Posted 6/28/2010 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad they tested you for c-diff and are treating it. My husband was hospitalized in 2008 with a c-diff infection, and also diagnosed with crohn's at the same time. He was in pretty bad shape, and it took Remicade + steroids and high doses of vancomycin + flagyl to get him home. It's a bit of catch-22 if your crohn's is flaring and you have c-diff - to treat crohn's you need to suppress the immune system, to fight c-diff in conjunction with antibiotics, you need a strong immune system.
My husband got c-diff without having been on any antibiotics, or in a nursing home or hospital. . . he just got it. They say that people with Crohn's (any IBD really) are more susceptible to getting c-diff, because part of the problem with Crohnies (one theory) is the imbalance of gut flora. So, it could be that because of your Crohn's, it allowed c-diff to take root. C-diff spores can live on surfaces for 6 months or more. So, it is quite prevalent - it's just the gut flora keep c-diff in check. If your gut flora is not keeping c-diff in check, you end up with a c-diff infection.
Be sure to augment the flagyl with probiotics (2 hours before or after taking flagyl). Also, relapse rates are quite high for c-diff - 20-25% of folks with a c-diff infection have a relapse in the first 3 months after infection, because c-diff formes spores that can pretty much live indefinitely in the gut. Be diligent about the probiotics. Also, saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast that has shown efficacy against c-diff. My husband takes them in hopes of preventing another infection with c-diff.
Another thing that can happen after c-diff is what is called post-infectious IBS. So, be careful with your diet for a while after c-diff. Also, when recovering from c-diff, it can be difficult to tell whether you are dealing with IBS or with c-diff. A rule of thumb is if it goes on for 3-days straight, you are probably having a c-diff relapse. If things stabilize within 3 days, then, you're likely dealing with IBS. However, to be on the safe side, get your stool tested if you suspect it is c-diff.
My husband was diagnosed with a c-diff infection in March 2008, and again, while on vancomycin in the hospital had a positive c-diff test because his immune system wasn't functioning well enough to fight c-diff. But with the addition of flagyl he prevailed, and he had to stay on antibiotics for c-diff until he completely came off the prednisone in December. He was c-diff free for 9 months, but tested positive for c-diff again in Sep 2009. After a course of antibiotics, he's been c-diff free again since Oct 2009.
So, c-diff can be hard to fight, especially for folks with IBD, and it can be recurring problem. However, it can be beaten back, and medication does keep it in check. While there are some strains of c-diff that are resistant to flagyl, there are no strains of c-diff that are documented to be resistant to vancomycin. Also, they are working on a more narrow spectrum antibiotic to target c-diff called fidaxomycin which should be released sometime this year. So, while it is not something that is easy to deal with, it can be conquered, and there's more help on the way.
hang in there, and I hope you feel better soon.
PV