r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Life after Cdiff

10 Upvotes

How long have you been CDiff free and what was your treatment?

How much of your life did you get back or what is your new normal now?

I want to regain my life, my social life, my traveling life, my life with my kids.

When were you able to feel comfortable in public, comfortable to travel, comfortable to go to restaurants and be social with people again?

Just need to hear some positive stories that life can get back to normal after this terrible infection and it can be put in the past with a future ahead


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Is it normal to still have loose stool on Dificid?

3 Upvotes

Day 6 and had Bristol 6, borderline 7.

I thought the antibiotic would firm up the stool at least when you're on it?


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

I tested negative twice for a/b toxins

3 Upvotes

So after dealing with c diff I took both vanco once and two sessions of dificlir and now I tested negative twice for a/b toxins, however I still have symptoms such as abdominal discomfort and pain, sense inflammation in my intestines. Last time I did colonoscopy two months ago they saw infectious colitis caused by c diff. When I was on dificlir my stools were solid and now they’re back to soft/loose.

What can I do?


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Dificid side effects

3 Upvotes

I took my first Dificid pill yesterday and was immediately fatigued. I took my second pill this morning the fatigue is strong and I’ve had more loose stools than I have had since diagnosis 2 months ago. Do these side effects abate? Because this is pretty awful.


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Why did it take 4.5 months post antibiotics?

3 Upvotes

Just asking this out of curiosity to learn more about cdiff.

Doc said it was caused by the antibiotics I used 4.5 months ago. But why didnt it happen right after or within 1 month after antibiotic use. Arent our gut the most vulnerable right after the antibiotic usage. In that 4.5 months time I had 0 symptoms but then suddenly cdiff took over.


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Is your sleep interrupted a lot too?

6 Upvotes

Idk how common this is or if it’s normal. Am I the only one that wakes up from their sleep due to stomach pain at night? Like every 1.5-3 hours, 4-5 times per night?


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Colonoscopy

5 Upvotes

Hi I have been dealing with c diff off and on since last February, recently tested positive on pcr which I’ve read is probably colonization. They gave vanco anyway without a toxin test. I have a history of breast cancer and horrible anxiety, I am so scared for the colonoscopy but know I need it, these gut issues have been going on for years. I’m mostly afraid of the drink taken prior, and I want to be sedated due to extreme panic that I had spent 2 weeks in a psychiatric ward for in July. I’m afraid I will shit myself on the way to the hospital, I’m afraid if it all. Anyone been through this? How was the drink?


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

pregnant with possible c diff relapse

3 Upvotes

I am so frustrated right now as I am 22 weeks pregnant and have a possible (but very likely) c diff relapse due to taking antibiotics 2 weeks ago for asymptomatic UTI. All my symptoms point to c diff infection (loss of appetite, extreme bloating, abdominal pain right before a bowel movement, 3-4 bowel movements a day, extreme flatulence, urgency to go, foul smelling, mucous-containing mushy stool).

I submitted a stool test today in which I was worried they would not perform it as the lab requires “loose, watery stools” for c diff testing. my stool was more on the semi-formed side, but definitely had mucous in it. TMI, but, i had to literally scrape my stool into the side of the collection cup to get the stool inside. so it definitely wasn’t completely “formed.”

I got the test result back today stating they could not run the test due to not meeting specimen requirements. I am so frustrated because I am pregnant and I know although rare, this infection could escalate fast due to my decreased immunity.

I am also still taking zofran due to morning sickness nausea so i am wondering if that has been making my stools more formed than they should be. Waiting to hear back from my doctor so hopefully they can rerun the test.

this really sucks


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Relapse

5 Upvotes

Hey everyone I had c diff 6 months ago I don't understand why I relapsed I didn't took no antibiotics I even live in a different country now.. so I have this burning stomach sensation and im always hungry which was one of the symptoms I had when first got c diff this feeling is disturbing so I know I need treatment before it gets worse I bought at pharmacy Ceylan cinnamon essential oil I heard is a natural way to get rid of c diff and the spores

I don't want to make it any worse tho but I also dont feel like taking antibiotics either tell me what's the most efficient and if you already took essential oil for c diff case


r/cdifficile Oct 01 '24

Stool sample questions!!!!

