Often called a “superbug,” C. diff is a bacterium that can range in severity from mild diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation in the colon. Finding an effective natural remedy for C. Diff can be difficult, which is why we have done our best to come up with a list of effective remedies. Probiotics, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal are among the most operative natural treatment options for C. diff.
The Problem with Antibiotics Alone
Many people think that they can simply take an antibiotic to kill off the bacterial cause of C. diff, but what they don’t realize is they could actually be doing more harm than good by doing so. At the onset of the condition, antibiotics are often to blame for the infection, as they kill off the good bacteria in the system. At later stages, however, antibiotics are often ineffective for treating C. diff because the bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic; these treatments further damage the balance in the system, preventing healing.
How Can I Naturally Treat Clostridium Difficile?
C Diff can be extremely difficult to treat and often recurs, but these natural options function to rebalance the system. Probiotics, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal are the most common treatments; however, you could also use oregano, colloidal silver, and kimchi.
C. diff. spores are able to reinfect after being outside the body for up to 5 months. It’s recommended that surfaces be wiped down with a mixture of 10 parts water and 1 part bleach. Don’t forget phones, doorknobs, bedrails, computer and mouse, etc.
1. Probiotics
A number of probiotics can help treat C. diff, but S. Boulardii and L. Reuteriis are considered the most effective. Probiotics help restore the natural balance of bacteria in the body.
2. Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is made from volcanic ash and is an effective detox agent. Bentonite clay draws the toxins out of the body and can even balance bacteria in the gut.
3. Activated Charcoal
Activated Charcoal functions in much the same way as bentonite clay. It helps draw out toxins and restores the natural balance of the body.
While C. diff is difficult to treat, these natural remedies will restore the natural balance of your gut in no time. You can also cycle these natural options with antibiotic remedies to get even better results.
Keep reading below to learn more natural treatments recommended by Earth Clinic contributors and let us know what you’ve tried!
I am 30 year old female, healthy, active, always have been conscious of what I eat and my health in general. I came down with a sudden fever, and after 4 days of fevers, chills, malaise, nausea, vomiting, some diarrhea, went to the hospital, which is very rare for me. I had a 104 fever, severely dehydrated and was given 2 liters of fluids. Nothing was found in my urine, blood, or throat swab, although the Dr. hoped it was the flu. I went home that night with hopes that I would get better.
2 more days, and the fevers, nausea, chills did not stop. I went back in and got an x-ray: nothing. CT scan revealed what looked like a kidney infection, although my urine was clean, and with that I started a 10 day course of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim). I began taking one Asprega Probiotic pill per day 3 days into the Bactrim course. After 6 days, I still had fevers, no appetite, some nausea, and extreme tiredness. I went back to in and saw the on-call doctor, she ordered urine and blood cultures, and gave me a shot of ceftriaxone, and changed the antibiotic to 5 days of ciprofloxacin.
The cultures came back clean. I requested they continue to grow out the cultures to see if it was a fungal infection, since they hadn’t found any bacteria yet. But that message must have not gone through, because they disposed of my samples.
5 days after finishing the Ciprofloxacin, I went back in for having diarrhea and generally not feeling like I was “better”. The on-call doctor (doctor #3) ordered another urinalysis and a stool sample. The next day, the clinic notified me that I had C. diff and that they had called in a prescription for 10 days of oral vancomycin. I thought about it and decided I would get the script as a backup and go all out on trying to heal myself. I have insurance so the script was only $15.
I bought kefir, barley (for barley water), kombucha, sauerkraut, 3 types of chewable probiotics, another big bottle of Asprega probiotics, garlic pills, oil of oregano, beet juice, carrot juice, and organic Miso. The previous day I had also ordered probiotics online, nascent iodine, magnesium chloride cream, iron, calcium, vitamin C and D, and a book by John Brisson titled “Fix Your Gut”, which I highly recommend. What a wealth of information.
The last day I saw the doctor, let’s call it Day 1, I had 12 bowel movements. The next day I started my treatment, Day 2: 8 bowel movements, Day 3: 7, Day 4: 4, Day 5: 3. Day 6 is today and I’m on 0 at 8am, have been up since 5:30. I have no more cramping unless I eat something I shouldn’t. I have now figured out, I take 1 bite and wait. I will get cramps within 15 minutes. I have only tried this on a couple foods, but it works. Eat slow.
The first day I drank barley water (quite soothing and not bad at all although it sounds gross), I ate the barley with flavored kefir on it for breakfast and miso for lunch. Lots of water. I continued this diet and am still on it while introducing new foods and liquids like kombucha, carrot juice, beet juice. I am also consuming all of the things I mentioned earlier.
I am overdosing on probiotics. Every 3 hours I take double a full day’s dose of each kind that I have. Every morning on an empty stomach, a shot of water with 2 drops of oregano and iodine in it. Plenty of rest and naps.
I still have the antibiotics just in case. But I now realize that they should be a backup plan and not the first line of defense. Our medical system is ridiculous. Why was I not warned of this when I started 3 different types of antibiotics in a week? Why was I not given advice from my doctor on dietary changes that could have helped prevent this from happening? It really is a shame. Why was I not warned that this could come back even after taking dangerous antibiotics? Everything I have found out about C diff, I researched and found out myself.
You will beat this! You are your best advocate. You don’t have to do everything a doctor tells you. Listen to your body. Take it slow. Do what is making you feel better. Try the barley water. You have to take care of this all day and be on top of it, but you will win.
Omg I just want to thank u commenter and this site! I have had c diff 2 times in 2 yes. I'm healthy and youngish. Anyway, this last time after the antibiotic was finished, it was about a week or so later that I either got c diff again or was getting it. I stumbled upon this site and read numerous, if not all posts. I went and just got pearl barley. Like 1 commenter Put 2 cups of it and filled crock pot up put on low/ warm. Drank and drank it for a day plus. I actually added more water in there after I took it out. Another commenter said they were taking that yeast probiotic on the hrs ever hr. I take florastor. And that combo, I think I'm cured!! I just can't believe it. Thank u to everybody!!
A side note that peeps should be aware of. Drink plenty of water. I think the barley kind of dries u up…
Hello on the thread in which people are talking about barley water for c diff. What type of barley do you think they are using? I got some from the Nugget Markets, some organic barley. Will that work??
Yes. That should work.
How are you now?
Sorry, I never saw these responses. I have been wanting to re-comment on here since my original post and probably should start a whole new thread. Anyway, all the remedies here helped, however, none of them cured it. I love earthclinic site for its natural remedies and solutions for ailments as I feel some of them have worked, helped or cured, like D-mannose for UTI. I take it regularly. Also, the sacchyromy… bouldari with (something someone said on here) really helps as well. I also take that regularly to keep my stomach gut levels healthy. I take saccy once morning and once evening and d mann same thing.
My point here is that my c-diff never went away. I have gotten it every other year or so. This past year (2019) I had a serious bout with several illnesses and got c-diff right away from the antibiotics. It never went away and I would have either re- occurrences. It was so terrible and painful I went to the ER and urgent care all of the time. I finally saw a specialist who recommended the stool transplant. I had read lots about it by then and the answer was a no brainer. I had the procedure done at the end of May 2019 and immediately felt better and was cured, literally, energy back, etc. I was so scared to go on any antibiotics yrs earlier unless I was “dying” and especially afterwards. They recommend staying off antibiotics for a year post surgery. I developed double pneumonia in early Feb 2020 and had to go on antibiotics or else I would have gone into sepsis. I was so frightened of getting c-diff again that I actually hesitated about receiving the life saving antibiotics. I took the chance on the meds and never got c-diff!!!
I am so grateful for the transplant. It caused me to gain 20 lbs, but I will take that anyday over being ill with c-diff. These poop transplants are being looked at to cure a variety of illnesses and diseases such as diabetes and autisim. People c-diff is serious and transmits easily and is deadly. Get the antibiotics or poop transplant.
C-Diff. I am in the Primary Infection
As of February 15,2017 ER hospital Visit, 600MG IV Clindamycin, + 300 mg every 8 hours, the very next morning I had morning Diarrhea typical of a C-diff infection. Everyone who takes Clindamycin, will get C-diff within ten days, with very insignificant 1 out of 250 prescribed. did not. [webMed 2016 clindamycin reviews by patients.]
On the third day I researched SACCHAROMYCES BOULARDII which prevents second infection stages of treatment.
Next I got Florastor Max with Saccharomyces boulardii lyo CNCM I-745. BioCodex France. I took too boxes in 10 hr period, woke up the next morning with a normal bowel movement. Today is March 23,2017 and I have not had another case of Diarrhea.
March 9th,
I have a very fresh stool sample I took right at the ER. Tested by the PCR method. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) Your stool sample degrades to Untestable in 4 hrs or less. Then the way you handle it will adversely affect the results. So get it done right at the hospital so they can run it upstairs to the lab. Timing for all your C-diff feces testing is crucial to your life, which you will get back. That very day my fece sample came back with C-diff B-Toxin. That means it's Virulent, and a killer. 30 days to sudden toxic death syndrome. Only with B-toxin.
Next step treatment, Vancomycin. A nuke for the second stage of C-diff Treatment. I have it right here on my desk and decided not to take it.
I found another study that said 5 % to 25% of every one who did not enter their second stage treatment, but instead worked night and day at replenishing their friendly intestinal flora, the only way to keep C-diff Bacterium safely at bay, they were later tested, and found to have neutralized the C-diff toxin producing mode.
[Never take Flagil. It's not an antibiotic. It's a deadly poison only used to kill deadly amobias that you ate out in the jungle or drank the water from the river, or you got Giradia from a Spiffy up scale restaurant that got into your water via an Ice machine which hadn't been cleaned. Yes, amoebas can grow in a commercial restaurant setting Ice Machine. I never since then Giardia and Flagyl ever allow a server to give me water or anything else with ice in it or as a base for like your shrimp. Period.]
About research. If you didn't it's not to late, but Ya gotta note, if you had. what would you have missed out on with your C-diff. Huh So if you research Vancomycin, you will find it is like Aspirin. It is an Ototoxic drug. This means that you must get a Base line hearing test before you take it, and then the hospital can monitor your hearing to see if Vancomycin is adversely affecting it.
You get tinnitus with vancomycin, then you go completely irreversibly deaf. Period. It's always something. If I have to, I will take it, however not until mid April after my hospital gives me my base line hearing test we just scheduled. With monitoring, you can prevent total deafness. without, you lost your hearing forever. Take flagyl then. You research that and you will find it never works, not even the third time around. It gives you skin cancer, and destroys the visual purple of the eye. I know, I had to take 10 days of it.
So now I have nothing else to tell you, except go purchase Perisept 62. 4 fluid OZ to one gallon of water.
Read the instructions first. then make it stronger so you can wash all your clothes in the machine.
The guys and girls who sell it to you are well informed about it. I just finished washing all my black clothes in it, my black interior in my car, my lap top, my Led screen 39 inch Viso, no worries mate. the stuff just goes on, it must be moist for 2 minutes, and then so, it kills all the C-diff highly contagious bacterium.
You in third stage you will have to spray everything down with that, or continue to be RE-INFECTED.
Right now clostridium difficile is living for up to 90 days on everything you touched, Everything, plus it loves the washer and dryer. You are prime time to purchase and use Perisept 62.
Only that name is EPA rated to kill C-diff in two minutes. 2, not one, not 1 and 1 half minutes but 2.
If you wipe it off, or it dries before that time. You wasted your time, your money and your peace of mind.
Charles.
Where do you purchase Perisept 62?
I got C.diff after having a heart attack and needing surgery on my back. I had also gotten strep throat multiple times. As you can tell, I was overloaded with antibiotics. Being a diabetic did not help as my physicians were worried about infections. I was home and recovering and had gotten bowel pain it had become worse and worse, At one point I could not stand up straight when I got out of the car. Doubled over the hood the heat relaxed the cramps, they returned daily / hourly. My son brought me some food which included deli pickles in juice. My mother suggested that I drink pickle juice, I did and it was like a miracle. Within minutes the pain was gone and I could stand with no problems. I thought I was cured, fast forward. I had quad bypass and the slew of antibiotics began and this time the C.Diff returned 10 times worse with hourly bouts of bathroom visits three four days. Again with pickle juice and this time pickles and no white breads, cut back on starches, after two more bouts each getting worse my Doctors at the VA AND A colonoscopy later, a GI specialist was seen and a culture was ordered. Finally an answer!
I was warned about future antibiotics use and such, they ordered Metronidazole along with the warning of it might not cure the C. Diff. I am slowly going backwards experiencing pain, cramps, diarrhea so I have returned to using deli style pickle juice and eating a slice of pickle twice a day. I know the vinegar is acidic and boy does it work.
Barley water absolutely works for C-Diff. I get C-Diff once a year and this is truly a life saver for me. The relief is almost instant and I am usually up and running again after only a couple days of drinking this. I also take Saccharomyces Boulardii with a flare-up. Thanks Earthclinic!
How much sachromyces b. Did everyone take for c-diff?
I have had a recurrence 5 times, I don't think I was ever healed.I still have problems 2 years later with pain, can't eat somethings ect.
I couldn't walk and spent almost a year in a wheel chair.
What helped get me to where I am today is : Saccharomyces Boulardii with mos, barley water, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal. I also ate a lot of fermented foods.
My husband suffered with 2 bouts of cdiff. Each time he was on 4 weeks of heavy duty antibiotics. I used 1 cup pearl barley in 4c. of water in a pot, bring just to a boil, then turn off heat and let steep for 30-60 min. Then strain the water from the barley and drink the barley water. My husband preferred it warm. He noticed relief from stomach pain and frequency within 12 hours. This barley water saved his life.
1 cup of Yogurt mixed with berries, protein powder (food grade Metagenics Ultra Meal), Triple Fiber by Now, once a day, mid morning preferable. Oil of oregano is an absolute must 3x a day for 2 weeks then taper down to twice a day for a week, then once a day for another week or two, but keep a maintenance at least 4 days a week!!! I take 4-5 drops per does, this is very strong so use raw honey and then some tea with honey or food, do not take this alone. Ultimate Flora Critical care 3x a day (I would research buying this online because it is so expensive in the stores).
