I thought I had food poisioning, turns out I have this. Dr. is going to call in a script. I'm off all abx and have been for a while.
I've continued taking acidophilus, s boulardi and some key things. My question is, how do restore my gut now that I've been diagnosed with this?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
OH boy.... I'm sorry to hear this!!! I have no clue what to tell you. You might try doing searches.
Wildcondor has been through this. Maybe you could contact her.
C. Dif, oh dear! I had that miserable problem last year. The D.O. I saw in urgent care had a homeopathic bent. I still had to have the antibiotic but she also said the following would help.
For a probiotic she recommended Bio K+ and said to get the gluten and dairy free version. I got it from Whole Foods and used it for 30 days with good success.
Bio K+ is refrigerated with the other probiotics. It was pricey but the cost was well worth the improvement. Google for more information--there are clinical trials regarding C. Dif.
She also recommended I use vinegar/water sitz bath for the raw feeling following all that diarrhea. And use wet toilet paper, not dry.
I hope you are feeling better soon. Grannie
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
My LLMD has me on flagyl 750mg once a week.
Not as a cyst buster, but to prevent C. Diff.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by heiwalove (Member # 6467) on :
ugh, i'm really sorry. i had this and i wasn't even on abx at the time! guess i'm just lucky.
what finally kicked it (knock on wood) was three short courses of vancomycin (the last one i tapered; in fact i still have two pills left), lots of probiotics (i used VSL#3, p. reuteri, and florastor), and finally, hefty doses of oregano oil and freeze-dried garlic (which i'm still on, and which work against lyme and co as well).
good luck. c diff is awful. Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
Use Flagl, and combine with VSL#3
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
oh ugh, remember when i had this. i thought literally i was going to die, the burning diahhrea was so bad.
my doc recommended "beaudroux butt paste". it's in the baby section. works great...
i had to take two different course of flagyl and it was 500 mg once a day.
i never want that again. i could barely eat.....
Posted by snowboarder (Member # 6346) on :
[ 04. October 2008, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: snowboarder ]
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
Hopefully, one round of vancomycin or flagyl will kick the C. difficile for you.
I had it for 11 (long) months.
Take the S. boulardii and other probiotics as you are doing, and whatever antibiotics your doctor recommends for the C. diff. Hope for the best.
What eventually kicked it in me was 2 weeks of vanco followed by 2 weeks of rifaximin. This protocol is called the "Rifaximin chaser."
Best wishes, Timaca
Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
The VSL #3 is probably best purchased as a capsule if financial issues are a concern, then you can use just one capsule a day instead of two and a bottle will last about two months. I don't know of anyone that sells it at a discount, and I looked hard for it.
That's still 112 Billion per day, which is far more than the usual brands.
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
Why does Flagyl clear this up?
I hear that it can cause it in some cases.
Is C Diff viral, bacterial, fungi or something different. Is it protezoa?
Posted by paulieinct (Member # 17514) on :
I got C-dif years ago from taking Clindomycin (sp?). I was prescribed Flagyl and it worked. Apparently, it is the best antibiotic for C-dif. -Paul
Posted by paulieinct (Member # 17514) on :
C-difficile is a bacteria. -Paul
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by lymeHerx001: Why does Flagyl clear this up?
Flagyl is used first, then vancomycin.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
. . . a species of bacteria of the genus Clostridium which are Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming rods (bacillus).[1] C. difficile is the most significant cause of pseudomembranous colitis.[2]
Individual drumstick shaped C. diff bacilli seen through electronmicroscopy. It is a severe infection of the colon, often happening after normal gut flora is eradicated by use of antibiotics.
The C. difficile bacteria, which naturally reside in the body, become overgrown. A C. difficile overgrowth is harmful because the bacterium releases toxins that cause:
* Bloating and constipation
* Diarrhea with abdominal pain
* Severe diarrhea with mucus and blood present in faeces and characterized by body aches and severe abdominal pain caused from ulcerated intestines.
The latent symptoms often mimic some flu-like symptoms. Treatment is performed by stopping current treatment and commencing specific anticlostridial antibiotics, e.g. metronidazole or vancomycin.
. . .
Bacteriology
Clostridia are motile bacteria that are ubiquitous in nature and are especially prevalent in soil. Under the microscope after Gram staining, they appear as long drumsticks with a bulge located at their terminal ends.
Clostridium difficile cells are Gram positive and show optimum growth on blood agar at human body temperatures in the absence of oxygen. When stressed, the bacteria produce spores which tolerate extreme conditions that the active bacteria cannot tolerate.
. . .
. . . It can be cultured from almost any surface in the hospital. Once spores are ingested, they pass through the stomach unscathed because of their acid-resistance. They change to their active form in the colon and multiply.
It has been observed that several disinfectants commonly used in hospitals may fail to kill the bacteria, and may actually promote spore formation. However, disinfectants containing bleach are effective in killing the organisms[4].
Pseudomembranous colitis caused by C. difficile is treated with specific antibiotics, for example, vancomycin, metronidazole, bacitracin or fusidic acid.
. . .
Toxins
Pathogenic C. difficile strains produce various toxins. The most well-characterized are enterotoxin (toxin A) and cytotoxin (toxin B).[1]
These two toxins are both responsible for the diarrhea and inflammation seen in infected patients, although their relative contributions have been debated by researchers.
Another toxin, binary toxin, has also been described, but its role in disease is not yet fully understood.[5]
. . .
PHOTOS and full article at link above.
-
Posted by Cadames62008 (Member # 16275) on :
im so sorry i remember when I had it it as HORRIBLE. I got it from clindamyacin (sp)
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
So its a very specific bacteria that metronidazole kills.
Im just wondering because I have been taking flagyl for years.
In fact I take Flagyl every morning with my coffee and it clears my bowels.
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