Tested positive for toxins but no severe symptoms. Dr wants to treat

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twoscoop
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Tested positive for toxins but no severe symptoms. Dr wants to treat

Postby twoscoop » Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:58 pm

Hello. I am so torn! I absolutely have no cdiff symptoms. no d, no pain. Only issue is the last 2-3 months my stools been super soft at the end. Formed in the beginning then loses its shape. The GI wanted to test me for cdiff so I finally took it. My first infection was in August and was treated with flagyl. I tested positive for antigen and toxin and and b today. I thought if you don't have symptoms, don't treat. So the Dr tells me it's probably mild but she just wants to knock it out because she's worried it will need to colitis. She prescribed dificid. I was only only on flagyl, and she's jumping straight to dificid. What happened to vanco?? I don't want to put more harm but also what I she's right and I'm having a reoccuence and it's mild now but can progress later when cdiff takes over. Any experience with positive toxins and no symptoms ? Did you treat? Thank you.

beth22
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Re: Tested positive for toxins but no severe symptoms. Dr wants to treat

Postby beth22 » Tue Feb 02, 2021 2:28 am

I had positive tests for over two years with few symptoms and my doctors advised me not to treat unless symptoms developed. Eventually I tested negative. I got a bottle of Dificid and had it just in case I needed it or if I traveled. I was given vanco initially when I got c diff with mild symptoms and it was the biggest mistake I made to take it. I had relapse after relapse after that. Vanco kills more good flora than Dificid, so if you decide to treat, I would take the Dificid over vanco any day.

twoscoop
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Re: Tested positive for toxins but no severe symptoms. Dr wants to treat

Postby twoscoop » Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:06 am

Hi Beth. Thank you so much for replying. I had such a mentally stressful day!!

I'm just so torn. Ive been through cdiff and I am nowhere near cdiff status. Yes my stool is completely formed and then it's really soft or sometimes mush at the end but I think my body is trying to fight it off. I think it's my fault for stopping florastor and lowering my dose around November...that's when I started seeing softer stools. I just started adding florastor back in 2x since 1/13 and I also drink kefir. The softness has been improving little by little so maybe I can try to keep it in check. My GI's concern is she wants to zap everything but who knows what dificid will do to me!!! I'm very content with my current situation and have no complaints. I really don't think I should treat if I'm not having diarrhea 3x for 3 day but I know the GI will not be happy with my decision. At the end of the day it is my body.

May I ask what you were doing to keep your cdiff in check? What kind of probiotics etc.

You mentioned you were positive for 2 years, can you confirm if it was for toxins or antigens. If it was toxins, does it cause any damage to the colon? Or only when it progresses and attacks. Thank you!

beth22
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Re: Tested positive for toxins but no severe symptoms. Dr wants to treat

Postby beth22 » Wed Feb 03, 2021 2:29 am

It was a positive PCR for the first few times, but the D had subsided. Then the hospital that did the PCR tests started testing all positive tests with EIA for toxins and those would come back negative. I would take Pepto Bismol if I had a bad IBS day, but I never really got D again. I take VSL#3 daily, but only part of a capsule or I get very bloated and gassy. It works for me.

georgina
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Re: Tested positive for toxins but no severe symptoms. Dr wants to treat

Postby georgina » Thu Feb 04, 2021 1:04 pm

If you feel ok , you do NOT treat even if it's against your doctors advice. Cdiff can resolve on it's own if the antibitoic that has caused it in the first place, is stopped. Keep taking your probiotics , watch what you eat,it seems like whatever it is your doing it's working for you.

twoscoop
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Re: Tested positive for toxins but no severe symptoms. Dr wants to treat

Postby twoscoop » Thu Feb 04, 2021 2:12 pm

Hi Georgina. I ended up treating it and on my second day of dificid. I did feel uncomfortable at first but I have a stool journal (pictures) yeah kind of gross but I did look back and the soft stools I'm having are really loose. I didn't think anything of it because I'm not going to the bathroom 10+ a day. I spoke to my GI and she said the reason I'm not having the 10+ a day loose stools is because it's not an initial infection. I'm having a reoccuence so it's different. She said she isn't over treating and she understands it's not severe but wants to get rid of the toxins. I think I've always had the toxins I just never re-tested. I did notice my stools kept getting softer since November. I'll see where this leads me. I made the first mistake of taking flagyl and not taking a good probiotic after. I just took florastor for a month and just tapered it off. That's when things got weird. This time I have a different doctor and she said I need a strong probiotic after so I bought vsl#3. I hope I see some improvements. I will religiously take them and clean! Thanks for replying!


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