# Viruses and C-Diff



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

Hello,Allow me to explain what happened to me these past months for those who haven't followed.Somewhere half October 2011, I contracted C-Diff after a heavy dose of antibiotics I had to take for some infected wound. Took 11 days of Flagyl, but unfortunately, beginning of December, it returned.The doctor had me take Vancomycin this time, for 6 weeks with decreasing doses over the weeks. I also took probiotics (Saccharomyces Boulardii) together with it making sure there was always 2 hours between the Vanco and the probiotic. I didn't miss one single dose and the diahrea stopped after one or two days of Vanco. Of course, I took it for the whole 6 weeks even if the diahrea was gone.I got a stool sample retested the day after I was done with the Vanco, somewhere half January: both the toxin and the culture were negative.We concluded that C-Diff was eradicated. I havent had any bowel problems since then, except for lots of gas.However, two weeks ago, I suddenly got diahrea & fever again and to be sure, the doc got a sample retested for C-Diff. This one was negative again for both toxin and culture test. So she said I simply had a viral gastroenteritis.Fair enough. The gastroenteritis eventually cleared up, but my bowel habits just don't seem to be getting back to normal. I have a couple of normal days, then I'll have very loose stools again for a few days, still lots of gas, etc. Normally, when I get a viral gastroenteritis, it clears up after about a week and my bowel habits return to normal in a matter of a few days. Ive never had it happen before that it takes so long to fully recover.I went to the doctor again and she said that C-Diff, even if it's gone, can make your gut very sensitive for a pretty long time and it can last months for the gut to fully get back to normal. She said this explains why, after a simply viral gastroenteritis, my gut seems to have some trouble getting back to normal. She said this might continue for a couple of months: it might alternate between good days and lesser days and will eventually subside for good, but I have to give it time. Ive never had this happen to me before. Normally, my gut recovers very quickly from a stomach flu...Does my doc's theory make sense to you guys? I got a couple of questions that might be stupid, but I'd like to ask anyways:- Does a gut really take months to fully get back to normal after C-Diff even if C-Diff was eradicated?- Is it normal my gut is still so sensitive and that a simple viral gastroenteritis upsets it that much because it was still weak from the C-Diff?- Can a viral gastroenteritis destroy your gut flora?- If the previous question is "yes", could it be that this viral gastroenteritis damaged my gut flora so much that I got a C-Diff reinfection?- The doc says that bringing in a stool sample within 24-30 hours is good enough to detect C-Diff in a culture culture. She said the toxin test will probably be negative, but for a culture it doesn't have to be brought in right away. Is this true?- Can C-Diff cause other conditions like Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, etc- Last but not least, will my gut eventually fully recover?I'm a bit worried right now so thanks for anyone who can reply.


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## TVgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

C diff and any intestinal infection viral or bacterial can cause your intestinal flora to go out of whack especially if you were treated with antibiotics and you were quite heavily treated. Some recover from it over time, some sooner than later and some develop IBS and never fully get back to the way it was. In your case it is a good bet that it is your flora out of balance so I would treat it with probiotics. The gas should settle down once things start getting more normalized. I know as a nurse we treat our patients with acidophilus but your doctor can recommend the best for you.


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## TVgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

Our gut normally contains c-diff just so you know. It becomes a problem when the good bacteria is destroyed through illnesses and antibiotics. Then it kind of takes over and makes you sick. I don't think the viral gastro illness you had is a cause. I think this all came from your heavy antibiotics you took.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

While most people recover from a viral GI bug pretty quickly, it is not uncommon for it to take a few weeks or months for the gut to fully recover.Having had a hit from the C. diff could make you a bit more likely to have these problems.IBS commonly starts after a GI infection when that few weeks of recovery time doesn't resolve things.Hopefully you will keep getting better, having some normal days is probably a good sign. A probiotic to help get some friendlier bacteria going in there wouldn't be a bad idea.Trying not to stress out about the symptoms will also probably help. Sometimes the damage from fighting off the bug is in the nervous system and keeping everything on high alert with stress and anxiety will not help it settle back down. If anything that tends to reinforce the over-reacting the gut and it's nerves can do. I know it isn't always easy to take these symptoms in stride, but anything you can do for stress reduction can only help right now.


