New To The Forum And Just Wanting Advice

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RachLexi
Brand New Poster
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:28 pm

New To The Forum And Just Wanting Advice

Postby RachLexi » Sun Apr 01, 2018 10:06 pm

Hi all,

I have been lurking on this forum for awhile. I would like to start by saying that I really apologize for intruding if I am not welcome here. I have not been diagnosed by C diff, but I have a suspicion that I might have it. I'm going to be setting up an appointment tomorrow with my general doctor to talk with him about the symptoms i have been having.

So..I guess I will start at the beginning. On the 11th of March, I started having some super bad tooth pain that radiated down to my lower jaw bone. I called my dentist's emergency number and I explained to him my symptoms. He said it sounded like I possibly could have the start of an infection going on. So, he agreed to have an appointment with me the next day even though it was a Sunday. In the mean time, he told me to take ibuprofen for the pain. Well, I got through the night pretty well and he looked at me the next day. He said it didn't look like I had any infection, but he could see a small space from the x-ray where it looked like bacteria may be able to collect. He told me then to start on amoxicillin for 10 days as a precaution. I did absolutely fine on this. No nausea and pain went away pretty much the next day.

Well, I finished my dosage and a few days later, what do you know? The pain comes back. Even worse this time and it was all around my lower jaw bone, left to right. I told him about this and now he puts me on clindamycin. My symptoms aren't getting better at ALL on this medication. Even worse actually. I'm having pretty severe nausea to the point where it's coming in waves and I'm sweating. I'm having bad headaches too. My mom is concerned so she takes me to the ER. After waiting awhile, I finally get in to talk to a doctor. He tells me it sounds like you are having some pretty bad side affects to the antibiotic. So, we will just put you on amoxicillin again for 10 days.

Everything seemed fine for a fleeting moment that night when I got home from the ER. I was able to rest fine. When I wake up the next day, my dad said he retrieved the amoxicillin from the pharmacy for me. So, I start taking it. I'm noticing no improvement again. Symptoms are the same. No appetite at all..Same nausea..I'm losing weight too. I've probably lost 5 pounds over this whole ordeal. My temperature too keeps peaking around 99.2-99.6 Very low grade fever. I've been having this since I started the clindamycin from what I can remember. I'm just wishing for all this to be over. Thankfully though, I'm seeing my dentist in a couple of days at 10 AM. So, I will talk to him then.

When I come into the office that day, my cheeks are very flush and hot. I'm having terrible nausea again. I sit down in the dentist chair and he comments that yes, I am pretty flush and hot. I tell him too about the nausea. So, he has a look at me. He does x-rays again and a cold sensitivity test. Come to find out...I don't even have an infection!!! All this pain and everything has been from clenching and grinding my teeth at night. While I am relieved to not have an infection or anything, I just can't figure out why all the nausea has been happening along with no appetite at all. He then tells me it sounds like you might have a virus or something from the nausea and such.

So, I leave the dentist's office in a little bit of a higher spirits, but I'm not happy at the same time because I still have to stay on the amoxicllin to not build up resistance to the antibiotic. Well, later that day, after about my 5th dose or so, I start developing swelling lips and an itchy face. I have full lips alredy, but not like this. My lips got very red and probably like 2x bigger in size. So, I call the dentist's office about this and they tell me it definitely sounds like you're having an allergic reaction. So, go off the antibiotic and take some benadryl. I did as instructed and ever since, the swelling and itching has stopped thankfully.

The nausea, lack of appetite and low grade fever has not though.Along with this, I notice shortly after I stop taking the amoxicillin that my stool has started becoming soft. I also freaked out because there's like some jelly-like, blood mucus in it. This only happens once though and I haven't had it since thankfully. The stool has continued staying soft though. My mom suggests then let's set up an appointment with your general doctor and talk to him about your symptoms.

