Do I need to take antibiotics??

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Silviaxo
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Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:16 am

Do I need to take antibiotics??

Postby Silviaxo » Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:54 am

Hello everyone!! I am a new member my name is Silvia and I am 29 years old female.. first i want to start off with I had strep throat and my Dr prescribed me clindamycin after day 4 I stopped them I was having bad side effects.. It's been about 22 days since I stopped the antibiotics i got stomach pains, stomach discomfort, nausea, loose stools but still formed and then I saw mucus and blood on my BMS. Along with what looked like fluff on it?? I thought to myself oh no i have c diff. I have been drinking kiefer tea every day and still am till this day. I also made barely water.. My stomach is still not the same i get pains (mild) and wierd BMS some solid with stuff on it and some skinny ones or some loose ones that still sometimes have that fluff with it.. I'm also scared to eat anything because I don't want to upset my stomach. i have not went to get tested because I live 30 minutes away from where they want me to drop it off and I have 2 kids I'm very busy lol but I know I need to so i can see what's going on. But anyways if the test is positive should I take the antibiotic with only mild symptoms?? I will continue to drink my kiefer water and also I will make barely water again tomorrow.. I'm terrified what will happen if I have c diff but not take the antibiotics will I get worse?? I'm so scared of taking antibiotics and would rather see if a natural route will work.. But I just wanted to see what you guys think in my situation??

beth22
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Do I need to take antibiotics??

Postby beth22 » Wed Jul 04, 2018 6:37 pm

Hi Silviaxo and welcome to the site. Please read the first forum for general information for new posters.

I had c difficile in 2007, but did not realize what it was. I noticed that eating yogurt helped, so I kept doing that and my symptoms subsided. The following year, I had to take Cipro for an infection and then my symptoms came back, I was tested, tested positive for c difficile and started vancomycin. I think I did better not treating the year before. Guidelines say that often if the offending antibiotic is stopped, in your case, clindamycin, then c difficile will resolve without treatment. You may just have antibiotic related D without c difficile. Since you have children, it would probably be wise to test to see what you are dealing with. If you have c difficile, then take precautions with cleaning your bathroom, etc.

If your D subsides, then there is no reason to treat. If you have mild symptoms, you can talk to your doctor and see what she/he advises. Sometimes taking something like Pepto Bismol will help resolve mild symptoms, sometimes not. Taking a probiotic might be a good idea too. Kefir has probiotics in it, so you are already getting some. I don't know much about barley water.

Hopefully, you will feel better soon, but if not, test.

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

Re: Do I need to take antibiotics??

Postby AllisS » Thu Jul 05, 2018 12:34 am

Hi Silviaxo. Hopefully, your symptoms will turn out not to be due to C. difficile and will resolve on their own. In any case, I hope you'll submit an Adverse Event form about your experience with clindamycin on the FDA website (see the link to the site at the end of my post). My own C. difficile episode was caused by clindamycin; it's the top-offending antibiotic that triggers C. diff. Yet this drug continues to be overprescribed by doctors as well as dentists. It's only by patients such as ourselves reporting our experiences with clindamycin that its rampant overuse will eventually be curbed. I hope you feel better soon.
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

Silviaxo
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Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:16 am

Re: Do I need to take antibiotics??

Postby Silviaxo » Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:17 pm

Beth22 how long did it take for you to notice symptoms leaving the first time you had it??

AllisS- I had no idea you can turn in a adverse reaction I will do That! Thank you

georgina
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Re: Do I need to take antibiotics??

Postby georgina » Fri Jul 06, 2018 12:53 am

Silvia
Even if Cdiff is what you are dealing with it seems like it's clearing on it's own (as Beth said , sometimes it's enough just to stop the offending antibiotic). If the M and the blood are no longer present in your BM and the only thing that bothers you is the fluff that you see in the toilet , it means that your system is probably fighting it and maybe you don't need to be treated. However , is good to make an appointment with a GI or a infectious disease doctor just in case. If it's truly Cdiff , then you should know that it's unpredictable , your chances are 50% of getting well by yourself with some good probiotics,diet and maybe a binding agent or there is the other 50% chances that the infection will blow at some point and you will need to get treatment straight away.So do keep a eye on symptoms , if things go south and you start getting frequent D you need to see the doctor , get tested and get the proper treatment.

beth22
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Do I need to take antibiotics??

Postby beth22 » Fri Jul 06, 2018 1:56 am

When I had it and did not treat, I think it was a few weeks. I really don't remember. It hit me when I went on a 3 day cruise and I ate a lot of yogurt and rice, but after a few weeks, other than occasional yellow colored stools, I was pretty much okay.

Silviaxo
Regular User
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:16 am

Re: Do I need to take antibiotics??

Postby Silviaxo » Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:35 pm

Thank you everyone for your replies I don't know how to reply to each one. But I sent off my stool sample today.. my husband dropped it off for me so I will know forsure what's going on!!


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