Puremess' Case History

[puremess]

I am a 27 year old otherwise healthy woman. This nightmare started after I delivered my first baby back in November 2005. Ever since I gave birth I had all the symptoms of UTI. I couldn't go to the doctor right away so I waited four weeks to see him. Of couce, as I suspected I had UTI and was put on Amaxicillin because it's considred to be a safe drug for breastfeeding. I took Amaxicillin before so I didn't even think twice about taking it.
Eight days into taking it I started releasing mucus without stool. I called my doctor and was told to take Flagyl for seven days and it should clear up everything. After I finished flagyl I still had cramps and urgency but no diarhea. I gave a stool speciment which came back negative. The doctor put me back on flagyl for 10 days and requested to do a colonoscopy. After seven days on flagyl I had a colonoscopy done which showed no evidence of c-diff. I was told to stop the flagyl. Five days after stopping it I woke up with a high fever. Took tylenol the fever didn't go down. I went to the ER they did a blood work my white cell count was 19 so they admitted me. They ran a CT which showed inflamation of the bowel. As soon as I was admitted the diarhea hit me. I was running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. I had the worst cramps ever. They took a stool speciment and it came back positive for c-diff. They started me on vanco 250 x 4 a day. I was discharged with prescription for 18 days. Forteen days after stopping I saw a mucus again and more trips to the bathroom. Gave a stool speciment and it came back positive. Was put back on vanco 250 x 4 days for two weeks followed by Questran. Two weeks into Questram symptoms returned.That's when I saw ID doctor at John's Hopkins. I was put back on vanco 250 x 4 a day for 18 days then 250 x 2 a day for two weeks then 250 x 1 every other day for nine weeks. While on 250 x 1 every other day I had occasional mucus without stool, grouling in the colon and the stomach. Eight days after finishing vanco I woke up bloated, gassy, mucus, diarhea, ane etc... I've decided to wait for a few days to see what happens. Next day I developed a high fever and mucusy stool and that worst c-diff smell. Called the doctor was put back on vanco 250 x 4 a day for ten days then 250 x 2 a day for two weeks and currently taking one a day for six weeks now. I still feel gassy, solid stools but often I see mucus. Taking proboitics (Cullturell, floraq) but I don't think they are helping much. So this is where I am today 09/27/2006. It's very tough having an infant at home and going through this mess.

[puremess]

just a quick update. About 4 weeks ago started taking one pill of vanco every other day. Still gassy, crampy at times not severe cramps though. Started taking florastor 500 mg a day. I have 2.5 more month to go on this treatment.

[puremess]

I guess I have to update a bit. Did a five and a half month of pulsing vanco followed by 10 days of 400 mg of Xifaxin. Along with all these meds took 4 florastors, 2 culturells a day. Have been off vanco for 106 days and off xifaxin for 96 days. I am down to 2 florastors and 2 culturelle a day. About once a month I still have diarhhea. For some reason I still test positive. I am still not 100% yet as sometimes I have stomach cramps, lots of stomach and colon noises I guess due to gass. The main concern is sometimes I see traces of mucus in stool and on toilet paper. So maybe I still have it on a lower level????? So after 14 moths of nonstop medication and 6 relapses I am now meds free. Don't know if I should write in success section since I still test positive? I guess I will wait and see. Thank you so much for this support group. Without it I would probably gone mad.