Just Finished C.Diff treatment

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TedGil
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:56 am

Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby TedGil » Tue Jan 01, 2019 12:11 pm

Hi, I am new to this forum and C.Diff. My journey with C.Diff started early December after taking Amoxicillin for an ear infection. 2 weeks later I had stomach cramps and diarrhea which I thought was the flu. A few days went by where I felt better but then the diarrhea returned so I had a stool test done and it was positive for c.diff. I just got done with 10 days of Vancomycin and have not had any recurring diarrhea. Towards the final days of treatment I started to have somewhat normal bowels. The day after the last dosage of Vancomycin I eat a regular dinner but later that night I got nausea but no diarrhea. Since then I have not had normal bowels just mostly small pellets which are loose but not watery and no cramping.

During treatment my wife (who has SIBO) put me on Garden of Life Primal Defense probiotic formula twice daily, fermented vegetables, Kombucha drinks, Kefir, Yogurt and Bone Broth Protein smoothies. She also had me take Colloidal Silver which I am not sure helps or not. I am still on that regiment Post C.Diff.

I guess what I am asking is there anything I should be concerned about? I have only been off Vancomycin for 3 days now and I know I have to give it time. But as you can imagine the anxiety is thru the roof. I have read all about recurring C.Diff and people who have gone thru 2 and 3 sessions of antibiotics to get rid of this thing and I am not to thrilled about doing that. :-)

Thank you!!!!!!

NanciT
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Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2014 12:01 pm

Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby NanciT » Tue Jan 01, 2019 12:43 pm

Hello Tedgill and Welcome to the site Please read the first thread for all new posters

Sorry you had to fine us but it sounds like you are on the right tract to recovery. Fortunately there are posters who take one round of medication and move on to do well! It takes time for the gut to heal, the anxiety is normal and slowly increase your diet as you start to feel better.

It can take time for things to be 100% normal

Take Care

NanciT

TedGil
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:56 am

Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby TedGil » Tue Jan 01, 2019 1:35 pm

Thank you so much!!! Your encouraging words help allot!!! :-)

AllisS
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Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby AllisS » Tue Jan 01, 2019 1:38 pm

TedGil, your probiotic and fermented-food regimen sounds excessive. These are all essentially folk remedies, meaning they're not supported by any clinical data -- they have merely been helpful to some people, and the alleged benefits get conveyed anecdotally. It's your decision, of course. But be aware that probiotics and probiotic "foods" themselves can cause GI symptoms, and it then may become hard to distinguish those symptoms from those that you had with C. diff. I'd cut back a bit on the regimen.
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

beth22
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Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby beth22 » Tue Jan 01, 2019 5:51 pm

I would tell your doctor that you are taking colloidal silver and what dose. Taken in the wrong dose I understand that can be toxic.

Ril
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Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby Ril » Tue Jan 01, 2019 9:04 pm

Beth is correct about colloidal silver. The FDA ruled many years ago that it is not safe or effective but people continue to take it. I would stop it.

TedGil
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:56 am

Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby TedGil » Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:52 am

I have stopped taking Colloidal Silver a couple of days ago and will take your advise on the Probiotics. I am back at work so by default I will be cutting back.

Had a few tough days but things may be getting better. Eat some red meat yesterday and that seemed be hard on the gut.

Anyways, Thank you everyone!! This is a great support group and has definitely eased my anxiety over all this. :-)

LHutz
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Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby LHutz » Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:31 pm

Hi Ted,

I became infected with C. Diff. at the end of November, 2018 and I finished my last dose of Vancomycin on December 20, 2018. Overall I've felt much better, but I've had a couple bad days. On X-mas day I had bad diarrhea and I thought I was suffering a recurrence but I was fine the next day. And yesterday I had very bad diarrhea. I seem to be doing better today with just gas and bloating, but we'll see.

My point is that it's a slow recovery. My bowels still have not returned to what they were before the infection. C. Diff. really does a lot of damage to your lower GI and causes the lining of your colon to become inflamed and covered in large white sores. Probably the most honest statement I heard from a doctor was from an ER doctor who said, "You have C. Diff so your entire digestive system will be messed up for a long time."

As far as probiotics, my GI doctor has recommended that I take Florastor, as there was a study that showed that Saccharomyces boulardii (the bacteria in Florastor) helps reduce C. Diff. recurrences. Here's the link to that study if you'd like to read it: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805518/

I also bought some Bubbies brand sauerkraut and pickles, both of which are naturally fermented and have live cultures, and I've been eating those a few times a week.