I got into the doctor the next day and tell her of everything that's happened. She says it might be a virus or your gallbladder. She mentioned the gallbladder by the way because I have gallstones that have been causing me gallbladder attacks before several times. I have to set up an appointment soon to have my galbladder taken out actually. She suggests a blood test and an ultra sound. So, I agreed to take both. The results have came back and both are clear. I have no inflammation or infection. Gallbladder is fine and blood results are fine. I'm still continuing to have nausea though and this soft stool which makes me wonder if I have C diff.

I'm having no abdominal cramps like I have seen some of you discuss in here. My stool is not exactly diarrhea either. It is more like..an ice cream consistency and there are like yellow bits in it. It's really strange and it has an off smell to it. It's not exactly foul, but it's sure not smelling like roses either lol(sorry for the tmi). The nausea and lack of appetite though are really the worst. I'll feel small moments where I'm hungry and I'm able to eat something. Right after though, I will start feeling nauseous. The small things like fruit and veggies are truly the only things I can handle. I was able to have some soup the other night, but that is about the only thing. Anyways though, I just noticed my symptoms pretty much went 100% downhill when I started these antibiotics so I can't help but be paranoid. Does anyone think this sounds like just a virus I caught, c diff or something else?

I'm going to try and set up an appointment tomorrow asap though. It's really driving me insane how much my symptoms just won't get any better. The only thing that honestly helps me is these tablets I chew on to help with the nausea. They are called nauzene and lying in bed. This makes me worry a lot because I start up college classes tomorrow of all things. Just my luck. I am very sorry again if I am not in the right place or if I'm not welcome here. I just really need to vent and reach out to someone. I feel very alone.

Thank you.

Bennet
Regular User
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:44 pm

Re: New To The Forum And Just Wanting Advice

Postby Bennet » Sun Apr 01, 2018 10:26 pm

Definitely get them to test you for C diff. I'm new here myself but I think the PCR test is the one to ask for. A lot of folks are here because of Clindamycin. I hope you will get negative results and will begin to feel better soon. I'm sure the more experienced people here will way in soon.
~Bennet

RachLexi
Brand New Poster
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:28 pm

Re: New To The Forum And Just Wanting Advice

Postby RachLexi » Sun Apr 01, 2018 10:56 pm

Thank you Bennett. I wonder why they keep giving clindamycin to people if it keeps giving people C diff. What the heck?

RachLexi
Brand New Poster
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:28 pm

Re: New To The Forum And Just Wanting Advice

Postby RachLexi » Sun Apr 01, 2018 11:12 pm

Also, any suggestions on what to eat while I have nausea? I really cannot tolerate a normal meal at all, but I really do not want to keep losing weight. Thank you.

Bennet
Regular User
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:44 pm

Re: New To The Forum And Just Wanting Advice

Postby Bennet » Sun Apr 01, 2018 11:17 pm

I ended up eating a lot of saltine crackers. I had to force myself to eat and drink. You definitely need to keep from getting dehydrated. I drank some gatorade too when I was at my worst.
~Bennet

AllisS
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 1889
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:52 pm

Re: New To The Forum And Just Wanting Advice

Postby AllisS » Mon Apr 02, 2018 12:50 am

Hi RachLexi, welcome to the site. Please read the guidelines for new posters on the intro page when you have a chance.

C. diff doesn't usually present as nausea alone or primarily. The hallmark symptom is multiple watery stools per day. If your general doctor suspects C. diff, you should be tested for it. You may want to ask the doctor to refer you to a GI doctor specializing in C. diff or an infectious disease doctor.

The successive courses of wide-spectrum antibiotics that your dentist prescribed, first "preventively" and then for pain, strike me as reckless, given the high risk that both of these drugs -- especially clindamycin -- pose for C. diff. If it were me, I'd be looking for a new dentist.

I'm not familiar with nauzene, but I think you should refrain from taking anymore of these OTC tablets until you've seen the doctor.

Many people find that the BRAT diet -- bananas, rice, applesauce, toast -- is well tolerated when in the midst of feeling ill.
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


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