Wellness

[OkeyDokey]

On 11/21/2014 Abrowneyegirl said:

On 11/20/2014 ibb38 said:

C diff is tough, my Dad survived 2 bouts of it this past summer. Have the drs talked about giving you iv antibiotics?

Taking Florastor while taking antibiotics is counter productive- the probiotic is cancelled out by the antibiotic. It won't hurt you- but it won't benefit you either.

This is NOT true! Yes, antibiotics can/will kill pre or probiotics but that is why the TIMING of the doses is so critical.

Vancomycin doesn't kill yeasts in florastor.

[OkeyDokey]

P. S. If you want to try the pepto/grapefruit juice thing, obviously you wouldn't do it if you are allergic to either pepto or grapefruit juice. (duh. ) And you don't have to do it when you are on antibiotics. When my one kid was "cured," I would give it to her to prevent relapse when the other kid had a relapse. And then I gave a few doses to the relapser after she was well again. I wouldn't necessarily give them at the same time I was giving antibiotics. However, when the symptoms would reappear, in the few hours before we could get her to the doc and get more vancomycin, I WOULD definitely give it to her. It is critical to treat as soon as the toxins show themselves again in the form of smelly diarrhea.

[kismet]

OkeyDokey, I read the page that you posted. I always feel that alternative things can work.

I am taking BP pills and shouldn't drink grapefruit juice but I can call the pharmacy and see if I can if I take it hours after my medication.

My GP told me the second time on vancomycin to not take it with food. Said the food may be binding the vancomycin. So I ate at least an hour or later after taking the pill. I also called the pharmacy and asked about florastor. The pharmacist said to take it halfway between each dose of medication. Don't take it together. So I did that too.

I talked to the nurse at the specialist's office. He was not in today and he is scheduled out to the end of January. She said my GP faxed my records to them and she briefly talked to the doctor on the phone. Said he will look over my file when he gets back Monday. She did ask about diarrhea. I told her I don't have it like I did and she did say I can show positive cause cdiff is always in the colon it's just that the good bacteria keeps it at bay. So for now I'll wait until I hear from her. Said he may want me to come in or may suggest I look into a fecal implant. I found out that the implant can be done very close to my house so I don't have to go to the city. She said if I don't have the symptoms that I shouldn't worry. So for now that's it.

I did get a call from the clinic that my GP is in with it's own specialists. They can see me next Friday but I don't want to go there. I don't like their doctors and neither does my husband. Just not as capable as doctors in the city. We moved up here in the boonies years ago and I had to go to the city cause there were no doctors here. Now we have so many but I still prefer the way I'm treated in the city.

I do know the smell you're talking about and you can't forget that. It must of been so hard having children with this. When I was on the antibiotics I couldn't leave the house. After going to the doctor the other night I did get out and shopped for the holiday so I'm set. Just wanted to make sure I got everything in case I had to go on antibiotics again.

My daughter invited us for Thanksgiving dinner and I told her I can't go. I asked the nurse about it and since there is only one toilet to use I felt and the nurse confirmed that it would better not to go. My two grandchildren would be exposed and I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through this treatment. I do understand what this is and know it can be serious. I was lucky when I had it about 4 years ago from taking antibiotics. One treatment and I was clear. I read that I can show positive up to 6 weeks after the antibiotic. I never heard of this either until I got it. I was lucky having two knee replacements and came home with nothing from the hospital.

[OkeyDokey]

Since you are on BP, I would not drink grapefruit juice unless a pharmacist or provider tells you it is ok with proper timing. Not only would I ask about the grapefruit juice, but about the pepto as well.

At any rate, a fecal implant is usually a cure. Best wishes to you!!

[kismet]

I'm back again. My specialist went over my records from my GP and I've been corresponding with his nurse and he says he wants me to have a fecal transplant. I figured as much since I've been on 3 rounds of antibiotics, a total of 35 days. I pretty much knew this and just want to do the best to get rid of it. I haven't been on antibiotics so I don't know how I got it.

So as it stands now my husband or my daughter will be the donor. There are tests to be done on either one of them and I can have this done before Christmas. I'm just glad there is something more than antibiotics. I don't mind having it done since I've been dealing with this since August. It is really hard cleaning everything with bleach including light switches, door knobs and anything I would normally touch. I saw this done on tv and it didn't gross me out. To me it was a solution to an infection.

Have to start on antibiotics again then stop a few days before the transplant. Have to do a cleaning out again. It is more or less like a colonoscopy. I want to do this because I don't want any damage to my intestines. So it's just another detour in life for me but I'll be fine. So glad I have such a great specialist and I thoroughly trust him. I've been his patient for 32 years. So that's about it for now. This will be done at the hospital under sedation.

[adelle38]

kismet,

I hope all goes well with your procedure and you finally be rid of this.

[kismet]

Right now I'm waiting on the results of my daughter's tests. If everything is fine then a date will be set for the transplant. Will have to go on antibiotics again for a few days, then off, then a cleanse and then the procedure. Just want to know what's going on. Some of my symptoms don't sound like totally Cdiff and my doctor is a little confused on all of this. One problem is that he says I can't take an antibiotic before the procedure. I have knee implants and should but he said that he checked and I'm far enough out to be fine and some doctors today say you don't have to take them for every procedure. I've been reading online and some say I should, some say it's not necessary today. Since I don't have a choice guess I'll just take the chance. Bummer.

[OkeyDokey]

Please keep us posted. I was afraid one of my kids was about to start another flare-up. She had a bout of constipation last week, and the subsequent poop didn't look or smell right. I immediately started her back on probiotics. So far, so good. She had only one bout of cdiff before and has been clear since June. I'm hoping that both my kids stay asymptomatic, but if it ever causes problems again, especially for the one child that had 3 bouts, I'm going to look into a transplant. It definitely is the best treatment. Hope everything works out perfectly for you!

[kismet]

I will. Were your kids on vancomycin? I feel I have to get this checked out and will tell the doctor if he finds something else that maybe I don't need the transplant. Like he said cdiff is in everyone and some don't show it. I was cleared about 3 years ago. It's just a gut feeling. I had 3 ft of my intestines removed in the 70s due to Crohn's and don't want to have anymore removed that's why I want to have the colonoscopy to make sure things are okay. I've read some horror stories about what it can do to a person's intestines. Should possibly know tomorrow if my daughter is okay. Otherwise my husband will be tested. I asked my doctor it they had a stool bank and he said no. I also read that some people will take a stool pill, yes it's true. You can search online for it. It's a job keeping everything clean and I only have to worry about myself. I've never used so much bleach. Want to have this done before Christmas. Hopefully the sooner the better. I like to take care of things right now and not wait. Can't imagine a child going through this.

[Lila4Now]

I do hope your smart enough not follow medical advice in any forum. It would be wise to let your doc know everything you're thinking about taking, even over the counter stuff.