How many of you and/or your clients know about this terrible disease (c-diff)?

My mother got C diff 2 years ago when she was 90; she contracted it while in the hospital. She was miserable. Vancomycin helped but she was still having problems; she did, and does, take Florastor but I also found the below product (available from other vendors on the web too) Banatrol Plus
http://www.medtrition.com/products/banatrol-plus/
It is banana flakes with prebiotics (prebiotics provide food for good bacteria and help maintain a healthy gut ecology. The good bacteria in probiotics you swallow sometimes don't make it from the stomach to the intestines. Hence why the fecal transplant is more effective. FYI there have been some pilots of putting fecal matter in capsules and swallowing it frozen and that also apparently helps the good bacteria effectively repopulate the gut). Fortunately we did not need to try the fecal transplant route, the Banatrol - which you can take concurrently with an antibiotic - did apparently help my mother kick the C- diff. And as it is basically banana flakes - like in the BRAT diet but it would be very difficult to eat in fresh bananas the equivalent of the dosage of the dried banana flakes in Banatrol -- there are no unwanted side effects, and you don't go to the opposite extreme and get constipated. I found out that dried blueberries are a traditional Swedish remedy for diarrhea, and those seemed to help too, but the Banatrol was more effective and easier to eat - you can add it to juice or applesauce, and it can also even be added to what people get via feeding tubes.

My mother was in the hospital and nursing home for 2 months taking clindamycin for pneumonia back in February. She began to feel pretty good but would have days where she didn't feel up to going out due to diarrhea.She is 90 years old and her immune system is a bit compromised. Every time she is in a large group of people she picks up something if she doesn't wear a mask. One day the dog jumped into her lap, slipped and for her skin. We had to go to the ER because she is on blood thinners and my bandage job was not cutting it. It took 5 hour in theER to get the bleeding to stop. The next day we took her to her primary and got a referral to wound care. She has two stents in her legs and I did not want to take a chance. She was on antibiotics for this and received treatment daily wound checks and dressing changes. During the period of treatments he complained of diarrhea and stomach upset but we chalked it up to antibiotics. I make share she takes a probiotic and yogurt everyday and when she stopped the antibiotic she began to feel better. Within the next week, we had 30 people arrive from all over the country to celebrate her 90th birthday party. She was feeling better and excited for the company and the fun with family. I told her that since she was going to be itch so many people 5 under the age of 10, ai told her to take precautions and wear a mask. She agreed, but did not heed my advice. She wore it like a scarf around her neck.within days, as people left, she began to experience severe diarrhea and vomiting. After not see any response to the Imodium, I insisted that she got to the ER because I did not want her to get dehydrated. They put her in the hospital and tested her for C-diff. The next evening, I came down with the same horrible symptoms. They put her on antibiotics and I've fluids and sent her home when she began to eat regular food, stop the diarrhea and tested negative for the C-diff. My husband had to pick her up because I was still sick. We were all convinced that it was viral because within two days, my husband got it and I was feeling bad. I was still to sick to take care of him or to drive him to the ER so I called for an Ambon. He was not admitted, but was given some Rx and sent home. No test for C-Diff.within a few days we were all feeling better, although my mom was still not 100%. I chalked this up to not enough probiotics, a sore digestive track and she was still not eating that much. She would go days when she would only eat food on the BRAT list.she had one good weekend and had two friends visit, but was still a little weak. The next day she complained that she had diarrhea again and vomiting and refused to eat anything. I called her doctor and she said to bring her in the first thing the next day which I did. When we arrived at the office she was extremely weak and they took her right back to a room but she almost passed out on her way.the doctor decided that she should go straight to the hospital.she was admitted and started her on Iav fluids and battery of tests. While all this was going on, I started to do some research ion C-Diff. It turns out that there are two common tests. One is cheaper than the othe and yields 20% false negative. I also found out that it is most often contracted after a long term use of antibiotics, especially Clindamycin and the spores can last on hard surfaces for 90 days.they kept testing and finally she tested positive for C-Diff.she has been in the hospital on Flagyl and Vancomycin. I also brought Florastore because they were not giving her that and asked for every meal to contain yogurt. She is now in another nursing home so she can continue the antibiotics and get physical therapy. I have been busy cleaning her room and bathroom, her favorite chair and anything she may have touched. Let's pray when she returns home, it stays gone!

