C. Diff currently on my 2nd relapse

My daughter has UC and thankfully hasn't had c diff but if I were you I'd try fecal transplant.

killcolitis said...
My daughter has UC and thankfully hasn't had c diff but if I were you I'd try fecal transplant.

Am I able to do that while I'm on antibiotics or should I try that if this doesn't get rid of it? What exactly does that entail and does it work?? I've been pretty positive so far even though the outcome may be gloomy

I don’t like recommending specific brands of supplements but Saccharomyces boulardii is shown to be the most effective probiotic against C. Diff. You can find it in Whole Foods and in most health food stores. Google it, you will find that the research is overwhelming. With all due respect to your doctor and pharmacist, most of the members of this forum have been taking probiotics for years and find them most effective for C Diff and UC. They work.

I also recommend taking a more conventional probiotic such as Primadolphilus, VSL3, or even Align or Culturelle, or any of the reputable brands found in Whole Foods and health food stores. Refrigerated probiotics generally are better as long as you can keep them refrigerated. (Might not be able to on road trips).

Take S. Boulardii and your other probiotic at a different time of day than your antibiotics and continue taking them every day after your course of antibiotics has ended. I will be very surprised if your C Diff returns.

I am not saying probiotics will cure a C Diff infection. Only antibiotics can do that. But probiotics may very well help you to prevent C Diff from returning for the 3rd time.

Post Edited (BabeintheWoods) : 12/21/2010 9:37:13 AM (GMT-7)

Well thank you guys very very much, I will definitely look into all of this. I'm not sure why the Doctors don't want me to take extra supplements with this thing... they get their money out of treating you, I think that's what it is.

subdued said...
They don't know whether or not the probiotics will weaken the antibiotics. That being said, I would do both fecal transplantation and probiotics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_bacteriotherapy

Doctors are relatively clueless when it comes to UC.

Where will they do fecal transplants? I got a hand out at the ER saying that is a very rare procedure etc...

So, should I just stay with this course of vancomycin, and hope it gets rid of it, start probiotics right after I finish it... and then if it comes back get the fecal transplant + probiotics?? This whole thing is so.. I don't know. I feel like I"ve been told I have cancer and there is no cure.

I don't understand why they won't give a prescription when they know that it could actually possibly cure you for awhile... what is suppose to happen if you have a 3rd relapse and it's totally immune to antibiotics?? I guess I'd just be screwed... I'm just tired of Doctors and everything, because I bet if they had this they would be willing to try to do anything to feel better.

Thank you for your message, I'm going to look at your references

Do you have UC?
Your C-diff symptoms seem pretty mild and that may be why the doctor is prescribing the treatment he has.

C-diff is very hard to get rid of in some cases. I was hospitalized twice within a month for it. It was like a train wreck in my colon. The actual time to eradicate it was three or four months I think.
I don`t like to question your Dr., but a simple two week course of Vanco does`nt seem adequate. I think I tapered my treatment for a much longer period, adding pro-biotics later in the taper. Its my understanding that Vanco is such a powerful antibiotic that it kills the pro biotic.
The fact that you have re-lapsed once is troubling.

Off the mayo Clinic site I got this:

"Relapse Infection recurs in about 10 percent to 30 percent of patients, usually three to 10 days after finishing antibiotic treatment, though recurrence one to two months later has been noted. Risk factors for relapse include previous relapse, leukocytosis (a large increase in white blood cells in the blood), chronic renal failure, colon diverticula and recent abdominal surgery.

Options for treating relapse include:

Prolonged courses of vancomycin followed by gradual tapering
Five to seven-day intermittent treatment periods with a combination of antibiotics and anion exchange resin
Treatment with a combination of vancomycin and rifampin
New treatments to alter or restore healthy bacteria in the colon. These regimens use oral lactobacillus GG and oral nonpathogenic yeast, including saccharomyces boulardii."

I was able to cure the C-diff without a fecal transplant, but my gastro Dr. seemed to be up to date on the Vanco course of treatment.

You should probably speak to your Dr and ask him why he is`nt tapering you or recommending any restoration treatments when the Vanco is finished. He may have a reason.

Do a lot of online research for yourself. Than work with your Dr.

Good luck.