Word to the wise, do NOT eat any chocolate, caramel, or any thick syrupy sweet for at least 6 months! Keep sweets to a minimum (make your own from gluten free mixes or recipes online).
Eat rice approx. 3x a week in a hot dish or with steamed veggies and chicken etc. Try to eat all of your meals from your home.
Once your gut is healed you should be able to eat out occasionally but beware of the restaurant you are eating at because some of them are just filthy.
Bleach your bathroom head to toe 2x a week for the first 6 weeks, then once a week. Do not reuse any towels for anything. Use paper towels to dry your hands and a clean washcloth for your face each and every time. Do not have a towel hanging and reuse it!
I have had this 2x since 2012. I hadn't been on antibiotics once. I did not have a relapse for almost four years after the first.
Fill up your kitchen sink in the morning and add dish soap and a cup of bleach, have a pair of gloves sitting right next to your sink and wipe down all high traffic areas such as garbage disposal switch, light switches, handles on the appliances, handles on your doors into your home and the counter tops. Your cellphone, mouse, keyboard, tablet. Anything you use for electronics but be careful the washcloth is not dripping but wrung out pretty good. I do this all the time and have had no problems with my electronics.
Put your underwear in a small garbage bag you keep inside a basket with a lid and only your underwear in there. After putting them in your washing machine (with bleach) wash your hands thoroughly and get a new bag (throw the used one away). You can use the plastic bags you get at places like Target, the grocery store etc. or buy a roll of small plastic garbage bags.
Use bleach to wash the washing machine and dryer really well, the floor in your laundry room with bleach as well.
If you have a steam cleaner such as the Tancs you can use that, it is certified to kill this spore. I use this steamer and it hurt to pay for it but in the long haul it has been a life saver! I personally use bleach and the steamer both, I want all spores DEAD!
Wash your jackets and coats frequently. It's easier to pay a little more for a better brand you can wash and dry frequently than a cheap one you can't. Columbia or North Face wash and dry like new. Don't wear your clothes more than once a day until you have this program under control for a good couple of months.
Do not keep your toothbrush on your bathroom counter but inside a drawer on top of a washcloth and change that out once or twice a week. No make up or blow dryer either. Do those in your bedroom.
I know this sounds like a lot but it's really not once you get a system it goes really fast and remember, you are in charge! This infection is a dangerous infection and one I don't wish on anyone for sure. The first time I had this I felt great after 3 days on flagyl, I kept the system I described for about six months and then relaxed some with such stringency other than the bleaching of the bathrooms and the towel situation. The second infection was brutal. I'm still on my regimen I described above and doing well. My intentional tract does get sore on occasion depending on if I had something to eat I should not have.
I wish you all well.
Oh one more thing, your keys and your cars! Wash those weekly as well with clorox wipes (the steering wheel, blinker handles and door handles etc.).
For C Diff, probiotics which were helping for a couple weeks, the real cure happened overnight, I had read all about dandelion root, how it can cure cancer and help with multi problems from skin to high blood pressure, so I went to the health food store and bought dandelion tea, and solitary dandelion capsules, one tea bag steeped in 8 oz. Hot water, and two capsules, cured c diff overnight, now I continue this everyday and feel wonderful.
I cured c diff by going on a raw milk kefir fast. It works every time. The probiotics in kefir way outnumber any probiotic you can buy. It overcomes the c diff and wipes it out.
Can you elaborate on the dairy kefir fast? Was that ALL you had and for how many days? Some 'fasts' are broader. I really need to get this ibs-d thing under control and I already take dairy kefir daily. I don't think I have c diff, probably a fungus like candida, but it's so much worse now than 2 months ago. I'm ready to try turpentine, but have to plan on having several days off when I can stay close to the restroom.
Just a story. No question.
Hope that is alright.
My husband went to hospital and it was found that he had diabetes. While there, they gave him antibiotics. His is immune suppressed because of a liver transplant in 2006. Within 3 days after he came home, I had to call emergency again. He spent nearly the next 1.5 yrs on and off being treated in hospital for c-diff. When he came home, he had strong antibiotics to take for the rest of his life because the 3 fecal transplants did not move the infection. In fact all of this led also to a diagnosis of dementia. After a while the causes and effects get intermingled to the point where one gets confused about the order of things. We treated him at home with only castor oil (cold pressed) poultices for a minimum of 2-3 hours per day. He had what we thought was a stroke one day, and he needed to go back to hospital again. His diagnosis this time was epilepsy. When he came back home the last time, he no longer was being prescribed the strong antibiotics. I asked the doctor about that and he said that they did not find any c-diff in his system. I do not know where the dementia plays in all of this, however, he shows signs of dementia on the occasional days, and while he is much slower mentally and physically than he was before he was diagnosed with diabetes, his mental state continues to improve. I asked the doctor about this at his last checkup and she said that if he is getting better (it's been about 3 months now) then it wasn't dementia. I'm not sure what to make of that, but I'm not asking many more questions. We are just pleased that we can spend our later years together.
A.R.E. (Edgar Cayce) site is where I learned of the castor oil packs. I'm sure that is what kept him alive long enough to receive the organ transplant in 2006.
I got C Diff two months ago from my hospitalized Dad who had it several times – then I went on antibiotics for another minor, unrelated issue, which made me vulnerable to it after I had been exposed, and sure enough I got it too.
I was put on a course of Flagyl for five days; it worked but then five days later C Diff came back. Another longer, stronger course of Flagyl was prescribed; 500 mg for 10 days 2X a day; it worked but five days later C Diff it came back. I've since found that Flagyl isn't very effective in general. C Diff has become a superbug – and Flagyl has been used so much it is losing effectiveness.
The third time it came back, I was put on TAPERED or PULSED Vancomycin, which doctor said was normal protocol when Flaygl fails twice. This is not a normal ten day or even twenty day course of Vancomycin, which is better than Flagyl but not as effective as tapering or pulsing it. With Vancomycin "tapered" or "pulsed, " you take it 4X a day for ten days, then 2X a day for 7 days, then 1X a day for a week, then every other day for four weeks. Total of seven weeks. There are variations – sometimes 8 weeks, sometimes weeks of every 3 days included.
The strategy is this: C Diff has found a way of surviving, protecting itself, by planting little spores (its babies) in protective colonies covered in biofilm. The antibiotic can kill the adult C Diffs floating around freely – so you get better. But it can't penetrate and kill the biofilm colonies of babies. So when you go off the antibiotic, you're OK until the biofilm colonies break open, grow up and became adults and guess what? You get full-on C Diff again. The babies are all grown up now, and planting their own babies even.
What tapered Vancomycin does is kill off the adults – then when you slow down your dosages, and the babies start to hatch and grow – but you hit them with dose of antibiotic. So the idea is to get rid of the baby colonies this way (I assume before they plant their own babies?).
I'm only at the end of the once a day week – no diahrrea but I can feel the C Diff pains in my tummy, feel it starting to come back, before I take my morning pill. Soon I will go to every other day – a bit worried.
But the other strategy of tapered/pulsed Vanco is that you have time to replenish your gut with the good bacteria. That is ESSENTIAL – some docs don't recommend that enough. You need a two pronged approach – kill the bad, replenish the good – to really fix the imbalance in your gut allowing C Diff to flourish.
This means dosing yourself with huge amounts of probiotics. I mean a lot. I was taking some – but just a regular amount. I've realized with this tapering that to stop the tummy pains (indicating C Diff returning) I needed to take way more than was recommended, and have found certain dietary changes (through this website and other research and just my own experimenting) that help.
Probiotics – (forgive spelling) S Boolardi is most important, but also Rhamnosus, L. casei, and L. Acidilophous. I have the Jarrow brand Boolardi 5 billion, and the Flora Udo's Choice Hi Potency 8 – 43 billion. These are the refrigerated kinds you get at the health food stores. My mistake was only taking it once or twice a day. NO. You have to super dose it. I am now taking two tablets of the Jarrow Boolardi and two of the Flora Udo's three to four times a day. That's huge but I am trying to replenish my good bacteria.
Kefir – I take Lifeway shots with 20 billion probiotics. Also have the big bottles with 12 billion.
Yogurt – the kind that has probiotics in it. Organic is good. When C Diff is full-on, Kefir and yogurt are the only thing I can drink.
Kumbacha Gingerade – another drink you can get at the health food store – it's great!
Barley water – never heard of that before I read this website. It works. Recipe I found was 1 cup barley (groats or pearled barley) to 6 cups water. Bring to boil, then let simmer for half hour or so. Drain the water off.
Activated Charcoal capsules – also highly recommended here at this website.
Tumeric and Ginger Root capsules – I was putting tumeric in tea but not enough.
Slippery Elm – someone recommended this and I am trying it.
Saurkraut, Kimchi, Miso – these are fermented foods with probiotics. I got these but haven't been very diligent about eating them. Honestly I think the above protocol is sufficient.
Beer – I'm a drinker and like my wine. Before I knew I had C Diff, I noticed that I was way worse after having some wine. C Diff loves sugar, and wine has lots of sugars. But beer is fermented (and if you make it yourself, it probably has probiotics in it) and what does it have in it? Barley! Barley has Chitin in it which breaks open the biofilm colonies. So don't have a wheat beer or rice beer (some of the cheaper beers are made from other grains). Make sure you have a beer made from barley. Malted beers are barley. Craft beers tend to have more barley in them. Check it out.
Avoid sugar, meat (has C Diff – I can eat seafood and sometimes chicken but that's it), raw veggies, nuts, wine, liquor.
But what few people are mentioning on this thread is DIFICID. I am surprised that more doctors aren't aware of or prescribing this. That is supposed to be the next step after failed Flagyl and failed Vanco. Dificid is almost always effective and stops C Diff for good. It is the only thing that cured my dad's C Diff. (He also had Flagyl (failed) and regular (not tapered) Vancomycin.) If, for me, the tapered Vancomycin and diet above does not work, I will go on Dificid. However it's expensive – $4000 for ten day course of it. I don't have insurance but plan on getting some soon. Even with RX coupons, it's still around $3500. But there's a manufacturer's coupon if you have insurance (not Medicare) that will make it affordable. Besides, with C Diff – as we all know – it's worth it. Anything is worth it to recover.
The final almost always effective treatment, besides Dificid, is a fecal matter transplant. This has 93-97% effectiveness rate.
So if you've not gotten rid of your C Diff on Flagyl or Vanco, try tapered Vano with the diet above, and the Dificid, and finally, a fecal matter transplant. The FMT is kinda gross, but again, worth it if you get rid of C Diff.
Good luck my friends!
Has anyone here tried natural remedies w/no more antibiotics after C-Diff. I did and have recovered. It took time. I was more than sick and lost 30 lbs. sitting in a chair for 5 months after Cipro. I thought I would die but I did what I could reading and fixing myself as I was too frightened to see another allopathic physician. That was very scary. Too many very bad experiences so I ended up at a naturopath and recovered further and with giving up gluten and sugar have further healed my intestinal tract. It will work.
Hi Phyllis, I'm so happy to hear you've found success. I would love to hear exactly how you did it as I'm getting pretty desperate. Thanks for your time! And best of luck to you!
Hi!
I wanted to come comment on here about Dificiid. I got CDiff after a round of Clindamycin for a tooth infection. Doctors never told me about the chances of getting Cdiff after that med – bad on me for not doing my research. Anyway, I had an allergic reaction to the Vanco for CDiff, so was put on Dificid. Cleared it up pretty quickly, but a month later, CDiff came back and it’s way worse than the first time. I’m now 7 days into Xifaxan (After 2 days of Flagyl) and while I’m going to the bathroom slightly less, it’s still really bad. So, my point is, the Dificid is not the be all end all.
I’m going to try a few things I’ve read here to see if they help because I can’t keep living like this. There seem to be a lot of natural things to try… I’ve been doing the probiotics pretty religiously already.
Just wanted to write and let you know that I also had C Diff. I don't have it anymore. And I had a very serious case of it.
It (C Diff) was not responding to lower doses of apple cider vinegar (w/the mother inside) and peppermint essential oil so I had to increase the dose and then it became effective. Sometimes you do have to use a stronger does to kill some things. This is what I used and it worked.
Now for the Protocol.
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (with mother, unpasteurized and unfiltered, I used Braggs brand) and 12 to 15 drops of peppermint oil in 16 oz of water (once a day – Twice a day for the first two days. And then only once a day after that. And follow this protocol for 3 to 5 months. Listen to your own body here. But wouldn't go less then 2 months on the protocol for sure.
IMPORTANT!! NOW WHEN YOU FIRST START THIS PROTOCOL START WITH USING ONLY 5 DROPS OF PEPPERMINT OIL AND 2 TABLESPOON OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (WITH MOTHER) with 16 oz of water. TO TEST YOUR TOLERANCE of this protocol FOR THE FIRST DAY OR TWO. Lay down after taking the dose for safe measure in the beginning. (I didn't have any problem, but better to be safe) Actually the peppermint was kinda nice it soothed my upset stomach.
But after the first two days, proceed to the 15 drops of peppermint oil, with the apple cider vinegar. Please understand sometimes it does take a stronger dose to kill some pathogens. I unfortunately did not get good results on lower drops of peppermint oil and needed to use 12 to 15 drops, 20 drops sometimes, however, “do not” not under any circumstance exceed 20 drops of peppermint oil per dose, diluted in 16 oz of water. These are pretty darn tough pathogens and this higher does is needed to kill them. If you simply can't handle 15 drop lower it to 10. I don't think less then 10 drops will help you though, but better to do this for sure than nothing. These are very virulent pathogens and can lead to death if untreated.
Doses should be taken at a minimum 3 hours apart. No more than 2 doses a day.
ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. Please do get all of the items listed in this protocol before starting it as you will need all of them to get well. This includes the food items like kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt, Apple Cider Vinegar Unpasteurized and unfiltered with the mother, peppermint oil, specific probiotics and enzymes listed, baking soda, Turmeric, and other supplements listed in this document.
