C-DIFF

[laci]

IF SOMEONE CONTINUES TO HAVE RELAPSES WITH C DIFF, DESPITE ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, IS A COLOSTOMY THE ONLY WAY TO RID THIS BACTERIA FROM THE BODY ONCE & FOR ALL? DO DR'S ONLY RESORT TO THIS PROCEDURE ONLY, IF A PATIENT IS NEAR DEATH. WHY IS THIS BACTERIA HARD TO GET RID OFF, DESPITE ROUNDS OF ANTIBIOTICS?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Colectomy would be the last resort to treat C-Diff.

Flagyl would be the initial therapy, followed by treatment with oral vancomycin.  

Regarding recurrent infection, there are several options.  The first would be "pulsed" vancomycin therapy, with a tapering dose over an extended period of time.  

Binding agents such as cholestyramine have been used, with a success rate in studies of 68 percent.

Another option would be the use of microorganisms.  Some studies of the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii have had some success in treating refractory CDiff.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com

[TJV]

Some people try fecal transfusions to rid c difficile ( the feces of a healthy person, preferably a male donor is transfused into the infected person's bowel )

[yoshi]

please state the source.
is this recommended by doc??

[TJV]

Hi Yoshi  It's  controvercial , but some choose to try it when all else fails.  It's been around for a long time   .... There is a doctor in Toronto who avocates it in particular.

You can find articles on fecal infusions for C difficile in medscape and the National Library of Medicene.

  Schwanet al used rectal infusion of normal feces to treat it successfully.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=6740251&query_hl=3

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9531822&query_hl=6


Persky and Brandt reported success in two women using stool donated from their husbands and infused via a colonoscope.

Another approach is to administer stool via nasogastric tube .... Aas et al did a study with 19 patients  and one patient previously had had 26 relapses. They were pretreated with oral vancomycin for four or more days. The subsequent infusion of stool was used without giving adjunct antibiotics, and the authors reported positive responses within 12-24 hours..

[luckless]

That is a great way to get other diseases like hepatitis or aids.

[niña]

http://www.cdiffsupport.com/


I recommend that site.  It got me through my horrible experience.   I am a cidiff conquerer...a very lucky one for that matter.  I thought I was going to die when I had this infection...relapsed 3 times. 106 deg temp and diarreah that was orange, flakey, and like black tar at times.  Cholestrymine and Vancomycin helped cure me......took almost 1 year for me to feel semi-normal...I am still not 100%.  GOOD LUCK....if you would like to email me, let me know.

Gina

[laci]

PLEASE EMAIL ME, WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO  ABOUT C DIFF-MY EMAIL  ADDRESS IS ***@****

[TJV]

The donors are of course checked for diseases.  If you go to that c difficile site posted above,   you may see that some have done the stool infusion treatment.  It has also been tried with IBS and UC and has been quite successful. You can check out some good articles on it in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology -  

It's primarily  the YUK factor that turns people off, but it is indeed a recognised treatment.

[lmarco]

I recently had surgery and since than for a year now I have been nauseated with a slight fever, fatigued, and very bloated and constipated.  Trying to get any help from my YoYo Dr is like pulling teeth.  Does c-diff also cause this feeling I described?

[CAMA]

My partner had colitis due to C Diff, metronidazole was tried first, and as a last resort vancomycin for the last 24 hours, then he had to have an ileostomy.
I found the following web sit useful
http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/CDifficile.html