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brandy26
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Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:28 pm

New to Group

Postby brandy26 » Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:53 pm

Hi. My daughter had a round of C diff last winter after a round of antibiotics. She was 4 then. She took metronidazole and recovered. So far, we have been lucky to have not needed more antibiotics. Fingers crossed. I have started being proactive about illnesses and I think that has helped. She takes a vitamin with 80% DV of Zinc. Zinc is thought to work by stopping or slowing viruses from replicating do even when she has gotten sick, it has been less severe than before. Also, I keep a vaporizer in her room to keep nasal discharge loose and easier to blow out. She also takes garlic, which is thought to be a natural antimicrobial and antibacterial. I am still scared, though, of the thought of her someday needing and antibiotic. Any other advice?

AllisS
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Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:52 pm

Re: New to Group

Postby AllisS » Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:08 pm

Welcome to the site. When you have a chance, please read the guidelines for all new posters on the intro page.

Vaporizer seems like a good idea, though its deterrence of C. diff would be only indirect, e.g., by helping to avoid a respiratory infection that might end up requiring an antibiotic. As far as needing future antibiotic goes, my own view is that we all need to become more informed consumers when it comes to them, rather than simply accepting a doctor's recommendation to take one. Unfortunately, many MDs and dentists aren't yet up to speed on the dangers of antibiotics, especially the wide-spectrum ones such as clindamycin. If a dr says your daughter "needs" an antibiotic for a respiratory infection, make sure the infection has been shown to be bacterial vs. viral because viral infections do not respond to antibiotics even though many people have the impression that they do. In situations where an antibiotic make actually be needed, ask dr if a narrower-spectrum antibiotic would be effective. If not -- if only a wide-spectrum antibiotic would do it -- the top one to avoid is clindamycin, though ANY antibiotic has the potential to cause C. diff.

With regard to zinc, I thought I'd read somewhere recently that this has been disproved as a virus remedy, but I could be mistaken. As for garlic, not sure, but my personal impression is that it falls under the category of a "folk remedy."
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

brandy26
New User
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:28 pm

Re: New to Group

Postby brandy26 » Fri Mar 30, 2018 1:09 pm

It is hard to say how much natural remedies do or don't work but I have personally had great success with zinc. From a young age I have always been "sickly". I always had a lot of sinus infections, colds, whatever was going around. I started reaserching immune boosters and came across zinc. After starting a daily dose, I have been dramatically better. So many fewer sick days and even when I do catch something, it is less severe than it would be. Itmaynot work for everyone but it works for me so I started my kids on a vitamin that includes zinc. I am not so confident about the garlic but my husband said his parents made them take garlic when they were sick and he has never had an antibiotic. I am just hoping some of these remedies will prevent my daughter from using antibiotics. I read somewhere that when using probiotics, far less patients got c diff when using an antibiotic compared to those who didn't. It infuriates me that had I known the risks and used a probiotic with the initial antibiotic use, we probably wouldn't be in this situation.


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