C. Diff? Flagyl? Vancomycin?

[Someemily]

I am worried that I got clostridium difficile diarrhea due to taking antibiotics, as I work in healthcare and may have been colonizing it in my gut prior to the antibiotics. I am 5 weeks pregnant. Has anyone had this during pregnancy? I called my dr today and they think it's a stomach flu so I will give it the weekend to see if it goes away and call again. What I'm nervous about is the treatment. It's either metronidazole (flagyl) or vancomycin. Has anyone experienced this or taken these antibiotics during early pregnancy?

[Someemily]

Ii went to the dr yesterday and they are testing a stool culture. I should find out the results by tomorrow. Thank you Nola and Nicole for ur responses. Vancomycin is used for treating more resistant strains of c diff and shouldn't cause c diff, FYI Nola. Kind of counter intuitive! :/

[nola0805]

If you do have C.diff (and I really hope you don't), make sure you talk to your OB before taking either drug.  I took Flagyl in the vaginal cream version for bacterial vaginosis when I was 3 weeks pregnant (before I knew I was pregnant) and I had an uncomplicated pregnancy and now have a healthy 4 month-old son.  However, Flagyl is not great in pregnancy and is not recommended in the 1st trimester - if a woman has bv, then it is given in a vaginal cream form because the pros outweigh the cons, as a vaginal infection is an equal threat the fetus.  The suppository form of flagyl is much safer than the oral - so I would be careful about taking the oral in the first trimester.   I don't know about vancomycin, but isn't that an antibiotic and wouldn't that make the c.diff worse?  In the meantime make sure that you taking plenty of probiotics.

[NicoleW09]

Good luck! Let us know what they say! I took it for bv and not c diff but hopefully you don't have it!

[Someemily]

Thanks Nicole. That makes me feel a little better. I'm going to the doctors office this morning to get checked out.

[NicoleW09]

Flagyl is safe to take until youu are at full term. I took it several times while pregnant with dd.