After you're well (3 to 5 months), twice a week for maintenance. (2 tablespoon of apple Cider vinegar (w/mother) and 5-10 drops of peppermint oil with 16 oz of water. Not that it should come back. It's just an effective pathogen killer for so many organisms. So it is better to stay ahead and keep yourself cleaned up. Stay with the turmeric daily, it has so many health benefits. Remember death starts in the colon. This is just a great program to keep your stomach, organs and intestines in good shape. By the way I have 35 years experience in studying alternative medicine just for the record.
Also you need to add Turmeric (curcumin 95%) at 1000 mg twice a day. Or 2,500 mg. twice a day, with the peppermint oil and apple cider vinegar protocol. Take at separate times of the day not at the same time. And always use baking soda apart from vinegar and oil protocol (a few hours)
Other items essential to this program are: (Through the week) Kefir (the best most strains of probiotic), yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles. cottage cheese, fresh fruit, raw flaxseed and fresh veggies too (eat as you wish just try to include them daily and weekly. Course you can have cooked meals with meat if you like too. These probiotic and enzymes food are important for your recovery.
MUST HAVE: Garden of Life RAW probiotics women 50 & Older (Because it has 33 probiotic strains and is a broad spectrum probiotic, and potent). Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra ( It has 13 strains but it also has soil based probiotic which is very important), Any brand name of Saccharomyces boulardii, Nature's Plus Acti-zyme (1 daily). Futurbiotic Daily Enzymes complex 2-3 times a week.
For the first three days of your protocol simply use the food type probiotics, like yogurt and kefir, and Saccharomyces boulardii. Be careful adding Primal Defense Ultra and the other brand probiotics listed here. Better to only take one and see how you respond to it, and maybe only once a day. Or every couple of days. The key here is listen to your body. They are needed very much to help you, but sometimes people in really weakened states need to go slow. The food probiotics like kefir and yogurt in the beginning may be the easiest to tolerate. The 3 probiotic supplements are necessary, as well as the enzymes and can not succeed with out them.
To help with keeping ph levels in balance I use 1 tsp. of baking soda twice a day every 3 days. But you can use it everyday if you like. Make sure it doesn't contain aluminum or any other items.
After your feeling a little better a good daily multivitamin supplement is a good idea. My favorite is Nature's Plus Source of Life RED mini (of course find one you like as this is not essential to this program), And try to eat mostly low sugar (glycemic) whole foods as often as possible. Best of luck to you.
The names of these products are only listed because they contain the essential items needed for this program. If you can find them in other products be my guest, but I couldn't.
This program is also used and very successful for IBS, IBD, H pylori. Ulceration Colitis, Ulcers, Constipation, Diarrhea, and a pretty darn good parasite cleanser. It is a good program for general health as well and can be used for general upkeep and well being.
I first got C. diff after a round of antibiotics for diverticulitis. September of 2012. I have been in the hospital with it 3 different times. I was in the hospital Dec 2013 and went home on extended treatment of antibiotics. I ended them mid February”14 and by the end of the month I could tell it was coming back. At the same time I was introduced to a book “And they said it wasn't Possible” by Karen Hurd. I decided if I was ever going to get over the c. diff I needed to have a healthy bowel. The book said to eat 1/2 cup of beans 6 times a day. She explains it much better! Beans are a soft fiber. If you do not have soft fiber, the toxins, bile etc. is reabsorbed from your bowel, goes back to the liver, and is again expelled into the intestine. The soft fiber binds with the toxins and they are removed from the body. I did this for a week and then decreased and I still do 1/2 cup a day and often supplement with benefiber. I use canned navy beans or pinto beans. I wash off the liquid. They really have no taste and make a great snack. So the first part of March I still had some liquid vancomycin that I took for 2 weeks along with the bean diet. That was the last time I had diarrhea, bloody stools, stomach pain etc. I also ate chicken. Stay away from sugar as C. diff loves it. I have done Florastor and any other probiotics with high numbers.
In Sept '14 I could tell it was coming back, problem was, since I did not have the diarrhea etc. the doc in ER thought I was nuts (especially when I told him about the bean diet), and the hospital lab refused to test the stool sample. My GI doctor did not know why I was having problems as he said the cat scans he compared showed my intestine looked a little “irritated” this time, but nothing that should be causing me problems. I think the “bad guys” just outnumbered the “good guys(bacteria)”. Two days later I was admitted with 103 degree temp, still no diarrhea. They finally tested the stool sample and I was positive for C. diff. I had been on a number of different antibiotics and this time they put me on Difficile.-it is $100 a pill after my insurance which is pretty good insurance.
I am going to try some of the other remedies that are in this article. I know I have fought it off a number of times with big doses of the probiotics and right now I have the fullness way down low which I know means its trying to come back.
Thank you so much for the useful info! This morning I drank the barley water and bentonite clay and already feel a lot better. No stomach ache or nausea!!
I tried barley water after a desperately long night and on/off research on this website about C-Diff. It truly worked immediately, stopping the pain and loose/bleeding stools. I was close to going to the hospital but realized that there are far more natural cures on this website I needed to try first after having the success of barley water. Thank you for sharing and being a guardian angel for all of us who suffer with this horrible condition.
Did anyone else have nausea/upset stomach with c.diff? This has been my major complaint. Not sure if infection is back. Finished with that antibiotic on July 19th and am now having more bad days than good. Anyone else have the same complaint?
Hi there! I was wondering how you make the barley water to help with the c diff? What do need and how do you prepare it? Please help, I have recurrent c diff not responding to anything 🙁
Georgianna (NH, US)
To make barley water use pot barley and put on gentle boil till almost done. Switch off and let stand for half an hour or so. Use a lot of water for this as you want to drink the liquid. Add lemon/ lime and honey if you like.
For your needs the herb SLIPPERY ELM is of great help as it repairs the gut and is easily digested especially when there is pain. For bad stomach pains it is a blessing. It is a powder and available at health stores.
Namaste, Om
Om from Hope Bc,
Thank you for listing the recipes. However, in your posts, you have listed barley groats (hulled), unhulled barley, and pot barley. Which variety is supposed to be used? Thank you.
How often should the barley water be used?
So happy to come across re. barley water. My husband has colitis c, diff. On Flagyll 500 mg 3x daily x 10 days, on his 7th day. Also started him on Shaklee products for C. Diff program. Takes 4 kinds, 2tabs, 3x daily. Been drinking green tea, rice water. Need help bad, thank you and God bless.
The barley water worked instantly! Thank you. 2 weeks now, and no sign of c-diff. I was on flagyl, prebiotics and probiotics, with no signs of diarrhea stopping, and was scared. I'm continuing juicing to build my strength, and Sacromyces boulardii to help good flora to flourish. God bless you for sharing this breakthrough!!!!
I'm trying to find out what kind of barley, is it the plant, the barley grass sprouting seed, I would really appreciate it if you can give some information about this because my wife has been suffering from c-diff for over a year.
Hello, Wm (San Francisco, Ca) —–
For barley water you buy organic barley groats from the health food store . Wash the groats. I use the crock pot on slow almost all day with two cups of groats and water to the top. Until they have almost completely opened up. Switch off and let cool. Use a sieve to separate the groats from the liquid. You can flavour the liquid with organic lemon juice if you like. Use the barley instead of rice or other.
I have this from the UK where it is an ancient remedy and strengthener for what ails you.
All the best. Namaste, Om
I cannot seem to find barley groats, is it same as Organic Barley Seeds – – Unhulled Barleygrass Seed?
Lucy — try to find pot barley and failing that, pearl barley. I find it is harder now to find pot barley. So one has to put up with refined pearl barley.
Namaste, Om
I tried the barley water a few days ago (have had C-diff for a month). I drank about 3 cups over a 12 hour period. Because I didn't notice any benefit, I didn't take it the next day, but still have some in my fridge. Does anyone know if it is still good after 3 days? Also, how many doses and how often are you drinking the water? Are there some people who might not notice a benefit until after a few days? Thanks, Pam
Barley water is the only thing that seems to be working for me. I took it at the end of a real bad day last friday with CDiff back a few days after taking the flagyl. I was so ill, after a few cups, was finally able to go to sleep having calmed my stomach etc… The next day took practically only Barley water to give my intestines a break. Took also two probiotics bioK C diff caps in morning. Drank Barley water all day and wrested. I ate very little, a bit of mashed potatoes, very well cooked carrots, a banana at noon. Today my stools are practically normal… I also took 12 caps of this intestinal drawing formula made with slippery Elm bark, sprouted flax seed and chia, activated charcoal and bentonite clay, etc…
What's important in the beginning is to stop eating or drinking whatever is irritating stomach and intestines.
The molecule acting in Barley is Chitin. Here is a very good article explaining it's benefits etc. https://www.stimulife-ind-dist.com/ARTICLE-chitin.htm
Other foods contain it and maybe one can buy capsules of it… Krill must contain a lot of it I would think and krill capsules are available.
Bless you for suggesting barley water. I'm on Flagyl after suffering for 10 days. While I felt improvement after two days on Flagyl, the true miracle is barley water. I feel almost normal again, my stools are firm and color is good and I feel like this helping me battle this. I'm also taking charcoal after meals two pills 3 X a day.
I tried this and it immediately worked! I was having explosive diarrhea about 2 weeks after finishing Flagyl and after drinking this barley water, I'm back to solid stools. I'm not sure if the c diff is killed, though, or only the diarrhea is cured. The intestinal cramps are decreasing as well, though.
I was looking for natural remedies to help cure and treat these symptoms of my reoccurrence of cdiff. I was put on another course of flagyl 500 after it came back 2 weeks after I ended my first treatment. I was having such horrible stomach pain they were close to labor pain! This is coming from a mother of 5 children :). I instantly made this barley water and it is a God send. I do not have any cramping when I drink this. As far as it helping my stools, I haven't noticed a change yet but I'm 2 days into the flagyl. I'm hoping it clears up and never comes back!
I had C-Diff from Zithromax several years ago. My nutritionist/MD prescribed 3 supplements: Saccharomyces Boulardii capsules, IgG 2000 powder (I used Xymogen brand), L-Glutamine powder, and also cholesterymine, a prescription drug for cholesterol that also binds and removes the C-Diff; I had no side effects from it. All these things together cured it, grateful to say. I hope you have success, it is a horrible ailment.
Where do you get barley water? Or do you cook barley & save the water? I am 4 weeks with diarrhea & on flagyl. I'm miserable. Please advise. Thank you!!
Hi Sue, do you mind me asking, was barley water all that you took to treat C.dificile or where you on the flagyl too? and if so, how much of everything did you take?
I'm still having symptoms but they're milder and the test isn't detecting it because of all the probiotics and S.bouradi I took brought it down, but I can't get rid of it. Any info would be so greatly appreciated. I don't think I'll be able to get treatment through my doctors…
Are you sure that Cholestyramine "binds and removes" C. Diff? Did you test after its use to ensure that you are now testing negative for C. Diff?
I have an aunt who has c diff. Usually caused by too many antibiotics or acquired in the hospital. I take monolaurin to prevent catching it. It is from coconuts. Also have on hand Oregano essential oil if anything else is needed, but not taking it yet. Also use " the Ultimate Antibacterial Foaming Soap". Start with these I think they will help. Look up these products on the web. I not a doctor, but I believe these are helping me.
If you take antibiotics for c diff it would be wise to take a probiotic. I take custom probiotics, pure and human strain only.
My sister was literally dying with C-diff. My Grandmother was told this by a pharmacist in Mexico. It worked Immediately, saving my sister's life. C-diff can readily be cured with chitan. The plant form is found in Barley. Here is what we did for sis per the pharmacist. Boil the barley yet don't cook it all the way, remove from heat and let it steep. Have patient drink the barley water after it steeps about 20 minutes. It is like a miracle for c-diff. Also stops any diarrhea quickly. Other Chitan is found in crab or shrimp shells. Health stores sell in capsules. We did not try those as the barley water so phenomenal!!
Interesting. So just plain store bought barley? I have had c-diff 3 times this year.
Hi Julie — buy organic unhulled barley. If you have a slow cooker, great. Use four times or more water and cook slowly . When the grain has opened up much, switch off and let stand for a while. You should have 10 fl.oz. water or more which you dilute with lemon juice. In the UK this is called the "Royal Barley Water". The barley groats can be used for meals. Very strengthening and full of vitamins, even for pets.
Namaste, Om
Thank you everyone! This is exactly what I've been looking for. Tried and true natural stuff to fight this thing. I was put on antibiotics to combat the c-diff I contracted from a patient in long-term care while in training. They didn't know he had it right away but while changing him, decided to run a sample on him. I wish they would have had the gowns and masks ready just in case, but… the test came back positive for him and THEN put everything outside his room. So I was breathing in the spores for two days. I might point out that 2 weeks prior to that, I had finished a 5-day stint of Clyndamycin @ 125mg, that my dentist gave me cause another prescription showed I had reaction to it. An ER Dr. said this wouldn't have been long enough to have caused the C-diff. I figure I must've been a sitting duck! Anyway, I was put on the Flagyl first, then Dr. increased the doseage and after a couple of days I got really ill from that dose. Five days later I got put on Vancomycin for 10 plus days and I was getting every side effect listed! So I'm feeling worse from the side effects but the loosey-goosey stuff is not the problem. I didn't want to take anything anymore cause it's just scarey! I'm gonna try all this stuff, 1 at a time (ha). This barely stuff sounds great and that probiotic. So there IS HOPE! I will let you know. By the way, I gave all the background so it might help someone else to watch out in environments, etc.
Can you use pearl organic barley? I think I am having a relapse of c diff after 2 years as I have just taken antibiotics again I am so scared to go through this again!
Alicia – Australia — try pot barley which is not stripped of its goodness. All the best.
Namaste, Om
I had C:diff, was on Vanco for 3 weeks and then tested negative. Now I have 10 to 20 (mostly 20) BM's a day a but all are formed never watery. What the devil is that?
What is the ratio of water to barley?
