Hello, I have been reading through this site along with some others trying to get all the info I can about c-diff. Lots of conflicting information concerning how to determine if your symptoms are severe.
I took a round of amoxicillin for an ear infection back in May. Around May 12th I had an episode of diarrhea. Didn't equate it with the anti-biotics so I took an Immodium and it went away. Ear infection didn't clear up so had another round of amoxicillin in June. Beginning around June 2nd the diarrhea came back and didn't go away this time. Finally tested for c-diff which was positive and started on flagyl on 6/19.
So what I'm saying is I don't know if I have had c-diff since May 12th or just since June 2nd. So I had either had it for 5 weeks or just 2 1/2 weeks before starting the flagyl. Anyway, in the beginning or beginning June 2nd I had around 4 episodes of diarrhea a day with blood and pus. I have lost a total of 8 lbs in a month. My blood pressure has dropped significantly.
The diarrhea started tapering off a few days ago and as of yesterday afternoon and today the diarrhea seems to be gone. However the weakness and low blood pressure are not. The weakness is debilatating at times and today I have a terrible headache.
So again just trying to decide whether my case would be considered severe or not and how long I might expect to continue being so weak.
Would I be considered severe or mild?
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
You wouldn't be classified as severe, but why did you wait a week to start flagyl if you tested positive on 6/12?
I am glad your symptoms are better. The fact that you had D with blood and pus for a week before starting treatment is going to cause you to feel fatigued for a while. Flagyl also causes fatigue.
I wouldn't take amoxicillin for an ear infection again unless they prove it is bacterial and culture it to see if there is a narrow spectrum antibiotic that could treat it with less risk of causing C diff.
I am glad your symptoms are better. The fact that you had D with blood and pus for a week before starting treatment is going to cause you to feel fatigued for a while. Flagyl also causes fatigue.
I wouldn't take amoxicillin for an ear infection again unless they prove it is bacterial and culture it to see if there is a narrow spectrum antibiotic that could treat it with less risk of causing C diff.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
Didn't test positive until 6/19 and began treatment the same day.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
Thank you for your reply. I Appreciate it.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
You're welcome ;). Flagyl can cause headaches for some people. Feel free to contact your doctor if it gets worse. Otherwise just rest as much as you can to get your strength back.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
I never took Flagyl. Was given vanco as a first treatment and I can remember having headache and fatigue too. If you get dehydrated, that can give you a headache. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
Clearly you don't have a severe case ,but it could have been worse if you would have waited longer to get the treatment. It seems that you are responding well to Flagyl GI wise since you are no longer having D ,but you need to know that Flagyl has lots of side effects , the fatigue and weakness can be one of them. For me , the course of Flagyl was worse then Cdiff itself , couldn't tolerate it more then 7 days , was vomiting everything I was putting in my mouth (couldn't even keep water down) , racing hearth , extreme anxiety, suffocating , etc. After I got switched to vanco all those nasty symptoms were gone.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
Thanks all for responses. I didn't have headaches before taking Flagyl so that's probably it. The weakNess was happening before the Flagyl though so it must just be the cdiff. I have a juice machine. If I were going to do some juicing I wonder what would be best to use. I use to do apple celery carrot juice I I really liked it.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
KLW
Be careful with juice right now especially if things are still loose. Stick to a bland diet and let things rest while under treatment, once you have finished the medication if BM's go back to normal then start your regular diet. Sometimes it takes time for the GI system to recover, others can get back to normal rather quickly.
Hopefully once the Flagyl is complete, you will feel better. If headaches continue, give your MD a call
NanciT
Be careful with juice right now especially if things are still loose. Stick to a bland diet and let things rest while under treatment, once you have finished the medication if BM's go back to normal then start your regular diet. Sometimes it takes time for the GI system to recover, others can get back to normal rather quickly.
Hopefully once the Flagyl is complete, you will feel better. If headaches continue, give your MD a call
NanciT
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
Starting day 6 of Flagyl and day 3 of no D. Still completely utterly exhausted though. 30 minutes at a time of being on my feet is all I can manage. Urine is a bit dark and my skin doesn't pass the pinch test. I'm flooding myself with water. Even bought coconut water yesterday but don't like it very well. Wishing I had bought pineapple juice to just splash in with it. Thinking the dehydration is why I'm so weak and wiped out. On a good note headache is gone.
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
Be careful with the coconut water and any juices, they can cause D. four months out from C. diff I tried a cold pressed juice with kale in it from Whole Foods, boy was that a mistake, I was living in the bathroom for almost a week :-/. I would stick to a BRAT diet, water and throw in some pedialyte (it doesn't have all the sugar that gatorade does).
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Re: Would I be considered severe or mild?
Oh I thought i had read that coconut water was good for rehydrating. I'm convinced that dehydration is the culprit with the exhaustion. This isn't just fatigue. It's all my muscles screaming at me. It starts after about 30 minutes on my feet and I literally cannot stand up once it starts.
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