To treat or not to treat?

[Nygirl]

Hi - I got c-diff about five years ago after needing IV antibiotics in a hospital setting for weeks. I took vancomycin with florastor and other probiotics and have generally been fine for the last five years. Every time I’ve taken antibiotics, I make sure to take the Florastor and I haven’t gotten it again.

Recently I had a bad UTI and the doctor gave me Augmentin for two weeks. During Augmentin my stools were actually perfect, no stomach pain etc. two days after stopping the antibiotic I got the worse stomach pain for a few days. The pain has lessened but comes in waves. My stool was actually formed the last few days but today it is loose and mushy but I’ve only gone once.

I submitted a stool sample and they said it’s positive for c-diff. Would you take vancomycin for 1) mild to moderate stomach pain and 2) mushy stools 1-2x a day? Is it possible for me to beat it on my own with Florastor?

[beth22]

Hi Nygirl and welcome to the site. Please read the first forum that contains useful information for new posters.

I had something similar happen to me. I was given IV antibiotics at the hospital and about a month later, I got D and tested positive for c difficile. However, by the time I got the results, my D was much better and the doctor told me not to treat and only to take Pepto Bismol as needed. I don't tolerate Florastor. If Florastor has helped you, then you could try and take it and maybe another probiotic as well and see if your D subsides. I never did have to treat with vanco or Dificid, but I did test positive for a long time even though I had no D. Finally, the test did come back negative. Treatment is supposed to be based more on symptoms than test results. What did your doctor recommend?

[georgina]

I would not treat if i were you . Even though the test is positive , your symptoms seem really mild , more like IBS rather then actual Cdiff disease. I would ask my doc to give me something to ease the abdominal pain (a antispasmodic) and maybe a binding agent like Questran or 1-2 caplets of Pepto Bismol , keep taking the Florastor and see if the symptoms subside.

[Nygirl]

Thanks for your responses. Right now my main issue is just mild to moderate pain throughout the day, especially in my lower to mid right area. Its worse if I move around and feels a bit better than I lay down and don’t move. Its definitely improved significantly since Saturday when it started but the pain in the right region has stalled and hasn’t really been getting better.

Does this sound like IBS/cdiff? Because I was disagnosed and started vancomycin quickly the first time, I didn’t experience what cdiff pains really feels like. Thanks for your replies!

[georgina]

Already answered : sound more like IBS then Cdiff.

[LHutz]

The pain I had with c. diff was a constant burning pain in the Sigmoid Colon which is in the lower left corner of the abdomen, but I had frequent D many times per day to along with the pain. If you've had form stools and only went one time today, that does not sound like typical c. diff infection symptoms. Did you test positive for c. diff toxins?