Sorry, I'm a bit late with this information; however, I just now have come across this chat forum. I've had (have?) C. Diff. You can obtain organic, non-GMO complete barley powder from a very reputable provider from the internet. Since it's a powder, you can just mix with water, juice, tea, etc. Hope this post is not too late to help someone.
I have recurrent C.diff. and often on Vancomycin..which seems less effective each time I use it. Am gluten intolerant…isn't barley full of gluten?
Does it matter what type or brand of Barley it is?
To Arlene, I would be very very carefull if I were you because of your gluten allergy. Read this and consult somebody who has the knowledge to help you with your condition. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/05/other-nonwheat-grains-can-also-hurt-your-health.aspx
Please, can anyone tell me how many glasses of Barley water to drink, per day, to help C.Diff ? Also, how many capsules(?) of Oil of Oregano a day should be combined with the barley water? In desperate Need!
Barley water stops diarrhea super fast. Thank you. Isn't that a good thing when anti-diarrheal meds are supposed to be avoided? I know, it's food, so way healthier.
Where can I buy Barely from? Do you know if Whole foods store carry it? I tried searching on Amazon and they have Oragnic hulled Barley.
You can get barley powder from Swanson Vitamins. I bought some because I thought I would need it, but so far lots of probiotics have worked.
Hello Manish Shah. If you have difficulty obtaining barley water consider making you own, it's very simple with lots of info on Internet. It's basically just boiling barley and draining the liquid off. Wish you luck.
To all fighting C Diff… My mother in law is in a care facility where C-diff runs wild. After 4-5 rounds of it and all the antibiotics, I took matters in my own hands. After a lot of rerearching and talks with health pros, I tried out the Probiotics and added also some D-Mannose powder. As explained to me the D-Mannose is a type of sugar and it lines the bladder walls so the "bad guys" bacteria can't hold on. So with a regimine of Probiotics and D-mannose, along with lots of water, she has been C-diff free for over 5 years now. It's worth the effort. Good luck to all.
I like iherb.com, really good prices and fast delivery. But you should be able to get Oil of oregano right off the shelf at any health food store or Whole Foods. In Portland, we have it at the grocery store in the health department.
C. Diff and other bacteria might live in a person's intestines. If C. Diff lives in you AND you are prescribed certain antibiotics that are effective against other bacteria present in your intestines THEN you MIGHT experience an overgrowth of the C. Diff which can result in symptoms.
If you put several types of bacteria in a dish where you can see them on something they feed on you will likely see colonies of these several and to some extent they limit the growth of competing colonies.
It is like this that C. Diff can be present in the human digestive tract without symptoms.
Once an antibiotic is introduced that kills bacteria other than C. Diff this opens the door for C. Diff to flourish and become symptomatic.
Antibiotics do not give you C. Diff. It is either inside you or not. If not then you have to be exposed to it somewhere.
It is highly unlikely that while you are taking antibiotics you also come into the type of contact necessary to become infected with C.Diff.
It is very likely and probably 100% or very nearly 100% of C. Diff overgrowths are due to a person already hosting that bacteria and then taking a course of antibiotics which kills the competition.
I didn't see the original post regarding this question, but I don't exactly agree with the response posted. Regardless, I'll pass on some information.
The beneficial yeast in mangosteen and lychee fruits can cure C. Difficille. I researched it for several days. The research goes back to 1927-I think was the first year it was discovered. This information isn't new, because a pharma company created a "probiotic" to treat C. Diff-only thing is the beneficial ingredient isn't exactly a probiotic, it is a YEAST, and the drug also often makes ppl sick. I opted to look for the fruit and not buy the drug.
The fruits usu aren't avail here in the states, they are considered an exotic tropical fruit. At the health food store, the produce mgr recommended a brand of 100% mangosteen juice (himilayan, if I remember correctly) from the supplements section. It was expensive. Best thing I did was buy it.
I was on some terribly strong antibiotics. I needed them for a bad jaw infection that was destroying the bone, it was the worst experience. The infection had been there for years and was strong; I'm thankful the infection was located with a 3-deminsional x-ray and that the antibiotics were available. But I've never been so sick from antibiotics. After taking the antibiotics for a week, I could barely stand up from so much abdominal pain, I bought the mangosteen juice. Within about 30 minutes of taking my first dose of the mangosteen juice, I felt abdominal relief. I began taking it 3x a day, then went and bought mangosteen capsules to take during the day while at work. It made all the difference.
The research stated the mangosteen can't prevent C. Diff., but once you have it, it can get rid of it.
I really don't know how the mangosteen benefited me, because all the research said the beneficial yeast can't prevent c. Diff. , so I must not have developed it. But, my gut was in a lot of trouble from the antibiotics, and the antibiotic was directly linked to C. Diff. , which is why I did all the research. Whatever was going on with me because of the antibiotics, the mangosteen saved me.
I was so grateful for the mangosteen information I found. I always tell people, you've got to take responsibility for your health. We have the internet, so research, research, and then more research. Hope this helps.
I wonder if the mangosteen would help the IBS-D that I've had all my life? I've been checked for every possible cause and tried every remedy I've heard of, but not this yet. When I ask, people say charcoal, etc, but they don't have a clue how chronic this is–I have diarrhea every single day, no matter what I eat. I get up at 4 a.m. so I can eat and let my bowels do their thing and be able to leave the house at 7, then often I am still stopping on the way to work. The only thing that gives me consistent relief is immodium and Lotronex.
Hi Trudyg from Al:
There are plenty of reasons for IBS-D:
intestinal inflammation
sibo
amoeba
allergens
toxins
Lactose Intolerance
blastocystis hominis
First don't take immodium, in the long run the intestines will lose its continence. To find the exact cause of diahrrea, involves process of elimination this will take time as it can be anyting.
First you need relief, then you need treatment. Even in case of treatment, you have to try many remedies that suits your body.
So Let us assume you have parasitic infection (whether bacteria, virus, amoeba and or worms). This assumption is apt for most of the cases.
As a first step, Take 1 cup of Home Made Kefir 2 times a day that fermented for atlease 24 hours.
The reason for 24 hours fermentation is, It increases the good yeast growth (along with good bacteria) and abundance of Lactic Acid. This lactic acid is the remedy for diahrrea. And the Trillions of bacteria and Yeast fights against the parasitic infection. Also, the kefir contains the enzymes that is necessary for the digestion of food. If the food is digested well there will not be constipation or diahrrea. Ofcourse we not killing any pathogens, we assisting in the process of digestion and elimination so you get immediate relief.
Take 1 gm of vitamin c 2 times a day. North american diet is deficient of Vitamin C. Vitamin C increases the immunity.
Take home made carrot juice 300 ml a day. Vitamin A in carrot juice will heal the intestines, removes fat from liver, increases iron in the blood, and rich in other minerals such as magnesium, phosporous etc.
Follow up your progress here. Many will help. More people are cured by getting help from patrons of EC.
Good Health
Hi, here's what helped me, prescribed by my dr: in addition to an excellent probiotic which I was taking daily; added saccharomyces boulardii (Floristor, or other companies make it as well (some with added MOS which is fine), less expensive, follow the dosage on package/bottle); also, twice a day, L-glutamine powder which is available most places, a half-teaspoon dissolved in a cup of water, and in the same water, dissolve a tablespoon of IgG 2000DF, which is an immunogobulin concentrate that rebuilds intestines. I use a brand that starts with XYM_ _ _ _, but maybe there are other brands. Stir the 2 powders in and drink. Not unpleasant. No food for a half-hour before and after. The IgG 2000DF is not cheap but it helped immediately. So worth it to me. Good luck!
I agree with the person that suggested homemade Kefir. My neighbor was having a terrible time with IBS. I suggested she try doing homemade kefir and I got her started. From the first drink, she was better and won't go a day without it now. It's worth a try.
Only a small percentage of adults carry c-diff, about 2% to 5%. The vast majority of the time people contract this bug in a healthcare setting like a hospital or care home and around the same time are given antibiotics for an existing condition and as a result get the clostridium difficile infection (CDI).
I was recently diagnosed with C-Diff and went to the emergency room and they gave me Vancomycin to take every 6 hours for 10 days. I had taken Clindamycin a couple weeks back and I had a little stomach gurgling after I finished but I had no idea it could cause me to have this problem! I started taken probiotics (refrigerated 60 billion active probiotics) several times a day and it seems to have helped with the stomach pain, gas, and diarrhea. Thank God! I go to the gastro doctor tomorrow so I'm declaring by the grace of God that I'm healed from this terrible thing. I believe there should be a mandate by the government that a label warning people of possible C-Diff if you take certain antibiotics.
I have had digestive prob for many years, but because of family death and responsibilities, I became so consipated and bloated that I was incapacitated. Tried enemas, pressure, exercise, potassium, almost everything..then went to doctor…(prob bad decision) he gave me w different antibiotics and I took them.. after all this, and not having eaten much of anything, I ate almost 1/2 gal of BLUE BELL ice cream to soothe myself..That night I started vomiting, had diarrhea, high fever (I'm 71)and after about a week went to doctor again. I was sooooo sick…she sent me to gastro doc..he sent me directly to emerg room…they then hospitalized me. I was severly dehydrated and had not had anything but water stools for probably 1 1/2 weeks or so…they put me on iv and began giving me potassium for two day and saline, etc…antibiotics, you name it…then my kidneys started to fail…I was on 2 meds to stop the diarrhea, but it didn't stop..after 6 days they finally sent me home where I still took the two anti-dirrhea med without the symptoms subsiding. I don't remember exactly, but I finally stopped having so much diarrhea and got a little better, but never regained my strength, etc.
Recently (may 2015), I was at drugstore and asked the clerks (3 of them) behind the counter when the blue bell was coming back…they all chimed I "that was poisoned) ..all of a sudden, it made sense. I WAS POISONED BY BLUE BELL ICE CREAM) I cld my doc who advised me to go to my gut doctor and he took and stool sample and with the lastest technology, they tested my stool. Well it came back with C diff…of all things…i thought it would be listeria, as that was the "poison" in blue bell.. soooo…he has prescribed Metronidazole (Flagyl) today and I have taken the first of 42 pills and am terrified that the horrible diarrhea will come back and don't know what to do…should I take probiotics, while taking the Flagyl, what should I eat, should I get mangosten, kefir, WHAT TO DO???? In addition, I have undiagnosed lung problems..have had 3 xrays done, no diagnosis yet, could be TB, pneumonia, cancer of lung…I'm a mess…will address this next week with lung doc (I hope) anyone have any thoughts?
As per the lung thing, yrs ago my health began deteriorating from what appeared to be some kind of lung issue and I had the standard radiology and nothing further for diagnostics; until yrs later and much research, Mycoplasma infection was the only identifiable cause. I personally witnessed a Cow nearly die from this condition (which is somewhat common in livestock after drinking contaminated water source like ponds where parasites & pathogens can occupy). Several months of vet administered high dose antibiotic got her well enough to calf once again but the calf was also infected and compromised and soon died.
Colloidal Silver (oral and/or nebulized), Borax, and the herb Uvi Ursi (read label for recommended dosage as there are limits w/ this herb) is a good treatment start for any mycoplasma infection. Mycoplasmas have chronic debilitating affect on immune function and leave one very susceptible to any little bug that comes along, and like in your case, can be nearly fatal.
I am very eager to help anyone who will listen… I have had two surgeries on my bowels. Second was for small bowel obstruction in which they removed my bowels and cut them apart and put them back. Now they are extremely scared which has made me a human experiment with food. I am severely allergic to gluten which I believe I was for years… IBS, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia in the 80's thyroid in the 90's and then the dreaded diverticular disease… the rest is history.
KEEP A FOOD DIARY! Gluten is in everything from make-up to hard candy all processed foods unless GF labeled. It is in the eggs we eat unless free range and the meat unless grass fed. Vegetables can cause their own set of issues if it is not locally grown fresh or organic. Your body will tell you what it wants LISTEN!
Research anti-inflammatory foods and eat them. Get help I went to therapy for 8 months to change my brain. I would cry when I talked about food to anyone. Now I am empowered and I decide what I want to eat not the industry. If I didn't I would not be here today. Change your brain change your body! 🙂
I totally agree, Doctors might not perscibe so readily, if they had a warning label.
Unfortunately that is not true. I contracted cdiff and I have not been in the hospital in over a year and I have not taken an antibiotic in over 10. I am not around small children or elderly people and know no one that has had it, nor do I take tums or other antacids. I got mine from food poisoning while I was healthy, but I am guessing my stomach was feeling the effects of long days and lots of stress and my immune system was weak from exhaustion. Total nightmare.
Mangosteen, the true superfruit, is an inflammation fighter… getting the Mangosteen is no longer difficult as I use it daily… I don't have c.diff that I know of… I have been around ppl who have it with a vengeance but I don't know if that exposed me to it or not. but I take the Mangosteen just in case… it's fights all sorts of inflammations.. c.diff included. I also use a squirt of Colloidal Silver orally… one time a day when I feel a cold or sniffles coming on..it fights the tougher infections such as c.diff, botulism, MRSA (staph infections) which become resistant to antibiotics… but they do not become resistant to CS. I hope this helps.
On April 2, 2013 I took a taxi to the nearest ER to find out why I was having non-stop bouts of diarrhea with a scorching fever. Later the next day, I received a call from the attending ER Doctor informing me that I had c-diff! I had never heard of this infection; but with intesnse research I found out that the on-set of this attack is usually brought on by heavy doses of antibiotics–2 weeks prior I had a dental procedure that required 8 consecutive days of an intense antibiotic dosage.
I went through 2 weeks of sheer hell–which included lots of blood and pus in my stool.
I went on a full attack on April 4th–using a standard probiotic (10 Billion cultures) and rapidly increased it to 50 billion and subsequent other products that I learned of from people on this forum (and my dogged research) I am happpy to report that on Saturday, April 20th, the bleeding, loose stools, painful gut and incessant bathroom visits STOPPED.
I feel absolutely great and I want to share some of my protocol so that someone else might not have to suffer months, even years on ened.
I started with Digestive enzymes before every meal and heavy doses of probiotics and then added [probiotics] before breakfast. I also took on e saccromycess bilourdii capsule midday–sometimes on an empty stomach and sometimes with food. I wanted to try different approches in order to monitor my body's reaction.