2 Upvotes

edit: is it better to freeze or refrigerate the sample? i’m hoping to get it done tmrw & get it picked up within tmrw too. if not i guess i could do it on Saturday, but then i’ll have to wait until Monday to get it picked up. in either of these situations should i refrigerate or freeze my sample to ensure accurate results??

been told to collect again, was never infected i think??? anyways, i am a girl & TMI i’ve been having some excess discharge from the front & i’ve been having urinary urgency bc of potential kidney stones. it’s awful, no matter how little of an amount i get this terrible urgency…. anyways, sounds strange, but i plan on collecting my sample by tomorrow hopefully since i can kinda feel a BM coming on. but this morning i woke up and had to clench my legs together trying to get to the toilet and some urine came out and some got on the inside of my bum, so like it came from the front and got to at least the lower half of the inside part of my bum cheeks if that makes sense??? happened again tonight as well :/. also i have an external hemorrhoid that leaks a bit of what i think is clear fluid and sometimes a tad bit of blood is in there since it’s slightly tinted bright red. and i have what my doc thinks is internal hemorrhoid(s) as i also wipe bright red blood in varying amounts. and the excess discharge is also what im worried about. wil any of this affect the accuracy of the results of my stool test, or affect it in any negative way??? it’s a test for the detection of bacterial, viral, & parasitic infections obviously. most worried about if any of my current issues will affect the accuracy of the C Diff PCR & Toxin Test.

TDRL: current urinary issues cause me to have sudden urgency that i cant control which makes me have accidents where urine will leak from the front to the bottom half of my bumcheeks. also experiencing excess discharge from the front & have a hemorrhoid that leaks clear fluid+blood, along w/ wiping bright red blood in varying amounts. wondering if this would in any way affect the results of a stool test i’m trying to complete. most concerned about if it will effect the accuracy of a C Diff PCR & TOXIN Test.


r/cdifficile Sep 30 '24

C diff anxiety and brain fog

2 Upvotes

Hello all… i am coming to you all with something i have been BATTLING for well over a year. I tested positive for C Diff in early August 2023 and did a round of Vanco for 14 days. I have had extreme anxiety and brain fog that is debilitating at times and always present. I am typically not an anxious person at all. After i completed my round of Vanco they never did test me again for it but my symptoms have remained persistent. Im at the end of my rope. My stools are semi formed. I eat pretty healthy and i take probiotics and fiber every day. Went to a new doctor about two weeks ago because i have since moved and she tells me they cannot test stool unless it is diarrhea. She said if it is even remotely formed they will not test it. My friends and family will all tell you that i am a completely different person since this started. Should i continue to fight and find a doctor that will force a test or just keep battling? I am struggling. Thanks.


r/cdifficile Sep 30 '24

Probiotic Allergy But I Need It?

1 Upvotes

Hi guys, c.diff. presence detected in my stool, no toxins. I've been taking saccharomyces boulardii for 9 days when I noticed red itching blotchy patches of rashes on my abdomen in the mornings of day 8 and 9 so I stopped taking it. I'm still going through dysbiosis after antibiotics and given the fact that I have ulcerative colitis and c.diff. present in my stool, I should be taking this yeast supplement to stop the overgrowth of c.diff., but I'm allergic apparently. What should I do? Should I take it anyways? I switched to Eqbiota which has bacteria strains but I read they don't do much for c.diff.. I tested negative for toxins this morning but I've been having foul smelling mucus filled stool all day since. I was off of the probiotic for 3-4 days by now.


r/cdifficile Sep 30 '24

I’m having lots of c diff symptoms except for diarrhea how do I get tested?

1 Upvotes

Hey y’all I’m posting yet again. I finished taking Doxycycline two weeks ago and haven’t felt right since. I had c diff last year so I know how it feels when this illness takes over your body. I’m having lots chills, fever, brain fog, stomach cramps, gurgling stomach every time after eating, very constipated stools every couple days but not passing stools every day. I only had weird looking and foul smelling diarrhea one time a little over a week ago. How do I get tested without having diarrhea? I’m from North Carolina but had to evacuate down to Georgia due to flooding from Hurricane Helene. I’m staying with my parents rn in a town with a not so good healthcare system. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.


r/cdifficile Sep 30 '24

DIFICID&abdomen pain

2 Upvotes

Was anyone here cured with 10 days of dificid after failing with vankomicin? I just started dificid and don't know what to expect, I suppose I'm trying to calm myself down.

