Support group advice is that CDI is usually accompanied by a particular smell, and that if you are deteriorating quickly that is a sign of CDI. Conversely, if you are testing negative and your symptoms are difficult but not critical, you might not be diagnosed with a CDI.
CDI is known to recur in a certain percentage
CDI recurrence is usually defined as a C. difficile reinfection or new infection within 8 weeks of a previous episode. The risk of recurrence is
- 20% after the first CDI episode
- 40% after the second CDI episode
- 45-65% after the third CDI episode
This doesn't have to be your story. But if you suspect CDI recurrence, seek medical attention.
It is my hope that C Diff recurrence statistics will be greatly reduced by good prevention, treatment, and recovery practices including diet and probiotics.
Post-infection Irritable Bowel Syndrome (PI-IBS)
CDI and its treatment can:
- destroy your good and gut bacteria
- harm the lining of your colon
- change other aspects of your health
IBS means "Irritable Bowel Syndrome". The bowel is irritated, but there is not a specific antibiotic to treat it and perhaps the root is unknown. In my case, the root was two other harmful bacteria and a depleted microbiome. An infection is the cause of PI-IBS, but antibiotic treatment plays a part.
I had e. coli (the harmful type) and klebsiella bacteria after my Vancomycin treatment. I discovered this via naturopathic testing. I was testing negative for C. difficile infection, but one of my stool samples was delayed so that the result was invalid. It is common immediately after CDI to be afraid of recurrence and to not know whether symptoms are from CDI recurrence or something else.
On January 20, 2020, I finished my 10-day vancomycin treatment. On February 14, 2020, the hospital sent me home despite my complaints of severe stomach pain, including a sensation of inflammation that had progressed until it reached the end of my colon. On February 18, 2020 I felt my worst and thought I was going to die. I trusted my life to God, and on February 19, 2020 I woke up feeling better emotionally, and began to improve.
I don't know when between January 20, 2020 and August 11, 2020 (my PI-IBS diagnosis) I moved from no longer having an active infection to having PI-IBS.
I was testing negative for CDI. I still had inflammation seen in my sigmoid colon, and pain in my stomach. The gastroenterologist who had seen inflammation in my sigmoid colon, prescribed ciproflaxicin (Cipro) and metronidazole (Flagyl), a general combination of antibiotics to treat the inflammation from an unknown cause. Due to the sharp pain I experienced when taking cipro and flagyl, I decided I would rather die than take more antibiotics. Luckily, I recovered.
Whether you are experiencing a CDI recurrence or PI-IBS, you should be able to find something helpful in the probiotic and dietary recommendations I make. However, if you are or have evidence that you are experiencing a CDI recurrence, seek medical attention. I did not know what was wrong after CDI, and the doctors did not either, so I turned to natural and naturopathic methods.
See Recovery Factors.
You can do this. There is an answer to every question. It may take work, and patience. What is your right next step?