New to this, and needing help

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Zelia
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Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:28 am

New to this, and needing help

Postby Zelia » Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:40 am

Hello. I've recently been diagnosed with Cdiff (A+B) after a round of antibiotics for a bacterial infection that was found during a pelvic exam. I began experiencing symptoms a little over a week of stopping the antibiotic, which was Flagyl. They were pretty typical symptoms of Cdiff - stomach pain, fever, body aches, horrible diarrhea with mucus. At this point the stools are mushy with mucus still, but no watery stools like during the first couple weeks.

After being blown off by my doctor and in pain and suffering for 3 weeks, I have finally been given Flagyl (again) to treat Cdiff. After reading here, I am concerned that it won't help. I have been taking it 3x/day and have not seen any relief from the mushy stools yet. The prescription is for 10 days, today is day 3. Should I be having something more solid by this point if it were working? I will obviously be getting back in touch with a doctor on Monday (not the one that blew me off!), but there are so many experiences here that I felt it might be helpful to hear from one of you as well.

How soon was it before you noticed stools going back to their normal firmness? Anyone have a good experience with Flagyl?

Edit to add required info from the required newbie reading: I am a 32 year old female. I have also been taking probiotics, as recommended by my doctor.

roy
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Re: New to this, and needing help

Postby roy » Sun Oct 07, 2018 12:32 pm

Flagyl is no longer the treatment of choice for c.diff.
Especially so if it was the antibiotic that caused it!

Zelia
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Re: New to this, and needing help

Postby Zelia » Sun Oct 07, 2018 12:47 pm

Yes, I had read that here, which is why I am concerned.

Zelia
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Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:28 am

Re: New to this, and needing help

Postby Zelia » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:36 pm

What I am most concerned about is whether the Flagyl is still effective after I've not had a fever or watery D for over a week? At this point it's been ignored for 3 weeks and in that time my fever was gone after the first week, and for the next week and a half the stools have been mushy rather than runny D like within the first week and a half. I went to the ER a week ago and my white cell count was normal at that time.

I'm sorry if I am not making any sense. I am having a really hard time with these Flagyl side effects. I just feel so foggy and overall not well while taking it. So please forgive me and bear with me if I am not providing the best information for help or support here.

CSHF
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Re: New to this, and needing help

Postby CSHF » Wed Oct 10, 2018 8:39 am

Hi Zella.

I'm not sure how relevant my experience will be for you, but I want to share it in case it helps. I have had cdiff along with relapses. I am currently being treated with a Vanco taper. For me, the Vanco causes mushy stools. This has been confusing to me especially because I seem to respond well to the Vanco right away, and then after about a week on it my stools have become more frequent and mushy. But this is different from my cdiff symptoms and I believe what I'm experiencing is diarrhea from the Vanco and the changes to my gut over time and not from active cdiff. One fact that supports this is that as I taper down on the Vanco, my stools become more normal. So, ironically, there can be similar symptoms between cdiff and the treatment for it, though the symptoms are not exactly the same. Mostly, I just want to share that being in it can be scary and confusing.

I've also learned over time not to assume I know what is going on because I can miss something when I do! Are you able to get a second opinion about your treatment? Good luck and keep us posted on how you do.

oceaneo
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Re: New to this, and needing help

Postby oceaneo » Sun Nov 04, 2018 4:33 pm

I am in the same boat as you! I was scared to take flagyl based on what I read and heard, especially on the site. I tried to get better on my own for 3 weeks (eating light foods, lots of water, lots of rest) but I relapsed slightly with a fever and slight mushy BM. So I had 4-5 different doctors advice me that I NEEDED to take flagyl and that it works 80% of the time. It’s a really tough medicine to take. I take zofran 20 minutes before flagyl and then drink flagyl with some almond milk. It helps! I am on day 3 of my dose and I have slightly loose stools but no fever and I traveled all day in a car yesterday so that might have contributed. Flagyl can cause diarrhea too so I have heard. Hopefully IT WORKS for us the first time around.

NanciT
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Re: New to this, and needing help

Postby NanciT » Sun Nov 04, 2018 7:16 pm

We have information on the site you can email to your physician if they have given you Flagyl. It is no longer indicated for CDIFF. It is a very harsh drug and sadly may be still used because it is a low cost drug.

Oceano, send the information to your prescribing MD. I would not suffer through it, the reason it's been removed is because Vanco works better.

There are alot of physicians out there that are not current on all of this

NanciT

roy
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Re: New to this, and needing help

Postby roy » Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:57 pm

Oceaneo.
A relapse is copious watery D that does not stop.
Slightly mushy stool and a slight fever is not a relapse.

Also the dose and duration of flagyl that your on is probably much more likely to cause c.diff than it is to cure it.


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