MaryT's Case

[Guest]

I thought I would add my case history because it seems to be unique. <BR> <BR>I actually have not taken an antibiotic in years. Avoid them like the plague because I've had so many problems with them in the past. I got c-diff while on vacation in the Dominican Republic in April. I don't know how I became exposed but I did. I landed home in Boston on 4/28 at 2 pm....at 6 pm...I was sick as a dog. At first the doctors that it was a parasite. I have traveled to DR before and many times to Mexico and NEVER gotten sick...I'm very careful, I even rinse my toothbrush with bottled water and NEVER eat or drink anything off the resorts. <BR> <BR>I began with multiple cultures (they lost the first one; didn't test for c-diff on the second one), ended up diagnosed via sigmoidoscopy and began flagyl right away. I did multiple treatments (can't even remember them all at this point) but I started to get numbness in my hands and feet so they took me off it. I am lactose intolerant and flagyl has lactose in it, so I thought maybe I was still getting sick from that. <BR> <BR>I stopped all meds in mid-July and just did 1 culturelle per day. End of August I got sick again....not really bad diarhea or anything...but lots of cramping and loose BMs. So I started on vancomycin and tomorrow is my last day of 4x 250mg for 21 days. Vanco didn't make me feel as rotten as flagyl. But up until about 3 days ago...I felt the crampy stomach an loose BMs were worse even on vanco. Someone suggested I increase the culturelle and get florastor (which I'm working on). The increase culturelle seems to have helped. I haven't had a cramp in 3 days. Although I am gassy and had some soft BMs today. This is so disgusting....I'm glad I don't have to face anyone when writing about this! <BR> <BR>Tomorrow it's off the vanco...and we'll see. I don't think people should be reluctant to go to Dominican Republic...I think it was just my bad luck. I will say that my MD had called me the beginning of July because he had another patient who he diagnosed with c-diff and she had just gotten back from Dominican...but I think it was just coincidence. I don't even know if we stayed in the same part of the country. <BR> <BR>Another friend just informed me the other day that she knows someone who got the c-diff in a nursing home. Who knew this was even out there!! <BR> <BR>I wanted to post so that people would realize you don't just get this from antibiotics. <BR> <BR>MaryT <BR><BR>[Guest Posted by: 'MaryT']