I think what brought about the quickest relief is that I ingested Oil of Oregano and drank Kefir several times a day. More importantly, I refused to go along with my Doctor's suggestion to start a Rx of Flagl to purge the infection–this makes no sense, and unfortunately Western medicine is pretty much lost inmy opinion. It was completely counter-intuitive to put more antibiotics in my body… They do more harm than good!
I am continuing with taking 4 drops of oil of oregano on an empty stomach–once in the morning and an hour before dinner. I drink 2-3 glasses of Kefir; yogurt (try to avoid the sugary kind); before dinner.
What brand name of digestive enzymes did you take, as well as type of probiotics (brand name)?
How do I take the oil of oregano for c-diff ?
My dad doesn’t have much time left and he is very attached to my baby boy who is blind (dog) he is coming home to finish out what time he has left… He does nothing but talk about how he can’t wait to see his four legged grandson.. My dad has c-diff so how do I protect my baby so that he can spend time with his pap like he has always done??? Please if you can help me or point me in a direction to get this answer I would be so grateful
I’ve had c diff…. Yuk…. 6 months of agony from dental prescription of clyndamiacin..sp?… Lost 15 pounds and was miserable. I’m a small person. Couldn’t eat without a bathroom nearby.
Take everything today to re establish flora on a mega scale and coconut products heal the intesines … and I thought constipation was a problem… this is worse. There is a post from this week of using fecal transplant that was successful … I don’t know the proceedure but if you can get rid of c diff today, anything is worth trying.
Some fascinating news on Fecal Transplant science.. https://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blogland/2013/jan/22/poop-magic-gut-cure/
HI U GOOD PEOPLE DOIN, , , , , , , , , don't have a dog in this hunt , but a few days ago fecal transplants was a heated topic on E.C.. Well, the Alopathics are now into the fray so there must be gold in them thar hills.
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20150330/fecal-transplant-treats-serious-recurrent-intestinal-infection
As usual, I just stir the pot and get the heck out of Dodge….. so have at it.
Of course we must have a 20 year double blinded test that involves millions in university research grants.
I figure if the natural folks think it works, then they will take some poop from a healthy kin , stick it in a capsule and go about their merry way. Naturally, they will pass on their adventure to EC and we will be light years ahead of our modern medicine ……as usual. On the other hand, poop may be patentable.
======ORH=====
ORH–they do more than take it in a capsule. They mix it up into a slurry with oatmeal and other stuff and shoot it on up in there, hold and hope the good part “takes”. My ibsd is so bad that I would if it got any worse. Lots of folks I know have done it, with good results.
I may be using the fecal transplant technique if the above natural methods and meds from drs don't work. Here's a link to Johns Hopkins that currently performs this procedure. Hope this helps someone…
I would like to know from Lloyd who posted today 12/18/12, what colloidal silver generator he has.
I have been taking CS for months now and have not been sick with a cold or flu. I recommended it to a friend who had been to many doctors because of the pain in her teeth and jaw. No doctors could help her. After the first day of taking CS her pain was diminished. Now it has gone away. She asked one of her doctor’s if he knew about CS and he said yes. She asked him why he didn’t tell her about it. He didn’t have and answer. I also spray it in my dog’s eye which was seeping. No more seepage. Also, a friend had pink eye, we sprayed it in and on his eye, next day it was gone. Amazing stuff. That is why I want to get a generator. Just haven’t been able to decide which to get. Lloyd, if you could email me, that would be appreciated. Landrov101 (at) aol dot com
Many, many thanks to Ted and everyone on EC who are helping each other to continue with good health.
I have just -almost recovered from C’diff. I have ‘red rice yeast , and am reluctant to take it, as what I have now is a yeast problem now. I have now taken Probiotics. I am so drained, and need to eat, but what can I eat not get sick again. Liquids are fine and staying in ( I think). I am 82, 119, (normal 124), and need to know what to eat. Please help! I not ever been sick like this ever. Thank you so much for help or reference.
Just Take 1 cup of home made milk kefir a day.
You are not alone…
This is my personal story, account and opinion on my experience with Clostridium Difficile (C Diff)… My hope is for my story to help bring awareness to others about the realities of C Diff, the dangers, and ways to help prevent others from contracting it. And for those who have it, to help you know you are not alone in your search for understanding, knowledge, and help in getting rid of this horrible disease.
I was hospitalized in Sept of 2011 while and after undergoing surgery to have a trans metatarsal amputation and ankle fusion surgery. As with most surgeries I was placed on IV antibiotics to prevent infection of the surgical site. Prior to going to the hospital for surgery, our home was thoroughly cleaned and bleached to make sure I would return to a sterile environment. My husband, having suffered from a nasty staph infection in the past, was very concerned of the risks of such a thing happening to me, following my surgery. Staph, being something I understood and was cautious of while hospitalized as well. I have always prided myself on being someone of good hygiene and rarely ever get sick.
On my third evening of being in the Hospital I became violently sick with diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. I spent the evening and well into the next day in the bathroom of my hospital room. Sitting on the toilet, while my head was in the trashcan, feeling sicker then ever I had in my entire life. I have had food poisoning before, and it was like that times at least ten… The nurse on duty that night kept returning to the room and checking with my husband, and coming into the bathroom to check on me. He told my husband, he had never seen someone so sick before. He was very concerned and was afraid to have me left alone in anyway. When my Surgeon came to see me the following day, my husband explained how sick I had been all night. I was now in addition to my pain medication, taking meds to help with the diarrhea and vomiting. The Doctor advised that I was fine, and just severely medicated the night before, and having a reaction to that. He then advised I could go home that day.
Upon returning home I no longer had bouts of diarrhea, but still had a lot of nausea and vomiting. I was given medication, which I had taken in the past anytime I had previous surgeries to help with the nausea and vomiting that can sometimes accompany pain medications and/or surgery. The medication was not helping this time, and was changed a couple times, with little relief. Now instead of having diarrhea I was extremely constipated. A very normal side effect of pain meds. My pain medications were also changed a few times due to the nausea and vomiting as well as not relieving much pain. After several weeks I was sick of the med game, and sick of the constipation. I stopped all use of pain medication. The following morning I awoke before the sun had risen with uncontrollable diarrhea and nausea. Having had a lot of surgeries, I had been through getting off pain meds before and figured I would ride this out for a few days and be fine. A week past, and then, to add to the 30 times a day diarrhea episodes which began at/around 5 am daily, I now was also dry heaving and vomiting like crazy. I was unable to keep anything down or in. I contacted my Primary Care Doctor and advised him of my current status. He said there was nothing to be concerned about, and that I was merely experiencing common symptoms of opiate withdrawal. To add to my symptoms I now also had severe pain in the right lower quadrant, just below where my appendix used to be and pain in my mid to lower back, as well as severe pain under my right breast. I also had pain after urination, urgency, and increased frequency. I felt like I was burning up all the time. My eyes would get hot throughout the day, and often my vision would blur. And I kept experiencing a high pitch screeching in my ears. And my head felt like someone was putting it in a vice grip. This continued on… After another week, and more weight loss and unable to tolerate even liquids, I again let my Doctor know. He now said he felt I was just suffering from IBS. I disagreed feeling at 40 yrs old and never suffering from IBS before, that it wasn’t something that normally came on at such an age, without previously having symptoms of such earlier in life.
And so the weeks continued, as did communicating with my Doctor to all that was occurring. Throughout this time frame he prescribed a medication that was for acid reflux… something I never picked up from the pharmacy as I researched the medication and found several thousand posts from people who were prescribed it and suffered horrific side effects. Major depression and suicide topped the list. And as my husband asked, ummm it’s for acid reflux and you have vomiting and diarrhea, wtf? My primary Doctor also advised me to take Imodium to slow up the Diarrhea. Weeks later when seeing my OB to make sure nothing female was happening with the urination pain, she also suggested I take a prescription strength diarrhea medication. Again something I choose not to do. My reason always the same-my body felt extremely toxic. Things were coming out my nose, my mouth and my #ss, and that means something wanted out. Bottling it up didn’t sound like a good idea.
We sought out help of naturopaths, acupuncturists, Chinese herbal medicine people and such. All of which said much of the same thing. That I was suffering from a kidney deficiency, liver deficiency, spleen deficiency, and stomach deficiency. Everyone had herbs that would clear things right up, stop the diarrhea, stop the vomiting. None of which helped, and most of which had the opposite effect. And all were looking at the symptoms, as western medicine does, and not the source of the problem. This was something I found no one could address. I also saw my Chiropractor on a regular basis, who regularly commented something was causing extreme inflammation in my digestive track. He recommended I request lab work to make sure there was no underlying infection.
After almost 2 months of constant diarrhea, nausea and bouts off and on and off of vomiting, and over 20lbs of weight loss (20% of my body weight), my Doctor said this was physiological effects of opiate withdrawal but we could run a few tests, as I’d requested, to make sure there was no infection or parasites etc occurring. Nothing was found in the urine, blood or stool tests. My Doctor then advised me to give it another 2-4 weeks and see how I was feeling, and if I wasn’t better, he would put in a referral for me to see a Gastro-Interologist. A couple weeks later I had a scheduled appointment off island on Oahu to see the Surgeon who had performed my amputation/fusion surgery. He recognized how ill I looked and commented about the weight loss. My husband and myself explained all that had been going on for so many weeks now. He immediately put in a referral to GI and to Urology. Upon returning to Maui, the GI dept called me to schedule an appt and advised me the Doctor was out of town till the following Wed. After the nurse asked me several questions and went over all I was experiencing, she said the Doctor could see me the same day he was back, and that this was urgent. She was concerned and advised me if I had any signs of dehydration to please come in and get an IV or go to the hospital if it was after hours. I let her know as bad as I felt and as much as was coming out of me, I was drinking water constantly to avoid dehydration and the need to go to a hospital, which I feared would only serve to medicate me and risk further illness.
One of the first things the GI Doctor brought up during my appt, was the fact that I was hospitalized and on antibiotics at the time of my surgery in Sept. He mentioned something called C Diff and the widespread issue it had become in recent years, and that people contract it generally while in a hospital and on antibiotics. He explained how the diarrhea generally begins 8-10 weeks after initial exposure. And some people often get ill or have an episode when initially exposed. He also went over the possibilities of things like Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns Disease, Celiac Disease and Colon Cancer. Within less than 48hrs of my GI appt I was prepped and having an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy. 3 Days later my GI Doc called and advised me I had C Diff. He said I had a very severe case and was going to prescribe the strongest antibiotic to fight this, so that more time would not be wasted in taking a lighter med that I might not respond too. He said it was a very good thing I had not taken the Imodium or the Lomotil that was prescribed to me, as this would have bottled things up, as I thought, and in 50% of cases, people suffering from C Diff experience toxic megacolon. Your colon explodes. How awesome is that? He also told me when we spoke at my original appt that he saw my primary Doctor had prescribed another medication to me. I cannot write the name here, as I would not want any drug companies trying to sue me for saying negative things. Just know the GI Doc asked if I was taken it. I said I never picked it up. He said that too was something he was grateful I did not take. He told me it was one of the worst drugs on the market… Comforting again… At this time my GI Doc prescribed 14 days of Vancomycin, and advised me I’d feel better within 2 days, but to make sure I completed the full course of antibiotics. Unfortunately I did not feel better in 2 days. I did not feel better in 2 weeks. My GI Doc was no longer working there, and the new one I spoke with then quadrupled my dosage of antibiotics and advised me to take them for another 14 days. Again I did not get better. The diarrhea was more than ever, my hair was falling out in droves, my body aches and joint pain were unbearable… Headaches every day. Nausea every day. Pain after urination and increased frequency. Low grade fever each day. Ears ringing like crazy. Eyes a hot blurry mess. The list goes on. So many things no one tells you that comes with the effects of C Diff. The toxins wreaked havoc on my nervous system and immune system is so many ways. This by no means is something that only affects your digestive system.
After much research I found my way to a Doctor in Oakland, CA. Dr. Neil Stollman. And incredible GI who thought outside the box. Long story a little less long, after several conversations, we were booking a flight from HI to Oakland and scheduled to have a procedure called Fecal Microbiota Transplantation or as often referred too a fecal transplant. I had first heard about this procedure from one of my best friends. Her sister is a nurse, who happens to work in a Hospital. One of very few in the US that does the FMTs. She wasn’t sure what exactly they were doing it to treat, she just knew it was for diarrhea related problems. Their conversation had come about in discussing how long I’d been sick, and how often I’d been having the “D”… This was almost 2 months before we knew I had C Diff. So our journey would find us going to Oakland, CA for the FMT Surgery through Colonoscopy. I won’t go into all the details on the procedure. This is something you can easily google and find out so much more about. Or you can email me and I’ll do my best to share any info I have or answer any questions. What is most important in all this is one simple thing… There are other ways to rid yourself of this horrific disease. Not everyone responds to antibiotics. I am living proof of that. The studies show approx. 20% of people infected with C Diff are unresponsive to antibiotics. There are also a great percentage of people who do respond to the meds and have a complete recovery, just as there are a great deal who do great while on the antibiotics, but within 2-10 days the c diff returns. When people don’t get better from the meds, most Doctors advise there is nothing else that can be done. Some stay on the meds for years, as it’s their only relief while on it. The minute they stop C Diff comes back with a vengeance. Mind you the cost of these medications are extremely high. Without insurance coverage, a 14 day course is almost $1800. So when they quadroupled the meds, in my case, that was almost $7500. Can you imagine the people taking it for months on end?
While getting my second 14 day course of medication I asked the nurses in the GI Dept if they had ever heard of Fecal Transplants. They told me that it was something that was discussed about introducing to help in C Diff cases, but that everyone was in agreement that the “ick factor” was just to much. I then asked if you had what I have, and before I could complete the sentence, they all commented at the same time, they would go anywhere in the world they had to, to do the FMT and get the C Diff gone. Interesting they’d all use it for treatment, but would have no interest in treating others… Mind you that those who don’t respond to meds, do not magically kick this on their own. C Diff causes kidney failure, liver failure; immune systems shut down…People get sepsis. People die…Not a few people, not a hundred people, not a thousand people. Do the research and you will be amazed and just how many each year… And for those taking antibiotics that manage to help sustain life, think of all that they are then susceptible too, being on antibiotics and having their immune system wide open for anything else to jump aboard.