This month's Mayo Clinic Newsletter has an entire article on C-Diif. Can you get a hold of the Newsletter? April 2015.

Florastor seems to be the answer. Fortunately we have not have had c-diff to deal with, but with all of the antibiotics she took for UTIs last year, I credit the probiotics for keeping her safe.

Sherry1anne, my mom has been taking Florastor for about a year and a half now. I don't know if that was the "miracle cure" or not, but it was after she started taking that probiotic did she begin testing negative. My brother spoke to a woman who had c diff and started Florastor and she finally tested negative, then my mom's Infectious Disease doctor suggested she start taking it. She also took two rounds of Xyfaxen. I don't know what helped more, but something did and I am grateful.

I have heard so much about the fecal transplants but there are no doctors that I could find that will do it. I was told there is a lot of red tape with it too due to screening for any infectious diseases that can be transmitted. Apparently the donor has to be quite healthy and not over weight also. I hope they get that going since it is much less invasive than all of the antibiotics that they have to push to kill something that started out due to antibiotics!

Is anybody using pro-biotics or eating yogurt? Mothe has had several bouts with strong antibiotics and so far yogurt and pro-biotics has been a good practice. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I give Mother Activa yogurt.

Heed TooYoungForThis's advice. Fecal Transplant = Cure. Yes, I've read about this horrible, horrible condition called C-diff. I wouldn't hesitate to do a fecal transplant. Overlook the yuck factor and just do it.

And it's not just deadly for the elderly! I had to go out on disability from my career as an RN due to C-diff. Caused by 3 round of antibiotics in two months from a vicious upper respiratory. My Mom had the same URI. We both got C-diff and we didn't live together. I was hospitalized twice and so sick the second time that I was almost in ICU, septic! Dr would not let me go back to work in the hospital for 3 months; told to eat lots of yogurt with active yeast and to ALWAYS eat active yeast yogurt going forward if I had to have any antibiotics! My immune system was so shot, that 3 months after getting over the C-diff I contracted a severe case of shingles....and had 3 recurrences in the next six months. Ultimately, dr told me that I could not work nights anymore, and I should not work 12 hour shifts. There was no accommodation on the unit where I worked, so I had to go out on medical leave. Left now with chronic pain in my lower back and entire right leg from the shingles....called Post Herpetic Neuralgia. Better as time goes by, but still is aggravating at times. Basically, C-diff ultimately ruined our retirement years, due to being on medical leave and using all our savings while trying to qualify for disability.... I would never want to get it again....and I was in my late 50's when it happened to me....and healthy! So, sudden diarrhea that is very foul smelling, especially during or after receiving antibiotics, should alert to an immediate doctor's visit to avoid such complications, especially in the elderly or those with health problems already.

This was the topic that brought me to this wonderful site in 2012. I found out how prevalent it is and how deadly for the weak immune system of the elderly.

My mom had it, she was on Vanco and Flagyl and neither helped. As soon as she started weaning off from it she would relapse. She was then put on Xyfaxan for two doses. After the second round AND starting Florastor probiotics she has been testing negative for a year (she still thinks she has it and we are going to do another stool sample in the next couple of days so I will try to keep you updated) She does still have bowel problems and her Infectious Disease doctor told her that she probably has intestinal damage that causes the loose bowels. We will see what this next lab shows.

This is a nasty disease, the fecal transplant is true. Massachusetts was doing a study (and paying the subjects) for stool samples to use for transplants. It helps reestablish good gut flora to a damaged system. Sounds legit, foals will many times consume their mother's feces which in turn help the good bacteria in their developing systems.

