3rd C.Diff Medication ?

It is not a straight cause and effect, but sustained stress means sustained elevations of your stress hormones, mainly cortisol and adrenaline. The end result is a supression of your immune system and a lowering of your resistance. It is much more complex than that, but you get my drift. When those stress hormones are running high, you don't sleep well, digest well, or even think well.

So yes, stress definitely can have an effect. Little episodes don't really matter, because we compensate. But, when it is ongoing and your coping abilities are not great, then eventually you "run out of gas," so to speak. Even if your coping abilities are great, there is a limit.

But, getting off the merry-go-round is the real trick. Easier said than done (without checking into funny farm)!

Plus, getting rid of the stress does not mean you will get well right away, but it makes it a smaller hill to climb.

Jan

Thanks Jan,
I missed you post before about the neuropathy! Wouldn't that be awesome. If you are right you should write a paper and submit it to a medical journal that will pay you for logical thinking vs double blind testing. Where would you find the patients for that kind of testing anyway?

The test results for c.diff were negative. That is good news! So I can quit obsessing about it being chronic and hopefully find out what the problem is at my appointment, scope and tests coming up at Mayo. In the mean time I'm taking the Flagyl as it probably is more than cuffitis and might be pouchitis.

False negatives can be common, so good idea to stick with the Flagyl.

I have read some about using super charcoal for C. diff, to absorb the toxins with reasonable results.

Jan

Is that OTC?

I think there's a FAC or something like that that's a better test. They did that one at Mayo last year.

The best test I hear is PCR, but not foolproof.

I think it is just activated charcoal. But, I misspoke, what I read was about the CC Pouchitis Clinic using supercharcoal for pouchitis, but not C. diff specifically. It was in their "Digest This" newsletter. Scroll down to the Service Spotlight: Pouchitis Clinic.
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/...t-this-fall-2011.pdf

But others on the C. diff support pages have used it for chronic infections. I guess the idea is that if you can prevent the toxin from damaging the mucosa, you can fight the infection better.

Jan

Just saw my local GI this morning. My guts are moving so fast the minute I eat something it is in my pouch within 2 minutes. Very hard to keep up with this thing. I can hold it of course but the gurgling and gas in there makes it unbearable lately. I am testing for the 3rd time.

I think there is more to my issue but nobody can see anything. I rather be told there is something wrong and fix it than a mystery case.

I lost 6 pounds this week. That is with not even trying. I am overweight so it is ok but that tells me I am sick if I drop weight that quick.

My recollection was that the inflammation and damage that the toxin can cause can also cause chronic symptoms long after the infection is gone/suppressed. Like a chronic IBS sort of thing.

For me, gurgly gas always seems to be too much bacteria, but not sure if it means infection (antibiotics always work though). I'm sure that doesn't really help...

Jan

I am on an antibiotic for bacteria. What Shen thinks I suffer from. Just never been this bad before. Maybe I will get better. just feels hopeless lately. That c.diff really messed me up.

I'm having gas like never before, I've even figured out how to get more out. Each of the 15+ times I go I bend over, to take advantage of gravity, after to at least a 30 second count, and when I sit back up more gas comes out. It's not painful. I think it's the bacteria making it. (That's me adding some OCD counting to the process, ha ha.) I'm sure there is some kind of bacteria infection and hope the flagyl kills it.

I've stopped the probiotics while I'm on it this time too. They haven't stopped whatever is going on and I'm not going to compete with the antibiotic. You've said this before Jan and I'm finally taking your advice, plus with all of my medications like for my thyroid etc. and timing and empty stomach and with food I don't want to keep track of timing it so many hours in between flagyl doses. Plus I have to time vitamins with some meds. It seems like a flipping full time job managing my health issues. No wonder I can't get away from it and take a break! Now I'm ranting, sorry...