The research I found on fecal transplants was based on people with reoccurring C Diff. None of the procedures Dr. Stollman had done were on people who were unresponsive to the meds. I am beyond thankful he still chose to do this procedure on me, even though I didn’t fit the norm on those he had previously done. Once again being a Doctor who thought outside the box, and merely had a willingness to help and heal. No promises, no guarantees, and clear on the risks and the unknowns. What I did know, was that this is what I needed to do, and where I needed to go to do it. Can’t explain how I knew, but I did. My family was in agreement and support 100%.
My results were almost immediate. I had no bowel movements until 4o hours after the procedure was performed. And within 4 days I had no Diarrhea. After months of having it, every single day… Being awoken between 4-5am with the crazy urgency, and spending the first few hours of each day in the bathroom, let me tell you, this was an incredible morning… I wish I could say everything went back to 100% normal immediately after the procedure, but sadly the C Diff does such a number on your body, that for many, it takes time to recover, heal and have the colon and digestive system find it’s balance again. I can say that within 2 weeks of having the FMT done, I have gained back 10 of the 30lbs that I lost. Mind you I was down to 90lbs. My hair is no longer falling out. My face is slowly beginning to clear up, as is my back and shoulders. Acne being something I never had an issue with in my 40 yrs of life. I no longer have daily Diarrhea. And never a day had passed that I didn’t since my C Diff nightmare.. Foods can be a trigger. But for the most part I eat a very clean, all organic diet, and stay away from foods that can cause or aggravate inflammation. I still battle with gas, bloating and mild abdominal pain, along with the pain after urination. Dr. Stollman feels in his opinion, as do other Doctors that this is because the Colon still being inflamed and needing it’s healing time. And when the colon is inflamed, it very easily irritates the bladder (in women)… I no longer wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning to have my stomach explode. I no longer feel like a volcano is erupting inside me. Not talking about Diarrhea at all, speaking in regards to this insane degree of heat I woke up feeling all throughout my body each morning. I no longer have the severe pain where my liver is, my kidneys, and in the lower right quadrant just below my appendix. Again I could go on for days about the symptoms.
I explained so many times to my Primary Care Doctor, as well as my OB, and my Surgeon, how toxic I felt. You would think I’d been out partying all night long and putting in things of a toxic nature. Yet I was drinking nothing but water, and eating all organic, healthy foods. No toxins were going in, they were inside me. All I would be told by my primary Doctor was again, it’s just IBS…It’s just effects of stopping pain meds… Nothing to be concerned about. Guess what??? C Diff is very much something I should have been concerned about. It’s something everyone should be concerned and knowledgeable about. According to the CDC; C Diff is the worst “SUPERBUG” out there. Please do the research. Learn about C diff. Learn about how it’s contracted. Know your risks when you are hospitalized. Know your risks when visiting people in a hospital and in nursing homes. Know the risks of being on antibiotics and the things it makes you susceptible too. Even if you don’t, just reading this, right now, will allow you to know and be aware of what C Diff is… And that is more than I knew before being diagnosed with it.
I am not 100% as of yet. C Diff has wreaked havoc on my body. But I know, and I have complete faith that with time, my body will heal and I will return to 100%. I don’t want C Diff to simply be some crazy negative experience I went through in my life. One that all my loved ones went through with me. One that caused so much pain, so much worry, and so much fear in so many… This negative is something that needs to become a positive, and I believe simply in writing this, in getting the word out there, that it does exactly that. If my experience can help even just one person, than some how in some way, it makes a difference. I make a difference; in a way I never could have not experiencing it myself.
I am a firm believer that we truly are never given more than we can handle. That all things in life happen for a reason. My friends and family all know me as someone who they often describe as strong, positive and inspiring. Well let me tell you, C Diff took me somewhere I’d never been. I’ve been through some crazy things in my life, some very difficult things, but never felt like I would not survive it. Not find a way to thrive after it. C Diff made me feel like someone handed my ass to me. That’s the simplest way I can put it. I never felt like I was dying, even when I was told many years ago that I had cancer. I never felt fear even when I was told I’d never walk again, years ago after a major car accident. My husband said it best when he said that in all the things he’s been through in his life, nothing ever scared him to the core, like this did. He said watching me die every day was a fear unlike anything he could explain. He would not sleep at night, for fear of me stopping breathing. C Diff is no joke. It’s no mild irritation in one’s life. It’s a very serious disease that takes thousands upon thousands of lives each year. And yet no one we ever spoke to about me having it, had even heard of it. Just as we had never heard of it.
I believe with everything that I am, as does my husband and my family, that having this Fecal Transplant with Dr. Stollman, saved my life. As did my diet, my use of probiotics, and drinking water-no matter how sick I was… I could not keep anything in or down for weeks on end, but I refused to simply give up and knew dehydration would be the last thing I needed. In all the research we did on C Diff, we found the Fecal Transplant is basically used in last case resorts. And I was shocked to find only a handful of Doctors that were admitting to doing such procedures at all in the US. Less than a handful, honestly. Every day with C Diff is like having a day robbed from your life. Antibiotics have side effects of their own as well. I wish they had worked on me. But I am grateful in finding something else that did. Something I truly believe in and support and would do AGAIN without a second thought, if ever I were to get a reoccurrence of C Diff. One thing I cannot stress enough is to be assertive when it comes to your health needs. I am assertive. I requested tests. I asked for help. I still didn’t get the answers for such a long time. Learn from my experience in any way you can. If you have been on antibiotics, and in a hospital or health care environment and are experiencing diarrhea, go see your Doctor. Request to be tested for C Diff, not just the standard parasites, and bacterial infections that are looked at.
Please, if you are currently battling C Diff. Know that you are not alone. Know that it can and will get better. Know that you can take your life back. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to talk about “POOP”. I would become the poster child for poop in a heartbeat to save lives. This disease doesn’t just hurt the person who has it. For me, in my own experience, my biggest pain in this was watching everyone else who loves me go through it with me. The helplessness of my husband and my parents. Their fear, their stress, and their frustration with the medical care I’d been receiving, or rather not receiving. I can’t change what happened. I certainly never asked to get C Diff. I cannot change all that others went through in my experiencing it. What I can do is anything possible to help others in not getting this disease, in fighting it if they do, and in resuming their lives after they’ve beaten it… AND YOU WILL. If you are reading this and have C Diff right now, know that YOU WILL BEAT THIS!!! And you too will find a way to turn a negative into a positive. I didn’t choose to get this nasty superbug, but I did choose to do something about it, and I choose each day going fwd to do all I can to help any one I can.
Thank you, cdiffhelp from Hawaii, for posting your tale — and what a tale it is! I am so glad you found your way to Dr. Stollman and an answer to your long nightmare. Hope you continue to get better and better each day as you rebuild your gut health.
I’ve just been diagnosed with c diff, which came on big time after a course of amoxicillin. Ironically, I was glad for the diagnosis as I’ve been having bouts of symptoms for 2.5 years, starting immediately after an outpatient surgery. Even though a test from a local lab came back negative for c diff, no doc ever thought to have me retested. With my crash course reading, I now know there are many grades of tests plus false negatives.
On my third day of Flagyl, hoping it works. Have ordered Florastor and L-Glutamine. I’ve been making/drinking my own kefir for about 1.5 years, which may have helped me not get so horribly sick as you were, who knows.
Anyhow, thanks again for sharing your story. Your encouragement to advocate for ourselves and stand up to the “experts” or leave if we don’t trust them is urgently important. Docs don’t know everything. Often they don’t know squat. Let’s not be intimidated by white coats! In allowing us to hear voices like yours, this forum supports our taking the lead in our own healthcare. So big thanks to EarthClinic, too. Best wishes to us all for a vibrantly healthy 2013!
Wow! Cdiffhelp, I do not know how to even begin to thank you for taking the time to write your post. In the last few days I have grown so hopeless. But your post has reminded me I am not alone and I WILL get better eventually as long as I keep fighting and make sure I am getting adequate care from my drs.
I first had c diff three years ago really bad. It took the drs months to find it, as my first stool test came back negative. After I continued to lose weight that I couldn’t even afford to lose, eventually a repeat stool culture came back positive. Flagyl did the trick and I don’t remember having any recurrence except maybe a mild one that I took some leftover Flagyl for and recovered.
Fast forward to three weeks ago, I had just tried an ACV and water enema as part of a detox regimen. Within 30 minutes of that I started feeling off and then 30 mins after that, I started having the terrible diarrhea. The next two weeks I saw drs, had several (negative) stool tests, went to the ER a couple of times due to dehydration, and finally was admitted last Friday.
I was then given every test under the sun, including a CT scan and a colonoscopy/endoscopy. None of the results explained my symptoms. Two nights ago the hospital was ready to discharge me with no treatment at all, since I def didn’t have c diff because of the negative cultures. I have never been so frightened in my life. I explained to every dr I saw all my symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, foul smelling stool, and severe weight loss). And they still wanted to give me nothing.
Just as I was about to leave, my primary dr came in the room. I had low expectations for that conversation, since he really had not much to say a few days earlier when he visited me in the hospital. But he turned out to be an angel sent from heaven. He ordered 10 days of Vancomycin. I felt a tiny bit better yesterday and a tiny bit better today.
My next step is a consult on Mon with a dr who does the fecal transplant. I am long past being grossed out by it. I want my life back and have been ill for far too long. Thank you so much again for your inspiring post! Hope your health is still great!
Hello my dear. Don’t give up. Try Mexican oregano oil. It is a God sent oil. Also take a S. Boulardii probiotic.
Sherri my Mom nearly died from C-Diff she had it multiple times would get better with antibiotics then relapse she was finally cured with compounded Vancomycin which was taken orally by the spoonful but this is the last resort they say.
C diff — My sister got a bacterial lung infection after aspirating a piece of pizza around Christmas time. Long story short, she became very short of breath and went to the ER. She was admitted to hospital and treated with steroids and vanco. Her levels got to high and she went home on oral antiobiotics. after one day at home became very short of breath again. We began to nebulize fghp which helped immediately and cleared up her lungs however the next day came down with c diff. she had all the symptoms and was very miserable. We began with digestive enzymes. Colliodal silver. Alkalinzing pill, oil of oregano and peppermint. 100% better the next morning and so far diarrhea has not returned. Hope this helps others.
I’m so sorry to hear of those still suffering from c-diff and very happy to hear of those who have been cured! I’ve had c-diff for nearly three months; just finishing my third round of antibiotics… Second time for vancomycin but now it’s double the dose. I don’t know if anyone else has had abdominal swelling and pain and does that fit with c-diff? If anyone is continuing at their job, I’d really appreciate knowing how they are managing with lack of food and energy or the alternate of trying to eat but running to the bathroom all day? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Take care everyone and get better soon!
Cdifhelp, wow – that is quite a story. Thank you for telling it. I have heard about fecal transplants and can’t believe something that is so successful has not gotten more attention. Uck factor? Who cares – works and no side effects.
I have been recently diagnosed with C. Diff. I got it from taking Cepro for a week for a kidney infection. I am 31, healthy and have hardly been on antibiotics my entire life. My sister got C. Diff a few years ago from taking antibiotics for a UTI. I knew the dangers of antibiotics, and wished I had taken more probiotics after. I wanted to write in for others who suffer from this horrible bacteria and what my sister and I have found to be helpful. When I was diagnosed, the doctor did not tell me about this illness, they made it seem like I had a little bacterial infection and all I needed to do was take antibiotics. There was no discussion on diet how CRUCIAL probiotics are and how it is contagious. If I hadn’t known better I would have thought it was no big deal, just as they make it sound. It is a sad shame that I have to research this on my own. I suppose there isn’t enough information for this disease and perhaps they don’t want to scare people about this rapidly growing epidemic.
I have found that diet is very important. Before I was diagnosed I found certain foods I could have a fairly normal bowel movement. I did not explore too much and found the following to be very helpful: Eggs, squash, gluten free products (to avoid more yeast build up) AVOID SUGAR-that means fruit too(bacteria love sugar), Ezekiel bread, garden burger, proteins such as salmon, turkey. Low fiber vegetables-I did not find too many that agreed with me. Certain cheeses seemed to be alright, like the lighter cheeses. Multigrain cereal, like Barbara’s brand. 1TBS of Flax meal a day.
My sister maintained a gluten-free, sugar-free diet for two months after going off antibiotics. This helped tremendously. She took the following and continues to do so on some. Acidophilus bifidus-400 billion Bentonite Clay, taken after antibiotics & probably a few weeks after probiotics. Garden of Life-Primal Defense. Nutribiotic GSE Grapefruit extract. Colloidal Silver-drink a small glass. Colostrum powder. Sacro B. Flore-Restore. I found Turmeric is powerful.
I think it is important that anyone going through this to always watch your diet for the rest of your life. Try to keep your body alkaline. Avoid excess sugar, greasy fatty foods, and alcohol. Read up on books that deal with natures antibiotics. Hopefully someday we find a cure and nobody has to go through this life altering illness.
Hi, I’ve struggling with c-diff for 4 months. I really want to try what your sister has found to be successful. I’m not able to find some of the things she tried.
I contracted C-Diff after a dental implant and long use of strong antibiotics. Many think that just by taking probiotics you can get rid of C-diff. Nope. You must use something strong and doctors often use probiotics with some form of antibiotic.
Anyways this is what I am using. Turmeric Standardized 2 tablets twice a day, 2 Nutribiotic Maximum Strength Defense Plus (grapefruit Seed Extract) Lugols iodine 5 drops 2 times a day up to 4x a day. Or use iodine Plus-2 once a day. Twin Labs Betaine HCI with pepsin, 1 tab 1 or 2 times a day. Nature’s Plus Mini Reds 2 a day, 1 coq10 200 mg, Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, Vitamin D 2000 mg, Nature’s way B- Stress Formula 1 a day. zinc, 1 selenium 200 mg. Garden of Life OmegaZyme Ultra 1 a day. Barleans Cod liver fish oil, Barleans Omega Twin, Florastor/and or Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii plus MOS 1 or 2 a day. And Garden of Life Ultra Primal Defense as needed.
