C.Diff coloitis

[Kimberly1956]

I have been diagnosed and finished treatment for C.Diff colitis but symptoms of urgency to go and mucous BM still persist with abdominal bloating and left side pain after eating.
Scheduled for a colonoscopy but wondering if diet can help minimize symptoms. Any suggestions? Avoiding dairy already. What about other foods that aggrevate the inflammation?
Sore and tired of this battle.

[Yvette BG]

My heart goes out to you; had C.Diff. myself and went through 2 rounds of treatment before it was cleared up. I'm not a doctor, but did lots of reading on the subject and talked with a # of doctors (my Mom, who's in her 80s, had C.Diff. 9 months, so went w/ her to GI specialists, infectious disease doctors, etc. and asked questions.)

As far as diet for C. Diff., everyone's body is different. Some things that are supposed to be helpful include oatmeal, inulin, and whey (which is in some protein drinks; I've used one called Aria from the health food store). Since the balance of good bacteria is thrown off with C.Diff., it's good to eat yogurt that has "contains live and active cultures" on the label. Also, a drink called Kefir which has good bacteria in it. (If you're worried about maybe having lactose intolerance, take a LactAid tablet before having them --after checking with your doctor to make sure this is OK.) Another product which may help is DanActive Immunity drink, according to one study. I think these helped me.  

Are you taking any probiotics? If not, ask you doctor if it's OK and find one with about 10 billion cultures in it and take it once a day. Also, there's a product called Florastor, which has been used for years in Europe and is now available in the US; sometimes it's behind the counter at Walgreens, though our WalMart pharmacies now carry it. Take it 2x/day if your doctor approves it.

Personally, I would hold off with the colonoscopy unless absolutely necessary; ask for another round of antibiotics instead. Try the antibiotics, the probiotics, the yogurt stuff, and the Florastor first and see if you can get the C.Diff. infection to clear up. There are some strains of C.Diff. out there that are more resistant to treatment than others. They started me on Flagyl 1st time and then had to go to Flagyl plus Vancomycin the 2nd time. Recently learned that the bowel evac prep before a colonoscopy test disturbs the balance of good bacteria and is considered a risk factor for getting C.Diff. (if you never had it); this prep can also bring C.Diff. on again in someone who's had it before. Not all doctors know this.

You may already know, but C.Diff. bacteria produces spores, so wash hands very thoroughly (twice through Happy Birthday song) & use bleach for cleaning toilets in a 1 part bleach, 10 parts water solution to kill those spores. Underwear should be washed in bleach solution.    

Hope this is helpful. Having C.Diff. is awful and scary; if you've not been through it before, it's hard to really understand. Try not to freak and do whatever you can to get enough sleep, etc. to boost your immune system.

Good luck and keep us posted,
Yvette

[helplessnmich]

i am having the same problems including mucus in my stool haven't been diagnosed as of yet. I want my life back wish I could an answer as well . I wish you the best of luck and good health