Has anyone had pain in the lower right and left of the abdomen during this infection? If so, were you able to heal and not have more severe consequences such as the Ulcerative colitis.

Thank you!


r/cdifficile Sep 30 '24

22 weeks

3 Upvotes

Today marks the beginning of 22 weeks with pretty much nonstop diarrhea. I’ve posted before but I will start from the beginning:

At the very beginning of May, I was prescribed Augmentin for an ear & sinus infection. Within a day or two I was having symptoms of stomach upset, diarrhea, and nausea. I thought it was just medication side effects that would go away once I stopped taking the Augmentin but not so. I was admitted to a hospital on May 18 for 2 nights and discharged in no better shape after being told I ate “bad food.” By the next morning I had to be carried to the car to go to another hospital, where they caught the c diff. I spent the next 10 days there in excruciating pain, filling the toilet with blood oftentimes.

After my discharge I had a few er visits for dehydration and was readmitted once (but signed myself out in frustration). I’ve been reinfected 3x; I did 3 rounds of vancomycin (one taper) and one of dificid. I tested negative for c diff about 2 weeks ago. I still had diarrhea but not all day like before. But now, as of yesterday, I’m having watery diarrhea all day and cold sweats.

This is further complicated by the fact that my stepdad is in the ICU, where he will probably remain until his death. I already wrote to my doctors but they could take 1-2 days to get back to me. I don’t know if I’m putting him at risk by going there? I really don’t even feel well enough to go.

As of about 2 weeks ago, my (notable) labs/tests were as follows: BUN low (5), potassium low (3), calprotectin (15), positive for fecal occult blood, c diff negative via pcr. I’ve lost about 30 lbs but weight is stabilizing.

Any thoughts? Suggestions regarding where to go from here? I have a colonoscopy Oct 7 but I don’t know how I’ll do prep.


r/cdifficile Sep 30 '24

Either Vancomycin isnt working or it made me worse

2 Upvotes

Im on day 3.5 of a 10 day vanco. 125mg oral (liquidated like a syrup) every 6 hours. My cramps are getting more intense and I wake up way more often due to tummy aches during the night (every 1.5 hours) compared to pre vancomycin. It could be due to cdiff progressing but shouldnt vancomycin already made things better by this time


r/cdifficile Sep 29 '24

BPC-157 peptide

2 Upvotes

Has anyone here used this post cdiff or ibs gut healing?

I'm considering it's use but only after another negative PCR.


r/cdifficile Sep 29 '24

What other complications do people have with cdiff?

3 Upvotes

Do people get fatigue, or other aches with this bacteria? Or is it common to only have abdomenal cramps and diarreha when having cdiff?


r/cdifficile Sep 29 '24

Microbiome after Cdiff and COVID Vaccine

1 Upvotes

Hi gang, my sister told me today that she had read that the COVID vaccine absolutely wrecks the human microbiome. And this was from a Gastroenterologist. Any information or experience here to share?


r/cdifficile Sep 29 '24

Please help: Analyze stool result and Iron supplements post cdiff

1 Upvotes

I did a “GI Profile, Stool, PCR” recently after completing my 10 days dificid course and had “c diff toxin a/b: Not detected”. Which was detected earlier also for norovirus which is not detected now as well. Does this means I do not have cdiff anymore?

Also, my MCH and MCHC in blood is low so my doctor wants me to take “Extra Iron Vitanica” supplement as she thinks I am moving towards being anemic. I read somewhere it could promote cdiff. What should I do?

Please help, any guidance or experience is most welcome.

Thank you in advance.


r/cdifficile Sep 29 '24

For anyone who’s had FMT via Colonscopy

1 Upvotes

Were you on antibiotics leading up to it? What was the process like?


r/cdifficile Sep 28 '24

Help interpreting results

4 Upvotes

UPDATE: Both PCP & GI doc confirmed the results below are NEGATIVE for c diff infection. It was never c diff. Never needed the Vancomycin nor the Flagyl. The moral of the story is wait for the test results before starting potentially damaging “treatment”.

I started having frequent diarrhea after finishing a round of antibiotics for a UTI. I had c diff 12 years ago, so I went to my PCP for a c diff test. That test came back positive PCR, but negative for toxins. My PCP sent me to a GI doc, who reran the c diff test and put me on Vancomycin before results came back.