My thought is that the Turmeric can kill the C-Diff and there is a lot of research on it. Oh yes and I eat yogurt daily. Good Luck. Use for at least a month to two months depending on the severity of the problem. Oh if you start getting to sleepy cut back on the Probiotics just a little, as they are yeast products and if getting to much can make you tired.
I wanted to make an update to this article. I’m just using the Standarized tumeric from nature’s way now and not the grapefruit seed extract as I know the tumeric alone will kill C-Diff it as far as a herb antiobiotic and has been tested to be equal to Vancomycin in test studies (google turmeric and c difficile). And since we are trying to bring back flora overkill is not necessary with the grapefruit seed extract. Instead of using the HCI and pepsin, I’m using Future Biotics daily enzyme only if I have indigestion or heartburn it has Pancreatin 4X and betaine HCI and Lactobacillus 66 million in 2 tabs. Or if my tummy is hurting I reach for the Primal defense and/ or the Florastor.
When I use the co-q10 I’m using a product brand from vitacost called CoQ10 Alpha Lipoic Acid Acetyl L-Carnitine HCl — 700 mg. It is their brand name, and an easy way to get these very powerful antioxidants and immune builder’s in one pill at a cheap cost. I’m also using Nature’s Plus Bioperine when I take the Standardized Turmeric as it helps enhance it use.
When I first started I could barely eat anything with out throwing it up or it coming out of the other end so I used the Garden of Life’s primal defense and the Florastor and Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus EPS a lot in the beginning. Cod Liver Fish Oil is also a big part of this and I don’t always use the Barleans Omega Twin just sometiems. Iodine is an important part of this because most of us are low in iodine and iodine will kill C-diff spores. I use Iodine plus 2 or the Iodoral 12. 5 mg. But I am in my 50 fifties and some may only need the lugol 5 drops 2 to 4 times a day. Vitamin D is very important to as it really helps rebuilding the immune system. As is zinc, and I do use the Nature’s plus Source of Life multivitamin Mini Reds only 2 a day and most everything else I listed up there I use.
Once the stomach can recover than you can lower the probiotic so you don’t end up with a yeast infection. But take as needed to rebuild the flora. I usually use 1 primal defense every other day and florastor everyday for now. But dosing down the more balance you get into is the best so far as I know.
I found that it is as equally important to rebuild the immune system as it is to taper off the powerful herb antibiotic turmeric, over time to the flora health, and your immune is healthly. Another good flora builder is a product called mannafest it has 22 different flora and is a nice drink as well. And when you get better the more you will be able to eat normal cultured food to rebuild the flora. You know foods that have to age a bit to be flavorful. Wishing you all the best.
I wanted to update I ended up using the 2 standardized turmeric 2 twice a day from and 2 of the Maxium strength Grapefruit seed extract twice a day (as the not using it wasn’t getting the job done), and 2 of the Daily Enzyme Tablets 2 twice a day. I also used the Primal Defense a bit in the beginning and the Florastor. Then I tapered off the twice a day on the turmeric, grapefruit seed extract and the futurbiotic daily enzymes tabs to once a day (by the way it has betaine HCI and other goodies that are great a killing c diff. I did eat yogurt as well and continued the Primal Defense every couple of days as well as the florastor every couple of days. All taper done now. I didn’t need all the other stuff so much to get rid of this but at the beginning I did need to boost up my immune system with some vitamin d and zinc, C. This has seem to do the trick with these ingredients I have been on this therapy about a month. It is pretty much gone, but I’m going to use it a few more weeks to make sure it is gone. Now simply slowly taper off of both just to be sure it is gone. I didn’t need the iodine as much as I thought.
P.S. Use the above with my cat just a small full syringe type tube (minus the needle) and only used one a day and she no longer has C Diff either. Crushed up 1 standardized turmeric, 1 grapefruit seed extract and 1 daily enzyme and mixed with yogurt and filled syringe. Also gave her florastor and a primal defense occasionally (every few days as well). She’s doing fine too now. And a little fish oil for the both of us. I’m so glad this worked for my cat as well because little people like cats cannot afford to lose too many pounds. This is a success story for us.
This is what is working for me. I did not go to a doctor as I knew they would do endless tests and put me on anti-biotics in the end so I took charcoal caps first and that helped temporarily. Then I started taking digestive enzymes after meals. Added 1 Saccharomyces boulardii lyo capsule each morning with 2 Colostrum caps on empty stomach. Also, 1-2 turmeric caps after breakfast. 2 more Colustrum later in the day. I’ve been doing this for 3 weeks and think the c diff is under control or possibly cured. I really believe it’s the colustrum and turmeric working the magic. I was planning to try the oregano oil, but this seems to have worked. I also added kefir to my diet and cut out milk temporarily. Hope this helps someone!
Yes to the Saccharomyces boulardii! I had c-diff about 6 years ago, a side-effect from antibiotics for Lyme, and my dr prescribed the Saccharomyces boulardii as you have described, and also Cholestyramin, a prescription-only drug normally used for cholesterol, which binds excess bile and inhibits absorption in the intestines (I’m not a dr but Wikipedia explains it pretty well). I think it also binds the c-diff. It’s a powder that dissolves in juice or water, and I had no side effects. Between these 2 things, and also adding Iodoral (I tested very low in iodine), I was gratefully cured of that horrible disease.
I had a dental extraction and the site was infected so the MD gave me clindamycin for 6 weeks at that moment I should of thrown the prescription away and ran straight to my Naturopathics office, but I decided to take the antibiotics I made to 5 weeks when I noticed my heart beating faster I stopped the toxic antibiotic immediately and researched the side effects then I was really scared out my wits! This what the doctor told me to take Saccharomyces Boulardii three times a day this is does not allow C diff. to take over as well as take Therelac (not three lac) and I also took turmeric pills and ate tons raw garlic and took Allicin garlic and ate organic sauerkraut. You have to do this for at least six months after taking this antibiotic to make sure that good flora is laid down. I also ate yogurt and bought highest quality 50 billion probiotics and drank lactose free kefir. I was also instructed by the doctor to empty the capsules of the 50 billion probiotics and put it in cool water and just drink it down to replensh the throat and stomach and coat it with the good probotics I did that too. This was all done to offset the possible negative aftermath of clindamycin
The same thing happened to me and I use the same probiotics that you mentioned and it worked. That antibiotic should never be prescribed. It does more harm than good.
Just thought I’d give my quick. 02 cents. I have UC Ulcerative Colitis… Had it since 1999 and I’ve been able to keep it in remission overall… I’ve been lucky. I take probiotics, multivitamin, cod liver regularly… No meds. I’m pretty healthy overall.
I got C-diff a few years ago… It stirred it all up and put me in the hospital for two weeks… Pretty serious. Once the c-diff and the damage it caused was cured… I’ve since kept it in check with diet and the supplements I mentioned… Pretty basic… No real meds.
Just recently I’ve had some funk down below… And I recognized the smell from when I was really sick before. I finally realized that I might have c-diff again… Everything added up once I started reading/thinking/paying attention to the symptoms.
So…I did some recent research… Came across this thread and others. I decided to try the Bentonite Clay… And oil of oregeno. I saw results overnight really.
I started using a lot of things at once because I am/was a little scared… But a combination of Bentonite Clay and Oil Of Oregano seems to have detox’d my gut and gotten rid of the c-diff… At least the really noticeable signs… Watery stool, little signs of blood, bad smell… None of which are normal for me. I noticed real results in days… And it was gone in about a week. I took both Oregano and Bentonite on an empty stomach… Faded out the oregano once I saw real results (5-6 days). Once it seemed like I was really about done… I started having some cramps/ pain…so I backed off most everything… And took aloe gel and creeped back in with clay and all the others… Except oregano. I’m having normal healthy bowel movements now. I still have some healing to do… My gut just feels taxed…. But I’m pretty sure I’m good to go in as few as days… probably a couple of weeks at most.
The clay is easy and mostly flavorless… Seems to be pretty safe overall and effective for countless things. I’ll probably be taking a maintenence dosage from here on out. It helps with ph… Which seems to be pretty key in keeping things working but I’ve never payed attetion to it… Just when I’m scared. I chose a brand of clay that is just a liquid in a brown bottle I saw it at two different popular health food stores. I took it twice a day… Then a few times a day for a couple of days once I didn’t have issues and noticed real change. My aunt works at a popular health food store… And she was helpful… Turns out she takes bentonite clay everyday… So that helped me take it with confidence… I wasn’t too sure about it until I talked with her.
I also took/take:
Coconut Oil
Tumeric
L-Glutamine – empty stomach
Good Probiotics – Boulardi type
Aloe Vera Gel – empty stomach
Multivitamin
Cod Liver Oil
I don’t necessarily recommened all this at the same time so much… But it is all good stuff for the gut… I mix it up… And used each during the main detox week.
I ate/eat a lot less sugar, dairy… And drank tons of water. Laid off beer/coffee completely. That said… My appetite is healthy and I’ve always found that my systems rallies quicker when I eat a lot… And regularly… Just not a bunch of bad food… But not necessarily health food either… Just mindful of certain things and when I eat them. I eat alot of turkey sandwiches.
Hope this helps someone. Both the Clay and Oregano were new to me as I’ve always looked for Colitis info… Not so much c-diff. Both seem to be pretty effective for a multitude of things. I’d recommend them. Good Luck!
Adam, have you considered including iodine in your daily regimen.
Here is an interesting article called “The End of Antibiotics and the Rise of Iodine” and it has some interesting comments on C – Diff.
https://www.naturalnews.com/022800.html
Adam, this is Adam from Virginia Beach! So yeah, I did a course of Flagyl for 10 Days and alternated Probiotics in between, and things were back to, if not better than normal after 10 days.. Of course I thought things were good, so I stopped the probiotics right at the same time the Flagyl was done… A week later it’s back… I’m sure the Flagyl worked to a certain degree, but obviously it didn’t eradicate it fully and I should have stayed on the probs. So rather than go right to the Flagyl again, I was reading up on the methods and the clay and oregano oil sounds fascinating…
Question though. I bought bentonite clay in powder form, how much would you take and how often daily? and I have 150 mg tabs of oregano oil… However, if the clay is a natural drawing out agent, wouldn’t it draw the oregano oil or sacc. boulardii? Definitely would be interested on an update with your status as well.
This is in reply to Adam from VA Beach, posted 2/12/2012 — Hi Adam, I only know about Sonne’s (liquid Bentonite) #7 Detoxificant Clay which I got from their website. Supposedly, you can take 1-4 tbsp in an 8 oz glass of water 1-4 times per day. Have you learned any more about the powder form of Bentonite Clay? Has the Oil of Oregano worked so far for you??? My husband was diagnosed with C-Diff and treated; when checked by flex sigmoidoscopy, then told it looked like he also has either ulcerative or crohn’s colitis… The GI said the diagnoses in these cases can change according to the symptoms and patterns of the colitis. I’m very interested in knowing more about the Oil of Oregano, if there is a reputable place to get it from via the internet?
This is probably really old. You may or may not get this. I’m trying to help a friend with UC. He’s 18 and had had UC for two years. The past 3 months he has had C. Diff several times, been in and out of the hospital with severe cases. We are thinking he has it again. Do you suggest the Bentonite Clay and Oil of Oregano started immediately? Flagyl has definitely not helped in the past.
Do you have to take them for the rest of your life? Does c-diff come back if you don't take them?
Hi! Wanted to let you know how much your site postings have meant to me. I”m caring for my 76 yr old mother. Hospital antibiotics gave her c-diff.
Her doctor has been as much use as a chocolate teapot, prescribing metrozidanol (flagyl) 3 times every time it came back. All he was doing was weakening my mother and strengthening the bacteria. They’ve told us since feb that vancomycin was only available intravenously. After her 4th re-occurence last week they’ve now prescribed it in tablet form. I can only put their failure to give her this medicine earlier is because of cost. Her doctor has also been no help whatsoever in nutrician, supplements or any other advice to support her recovery.
Luckily, I spent 7 months on a candida diet last year and this gave me some knowledge on how to help mum. I’ve got her on probiotics (thanks for the mention of saccharomyces boulardii). I’ve also been giving her grapefruit seed extract, oil of oregano, spirulina, aloe vera juice, brewer’s yeast, nettle tea, bee pollen and garlic capsules. I’ve also finally got her to give up sugar, wheat and dairy as I’m sure they all feed bacteria. I’ve also been juicing for her regularly, massaging her with lavender and tea tree oil, giving her reiki and crystal elixirs made to boost the immune system, heal her digestive organs and to remove toxins.
All of this does seem to be slowing it up a bit and she’s not been as ill as in previous occurences, but I know I’ve not been doing the natural remedies long enough. I’ve just picked up her vancomycin so hopefully both treatments combined will help her combat it this time. She’s lost so much I’ve just been to the sports nutrician shop for some protein shakes as the ones they gave her from the doctors are full of sugar. The NHS here in england is light years behind on it’s awareness of nutrician and supplements. So thanks for all the posts that have helped clue me up on this vile disease, they gave me valuable support and knowledge.
