C diff in South Africa

For posting new case histories and updates to histories only. Do not post general messages, replies or questions here.
ZAChick
New User
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 7:48 am

C diff in South Africa

Postby ZAChick » Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:52 am

I am a 38-year old, otherwise healthy, female from America who has been living in South Africa for a little over two years. I’m not sure where I acquired c diff since I traveled to America twice during this two-year stretch of living in South Africa.

I tested positive for c diff on April 1st, 2016 but I had symptoms that began in early March. Prior to testing positive, I was given antibiotics on several occasions. I was prescribed urizone and probiotics on September 16th for a bladder infection (in South Africa), amoxicillin with no probiotics on October 10th for an ear infection (in America), amoclan and flagyl with probiotics on February 23rd for a root canal (in South Africa), and IV antibiotics with no probiotics on March 22nd during a gall bladder surgery (in America).

I saw my primary care doctor in South Africa on two occasions in early March for symptoms of significant diarrhea and stomach pain. I was prescribed lactovita, tasectan, librax, buscopan, and altosec. These medications were meant to stop the diarrhea and stomach cramps by slowing down my bowels. This course of treatment probably encouraged the c diff to multiply. No lab tests were ordered.

After gall bladder surgery, I continued to struggle with diarrhea and tested positive for c diff in America on April 1st. I was prescribed metronidazole/flagyl (250 mg, two tablets three times daily). On April 12th I needed to switch medications because I experienced an itchy rash from the flagyl. My doctor switched me to vancomycin (125 mg, one tablet every six hours for two weeks). I felt better right after I started taking the meds and had normal bowel movements.

On June 7th I requested to be tested for c diff again because of a reoccurrence of diarrhea. The lab in America refused to test my stool because it wasn’t completely liquid. I’m sure I had c diff again at this point. On June 21st I saw a different doctor and tested positive for c diff on June 23rd. This time around I was given a vancomycin taper (125 mg, one tablet every six hours for two weeks, twice a day for one week, once a day for one week, and every two to three days for two weeks). Again, I felt better right after taking the medication and had normal bowel movements. My doctor told me after I was finished with the vancomycin to take one VSL #3 capsule each day for the next year and then to take one Align capsule and one Florastore capsule for the year after that.

On June 29th I had a colonoscopy in America before flying back to South Africa just to rule out any other problems. The doctor ruled out IBS and Crohn’s. The biopsies were normal.

On September 1st I began having c diff symptoms again. I tested positive for the third time on September 14th. This time I was treated with a quadruple dose of vancomycin (500 mg, one dose every six hours for two weeks). Unfortunately they don’t have vancomycin tablets here in South Africa and I had to go to the hospital to buy vancomycin powder, IV solution, needles, and syringes to make my own IV mixture and drink it! It wasn’t a pleasant experience in case you are wondering! The best way to take the medication was to drink the IV with a small amount of bitter orange juice. I was even given my own sharps container for home!

At the point I was finally prescribed the medication I was very, very sick. I was using the toilet 16 times per day and I had to get my husband to buy me adult diapers in order to leave the house to see the doctor. Not cool for a 38-year old, otherwise healthy, mom. If I wasn’t able to get in to see the doctor on the day I did, I would have gone to the emergency room. I was extremely weak, dehydrated, and had significant abdominal pain.

The problem with this third bout of c diff was that even with a quadruple dose of antibiotics, the medication didn’t work as well as it had in the past. While the medicine helped me reduce the frequency of daily bathroom visits down from 16 per day to six per day, I never got better like I had in the past. In fact after about a week on the quadruple dose of vancomycin, I felt like I was getting worse again. I needed to have help caring for my kids. I lost 6.8 pounds over the course of six weeks.

On October 5th I had a nasogastric fecal microbiota transplant in South Africa. My doctor said unless my life is in danger I am not ever allowed to go on antibiotics again. During the first few days after the transplant, I didn’t feel like my symptoms improved much. I was still very nauseated, had a lot of abdominal pain, and had urgent, explosive diarrhea. I contacted the doctor who did the FMT with my concerns about ongoing symptoms, but she said all I could do is to wait and be retested in a month.

A week after the procedure I began feeling hopeful that the transplant might be working. It was at this time that I developed a bladder infection. I tried to fight it off by taking cranberry capsules, kefir, vitamin C, and lots of water. Thankfully this worked and I did not have to take antibiotics. By the second week I felt more like myself again. I was still having diarrhea but not as frequently and without the extreme sense of urgency. While still weak with low stamina, I felt like I had more energy than before. Nineteen days after the procedure, I had a relatively normal bowel movement for the first time in seven and a half weeks!

This third bout with c diff hit me so hard and so suddenly that without the FMT I could have died in a matter of weeks. The illness has been very hard on my whole family. I sincerely hope that more research will be done into treatments and prevention of this horrible disease.

I am left with many questions and fears like: If I have a negative c diff test result does that mean I am “cured” or are there still dormant c diff spores ready to attack when my immune system is low or I go on antibiotics again? What do I do if I need antibiotics in the future? What if there are still c diff spores in my home that can re-infect me or infect my family? How did I get such a bad case of c diff as an otherwise healthy young mom? Why couldn’t my body fight this off?

My worst fear is that c diff can come back suddenly at any time. I need to be around for my family and I want them to know how loved they are. Since this third bout of c diff, I have been busy updating scrapbooks. I try to live each day to the fullest now and I treasure everyday moments with my family more than I did before my fight with c diff. I know I cannot take my health and life for granted anymore.

Return to “Case Histories and Updates”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests