Hello joining the group

[Itsgumby]

Hello everyone! I discovered this forum after getting a positive stool test for cdiff. I previously worked in healthcare for many years and knew the symptoms, but it didnt stop me from almost ignoring my symptoms and emailing my doctor this past weekend. This year..well since Decemeber through a few weeks really I've been sicker than I have been in ten years combined. Anything and everything that my kids have brought home and some they havent I have managed to catch. I'm already immunocompromised thanks to my autoimmune disease of Psoriasis. It seems the older I get (and I'm only 41) the more susceptible I become. Anyway I was prescribed (the devil) Cedinir late last month for my second bout of strep in 3 months time. About day 5 in I started having the tell tale diarrhea but brushed it off as a reaction to the meds. I finished the 10 day course but the issue never stopped nor did the terrible stomach pains. Sunday rolled around and the amount of bloody mucus that (sorry graphic I know) that accompanied the stool made me say nope...you cannot deny this any longer. I emailed my doctor who is a lovely man and has been my doctor along with my entire family for nearly 20-years and told him I was pretty positive I had now acquired cdiff thanks to those antibiotics and requested a lab order..it was promptly send as well as an rx for Flagyl to start and orders or probiotics 3 times a day while we confirmed. Confirmation came yesterday :/ Thankfully my husband took my kids out of state as the worst started for a trip so I was able to be typhoid Mary without constant worrying about exposing them,but it didnt stop me scrubbing every surface I could with bleach. Luckily we have 3 bathrooms and they know two are off limits for now. Hoping I only need a single round of Flagyl to get rid of this because man it's not agreeing with me. I also hope it stays at bay since I seem to very weak in my immunities nowadays. I plan to add yogurt to my daily kambucha consumption, stay on the probiotics and also perhaps add keifer too. Here's to getting and staying healthy.

[AllisS]

Hi itsgumby. Welcome to the site. When you have a chance, please read our guidelines for all new posters -- first thread in the Intro category.

It's disappointing to learn how many doctors are still prescribing Flagyl for treatment of C. diff, as it's no longer recommended due to its high relapse rate. The most effective drug for treatment is now Dificid. If Flagyl doesn't do the trick, ask your doctor if he or she could prescribe it.

Several pieces of advice. First, there's no need to scrub every possible surface with bleach! You may want to give the bathroom surfaces, door and cabinet knobs/handles the once-over, making sure to dilute the bleach with water (about one part bleach to nine parts water). However, thorough hand-washing with soap and water, after bathroom use and before preparing or eating food, is the most important preventive measure. Second, don't overdo with the probiotics and fermented foods, as they, too, can cause GI symptoms, including diarrhea.

Best wishes for your recovery.

[Itsgumby]

Thank you AllisS, ha the bleach is me as a germaphobe not to mention once I got confirmation I wanted to make sure I got a thorough clean in since my kids were back :) I'll keep the other drugs in mind if the flagyl doesn't do the trick. I drink kambucha every day, so I'll keep that routine up and will continue the probiotics as recommended for now but will hold off on other fermented foods :) thanks for the reply.

[roy]

Keeping the other drugs in mind is not what Allis meant.
To make it clear.
Flagyl is no longer the med of choice for c.diff.
99% of the time flagyl will stop the symptoms, it still kills c.diff but it is now recognized that it also kills the good flora that is needed to stop c.diff coming back.
It does serious damage to the good flora.
It has a very high relapse rate and patients that relapse on Flagyl have a much higher chance of a second or third relapse even if they later switch to Vanco or Dificid because Flagyl has already caused the damage.
Doctors have been instructed NOT TO USE FLAGYL unless it's the ONLY drug available.
It's better than nothing but far from ideal.
Why do Drs still use it?
Possibly from habit.
Possibly they are not up to date with guidlines.
Possibly because it's a VERY cheap option.

[Bobbie]

Another welcome. You are in the healthcare field so know more than our regular posters.

Follow the others' advice, especially about Flagyl. Glad you have faith in your doc but if he/she is not a GI or ID, ask to be referred to either. C diff is a strange disease and docs in these specialities know the most about it.

Best of luck, and keep us posted.

[Itsgumby]

Hello all. An update. The Flagyl didnt work. 4 or so days after my last dose the diarrhea came back with mucus and this time I had a fever and terrible body aches. Emailed my doc and mentioned the new guidelines. His reasoning for trying Flagyl first is vanco resistence enteritis, but he agreed since it disnt work to go to the Vanco. So I've been on that for I guess almost a week now. He will not retest for a month (if a retest is needed) and will set me up with a GI/ID if this round doesn't work either. Ugh...just keeping my head up...that's all we can do besides take the meds, probiotics and eat the good pre and probiotic foods. Just dreading my kids starting school on Monday....oh those new germ pools scare me.

[georgina]

Many people here , including myself have been on Vanco for years ,on and off and the treatment worked every time. So , as you can see resistance is rare if the antibiotic is used correctly (in the right dosage and a proper course). But if your doctor was so worried about resistance , he should have chosen Dificid as first line of treatment , not Flagyl (Flagyl is not FDA approved for Cdiff). Crossing fingers that Vanco will be your magic bullet .