Antibiotics making c diff worse?

I had C diff and when I started Dificid the diarrhea got a little worse on about day 6. It was however the drug that ultimately got rid of C diff for me. You should be on one or the other Dificid or Vanco but not both. Also make sure when you are tested for c diff that they are using the immuno assay toxin test. The molecular assay pcr test has been found to over diagnose the infection. Many of us are carriers and could have a +PCR. It was thought to be the most modern test for C diff in the last 5 years but that has changed due to over diagnosis. Ask doc why you are on 2 antibiotics for this. Dificid should be enough .. there are also Dificid tapers but lots of docs won't order that either. I feel for you ..its horrible to go through

countess18 said...
I had C diff and when I started Dificid the diarrhea got a little worse on about day 6. It was however the drug that ultimately got rid of C diff for me. You should be on one or the other Dificid or Vanco but not both. Also make sure when you are tested for c diff that they are using the immuno assay toxin test. The molecular assay pcr test has been found to over diagnose the infection. Many of us are carriers and could have a +PCR. It was thought to be the most modern test for C diff in the last 5 years but that has changed due to over diagnosis. Ask doc why you are on 2 antibiotics for this. Dificid should be enough .. there are also Dificid tapers but lots of docs won't order that either. I feel for you ..its horrible to go through

Well the first time I was on flagyl, then the second time was straight vancomycin, and now it's both difcid and vancomycin. No difcid taper, but a vancomycin taper. I just assumed this was just a better attempt to deal with the c diff

CodyB said...

countess18 said...
I had C diff and when I started Dificid the diarrhea got a little worse on about day 6. It was however the drug that ultimately got rid of C diff for me. You should be on one or the other Dificid or Vanco but not both. Also make sure when you are tested for c diff that they are using the immuno assay toxin test. The molecular assay pcr test has been found to over diagnose the infection. Many of us are carriers and could have a +PCR. It was thought to be the most modern test for C diff in the last 5 years but that has changed due to over diagnosis. Ask doc why you are on 2 antibiotics for this. Dificid should be enough .. there are also Dificid tapers but lots of docs won't order that either. I feel for you ..its horrible to go through

Well the first time I was on flagyl, then the second time was straight vancomycin, and now it's both difcid and vancomycin. No difcid taper, but a vancomycin taper. I just assumed this was just a better attempt to deal with the c diff

Generally, from what I've read, Flagyl and Vanco are the preferred treatments of C-Diff. I'm guessing since its recurring with you that they are trying two drugs at once instead of the single antibiotic treatment. From what it looks like with Dificid, there is only a 15% chance of recurrence compared to 25% with Vancyo.

"Fidaxomicin has been compared exclusively with oral vancomycin in clinical trials for initial occurrences of C. difficile–associated diarrhea. In two studies enrolling a total of 1,057 participants, fidaxomicin (200 mg twice daily for 10 days) was as effective as vancomycin (125 mg every six hours for 10 days) at producing clinical cure, which was defined as the resolution of diarrhea (fewer than three unformed stools for two consecutive days). Fidaxomicin decreases recurrence of C. difficile infection compared with vancomycin. Similarly, both are equally effective in treating a first recurrence, with fidaxomicin perhaps being slightly more effective in preventing a second recurrence. Fidaxomicin has not been compared with metronidazole, and has not been studied in patients in whom treatment with metronidazole failed."

I’ve never taken dificid but I’ve had the same reaction from Vanco and other antibiotics; they kill off both “some of” the good and bad bacteria. You need to repopulate the good bacteria, are you taking a good probiotic? Do not take it at the same time as the antibiotics, space them apart so you don’t kill probiotic with the antibiotics.

I do have a probiotic, but I was told to wait until I finish both antibiotics before taking it. No mention of a fecal transplant, but I have an appointment in a week so who knows what they will suggest this time.