C Diff

C difficile is a common result of taking antibiotics. A much less dangerous way to handle it is to take a probiotic supplement. It is controlled by probiotics as well as by antibiotics and you get several other benefits from probiotics such as reduced inflammation. Since you have had another course of antibiotics, you really should try a probiotic supplement to repopulate your gut with bacteria other than the antibiotic-resistant varieties.

Like Keeper, I'm a firm believer in probiotics. In the States, physicians routinely prescribe multiple rounds of antibiotics that wipe out the bad bacteria but ALSO the good bacteria -- what really gets me is not that antibiotics are prescribed, but that these physicians don't even mention taking yogurt or supplements like acidophilus while you are on an antibiotic. 

When both good and bad bacteria are wiped out, then it is likely that bad bacteria will take hold. C Diff can run amok, if there's not enough good bacteria left to replenish your gut. So the best way to prevent C Diff is to take yogurt (with live cultures) and supplements like acidophilus while you are on an antibiotic. The best way to cure C Diff is to take yogurt and/or probiotic supplements while on Flagyl or another med. 

My daughter has homemade yogurt every day - we consider it medicine.

My husband had a pretty bad experience with c-diff and a crohn's flare happening simultaneously. When you have both going on, it's really hard to treat, because they have divergent treatments. To fight the c-diff to help the antibiotics, you need a good immune system, while the meds for crohn's suppress your immune system. For my husband it was a long, hard road back to recovery and good health.

My husband was hospitalized for nearly 6 weeks because of this - we didn't even know he had crohn's at the point that he was admitted, so his diagnosis and treatment took longer. For his crohn's he was treated with high doses of solumedrol and Remicade, while for the c-diff he was treated with both flagyl and vancomycin. In addition to flagyl and vancomycin, he also took copious amounts of florastor (yeast) and VSl#3 (probiotics) - once he started to be able to eat something, and not have it cause a lot of pain.

While he was on prednisone and remicade (even 10 mgs of prednisone), anytime we tried to stop the vancomycin, the c-diff recurred. He was only able to stop the vancomycin after the prednisone was completely stopped. He's now been c-diff free for 3 months without vancomycin (knock on wood, cross fingers, toes. . .).

For my husband the tactic that the doctors took was this:
1.) Control the crohn's flare with high doses of iv solumedrol, and remicade (induction), take both flagyl and vancomycin to keep the c-diff in check
2.) Once the crohn's flare is under control, taper the prednisone, discontinue flagyl, but continue with vancomycin & probiotics
3.) After complete withdrawal of steroids, stop the vancomycin. If c-diff recurred, start the vancomycin again, and use a tapered approach to stop the vancomycin next time.

I hope our experience helps you some. Please be very very watchful, and if in doubt get a stool sample test right away, even if that means going to the emergency room to get one. C-diff can do a number on your gut, and can also make your crohn's worse (IMO), because your immune system is active and trying to fight it off. Also, drink plenty of fluids, and keep your sugar intake down as much as possible so you can starve out to beasties.

(((Hugs))). I know how hard this can be - hang in there, if my husband's experience is anything to go by, it does get better.

PV

another way to get some good bacteria in your system is to eat some soggy organic rice....wild, brown and or white.  Standard white rice mix is 1 3/4 cups wate r to 1 cup rice....instead use 2 1/2 cups of water but cook it the same amout of time....be sure to consume the water.  I am no doctor...and don't pretend to know the exact reason it works so well but I do know that  nurse back at my college suggested it one time when I had a long bout with the flu and major D.   She said it would be easy to digest and would help good bacteria flourish....this was back in 1976 and it still works today.

yes..Tysabri...in certain cases...mostly the MS patients...caused an infection of the brain...something to do with the JC virus that resides in something like 90% of the people alive (or so i have been told..) I was in the trials had been for a while then they opened it up for MS folks and fast tracked the drug for them because it worked so well. I was doing great also...I hesitate to call it a remission because atthe end of the 4 week cycle as it wore off I would get sick again...but it was a life saver for me. I was losing weight so fast prior to the drug that they almost hospitalized me...lost an average of 5 lbs a week...one week over 15 lbs and went from 270 to 170 in about 5 months....the tysabri (didn't have a name when I took it) saved me.

Once a few folks got sick and died they canceled the test and I was on my own....I had gone back up close to 270 in the 2 years I was on it and in 6 months I was back to 175. they scanned me and my brain every way possible...I drew the line at a spinal tap since no symptoms of the infection were present in the other tests....Bio-gen, the drug company called me and asked me a gazillion questions but the one that was most telling was when they asked me how bad did I want the drug....if the death rate was 1 in 500 would I still take it? at that point I said yes....now more deaths and no doctor I know will prescribe it so I am a bit leery...

as for the rice...all i can say is it worked for me...and I also ate yogurt at the same time. The rice is also a great food item when the stomach is upset...my favorite dish is Congee (rice porridge) It tastes great, goes down easy and comes out just as smoothly...