What length of time are you "safe" from a relapse??

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Ygy
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Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2017 8:25 pm

What length of time are you "safe" from a relapse??

Postby Ygy » Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:26 pm

Hi!

31 yo female and I'm 14 weeks pregnant.

I developed cdiff after taking Macrobid (it's supposed to be a low offender for cdiff!) for a UTI. 2 weeks later I had about 5 days where I had D about 2-3 times a day but then I had normal stools. Over the next few weeks I Had very atypical symptoms almost mimicking IBS. I would have days of loose stools and days with formed stool with a slight nausea. So it took about 5 weeks till a diagnosis bc the cdiff was not relentless and the symptoms were confusing.

Took Vanco for 14 days and felt great and stools returned to normal and thought I kicked it the first time. However 10 days later I had 4-5 BMs and 2 were D . The next few days my stools were more frequent and very soft but never WD. I got retested on day 14 and test came back positive!

ID doc suggested a 6 week Vanco taper. After 4 weeks my stools hadn't returned to normal or firmed up. Still soft. I called my ID doc and she agreed to let me try dificid for 10 days.

Day 2 of the dificid my stools returned to normal. Now I'm 14 days post dificid and I've been good (although had a scare with 1 small D after eating slot of BBQ chips. I have since had 2 days of normal stools)

MY QUESTION IS:

When am I technically "safe" from relapse?? 1 month? 3 months? 6 months?

I know it's different for everyone but I need a milestone of general safety to look forward to! I'm am so terrified of a relapse since it has happened before.

Any resources? I've tried looking online and searching this site, I must be missing it

Thanks!

roy
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Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2014 1:05 am

Re: What length of time are you "safe" from a relapse??

Postby roy » Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:44 pm

An experianced Dr would tell you not to test unless you had classic c.diff D.
If you test just to check if it's gone and if the Dr calls a positive test without typical symptoms a relapse then you might never get a good result.

Ygy
Regular User
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2017 8:25 pm

Re: What length of time are you "safe" from a relapse??

Postby Ygy » Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:50 pm

Hi Roy!

Thanks for your response! I'm not planning to retest unless I have symptoms again. And so far no symptoms

But is there a time span where you are generally "safe" from relapse? I've heard 1 month to 3 months

MKW
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Posts: 392
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:49 am

Re: What length of time are you "safe" from a relapse??

Postby MKW » Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:14 pm

Hi, in all the posts I’ve seen in my time on this board (about a year and a half) I would say 8 weeks you are likely ok. But medical articles will state 10 to 12 weeks. I relapsed twice around the month mark, so one month does not mean you are in the clear. My FMT doc considers cure after FMT at 8 weeks. I have seen studies that 50% of c Diff cases after 8 weeks are actually a new infection. So, up to three months be diligent with your probiotics, prebiotic foods, and no GI irritants like alcohol, and keep a low sugar diet also. Best of luck to you! And just try to not stress too much. It’s good to hope for the best but prepare for the worst with this.

Michelle7198
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Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 11:53 am

Re: What length of time are you "safe" from a relapse??

Postby Michelle7198 » Tue Dec 05, 2017 12:35 pm

I generally don't post very often but I will to this. I finished my treatment for cdiff and about a week later felt icky and had 3 episodes of d. I tested positive but I just didn't feel like I was horribly sick. I wasn't running a fever. I was kinda eating and getting my barrings back from the initial infection. The doctor gave me vanco, but after a lot of research and a couple of roys post I decided to not take the vanco. Cdiff wasn't like a typical cold where I woke up after treatment and felt great and back to normal. There was a healing period. I was confusing my healing with relapse. Cdiff was in my system way before it was taking control. So the positive shouldn't surprise me. Just as babies are born with it. This was 3yrs ago. Well it will be Dec 23rd. Also usually cdiff isn't treated unless it's severe. And vanco changes your bowel habits. It's listed under side effects. It takes a while for antibiotics to clear your system. This is jmo. I'm no doctor ;)


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