Freaking out a little bit

[gibbygirl]

Hello everyone, I have been lurking on this board for awhile now and just recently decided to join and post.

My troubles all started when it was discovered that my wisdom teeth were infected and impacted and I had them pulled out. The Dr decided to put me on Clyndamyocin for the infection. What a mistake!! I wish I could go back in time and chuck it out the window. Well anyways, I got put on 2 courses of the Clyndamyocin and about 3 days after I had finished, I started with D. I just assumed it was normal from being on antibiotics, and that I would get better. I didn't know I had c diff and wasn't cleaning the bathroom or using a separate toilet ect, so I think I gave it to my mother and sister, (who are both very immunosuppressed and sister has chromes type symptoms even when healthy). My mother started with same symptoms, (not as frequently as me) watery D. I slowly started going down hill over the course of about a week, fever chills, frequent D. (about 10x an hour at my worst) and ended up having to go to the ER for rehydration. They did a stool sample for c diff and I was positive. Dr prescribed flagyl. I went home and started taking the flagyl. I was on it for maybe 4 days, felt even worse, no appetite, HORRIBLE nausea. I couldn't drink enough water to stay hydrated and ended up back in ER. I had a seizure from the flagyl, and was put on Vancocin 125mg every 6 hrs for 12 days. I am currently on day 10 and am terrified of coming off. I have been doing much better, down to only 1-2 loose BMs a day. But after everything I have read on this forum, I am terrified of a relapse, or becoming reinfected.

Also I have a couple questions, is it possible to recover from this after my treatment? Do you think I could become reinfected from my sister and mom? They haven't been tested positive but have symptoms. I am terrified of everything at this point, and just want this nightmare to end! We also have an ozone machine, will this be effective against killing spores? How long should you wait before retesting to make sure you're negative? Sorry for all the questions and freaking out.

God Bless you all and may we all recover from this Monster!

-Gibbygirl

[Nancy1]

gibbygirl,
Welcome to the group that no one wants to join. Since you've been lurking for a while, you have probably read a lot, but in case you haven't, be sure to read All Users Read This First, Dr. Borody's article, Dr. McDonald's article (in the FAQ section under Articles by Experts), and all areas in FAQ that interest you. Clindamycin is one of the major offenders in causing cdiff. Most people (about 80%) recover after 1-2 rounds of Flagyl or vanco, so your chances are good of being in the lucky majority.

I can't answer all of your questions, but I will tell you what I can. I don't think an ozone machine will kill spores. See FAQ Hygiene for more info. Use a 10:1 bleach solution (10 water: 1 bleach) in your bathroom. And wash your hands lots. We used to say you should wait 10 - 14 days after finishing Flagyl or vanco to be retested, so you wouldn't be so likely to get a false negative result. Now I've heard different time frames. I tested positive after 6 days off of vanco (and tested negative 15 days after Levaquin, when I was positive according to a sigmoidoscopy). There are a lot of false negative test results for this beast.

We all freak out and have a lot of questions when we first get this disease. We're happy to help. Folks here are great. Check out the Ten Commandments of Surviving Cdiff, in the FAQ section, especially #7, about never giving up hope. And look at Coping with Cdiff, which has ideas for dealing with the stress. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[Kathy George]

hi GibbyGirl,

All of us on this site can feel your pain!!! Just know that you are not alone.... Sounds like you are on a normal road to RECOVERY!!! 80% of the population with C-Diff are cured after 1 or 2 treatments of Flagyl and/or Vanco. If the current method is unsuccessful, there are other treatments out there that can be successful. I know having C-Diff can be very stressful, however, most individuals do recover; it’s just a matter of time. I used 1 Part Bleach and 1 part water to clean the central area of the bathroom . I have family and grandchildren using my bathroom on many occasions and no one came down with c-Diff. However, I would suggest that your mother and sister be tested for C-Diff. You must realize that by touching the spores does not mean you will get C-Diff. However, if you ingest such spores you are a prime candidate for acquiring C-Diff. Good Hygiene is of the upmost importance at the present time. Good luck to you and your family!!!!

[gibbygirl]

Hello again,

It's been awhile since my frantic first post, and I thought I would update you all on my progress. I know when I first came to this site I wanted to hear about people who got better on the first round of meds, but I couldn't find anyone who posted on this site who did, so I decided I should post my experiance even if it isn't as severe as those of you who developed reoccurring c diff. I know most people on this site have more complications and I feel very blessed to be one of the people who recovered relatively quickly. I have been off of the vanco for 22 days and so far so good! (knock on wood) I keep a food journal and track what I eat religiously. I am taking probiotics and L-glutamine twice a day (am and pm). I have been avoiding dairy, and sugar. I do keep what I call a "bathroom bag" with bleach, gloves and meds which I take with me when I go out, just for peace of mind. :) I do feel that my stomach is much more sensitive now as compared to before c-diff, but I try to keep in mind I am still recovering!

So all in all, I would say I am on the road to recovery and am happy to share my experience with this group, which has been so useful and reassuring while I've been battling this horrible disease. My mom and sister I am happy to report are doing better as well. They both went to a gastro Dr. and he said that he thinks if they did have c-diff they certainly kicked it. My sister, he suspects, never had it but has IBS. So we're dealing with that. My mom and dad got sick with some tummy bug so I am feeling a bit nervous, but trying to remember that not EVERY symptom in common with c diff is c diff. hehe I don't think my paranoia will ever go away. But I try.

We still wash surfaces with bleach and use separate bathrooms. I have lost many a favorite item of clothing to bleach! But I am just glad that this nightmare is finally over.

So thats all that's new with me. Thanks again for having this wonderful site as a resource for people trying to get better from this nasty beast.