What foods to eat to help with symptoms

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Lkfetner
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What foods to eat to help with symptoms

Postby Lkfetner » Wed Nov 07, 2018 10:19 am

I am a 55 year old female recently diagnosed C. Diff patient. I came down with C. Diff 7 days after taking broad spectrum antibiotics following a tooth extraction. I have been on both Vanco and Metro and am experiencing my third relapse. I have gotten some conflicting information from the ER doctor that first diagnosed my C. Diff, from my GP, and most recently from my IG on what foods to avoid and what to eat. I am looking for suggestions that might make the healing process a little easier or to mitigate the symptoms. Thank you in advance. I am glad I have found someone to talk to about what is happening to me.

Lisa

AllisS
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Re: What foods to eat to help with symptoms

Postby AllisS » Thu Nov 08, 2018 2:06 am

Hi Lisa, welcome to the site. When you have a chance, please read our guidelines for all new posters, first thread in the intro section.

Metronidazole (Flagyl) is no longer recommended for the treatment of C. diff. If you're having an actual relapse after having taken both it and Vanco (you didn't say what led you to think this was the case), ask the GI doctor to prescribe Dificid, which is more effective than either Vanco or Flagyl.

There's no specific diet for C. diff; it depends on what you can tolerate. Many people find it helpful to follow the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) while they're still symptomatic.

I hope you'll report your experience with the antibiotic that triggered your illness to the FDA on its Adverse Events site; you can access it via the link at the end of my post.

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

georgina
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Re: What foods to eat to help with symptoms

Postby georgina » Thu Nov 08, 2018 4:09 am

Welcome to the site , sory u are dealing with Cdiff. As Aliss said , there is no specific diet but from experience we can tell you what worked for us in early recovery. White meat worked for most people including myself baked , grilled ,boiled ,steamed white fish, mashed or baked potatoes , hard boiled or scrambled eggs , plain toast , cocked carrots , cooked zuchinni , white rice , bone broth.

Lkfetner
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Re: What foods to eat to help with symptoms

Postby Lkfetner » Thu Nov 08, 2018 8:30 am

Thanks for the advice. I was told by the ER doctor that the antibiotics i took when I had a tooth pulled was the most likely cause. There was no other reason for me coming down with C.Diff. The hospitalilist told me to eat broccoli, cauliflower and kale, lay off dairy even yogurt. I am allergic to broccoli and cauliflower. My regular doctor said include yogurt and minimize dairy otherwise a soft GI diet would be ok. The IG said eat whatever I could tolerate. I haven't had any vomiting and a small amount of nausea early on. I have no appetite though. I have to force myself to eat. On top of everything else my acid reflux is driving me crazy as my Gp changed my ppi to zantac which doesn't work as well. If I am making myself eat anyway I thought I might eat something to make life easier. Other than constant D, cramping, passing lots of blood and fatigue I am doing fairly well. I just can't seem to get over it.

AllisS
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Re: What foods to eat to help with symptoms

Postby AllisS » Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:14 am

Strange that a doctor would recommend kale, broccoli, and cauliflower as a post-C. diff diet, since these are fibrous and could be an irritant. Many people eat yogurt during recovery, so that recommendation seems odd as well. The basic recommendation is just whatever you tolerate/a bland diet (unless spicier foods don't bother you). There is no post-C. diff diet -- nothing you eat or don't eat is going to cause a recurrence -- so just use trial and error.

I agree that Zantac isn't as effective as PPIs. I was on PPIs long-term; I stopped them after many years because they were being linked both to osteoporosis and to C. diff. However, they shouldn't be stopped suddenly, as that causes rebound symptoms, which may be why your reflux seems worse. The doctor should have given you a tapering schedule whereby you slowly stopped the PPIs and transitioned onto Zantac over a period of weeks. Ask him to do so -- or ask the GI doctor. Alternatively, there are probably tapering schedules to be found by Googling.
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

NanciT
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Re: What foods to eat to help with symptoms

Postby NanciT » Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:24 am

I would be very careful with eating and stick with a bland diet. I also had to transition off a PPI (Aciphex) to an OTC (Pepcid) which has been a long transition and still causes me issues.
There are tapers online that I followed but it's been slow. I still take the Pepcid and at night mylanta if necessary. The Pepcid does not work like the Aciphex did. Even though I stick to a very bland diet, the Gerd continues. I did have an endoscopy to rule anything else out.

NanciT


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