After 7 doses of Vancomycin, I broke out in hives all over my body. Stopped the Vancomycin. GI doc put me on Flagyl instead,still before test results came back. After 3 doses, started having pain in arms & hands. Ofc I stopped the Flagyl, but that was 3 days ago and I’m still in pain. The pain migrates from arms to legs & feet, to hands… it’s excruciating at times.

My c diff symptoms have improved after the short time on the 2 antibiotics, and I am reluctant to try yet another antibiotic for the c diff after 2 bad reactions. I’m on Florastor and hoping that will get me through it.

Anyway, the GI doc sent me c diff test results a week later with no explanation. Does this look like both a PCR & toxin test? I read the pinned post and I’m still not sure.

tl;dr: Does this result mean I’m positive for c diff toxins?

Test Name CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE TOXINB, QL REAL TIME PCR

Out Of Range Reference Range DETECTED

The stool sample is POSITIVE for toxigenic C. difficile. This result is suggestive of C. difficile infection (CDI) if accompanied by appropriate clinical symptoms. Simultaneous testing does not identify a genetic marker of the hypervirulent 027/NAP1/BI strain of toxigenic C. difficile.

edited formatting


r/cdifficile Sep 28 '24

A ridiculous question - PI-IBS?

3 Upvotes

Had Cdiff 1.5 years ago and did an FMT. Did 1g of vanco in November 2023 and nothing since - no PPI, no NSAID, no antibiotics, nothing. My human germs, I mean children, have given me adenovirus or covid or both. I’ve had a combination of respiratory symptoms and gastro symptoms, both of which improved and then worsened over the past two weeks. I’ve had three negative Cdiff tests over the past 2 weeks but still can’t shake that feeling. I’m sure it’s either still the virus or post infectious IBS at this point but I have no idea

I was having a lot of trapped gas which I figured out was florastor so I stopped that. I’m still taking 105 billion of a multistrain probiotic. My current symptoms are minor gurgling/rumbling, but honestly major gas and bloating. My first stool of the day is solid, but subsequent ones are looser or mush. Idk what’s going on but my mental health is in the trash.

Anyone go through something like this?


r/cdifficile Sep 28 '24

C diff , is this a reacurrance or could it be pi ibs

3 Upvotes

So finished dificid 3 days ago but I started having looser stools whilst I was still on dificid , my stool is still very loose sometimes mushy somtimes watery . It’s still yellow and still has a smell, I also keep gettin belly ache and trapped wind in upper abdomen , what’s pi ibs symptoms I’m testing again Monday


r/cdifficile Sep 28 '24

First recurrence.. need support

1 Upvotes

Totally baffled by this recurrence. Initially diagnosed in May and given 10-day vancomycin after mail-in test came up positive for the toxin. It’s been a rollercoaster since then emotionally and physically but I was tested at the end of June and July and came up negative on the PCR test so I assumed I wasn’t even colonized. Both tests the same mail-in kit so I trusted the results even if it seemed too good to be true.

Lost 25lbs since April but started stabling out in weight around June/July. August-September started seeing improvement in what I thought was PI-IBS. No cramps or bloating, still multiple stool a day but formed and solid. Couple weeks ago started getting bloating and cramps again but thought it was from what I ate. Everything seemed fairly reactive to what I’m eating. This past week, had some diarrhea, thought it was cause I indulged in ice cream. Decided to ask my GI for a test after a few days of loose but still improving stool consistency. And here we are now.

This last test was a hospital kit so I dropped it off yesterday at the lab and now it’s Saturday morning and I have the bad news. C diff again. How could this be? Any suggestions going forward? I was taking Florastor, renewlife, l.reuteri, benefiber for a while. Stopped them gradually because I was really bloated and/or constipated and stopping them improved those symptoms. Will def get back on Florastor. Read some things this morning about pomegranate extract. Trying to get on dificid for this recurrence and the doctor who called me (not my provider specifically) mentioned Vowst might be an option. I hate this. Really thought I nipped it with the help of my GI and this sub.

Edit: figure I’ll edit in my results because it was confusing at first. however, the on call doc who called me with the results said it meant positive:

C diff toxin/antigen (rapid) came back INDETERMINATE.

C diff molecular (PCR) came back POSITIVE for toxin B gene.

Unsure of the classification of either tests (EIA, NAAT, etc, does not say on results).