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## Yellowroses (Apr 3, 2012)

My husband is suffering from C Diff right now. He was hospitalized for 4 days last week. Sad part is he was in the ER the week before and then again the next day and admitted over night only to be released the next morning saying it was "just IBS" then the following week, exactly one week to the day, back at the ER again, sent home with "it's just IBS" and the next morning back again and admitted. The following day after stool tests was confirmed it was C Diff which at the time neither of us had ever heard of. Ok so here's the thing, he has NOT been on antibiotics for a long time. They kept asking about it and he hasn't been. After talking to the Infectious Disease nurse it was decided he had to of picked it up at the ER from someone who didn't wash their hands after using the bathroom. So this was totally preventable. I told her that I noticed in the triage the nurse used the same blood pressure cuff, finger pulse tester and thermometer that they just rub across your forehead without cleaning it before or after using it on him. So it's very likely that's how he got it. I also noticed that while he was down having a scan they moved us out to the hallway because they were packed and needed his room for a new patient. While he was still on the bed down at the scan, they brought the new guy in on a new bed, BUT did not clean the room. I was sitting right outside of it in the hallway. We had been touching the table, remote control and call button and they did not clean any of that before bringing in the next patient. They told us C Diff is from antibiotic use but if not from that you pick it up in hospitals and nursing homes. Well if they don't clean the ER between patients or the equipment between patients it's no wonder it's spreading faster than MRSA. The infectious disease nurse said she was going to use that info in her next email to everyone at the hospital because she had just sent one asking "how can we prevent this" she said she had a feeling that was what was going on in the ER and now that I told her she is definitely going to bring it up. This all angers me as I watch him suffer knowing that if the person who had it had just washed their hands and if the ER would clean their bathrooms and equipment more often he may not have contracted this at all. He's been on antibiotics now for 5 or 6 days and is not feeling any better at all. I'm really concerned about why he's not starting to feel better. How long after starting the antibiotic should he start seeing an improvement? I'm also upset because maybe if they had done the stool test the week before when he was in the ER or admitted overnight maybe we could of caught it before it got this bad. Why do they not test for it in patients with IBS? I do know from now on when he goes to the ER in horrible pain, diarrhea and nausea I will insist they do a stool test.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I think it is one of those things they are becoming more aware of, and I don't think it is we test all other people for it if they have diarrhea but will not test anyone with IBS. I just think they don't test often enough for it.Most IBSers don't need regular testing for this every time they have diarrhea as IBS diarrhea usually isn't nearly as bad as C. diff. However, if you do get diarrhea that is much more severe than your usual stuff a stool test for C.diff and other things is a reasonable thing to ask for as IBS doesn't prevent you from getting something else.


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

Oh lord, I am sorry your hubby is going through all this. This is why I will NOT go to the hospital ever unless I absolutely have to. They are disgustingly filthy!! And I hate to say it, but alot of times the nurses and even doctors are too lazy to wash their hands. They do not even read your charts half the time. I remember when I had to have a procedure done a few years back I had told the nurse that I was allergic to latex. Well get this, Every nurse that came in to see me proceeded to put latex gloves on! I then after telling the third nurse that came in had to tell her to put a BIG sign up above my bed that I was allergic to latex. OK, this is where it gets pathetic. Even with that huge sign, I still had a nurse come in and put on the latex gloves. I just pointed to the sign, she was like, OH, I didn't see the sign. Unfortunately, ignorance of some doctors, nurses and hospital staff is why there are so many people lying in graves in the cemetary.One thing to remember is if you ever have to go to the hospital again, DO NOT touch ANYTHING!! Or you can bring your own bleach and clean the areas that you have to touch. I would do this. All those hand sanitizers and lysol DO NOT kill C-diff. Only bleach will. You cannot depend on the hospital or nurses to be clean. You have to be in charge. If you see something you do not like or feel comfortable with ( like a nurse touching you or your hubby without washing her hands thouroughly, then do not hesitate to tell her! Believe me, your best interest in NOT their best interest unfortunately. You got to look out for yourself. I hope your hubby feels better soon. Oh, is he taking a strong probiotic? I would get him on one. Also there is a type of probiotic that you can get at walgreens( not sure where you live), but it is called florastor. It is a yeast that can help with the C-diff. Hope he gets better soon.


