One year recovered! Challenges and progress

[Aurora88]

Hello everyone!

I hope you are feeling better. It's been a while since I posted but its been a full year since my 2016 diagnosis of C diff. YAY! I recovered after one round of Flagyl after Augmentin and then Cipro put me deep into hell. I thought I'd post my experiences to help others, and also just to check in to see where i've fallen.
Recovery was a challenge as I experienced what had to have been post infection IBS. Any sugar or fat or indulgent sent me over the edge with M and then later in recovery, cramping and sometimes D. That lasted a good 10 months! Now I can even eat some occasional fried things and I'm okay. Sometimes I can't, its a catch 22 but the fact that I can sometimes do so shows more improvement! There is hope out there.
The main issues I am experiencing now I THINK are common (let me know?) but I'm not sure. I was diagnosed at the beginning of November. I was good enough to eat thanksgiving with my family, and managed through christmas even though I had the IBS by then. Come Jan after some BM changes since the infection, I had horrid backside itching and then pain during BMs. Gastro diagnosed me with fissures. I went on medicine and they went away, though they still pop up again every once in a while. The itching took MONTHS to get better and it was HORRID. Somehow it lessened, but then after a few months, fissures coming and going in a more mild form, the itching came back again followed by a lot of irritation. Ladies, antibiotics mess up the flora everywhere! Even after so many months of probiotics, nearly a year later I finally was diagnosed with a yeast infection by the OBGYN and I didn't even know it (no typical symptoms) but the doc said she wasn't surprised. The medicine for that has made a lot of irritation and itching go away, but I'm currently on a second treatment because the yeast is stubborn and after the first treatment it started to come back quickly. I think its contributed to the backside itching. I've been using wet wipes for months and when it was at its worst I couldn't even wipe with that without tearing the skin and seeing red dots of blood. Apparently yeast can thin the skin and increase sensitivity. Well, the itching and sensitivity and fissures are still kind of persisting, so I really hope after this treatment everything can start to go away, if it is indeed caused by candida. Anyone deal with stuff like this? It seems like my pressing issues now are (I guess luckily) confined to my booty!

What worked for me during recovery so far: Low residue diet (google it), Kiefer, probiotics, peppermint tea, some fiber supplementation.

[amg]

Hi there. So glad to hear you're better!

Not sure what brand of wet wipes you're using but they can definitely be the cause of your irritation and itching down there. It could either be from sensitivity or allergy to an ingredient in them, or that they aren't at the correct pH for your vaginal area which alters your flora and can allow yeast to grow.

You could try Summer's Eve wipes for sensitive skin. They are made specifically for a femal pH. I thought I had chronic yeast infections and all it took to cure me was switching to Summer's Eve sensitive skin wipes and decreasing my frequency of use. Instant relief! Good luck. :)

[NanciT]

Hi

Sounds like things have much improved for you which is great. I do want to mention it may be worthwhile seeing a colorectal surgeon just to get an opinion about the fissure. I am not advocating surgery, just an opinion and to also make sure you have an RX that will help heal.
There are many on the site who sadly have these caused by CDIFF including myself. I am 2 years out and thought it was gone but it came back so I did see one and I am very glad I did. My GI had told me it would go away by itself which it did but I didn't expect it to return. Many go away but can return and the correct medication is a good idea.
I also had the chronic yeast infections although I continue with probiotics etc. I was put on Diflucan for a period of time to get rid of it

NanciT

[Aurora88]

Thank you for answering!
Amg- The itching is driving me nuts and its really the biggest complaint! I will be sure to try out those wipes, thank you I've been using cottonelle but I do think I have sensitive skin in general so that could be it! Thank you for recommending. I even installed a hand held bidet in an attempt at relief!

And thanks NanciT, I did actually see a proctologist/rectal surgeon. By the time I actually got in to see him because new patients can take a bit he saw that my fissure has healed. However as soon as I get one back, he said he has some medicine for me to help and luckily he didn't see anything else concerning. I'm currently on diflucan (one every day for a week and then once a week for several more weeks to really kill it out since it was a stubborn form) so I hope it works!
The only thing that seems to be curing the back end itching is the nystatin/steroid cream that I can't use forever, so I had to stop and alas, it has returned.