c-diff treatment

In the process of being tested for c-diff following use of a Zpak that resulted in flare like symptoms. I should hear from the Dr tomorrow. For those of you that have had it, what treatment did you have and what type of success with it? I've read awful horror stories online about c-diff not being treated effectively which then resulted in patients having to have their colon removed. Any help/advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Don't freak out! My intention is not to scare anyone, including myself. Just been doing a log of reading and want as much info as possible. I'm sure the colon removal is not the go-to initial treatment!

You'll need a stool test to confirm cdiff. There are 3 main antibitotics to combat cdiff - flagyl, vancomycin and fidaxomycin. Flagyl is the one used most often. Vancomycin is a very powerful antibiotic and should be used more sparingly. Fidaxomycin is a new antibiotic, formulated to target cdiff.

My husband was on vancomycin for a year, because the cdiff infection kept coming back. But that was because he was also on steroids at the same time. Once he was off the steroids, he could get off the vancomycin without a recurrence. If he were to get cdiff again, I'd ask his GI to give him fidaxomycin.

One thing that helped him tremendously is florastor. It is a yeast that is known to fight cdiff. He takes 4 250 mg caps daily even one to keep cdiff at bay, since it was so problematic for him.

Even if you have cdiff, you will eventually conquer it. Hang in there! Colon removal for cdiff is not at all a common occurrence. Most people get over it and move on. It's not pleasant for sure, but it is very rarely bad enough to warrant colon removal. My husband was in the hospital with cdiff and crohns for over 6 weeks, and he still came back home with his colon intact.

You must have several (3) negative stool tests before you rule out C-diff. While a positive test is a never a false positive, a negative can be a false negative. So, do test repeatedly to be sure that you can rule out c-diff, especially if she started having issues after taking antibiotics.

Hang in there. Hopefully, they'll find the right combo of meds to knock crohn's back into remission.

PV

I have c-diff now and it has been one of the worst things I have ever been thru. I am on my second round of Vancomycin. I am allergic to Flagyl. I had no relieffrom the c-diff until starting the Florastor like PV suggests. It has helped me considerably although I still have the c-diff, the pain is much less. I am not going to continue with this antibiotic game if this round doesn't work. I have an appointment next week with the Director of the GI dept of a major hospital who happens to be in charge of fecal transplant trials for UC. I hope I am a candidate for FT bc I will do it in a heartbeat to get rid of this.

Supportivemom- I haven't heard that children are not recommended for FT for c-diff. I suggest you go to the powerofpoop.com and read up on it. You can also go to the secret facebook group Fecal Microbiota Transplant, and ask questions. This is where I met the GI I will see next week for my c-diff. There are many experienced Dr.s and nurses and family of children undergoing FT on this page. Very informative. In fact, I went there bc my regular GI told me crohns was contraindicated in crohns patients but this Dr. I will see told me no it wasn't. He said it may make me flare but not contraindicated. Anyway, I will try it if I get the go ahead and I can get get my donor tested. Of course if I do it, I will keep everyone posted.

Post Edited (pmedic) : 1/28/2014 9:42:09 AM (GMT-7)

Test 3 different times with 3 different stool samples.

Another antibiotic, Xifaxin, is also being used to treat C. diff though it has only been tested in small trials. I had a course of Vancomycin. However, I still tested positive after that course of antibiotics so my GI prescribed Xifaxin. That worked. I was given Vancomycin right away because I had hemorrhaged from the C. diff and about 20 cm. of my colon was trashed.