Yellowroses said:


> My husband is suffering from C Diff right now. He was hospitalized for 4 days last week. Sad part is he was in the ER the week before and then again the next day and admitted over night only to be released the next morning saying it was "just IBS" then the following week, exactly one week to the day, back at the ER again, sent home with "it's just IBS" and the next morning back again and admitted. The following day after stool tests was confirmed it was C Diff which at the time neither of us had ever heard of. Ok so here's the thing, he has NOT been on antibiotics for a long time. They kept asking about it and he hasn't been. After talking to the Infectious Disease nurse it was decided he had to of picked it up at the ER from someone who didn't wash their hands after using the bathroom. So this was totally preventable. I told her that I noticed in the triage the nurse used the same blood pressure cuff, finger pulse tester and thermometer that they just rub across your forehead without cleaning it before or after using it on him. So it's very likely that's how he got it. I also noticed that while he was down having a scan they moved us out to the hallway because they were packed and needed his room for a new patient. While he was still on the bed down at the scan, they brought the new guy in on a new bed, BUT did not clean the room. I was sitting right outside of it in the hallway. We had been touching the table, remote control and call button and they did not clean any of that before bringing in the next patient. They told us C Diff is from antibiotic use but if not from that you pick it up in hospitals and nursing homes. Well if they don't clean the ER between patients or the equipment between patients it's no wonder it's spreading faster than MRSA. The infectious disease nurse said she was going to use that info in her next email to everyone at the hospital because she had just sent one asking "how can we prevent this" she said she had a feeling that was what was going on in the ER and now that I told her she is definitely going to bring it up. This all angers me as I watch him suffer knowing that if the person who had it had just washed their hands and if the ER would clean their bathrooms and equipment more often he may not have contracted this at all. He's been on antibiotics now for 5 or 6 days and is not feeling any better at all. I'm really concerned about why he's not starting to feel better. How long after starting the antibiotic should he start seeing an improvement? I'm also upset because maybe if they had done the stool test the week before when he was in the ER or admitted overnight maybe we could of caught it before it got this bad. Why do they not test for it in patients with IBS? I do know from now on when he goes to the ER in horrible pain, diarrhea and nausea I will insist they do a stool test.


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## Yellowroses (Apr 3, 2012)

If I knew then what I know now I think I would of worn gloves and a mask. He got the C Diff at the hospital, had to since we had been no where else to catch it. And then when I had to take him back in because he got worse, I caught a horrible cold and cough and have been sick in bed for the past few days. I know I caught it there too because being he's been home sick and I work at home and we have no children at home anymore I have not been around anyone to catch this from.


Jen37 said:


> Oh lord, I am sorry your hubby is going through all this. This is why I will NOT go to the hospital ever unless I absolutely have to. They are disgustingly filthy!! And I hate to say it, but alot of times the nurses and even doctors are too lazy to wash their hands. They do not even read your charts half the time. I remember when I had to have a procedure done a few years back I had told the nurse that I was allergic to latex. Well get this, Every nurse that came in to see me proceeded to put latex gloves on! I then after telling the third nurse that came in had to tell her to put a BIG sign up above my bed that I was allergic to latex. OK, this is where it gets pathetic. Even with that huge sign, I still had a nurse come in and put on the latex gloves. I just pointed to the sign, she was like, OH, I didn't see the sign. Unfortunately, ignorance of some doctors, nurses and hospital staff is why there are so many people lying in graves in the cemetary.One thing to remember is if you ever have to go to the hospital again, DO NOT touch ANYTHING!! Or you can bring your own bleach and clean the areas that you have to touch. I would do this. All those hand sanitizers and lysol DO NOT kill C-diff. Only bleach will. You cannot depend on the hospital or nurses to be clean. You have to be in charge. If you see something you do not like or feel comfortable with ( like a nurse touching you or your hubby without washing her hands thouroughly, then do not hesitate to tell her! Believe me, your best interest in NOT their best interest unfortunately. You got to look out for yourself. I hope your hubby feels better soon. Oh, is he taking a strong probiotic? I would get him on one. Also there is a type of probiotic that you can get at walgreens( not sure where you live), but it is called florastor. It is a yeast that can help with the C-diff. Hope he gets better soon.


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

Oh I know what you mean. I am sorry you are sick now too. Another thing to remember is whenever you have to go to the doctor or ER for any reason, make sure that if you do touch something, DO NOT touch your mouth or your face at all until you have washed your hands. Remember too that the hand sanitizer is only so good, it will not protect against alot of things. I hate when I have to go to the doctor. It is possible your husband got it from using the restroom at the hospital too. What suprises me is that usually they say people get C-diff when they have been on antibitoics. When you are on antibitoics or have been recently then your gut flora gets wiped out. If you are not taking probiotics and come into contact with C-diff spores then that is when you become vunerable. I also think that just by having IBS or anyone who has any sort of intestinal issue like IBS or crohns is more at risk for getting C-diff in gereral. Do they have your husband on vancomycin? That is suppose to be the best drug in terms of killing C-diff. Also make sure he is taking probiotics. This will help get rid of the c-diff as well, it will add back the good bugs he needs to get better. Hope you both feel better soon.


