I Just Don't Know What To Do Anymore

[Jan]

Well, ended my 8 week taper this past Tuesday and Wednesday b.m.s increasing, nausea, no appetite. I feel it is coming back full force as the days go by. And to think I was feeling so good 8 days ago that I actually washed walls, windows, and spring cleaned my entire house!!! I do not know whether to start the vanco again or hang in there but I am so sick to my stomach. I am taking Prima R, Culturelle and Floraster. I really don't think these are causing my problems because I have been taking them the past 4 weeks and was feeling great. Any suggestions??? Should I stop all of the probiotics first, give it a few days to see if things get better (if I can last that long)? Or back to the vanco? My doctor of course isn't in since it's a holiday. I am getting so depressed over all of this. Maybe I should of put this in the venting forum.
Jan

[Bobbie]

Jan,

As you know, C. diff. is a strange disease. One minute you can feel great -- "sick as a dog" an hour later. I can remember trying on clothes in a store's dressing room, suddenly getting sick, pulling my own clothes back on, & racing for the restroom.

You will "feel" what is right to do. Always trust your "gut" feelings. (Pun intended.)

You could still have C. diff. or perhaps your body is just readjusting. (C. diff. gives your GI tract a heck of a beating.) Also, l out of 5 develop IBS after a bout of C. diff. (I am one of those lucky ones.) The symptoms are similar. See FAQ-IBS & FAQ-Three Day Rule. I "made up" the Three Day Rule to help tell the diff. & it often works. (No guarantees, however.)

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if you still have C. diff. or not unless you are retested, & most docs. say to wait until 10 to 14 days off meds.

If your symptoms become worse, do call your doc. Most practices have a doc. on call during weekends & holidays. Call & then call again if you don't get a callback.

Good luck.

[Jan]

Last night was horrible. I woke up at 4 a.m. with a fast heart rate, nausea, many bathroom trips. dizzy, you name it. Put a phone call in to my doctor and he saw me in the morning. Gave me a potassium IV to try to get me to rebound a bit, still feeling awful, Going back tomorrow morning for another IV treatment. Wrote out a script for vanco 250 this time so back on it again. I didn't have a retest sample for I just took my last taper vanco this past Tuesday so there was no use. Would of showed a negative result but I know I relapsed. Now I am worried for my first bout with C Diff I never relapsed after the taper. This time the taper didn't work so I don't know what to do now. Should I pulse??? Should I ask for my doctor to give me some thing after the taper? I am so exhausted.

[Bobbie]

Jan,
Difficult call to make. You might mention pulsing to your GI. (It worked for both Lauren & Nancy & others on the site.)

Glad your doc. saw you right away. He must be a "keeper."

You will get better -- just like you did before, but I know how anxious this d.... disease can make you.

[nsewell]

I know its frustrating I relapsed many times on vanco. After a few months on the low dose finally upt it to the 250's and tried everything on them. Finally did a pulsing/tapering form the new doc and then 20 days of xifaxan and have been cdiff free for almost two years, so it will happen for you might just take some time.

[Jan]

Went for another IV this morning and rebounding nicely since my potassium is back up. My doctor is so kind to open his office on a Saturday and Sunday for us ill ones. He told me that if I do not feel well tomorrow morning which is Memorial Day to just call him at home and he will meet me at his office at 9:30 for another IV. So nice of him. I asked him about fecal transfusions and he is against it for he doesn't know much about them at all. I wasn't happy to hear that but....at least he is there for me. I mentioned the pulsing method, he agreed since the tapering didn't work this time. At least pulsing and keeping the same dosage of 250 gives me peace of mind. Now I have another question to add though. This morning I only had "1" b.m. and I mean it was regular!!! Now I don't know what to do, should I start the pulse from scratch or should I maybe pulse from the middle, like 3 days on 3 off??? I just ended the taper Tuesday and only took 3 vanco and this morning I was okay in that department, still nauseated though. I mean that was a really quick turnaround this time, the best I ever had. Maybe I just needed to up the dosage a bit to get straightened out. Time will tell I guess. Maybe the taper was working but those darn spores started to hatch again and I needed to throw more vanco in to make things right. Any imput would be appreciated.

[Bobbie]

Jan,
This doc. opened his office up on weekends & holidays to treat sick patients? Doesn't he know that docs. don't do that anymore -- in fact you are fortunate to get a call back from a doc.'s nurse because few refuse to talk on the phone themselves. He sounds wonderful. I'd keep him. Many docs. don't believe in the infusions & know little about them.

As for pulsing/tapering, I'd ask your doc. or perhaps others on the site can give you more info. Pulsing wasn't an option when I or my son had C. diff.

Again, I can't believe this doc. What a guy!!!