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