ShannonS Case History

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ShannonS
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Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 7:45 pm

ShannonS Case History

Postby ShannonS » Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:54 am

My battle with C Diff began last year. In September 2018, I developed extreme nausea and couldn’t hold anything down. My husband took me to the ER, and I ended up having to have my gallbladder taken out in a emergency surgery. They said I had stones and one of my walls started thickening. They said I would feel fine after. No more nausea and vomiting. Well I wasn’t fine. The nausea and vomiting was so bad, I thought I would die. I stayed 2 extra days in the hospital because my heart rate stayed up. I lost 25 pounds in 3 months. My husband was scared he was gonna lose me. I couldn’t work, I was a mess.

I was in and out of the ER so much in October and beginning of November, and the doctors couldn’t tell me what was wrong. They ran all kinds of tests: Bloodwork, Ultrasounds, CT Scans. Everything was normal. They finally referred me to a GI. She ran different blood tests, and had me give a stool sample, looking for anything that was wrong. 2 days later, I get a call at almost 9pm. It was my GI saying she had my test results back and I have c Diff and she wanted me to start on a antibiotic right away. She wanted to prescribe Vancomycin, but knew I didn’t have insurance and couldn’t afford it so she prescribed Flagyl 500mg 3x a day for 14 days. I got to day 4, and couldn’t handle it anymore. The side effects were crazy. I thought I was being poisoned. Extreme nausea, racing heart, vomiting, metallic taste in my mouth. I couldn’t eat or drink. I got dehydrated, and after I almost passed out, my husband took me to the ER.

I was hospitalized for 2 days. They switched me to the Vanco capsules and the hospital was able to get the medicine for free since I couldn’t afford it. I took 125mg 4x a day for 14 days. It was rough at first, but on day 4 I started to feel better, normal just about. I could eat anything.

The day after I took my last Vanco pill in the beginning of December, December 3rd to be exact, the nausea and loss of appetite came back, but the GI said it was PI IBS. I alternated between soft stool, and constipation. I had a endoscopy, and a MRI. Eventually it settled down at the end of December. I even went back to work.

I was good until the beginning of February, February 1st, 2019 to be exact. All my symptoms started coming back. I thought at first it was a stomach bug, but when it passed a week and I wasn’t getting better, I actually started feeling worse, I ended up back in the ER. The ER doctor said he thought it was a severe stomach bug. My husband asked if the c Diff could be back and the ER doctor was quick to say no, that my WBC wasn’t high. Well my husband had called my GI before we went to the ER, and the next morning she called and wanted me to give another sample but make it ASAP which I did, (which eventually came back positive) She then put me on a Vanco Liquid taper at 250mg, 2.5ml 4x a day for 14 days, then 2x a day for a week, then 1x a day for 7 days, then 1x every 3rd day.

I felt rough the whole taper. I was nauseous, and had loss of appetite and had insomnia. I was on a PPI, and stopped it after finding out it can cause c Diff. It wasn’t working anyway. The diarrhea went away though. I got down to every 3rd day on the taper, and the diarrhea started coming back, and I started seeing Mucus in my stools, so my GI put me back at 1x a day on the Vanco, and had me fill out the application for the Dificid assistance program which I was approved and it was shipped out, and I started taking the medicine yesterday. 200mg 2x a day for 10 days.

So far I feel rough on the Dificid. Still have diarrhea, yellow when I wipe, I feel nauseous and dizzy, loss of appetite, mucus in my stools.

Also since the gallbladder surgery, my heart rate stays above 100. I haven’t been back at work. Hopefully that will change.

Another hard thing of this infection is the mental health part. I know I am depressed from this. I’ve been dealing with this since September. I just want to be normal again, to enjoy life again because I don’t. I mostly stay in bed watching tv. I feel like this is chronic, that I will never get rid of this. I was put on a anti anxiety med, Mirtazapine 15mg, that my GI was using to try to settle my stomach muscles, It stopped working. Now I’m not on a antidepressant because I can’t afford to go to the doctor. I wish I could. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

I’ll update again soon.

ShannonS
New User
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 7:45 pm

Re: ShannonS Case History

Postby ShannonS » Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:10 pm

It’s me again with a new update. I finished the Dificid about 2 weeks ago. So far, no D. But I still have the nausea and loss of appetite, and now stomachaches after I eat. I lost 8 pounds in a month so far. My GI has now moved on to thinking it’s something else. She mentioned Gastroparesis which means partial paralysis of the stomach. Basically the stomach digests food really slow. She ordered a Gastric Emptying test so I should be doing that soon. I pray it’s not Gastroparesis, but if it is, it will be a relief to have a diagnosis. Gastroparesis is a chronic illness with no cure. A lot of people that has it ends up with a feeding tube because they either stop eating or can barely eat because of nausea and pain. Still haven’t been back to work because of the nausea and I feel shaky because I can hardly eat. I might lose my job soon. My boss is leaving for a better paying job. New boss is not very understanding. I haven’t worked in almost 2 months.
Oh, I’m trying to get medical assistance again so hopefully I will hear back soon from that.
I’ll update again soon.


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