As far as anxiety goes, it's lessened for me over the last couple weeks, but every time I feel some stomach discomfort or have a bout of diarrhea, the anxiety increases. Most of my anxiety is from fear of spreading C. Diff to my wife and 1.5 year old son. So I'm still still practicing good hand hygiene, washing my clothes a lot more and using the sanitize cycle (my dark indigo jeans are now more of a stone washed), using a separate bathroom from my wife and son, and if I made a BM, I make sure to shower before going to bed. C. Diff. seems to spread like wildfire in hospitals where most people are either on antibiotics or sick with something that has caused their immune system to weaken. But from what I have read, as long as the infected person is practicing good hand hygiene, it's pretty uncommon for somebody infected with C. Diff to spread it to family members unless their immune system has been compromised. That has eased some of my anxiety.

A few posters here suggested that I keep a food diary to keep a log of what might cause bowel irritability, so I've been doing that as well.

TedGil
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Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby TedGil » Thu Jan 03, 2019 1:52 pm

LHutz, thank you for your reply :-)

Yes, I was also very fearful of giving it to my wife. I used a different bathroom, kept my laundry separate from hers in a garbage bag, washed my hands to the point of them bleeding, laid a towel over my sheets where my rear end was, used Clorox Bleach Spray to clean the toilet as well as the bathroom/sink/floor area at least every other day. Finally I sept in a different bedroom in which I just got done wiping down with Clorox Bleach.

Then like you read some stuff on this support site and realized that the strict controls where mainly for Healthcare facilities since people in their care are on antibiotics which increases the chance of getting C.Diff far greater. This made complete sense to me, so I have relaxed a bit on all the cleaning. Although, my bathroom has never looked so white...LOL.

From what I understand C.Diff is all around us and basically in almost everyone's gut but the broad spectrum antibiotics kill the good as well as the bad. The good kept the bad in check but when I took the Amoxicillin it gave the lawless C.Diff the chance to take over the town so to speak.

Anyways, so so glad you are doing better and thank you for your feedback it really helps me relax knowing what other people are going thru. I don't want to jump to conclusions and run to the doctor asking for another round of antibiotics because I think it has reoccurred.

Ted :-)

TedGil
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:56 am

Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby TedGil » Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:21 pm

Hi All,

Just an update, I seem to be still hanging in there after 30 days. Have had some bad days where I thought "Oh no its back! " But it was mostly M and never lasted 3 days. Usually only one night and it would stop after a couple of hours ( no watery D). Probably a sensitivity to something I eat or whatever. I have cut back on the probiotics only taking one capsule every other day. I changed this week from regular probiotics to what is called Spore Based Probiotics or Bacillus species of good gut bacteria. Seems to be more effective since it doesn't get destroyed by stomach acid and bile salts. Stopped the Sac B because it seemed to cause issues, maybe my body doesn't like yeast anymore.. LOL.

Anyways, all seems well for now but still a little anxious about it coming back but from what I read on this forum that seems normal. Maybe that will ebb some when I reach the 3 month period.

Thank you all!!! :-)

georgina
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Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby georgina » Wed Jan 30, 2019 1:16 am

Hi Ted
It's good to hear that you are doing well. I too have taken a spore probiotic called Megasporebiotic that helped me more then every other probiotic i have tried , very good but also expensive and difficult to find. Try not to obsess so much about relapses ,most of them happen in the first month. Keep eating a bland diet , don't overdue it with the supplements and you might be just fine. Wishing you continuous improvement!

TedGil
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Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:56 am

Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby TedGil » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:11 am

Georgina,

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!

Yes, MegaSporeBiotic from Microbiome Labs is exactly what I am taking. I got them from this website www.embracehealthnaturals.com. Yes they are expensive but I seem to tolerate them better then any others. I still think they are on sale but even then they are expensive. :-)


Anyways, thanks again Georgina!

D1dad
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Re: Just Finished C.Diff treatment

Postby D1dad » Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:53 am

Take probiotics if your body can handle them. I’ve had more than one doc recommend them so if a person of science recommends them that’s enough for me. Even it is placebo it’s pice of mind and that’s a lot of the battle. Saying there’s no evidence of probiotics helping is just untrue. Several studies have been done.


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