and anxiety or headaches. And yes, I'm on probiotics and even a probiotic juice.

Can you guys give me advice for tapering? What did you do?

-M

Tsc1964
Regular Contributor
Posts: 239
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:18 am

Re: Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby Tsc1964 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:21 am

I think you will be ok doing what your mom said so you can get yourself on every 8 hour schedule. Sounds like youve did really well with every 6 hours . Anxiety comes with cdiff unfortunately for most. Know its hard but try distract yourself with things you enjoy or that will calm your mind. I used self hypnosis youtube videos , eft tapping videos, music, prayer, meditation, exercise if your able or yoga their is you tube videos for that also. I also have had to take xanax when anxiety was high but i was already anxious person an taking xanax. Insommnia was bad for me so i would set my phone on a 8 hour youtube video for sleep. You will be fine getting on new schedule. Wishing you healing an good nights sleep.

georgina
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 2635
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:07 am

Re: Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby georgina » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:36 am

I never heard anyone to relapse in 12 hours after meds , relapses happen from 72 h to three months . Even when you prep for FMT you are advised to get off meds 48 h prior to the infusion , never heard anyone to relapse in that period of time. Try to calm down or go seek help from a specialist for anxiety , as that can create a lot of gut disturbance. Try not to take too many probiotics , maybe stick to just one , too much probiotic can give bloating , gas and cramps too.

Pinecone
Regular User
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:07 am

Re: Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby Pinecone » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:47 am

I can vouch for the self hypnosis videos. I was very ill in 2015, with insomnia as one of my primary symptoms. The meditation videos got me to a point where I was able to confidently fall asleep each night.

As for the dosing question, I agree with your mother as well. Twelve hours off isn't anything to worry about, especially since vanco isn't absorbed into the bloodstream. It kind of just hangs out in your guts until it's time to go. Plus, even if you were medicine-free for twelve hours, that doesn't seem like long enough for anything to happen. I went undiagnosed for two months, and still managed to have a good day now and then.

Do your best to relax and let the little worries bounce off. As my pharmacist friend likes to tell me: trust in the miracles of modern medicine. You're on the good stuff. People research for years to study it and perfect it -- it won't be something that can be ruined by a tiny twelve hour gap. Hopefully that can bring you some peace. It's certainly helped me!

Stressed
New User
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:35 am

Re: Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby Stressed » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:54 am

Tsc1964 wrote:
> I think you will be ok doing what your mom said so you can get yourself on
> every 8 hour schedule. Sounds like youve did really well with every 6 hours
> . Anxiety comes with cdiff unfortunately for most. Know its hard but try
> distract yourself with things you enjoy or that will calm your mind. I used
> self hypnosis youtube videos , eft tapping videos, music, prayer,
> meditation, exercise if your able or yoga their is you tube videos for that
> also. I also have had to take xanax when anxiety was high but i was already
> anxious person an taking xanax. Insommnia was bad for me so i would set my
> phone on a 8 hour youtube video for sleep. You will be fine getting on new
> schedule. Wishing you healing an good nights sleep.

Thank you. I have really bad anxiety so I just took it now at 1:45am and then I'm going to take it again at 9:45am and at 5:45pm. I've never been so afraid to just take medicine or go to sleep. I'm too of already having anxiety and taking klonopin for it. :/ thank you for responding though. Every time I see someone has responded my anxiety settles down just knowing I'm not alone. <3

amyc
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 2084
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:15 am

Re: Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby amyc » Fri Apr 14, 2017 3:11 am

If it helps, my fantastic GI says 3 times per day of the 125 mg pills is enough to treat C diff once the huge D is past. He's a research guy, so I trust him. Get your rest :)

Stressed
New User
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:35 am

Re: Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby Stressed » Fri Apr 14, 2017 3:22 am

amyc wrote:
> If it helps, my fantastic GI says 3 times per day of the 125 mg pills is
> enough to treat C diff once the huge D is past. He's a research guy, so I
> trust him. Get your rest :)


Aw, thanks :)
<3

Believe
Regular User
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue May 08, 2018 1:46 pm

Re: Tapering vanco. Nervous. In some pain.

Postby Believe » Thu May 17, 2018 2:24 pm

Hi Tsc1964, did that tapered Vanco dose do the trick? Great encouraging advice, Amyc!

I’m currently on a 10-day course of Vanco, because I relapsed after my first round of antibiotics (10 days of Flagyl).

I’m nervous and have bad anxiety about relapsing again, worried about this awful problem going on and on. Like all of us, I just want my life back. I’ve so many plans to attend to, and I worry about this problem coming back and infecting friends I will soon share a vacation rental with. After all my research, I’m having a hard time believing just 10 days of Vanco will do the trick. Sure, it will kill the bacteria, and probably already has by now (I’m on day 6 of 10) ... but it’s the spores hatching again that I worry about! They did it with Flagyl, why not with Vanco? Neither kills spores.

My PCP, while willing to refer me out and currently putting the call in to gastroenterology, swears she’s never referred anybody out and that her patients have responded just fine to Vanco 10 days. She feels I’ll be fine, so she won’t taper or pulse my dose. She said if I were to need that kind of intervention, it’s beyond her scope and she’d refer me to a specialist, anyway.

I’m going just once or twice per day, no D, but a formed, “normal feeling” #4 on the Bristol chart (a good thing!) ... however, it has a lot of fluff attached to it (which is scaring the hell out of me). My case has been thankfully mild, in general.

I also see a functional medical practitioner (he’s an internist, formerly Western practicing), and I work between him and my PCP family doctor. He prescribed two weeks of heavy probiotics: Xymogen ProbioMax 350 DF (1 packet/day) and Klaire Labs Saccharomyces Boulardii (start with 1 cap with meals, 3x/day and increase up to 2-3 caps with meals, 3x/day). I’ll meet with him next week to see where we go from here following Vanco, regarding the continuing of probiotics and possibly (I hope) an herbal remedy for a couple of months towards eradicating the spores.

Can Vanco really work in just one round of 10 days? Or has nearly everybody on board here found it has become necessary to taper or pulse the dose? Also, should one expect a normal stool (no surrounding fluff attached) by end of Vanco as a sign it’s working?

Bless all you patient souls. Namaste and peace,
k


Return to “General C. diff. Discussion”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 20 guests