It does make me wonder how treating something that was caused by antibiotics can truly be cured by more antibiotics? I think that the Florastor is what helped my mom. She takes it twice a day, EVERY day now!

Fecal transplant = CURE.

But the FDA, CDC & pharmaceutical companies don't want everybody to know because big pharma would lose millions, if not billions, in antibiotic sales & profits. They want you to think that more antibiotics & antifungals will cure it, but it doesn't. Common sense tells you that if your gut flora has been wiped out with antibiotics, that you don't take MORE antibiotics. The key is getting the normal bacteria back into your intestines. And that is extremely easy to do.

If you are one of the tens of millions of people who have developed this wicked infection, you can do a fecal transplant yourself. It's cheap, easy & a curative measure. Google "fecal transplant enema", and just follow the directions. Try to overlook the obvious "yuck" factor & think about the fact that this is a CURE.

Actually my one year old granddaughter got this after being treated for an ear infection. She had been switched to her third one (first one didn't work and the second she was allergic to). She ended up being treated with a FOURTH one for the C Diff! She had raging bloody diarrhea. Now when she develops another ear-with-fluid issue they aren't sure what to do about it. What was explained to my daughter in law is that this is 'infectious diarrhea'. As stated above, strong antibiotic destroys everything, good and bad, leaving the gut vulnerable to this infection, which can be fatal in a delicate person, i.e., a baby or an elderly person. After C-diff is addressed the environment has to be totally sanitized, because introducing infected fecal matter in a day care or nursing home setting will cause it to rage again. My granddaughter isn't even in daycare. She could have picked it up in a grocery store. Very bad deal!

My wife who is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and experiences nearly continuing Urinary Tract Infections is being treated now due to the large amount of antibiotics she has received treating the UTIs. She was isolated and I had to put on a plastic wrap and plastic gloves to go in. She is nearly over it as her stool is firming up.

As a nurse I know about it well. It us often seen in hospital settings during aggressive antibiotic treatment. The normal flora in the gut becomes comprimised due to the heavy use of antibiotics and things such as c-diff take place because there is nothing there to combat it.

The doctor prescribed Vancomyacin and the patient ended up having to do 2 rounds of it because they doctor didn't explain that it killed all the gut flora, even the good stuff. Did research on our own and found taking raw pro-biotics to rebuild the good flora during the 2nd round fixed the problem and it's never come back. She still takes raw pro-biotics everyday. 10,000 billion active cells - it is kept in the fridge.

I had C-Diff 10 years ago after being on a very strong antibiotic. It almost killed me. I went from 120 pounds to 109 and all I could eat was english muffins and drink gatorade. I was put on another antibiotic to deal with the c-diff and that gave me the worst metallic taste in my mouth for months on end. It is a very brutal and difficult disease to treat. Post 10 years I finally have a semi-normal functioning gut. Best wishes to you.

My mom has had recurring c-diff since 2010. She is unable to take any antibiotics unless she also takes vancomycin concurrently. Flagyl works on some patients and is much less expensive but it wasn't successful in treating my mom. You should be sure the person who has had c-diff in the past never takes an antidiarrheal drug such as Imodium (loperamide) because if the diarrhea is caused by c-diff, it could be fatal. Also, more recently, a treatment called FMT was developed and has been very successful in treating patients - here is a link for more information: http://thefecaltransplantfoundation.org/what-is-fecal-transplant/

From a previous AC thread, nearly two years old:

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/what-is-c-diff-how-treated-158947.htm

My wife had that while she was receiving IV antibiotics for osteomyelitis. It was quite an ordeal with her being confined to a bed from the accident which left her paralyzed. We're told it was caused from a disruption in the gut flora from the antibiotics and it took awhile to clear up with treatment. After the fact we learned that standard yogurt would have been a good thing to help keep the gut flora in check while she was on the IV and could have prevented the C-dif........thanks for that. You will need to be diligent on hygiene and keeping the surroundings sterile while you fight this which could take a couple months to clear. Good luck