Wellness

[Rottie_mama]

On 9/23/2014 kismet said:

The walk in clinic is a part of the same clinic my doctor is in. It's only for patients of the clinic. They have all my information in the computer. The walk in usually isn't for follow up. My GP takes over for follow up. I feel I get very good care there.

I just called the clinic and talked to the nurse and explained my insurance will not cover the liquid. I'll take the capsules and go from there.

One question I have is have you been checked right at the end of the antibiotics or have you waited 2 weeks. I know that the flagyl did some good cause I feel better but not enough to knock it all out. I know this is serious that's why I had to go to the walk in clinic on a weekend.

I'll ask the pharmacist when to take a probiotic while taking the antibiotic.

Odd how that works, eh?

Liquid is used more and is cheaper. Oh well. As long as you get the right drug and get healthy who cares. Again ask the RN or DR about the probiotic too. This is their expertise. Remember ask them questions, they cannot read your mind. There only stupid question in medicine, is the one not asked.

Your normal gut flora will come back but right now you need to kill this bad bug. God Speed!

[puglet1]

"One question I have is have you been checked right at the end of the antibiotics or have you waited 2 weeks. I know that the flagyl did some good cause I feel better but not enough to knock it all out. I know this is serious that's why I had to go to the walk in clinic on a weekend.

I'll ask the pharmacist when to take a probiotic while taking the antibiotic."

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kismet, as I recall, you would want to wait a couple of weeks before being re-tested. Testing immediately upon finishing the antibiotic could be misleading. At that point in time, all the C. diff. may appear to be eradicated. The idea of waiting a couple of weeks is to see if any few remaining, but undetected C. diff. re-colonize. Of course, your doctor and/or pharmacist will know for sure about the appropriate testing schedule. Please don't take anything I or anyone else says on here as gospel as we are not medical professionals or, even if we were, we do not know your particular case.

Also make sure if you are taking any other meds, to check about any interactions with the vancomycin.

[just bee]

On 9/23/2014 Rottie_mama said:

... do not mess around with Clostridium difficile, he is a bad bug.

Very, very bad. I loathe and despise this vile bacteria. My mother was in her 80s and although she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's she was in relatively good health. She amazed those in her exercise classes because she could still bend at the waist and put her palms flat on the floor. She tap danced for her doctors. Ah, my little Italian mother was spry -- until she was diagnosed with C. diff.

I firmly believe that we are pumping too many antibiotics into people -- especially the elderly. When she was infected, the hospital staff scrambled to find a cocktail to combat the infection. At one point, a doctor whom I'd never met called me at home to tell me that my mother's colon was dead. We will give her morphine, of course, but start making the appropriate arrangements.

As it turns out, her colon wasn't dead and she survived and was released after ten days in the hospital. But she couldn't return to her assisted living apartment. I planned to keep her with me, but soon discovered that was going to be impossible. I was working full-time and going to nursing school.

She left the hospital in a wheelchair and never walked again. Within a few weeks she was in hospice. Like I said, I loathe C. diff.

[ccassaday]

It took two rounds of it to clear mine up. The doctor said sometimes it takes three. Got mine from being on antibiotics for over fourth days.

[RedTop]

Once you have c-diff, you have c-diff; you either have an active, or inactive infection. An active infection means your intestines are shedding many spores, which requires using antibiotics to clear up. When you test negative, it only means no live spores are detected in the stool sample at that particular time. You must be proactive with c-diff; take the Vancomycin without question and do what you can to keep this infection dormant. Do not risk compromising your health to this super bug. Just like MRSA infections, c-diff will re-colonize and show itself over and over, and you must treat each infection aggressively to prevent permanent damage to the body.

[KippyK3]

Yes. To clarify, I was retested both 10 days after my round of Flagyl, (that I took once I was released,) and then again 2 weeks later. But, in my case I was also being given an antibiotic in my IV while in the hospital. I also had very strict diet and activity limitations. As I said, I was very lucky, and my treatment plan cleared it up. I was given very clear instructions to take my probiotics at least 2 hours after the antibiotic. I still eat yogurt everyday and I, too, avoid antibiotics like the plague! I wish you well.

[KippyK3]

On 9/23/2014 RedTop said: Once you have c-diff, you have c-diff; you either have an active, or inactive infection. An active infection means your intestines are shedding many spores, which requires using antibiotics to clear up. When you test negative, it only means no live spores are detected in the stool sample at that particular time. You must be proactive with c-diff; take the Vancomycin without question and do what you can to keep this infection dormant. Do not risk compromising your health to this super bug. Just like MRSA infections, c-diff will re-colonize and show itself over and over, and you must treat each infection aggressively to prevent permanent damage to the body.

RedTop, I didn't see your post until after I submitted mine. That is scary!

[Nightowlz]

I have never heard of this. This sounds like some scary stuff. I'm a little confused. Are you saying you get C-Diff while in the hospital or from taking antibiotics? I never take antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. The doctor told me I had walking pneumonia at one time & I needed to take antibiotics & I asked if it would go away without them & he said yes it would just take longer so I refused them. He could not believe it. He said he has patients in his office every day wanting them for something they did not need them for & I actually need them & refused. So sorry to anyone that has been through this.

[KippyK3]

They believe that I got it from being on a strong antibiotic for a sinus/ear infection. I, then, got so sick about a month later that my DH picked me up off of the bathroom floor and rushed me to the ER. they kept me for 5 days.

[Nightowlz]

On 9/23/2014 KippyK3 said: They believe that I got it from being on a strong antibiotic for a sinus/ear infection.

Do they know why antibiotics causes this? Last time I took an antibiotic was for a sinus infection years ago. I was told it would not go away without it. It was a powder I had to mix with water & drink 1 time. Is it all antibiotics that can cause this or certain ones? I take Andrew Lessman's Ultimate Friendly Flora probiotics every day.