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C. Diff Infections??

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/28/2010 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
Have many people experienced a c. diff infection on top of their UC? I was diagnosed with moderate to severe UC (pancolitis) in November 2009. The doctor first put me on Lialda, which didn't help at all. Next he put me on 40mg of prednisone, which I actually got WORSE on when the inflammation went from moderate to severe. Next I started on Remicade (have now had 3 infusions). The Remicade has helped somewhat but not as much as the doctors expected. The non-responsiveness to all the meds was puzzling to the doctors.

Now, finally, they may have found an explanation. It turns out that I have a c. diff infection (no idea how long it's been there). The doctors think this may have been keeping me from getting well on the Remicade -- keeping my body from responding to the Remicade the way it otherwise would have.

I've been taking a strong antibiotic for the c. diff for just 3 days now and have ALREADY noticed an improvement! Has anyone else experienced something similar? If so, once you'd been treated for the c. diff did you get better? I was so discouraged thinking that Remicade wasn't working for me and I may have to face surgery -- I'm just so happy that there *may* have been a good (treatable) reason I wasn't getting better!
Posted 3/28/2010 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
Yep I fought C Diff for 6 months last year, each time coming back after stopping the Metronidazole. It is very difficult to tell the different between C Diff and a flare and I can't tell you how many stool cultures I had to take. For me the biggest signs were there was no visible blood and it would just come on very suddenly, whereas a flare usually gave the preliminary mucous and blood symptoms. The most annoying part was the C Diff just kept coming back every time I stopped the Metronidazole. Finally my GI recommended adding the probiotic Floristor and it's been gone for over 3 months now....
Posted 3/28/2010 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry to hear you had so much trouble with the c. diff. What a pain, as if the UC itself wasn't bad enough! Glad you've found some recent success against it though. I'm going to look for that probiotic you mentioned.
Posted 3/28/2010 3:41 PM (GMT 0)
My UC started as c.diff. Somehow I got it without being on any antibiotics, I had it for 3 months and had a really hard time getting better. I was pregnant at the time too, it wasn't fun! The c.diff finally went away and I was completely symptom free. Right after I had my baby, I got c. diff symptoms again and that's when I was diagnosed with UC. That was 7 years ago and I've been flaring pretty much ever since. I'm a bleeder and have only had a few months here and there where I haven't had any bleeding.
Posted 3/29/2010 12:16 AM (GMT 0)

HopingForRemission said...
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry to hear you had so much trouble with the c. diff. What a pain, as if the UC itself wasn't bad enough! Glad you've found some recent success against it though. I'm going to look for that probiotic you mentioned.

If you google Florator and C Diff you can find some articles such as this:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105956.php

 

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