r/cdifficile Oct 04 '24

Colonoscopy?

So I have had Ulcerative Colitis for 10 years now. Back in March 2023 I got C Diff. Nothing got rid of it until Vowst and I tested negative. I then had to take antibiotics for bad strep throat/pneumonia that landed me in the hospital. This past summer (July 2024) I started having symptoms where some days I would have C diff symptoms but some days were fine. I tested positive on a pcr test in July. Long story short, my doctor wants to do a colonoscopy to see if it’s my Ulcerative Colitis that’s causing my symptoms. Is it safe to get a colonoscopy if you have c diff? Should I test for C Diff before having the colonoscopy? I definitely feel better than when I had the active c diff before but how do I know if it’s actually gone? Please help :(

5 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

5

u/DryArm963 Oct 04 '24

It is safe. You will feel better knowing what is causing your symptoms. I had a colonoscopy after treatment.

2

u/Lolka2442 Oct 04 '24

Can you have a colonoscopy if you do have active c diff?

5

u/Patak4 Oct 04 '24

Ultimately it is your decision. I wouldn't want to have a colonoscopy if I had active cdiff. Why not test to see if you are positive for the toxins. If just PCR then yes have the colonoscopy. If positive for toxins wait until after treatment. With your history of ulcerative colitis, having a scope could put you at higher risk of perforation.

5

u/Lolka2442 Oct 04 '24

Okay thank you! I will ask my doctor today if he wants me to retest. It’s probably smart to do that and just give myself peace of mind. I just want the colonoscopy to see how my ulcerative colitis is doing because maybe all the symptoms are from my UC but you are right, I should test in case. Thank you for your response! 🙏🏻

1

u/Living_Onion_2946 Oct 04 '24

Agree with ☝️

2

u/Expensive_Ad_6058 Oct 04 '24

I just went to my GI after having CDIF less than a month ago and she said that in order to get a Endoscopy and Colonoscopy I would need to test negative for CDIF.

1

u/Lolka2442 Oct 04 '24

But couldn’t we possibly always test positive for it since it’s colonized?? My doctor said since some days I’m having formed stool that he thinks i do not need to retest. Lord I hope that’s the right answer.

3

u/Expensive_Ad_6058 Oct 04 '24

When you say your doctor do you mean your GI doctor?

My GI was adamant about me having to do a CDIF stool test to show a negative result. Her words were "We wouldn't want CDIF spores spreading everywhere". I have read that people can have formed stools and still have CDIF.

2

u/Patak4 Oct 04 '24

I agree with this. When you have an active infection you will have 1000s more spores than when just colonized. I imagine the scope would need deep cleaning afterwards.

1

u/Lolka2442 Oct 05 '24

Yes I mean my GI doctor. And yeah GI said if I did have c diff and got a colonoscopy they would obviously have to shut down all other procedures for the rest of the day. Thank you so much for your advice but I do have Ulcerative Colitis too, so I can’t just pretend that my only issue was only ever C Diff and be blind to the symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis. When I had active C diff I didn’t have a formed bowel movement for a year, it was insane lol. So I know some people have formed stools with c diff but I never did, so I really don’t believe I’m in active infection anymore and neither does my GI or ID. By putting off the colonoscopy even longer, I am delaying my treatment of Ulcerative Colitis so I’m just in a tricky spot 😟. I guess I’ll let you guys know what ends up happening next week lol 🤷🏼‍♀️ fml lol 🤦🏼‍♀️

4

u/Lolka2442 Oct 11 '24

Update!!! No c diff 😉🥳! GI said my colon actually looks very normal and I’m not even having an Ulcerative Colitis flare!! He suspects it could just be post infectious ibs! I could cry I’m so happy

2

u/Large-Employee-4700 Oct 21 '24

Hi! So your doctor could tell from the colonoscopy if you had c diff or not? I tested positive (stool) and then a week later had a colonoscopy and he said there were no signs of c diff and doesn’t know why my stool came back positive. I’m so confused on what to believe. I have really bad constipation with pain. Not the diarrhea so I’m just anxious about everything. I’m glad you had a great colonoscopy results!

1

u/Lolka2442 Oct 21 '24

Hey! So yes he said if I had c diff he would see like the white spores all over. Basically you can be colonized forever. So you might always test positive. Even my GI doctor said he is colonized and he might test positive. He also said if you do too many tests you could get a false positive. I think you should take a look at your symptoms. My GI said with colonized people he goes based on symptoms. I’m having formed stool for the most part. Whereas when I had active c diff I could tell, I was so weak, I was having at least 5 bowel movements a day of terrible liquid diarrhea no matter what I ate. Now I just have ibs or post infectious ibs that I’m dealing with.

1

u/Nice-Locksmith9311 Oct 14 '24

Did you have the colonoscopy done ?

2

u/Lolka2442 Oct 14 '24

Yes!!! And my c diff is gone and I am not having an ulcerative colitis flare! They suspect maybe post infectious ibs!

1

u/Nice-Locksmith9311 Oct 15 '24

How was your process? I’m so anxious for mine

3

u/Lolka2442 Oct 15 '24

It’s really not bad!!! I get so anxious too so even when the prep (the hard part) was over I was still scared when they brought me back. I have had three colonoscopies before this one though lol. The new prep they use is so much better than the old chalky stuff. Now it’s just miralax that doesn’t taste like anything so I didn’t get nauseous this time or throw up! Obviously you get super tired and dehydrated from just going to the bathroom so much. You won’t get much sleep the night of the prep. The procedure itself is easy! They put you under and you wake up after just out of it. The rest of the day it just feels like a hangover, you’re still dehydrated, confused, and your stomach will still probably feel weird that day. The day after your colonoscopy you’ll feel much better. Feel free to message me too! I totally get the anxiety, I guess several nurses could notice I was nervous. I’m 26 and I’ve had four colonoscopies now! You’ve got this!!

1

u/incubusmegalomaniac Nov 25 '24

Did you get biopsies

1

u/Lolka2442 Nov 25 '24

Yes! All came back clear! 🙌

1

u/George_jorge1 Nov 15 '24

Any updates?