Yellowroses said:


> If I knew then what I know now I think I would of worn gloves and a mask. He got the C Diff at the hospital, had to since we had been no where else to catch it. And then when I had to take him back in because he got worse, I caught a horrible cold and cough and have been sick in bed for the past few days. I know I caught it there too because being he's been home sick and I work at home and we have no children at home anymore I have not been around anyone to catch this from.


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## Yellowroses (Apr 3, 2012)

They put him on some strong probiotics and he was on a very strong antibiotic, can't remember the name but it was $185 and not covered by our insurance. They said it was the only thing that really works to kill the C Diff. Problem now is he's still having massive IBS flare ups and has been back to the ER a second time because we thought it was the C Diff getting worse and now today he went to the doctor with another flare up. I'm hoping they don't send him to the hospital again because they never do anything for him for IBS other than a catscan, an xray, some bloodwork and send him home. And each time we have to pay a $50 co-pay which isn't easy when he's been off work so often with this. He's been off a few weeks again and trying to get on short term disability, which he's done in the past but they sure take their time approving it. Then things will calm down and he'll go back to work for a week or two then it starts all over again. But I am praying they don't send him to the hospital from the doctors office because I'm coughing my head off from what I caught at the ER and they sure don't want me there like this, not to mention I don't want to go sit there for 6 hours this sick and pick up who knows what on top of this. The whole thing is just a total nightmare. His IBS is so bad and flares bad so often we're at the hospital nearly weekly and he's off work so much I'm surprised he still has a job. I just wish they'd find the cause of the IBS and a way to deal with it. I want my normal boring life back.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

IBS and C-Diff are two different things. The C-Diff is an intestinal infection. One can have C-Diff AND IBS. C-Diff is treatable with antibiotics etc. First off... let me say how sorry I am that he is going through this. I know exactly how miserable this is. (((((Hugs))))) to you both.Secondly... remember.... this too shall pass. This isn't going to go on forever. Hang onto that. I would _not_ go to the ER unless your Dr sends you there. Also discuss your concerns & the cleanliness of the ER with your Dr. He/she should know. (You might want to bring some alcohol towelettes with you (they sell these in drug stores.) and rub down the TV remote, bed rails or anything else you think may need it. Also I would write to the President/CEO of the Hospital and let them know how you feel.)There is no reason for your hub to be in hospital unless he is dehydrated. If he is dehydrated then I would ask your Dr to call the ER and let them know you are only there for IV fluids.. so you can skip the testing nonsense. Your Dr could be helping you out alot more.. so get on him a bit.Make it your life's and your hub's main mission to keep his fluids up and keep him on a bland diet. Definitely lean proteins (poultry and fish) baked or grilled; well cooked veggies and maybe some white rice if he normally has no problems with it. Get him some gatorade (NOT sugrar free! Sorbitol and other sugar alcohols in "diet" or "sugar free" products can give us more D!) and/or other electrolyte products to prevent dehydration. If the sports or electrolyte drinks are too much for him.. get him some pedialyte popsicles etc...Regular popsicles would be good too... (make him tell you the jokes on the sticks!







)If he is experiences nausea that is a typical side effect of the Flagyl.. try Ginger ale or Ginger capsules or ask the Dr for some Zofran or other nausea remedy if the Ginger isn't enough to take care of it. Everything you can do to help him keep his fluids and nutrients up is good.If your Husband was given Flagyl for the C-Diff it can sometimes take quite awhile to work. I was on it for about 8 days before I saw _any_ improvement in my D when I had C-Diff. So it can take awhile to work or in fact one may need more than one round. Unfortunately it can sometimes not be quick fix.here is some info on Flagyl:http://www.drugs.com/flagyl.htmlMake sure the Dr does a follow-up stool test to make sure he is C-Diff free. Once he is free of the C-Diff he can start trying to use antidiarrheals to slow down the IBS. (Imodium, Calcium Carbonate supplements etc..)One may have a harder time recovering from C-Diff if one has IBS... our systems are a bit more sensitive and may take longer to heal up afterwards. Patience is the word of the day.Now if you really feel your Dr is not managing this well... change Dr's or go to a GI specialist.Keep us posted and know you both are being thought of.


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