I was on very strong antibiotics for three weeks for an abscessed tooth and about a week after discontinuing the antibiotics, I developed all the symptoms for c. Diff. The diarrhea I managed almost instantly with tumeric, but the cramping was so severe that it literally was almost unbearable. My daughter brought home Kefir. That was all I could eat/drink for six weeks. I did not have the cramping while on kefir but that was ALL I could eat. I mean all. I tried one bite of banana after six weeks on Kefir and the cramping returned full force. Finally I went to health food store and bought the capsules with billions of the good bacteria in them (have to be refrigerated). I started on them and within days could eat as normal. After stopping the capsules, about two weeks afterward, the c. Diff cramping returned with a vengeance. The moral of this story is to take the probiotics at the same time (separated by hours) as you are taking the antibiotic. It has come back, not the cramping, but the discharge from bowels that alerts one to the fact that the bad bacteria, c. Diff, is still there ready to act up. Now I notice the pharmacy is alerting people about c. Diff BUT it is still not telling people what to do to prevent it. You do not want to get this bacteria. It is bad, but I now know how to control it. Also, there is now a coated pill (so it lasts in a bottle) of acidophilus cultures but it is only in the millions of good bacteria, not the billions of the refrigerated capsules. They are cheap. Got online for $2.48 per bottle of 50 or 100. I stocked up on them.
I thank those who provide this life-saving site for us. Bless you and bless you, again!
There is a mega dose probiotic that is prescription only ask your doctor for it. It helps
I had a screening colonoscopy, which I should never have had. I was not having any trouble at all with my stomach and could eat anything that I wanted. I was Just talked into it by my doctor. I am 77 years old. After the procedure, the doctor told me that everything looked fine. He removed one polyp and said that I had a little diverticulosis, which anyone my age would have.
About three or four days after the procedure, I began to have stomach pains in my upper abdomen that progressed to really being painful. I called the doctor and told him and he ordered me to come in for a CAT scan. I did the prep the next day and went in. After the scan he called and said that I had diverticulitis, which I had never had before. I really think there was something done to my colon that should not have been done. He gave me levaquin and flagyl to take for 14 days. After this I continued to have diarrhea and cramping. I called him again and he ordered a stool culture, which I did the next two days.
After this, he called and said that I had C. Diff. I was devastated, all this for having a colonoscopy that I did not want. I am now on Flagyl. I refused to take the vancomycin, because it was so expensive. Even with my insurance it was going to cost me $500. He agreed to me taking the Flagyl if I took two probiotics with it. He told me to get Florastor and take four times a day and Flora Q to take two times a day. The pharmacist had to order it for me. I have been on this for two days now and have not seen any relief yet. The antibiotic is causing more diarrhea than the C. Diff. I would advise anyone that is not having any trouble to never have a screening colonoscopy. At my age, I should have known better. My family and the doctor was greatly encouraging me. My gut was telling me I did not need it. I will listen to my gut next time.
Betty, for my chronic colon problems, I use milled flax seeds daily, aloe vera softgel every other day. I also use magnet therapy for the reduction of inflammation and promotion of healing. I sleep on a M pad at night, and wear a M belt during the day. This is a good baseline regimin, imho. Good luck.
I filled a prescription for Clindamycin two months ago at Wal… And was not warned about this aggressive bacteria and came down with it. Very nasty, could eat only Kefir for a month. I filled another prescription for Clindamycin two days ago and finally another pharmacy warned about this bacteria and cautioned not to use pain medicine or anti-diarrheal medicine to treat it as both will make it worse. Unfortunately, this Patient Information Leaflet did not advise patients that to prevent the c. Diff. You need to take acidophilus along with your antibiotic. I tried successfully the acidophilus from the health food store. My dentist told me about acidophilus that is coated and will last a long time outside the frig. Big price difference. Health food store refrigerated acidophilus capsules cost $22 while the coated acidophilus pills only cost $4.79 for 100 captabs. The caplets contain much less acidophilus than the refrigerated capsules, but I think the capsules are overloaded because the acidophilus does not last well and a lot of the acidophilus is lost once the bottle is opened. I am just guessing on this. This is a very bad bacteria that actually can (and in my case did) come back a couple of times. I just went back on the acidophilus regimen and it cleared up promptly. The Patient Information Leaflet should have advised us how to prevent this nasty bacteria but it did NOT.
I first had c-diff 15yrs ago when I took clyndamycin for a dental problem. Since then I got it every time I took any antibiotic orally or as a shot. Cholestryamine shorted the duration. The last 2x I took bactrim for surgery and a UTI. With each dose I took acidophilus capsules from a health food store that needs to be refrigerated and contains 50 billion cultures per capsule, usually 1cap a day. For the first time ever, no c-diff. I am thrilled that I have finally found help!! … And I hope it this might help someone else.
What was the brand name name of your probiotic?
Just want to add another success story to the c-diff thread. I too got this horrible affliction after taking clindomycin for dental surgery. I had taken this before, but this time I was under a lot of stress from my mom having a stroke, and spending all my spare time at the hospital. the perfect storm to get a c-diff infection.
As I had no idea what was happening I put up with the diarrhea and cramps, weakness for weeks before I finally could not get out of bed and ended up in the emergency room. The first round of antibiotics helped, but I still felt lousy. Lost 20 pounds that month. Not a diet I recommend. Three days after the antibiotics ran out, it came back WHAM. Called doctor, on a friday of course, suffered all weekend, got another scrip for antibiotic. Felt better right away, although far from great. 2 weeks later, 3 days after the antibiotic ran out WHAM it’s back. I wish the doctors would take this more seriously.
When the doctor prescribed the same Flagyl treatment for the THIRD time I thought this is ridiculous. So I searched for advice elsewhere.
Here is what worked for me:
Get the Flagyl. Then get the probiotics with Lactobicilli and friends, and Sacromyces boulardii. Get good quality oil of oregano.
First week, take the Flagyl as directed(2 times daily). Take the probiotics three times a day. Take the oil of oregano twice a day, before you eat. I used two drops on Kimchi, as it helps it go down. This stuff is STRONG
Second week take the Flagyl once a day, all else the same. Third week, flagyl every other day, all else same.
by the Fourth week, 3 times a week Flagyl, keep up the rest.
Fifth week one Flagyl per week. Here I had a couple of flareups, took one extra Flagyl. Keep taking that oil of oregano, it is key!
By the sixth week I stopped flagyl totally. keep up probiotics 3x day for this week, oregano still twice.
Seventh week probiotics twice a day, oregano in evening. ( my flareups occured at night for some reason, this helped).
By the eighth week I stopped the oregano, but will continue to take the probiotics twice a day forever I think. It has now been 2 and a half months episode free, and I am feeling great. Please anyone suffering from this and not getting a good answer from your doctor, do this!!!
I am new to this site and I am glad to have found it as I believe that I am suffering from cdiff again. I had it a couple of years ago, fortunately I recovered pretty quickly. When I had cdiff the first time my Dr. explained why the antibiotics to treat cdiff are prescribed for a few days and then stopped for a couple and then restarted. The reason is because the cdiff infection produces spores but the antibiotic doesn’t kill spores, it only kills them once they sprout so the antibiotic is stopped every few days to allow the new spores to sprout, once they do the antibiotic when it’s restarted will kill them. I guess the trick is to try and get all the sprouts killed before they can produce new spores. (Sorry, I didn’t know what to call them except sprouts and spores) This is how it was explained to me so I hope that it helps. Thank you all for the information, I had forgotten some things which have probably contributed to it coming back.
Ck from San Diego… What you’re referring to and what was explained to you by your physician is called “pulse dosing” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. You take the antibiotic for a few days (or weeks depending on the severity of your infection) and then you stop for a few days (pulsing). This makes the bacteria think that the “threat” of the antibiotic is gone from your colon; once they “think” the threat is gone, they begin to transform from their survival mode or “spore” state to their normal vegetative or “active” state as living bacteria. When you restart the antibiotic again after a few days (pulsing), those bacteria that were protected as spores will then be killed by the antibiotic. Physicians use this technique for treatment when normal antibiotic therapy has failed to eradicate the entire infection and the bacterium has returned after a reoccurence.
According to the latest research, a reoccurence of a C. Diff infection occurs in 25% of patients who have had at least one bought with the nasty pathogen. This means that 25% of patients will experience another infection regardless of antibiotics taken; this infection is not caused by new organisms that have entered the body through exposure (such as in a hospital setting) but by bacteria that have survived the original treatment with antibiotics by becoming resistant spores. These spores are so hardy and “kill-proof” that even boiling them in water for hours on end does nothing! The only thing that really kills the spore on a hard surface is bleach. I wouldn’t recommend drinking bleach!!! It is a disinfectant (used on non-living tissues such as counter-tops, door handles etc. ) as opposed to an antibiotic or an antiseptic (used on living tissues such as within the body or on the skin) like alcohol sanitizers.
I have been struggling with C. Diff for over 2 years now (I am 23 years old) and have had 4 reoccurences. Lucky me. I’m in that 25% category. I will be discussing other treatment options such as “pulse dosing” with my physician very soon because I am sick and tired of this. It’s frustrating and for all of you suffering from C. Diff, trust me, I feel your pain. Keep fighting though! Don’t give up, otherwise you have lost the fight to a primitive bacteria! And that ought to make you feel lousy.
FYI, fecal transplants are 100% effective in curing C Diff. Might be worth looking into in your situation. Best wishes!
Fecal transplants are sadly not 100% effective in curing c diff. After two years and five rounds of antibiotics that did not work for me I spent $1800 to have two rounds of FMT. 36 pills each time. I am still testing positive for C Diff and now also for E Coli and may have SIBO from the transplant. I have no insurance and have maxed out my credit cards on doctors and treatments. Finding a natural approach is now my only hope.
Tricia,
Where are you at with your infection now? I am on my fourth round of antibiotics for C. Diff. Doctor suggested FMT this morning, but I'm not sold quite yet. I would feel better if other possible factors such as ulcerative colitis and Chron's were ruled out before undergoing a procedure that isn't FDA approved, nor covered by my insurance. Has anyone else had any luck with probiotic therapy?
Any advice would be so appreciated!!! Shayna
I recently had FMT that only worked about 3 weeks before I relapsed. Prior to FMT, I was on three rounds of Flagyl, followed by a month of Vancomycin. I even experimented taking Flagyl and Vaco at the same time. Relapsed each and every time. My advice to anyone suffering from cDiff is to self-administer FMT via enema. There are a few good sources on how to do that online. At least go to like Quest diagnostics to have your donor screened (blood and stool). May need doctor's prescription for that.
I had a terrible bout of c. diff over ten years ago and was hospitalized for over 2 weeks. I had one serious relapse since, a few weeks later (this one didn't land me back in the hospital). After that I determined that I would not be sick again. At the time, there wasn't a lot of information about dietary changes, but there was some info about probiotics. I took culturelle and s. boulardii and another probiotic on an empty stomach (morning and night). Since then, I have learnt a lot about diet and the body's ability to heal itself. I avoid gluten entirely. I have learnt that it is also advisable to avoid dairy and alcohol and consume very little sugar. It may sound extreme but I have found a low sugar paleo diet to be very beneficial, with some leeway once you have “detoxed” for a while. I also avoid antibiotics at all costs, as you can imagine, although I believe I have had to take antibiotics a couple of times since and did not suffer a reoccurrence. Oh- if I ever feel something coming on I don't eat until I feel well again, but that hasn't really happened since I changed my diet (knock on wood! ). Apparently your body has an opportunity to detoxify when it is not busy digesting food. I still take probiotics – the s. boulardii, culturelle, and ultimate flora critical care, all on an empty stomach.
I encourage you to do your own search for information about healing c.diff or healing your gut and nutrition. I know that individuals with other intestinal problems try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which I don't know too much about.
I hope this information is helpful and hope that you all find/regain good health!
i was wondering how bad you had c diff, I was put on flagyl for 14 days felt better but the side effects of the flagly was not fun. I got constipated on it. Anyway, finally had bm after 5 days after antibotics. My bm are off and on kinda normal then diarea. oh. I have gas and off and on adominal pain. I am taking florgen 3 probotics.2 xday now. I'm just lost, can't see the gi Dr. til tuesday and the id. dr til thursday. My drs. put me on vacomicin. but haven't took it yet. They also told me to hold off til I see id Dr. I just dont understand why they dont take this seriously. im getting stressed out. Worried my son will get it since we have to share a bathroom and everything. Anyway, what is the name brand of the oregeno oil you bought??/help please
I got c diff in sept. of this year from taking chymayicin (sorry spelled wrong) from getting a staph infection. (only took 2 doses of it) anyway, I think its back. My stools go from snake like to runs. I'm taking florgen 3 and now florgen, but I'm wondering what you guys eat, I can only eat toast. But I don't have alot of adominal pain unless its related to gas (which I get kinda alot) but I was reading about eating formented foods and using toxic binders like bentonite clay and all kinds of stuff. I lost 20lbs in 6 weeks. I was told not to worry about it today by my gastro. Dr.
Does anyone happened to know what probiotics work better?? I am trying to keep my spirits high and stay postive and less stress but its hard considering, cant eat, you share your house with others and worried about effecting people. If anyone can share the names of products they use that will really help or even foods to try.. oh can I pulse or taper if this is my second time with c diff?? Does anyone had any reactions to any antibiotics given???..
I need help please.
Hi Debbie, I alternate "Culturelle" and "accuflora". The "Culturelle" is in a capsule that I have to open and empty the contents on unsweetened applesauce. Sometimes I make a "paste" of about 1 TBSP PB and 1/2 C applesauce with 1/4 tsp. magnesium powder before adding the "Culturelle". If unsweetened is not available, I add about 1/8 tsp. (a little more) of ground cloves. I mix a variety of concoctions so it just depends on what I've eaten or if I feel bloated.
The "accuflora" seems to work better when taken on an empty stomach with about 8 oz. of water…I chug 6 to 10 gulps after taking two before bed.
Thank you, I was wondering did anyone have any other health problems like h.pylori or anything since having c diff? It's really hard to figure out what to get and that to combat c diff, when I have to watch out for other infections. Does anyone have any suggestions that can work for both even though they are treating for c diff first? Praying that the h.plori goes away. Plus I have a bladder infection. Ugh..help please.
My Urinary Bladder Infections stopped after I stopped eating sugar in any form, including fruits. I tried cranberry juice and tablets many times but they have never worked.
Hi Debi,
For H-pylori, try deglycerized licorice root (DGL) or chios mastic gum. Most effective treatment I know of. Licorice root can raise blood pressure over time, but not the deglycerized form.
Dennis,
Have you heard or tried SCD? I'm trying to find a GI doctor that would be open to the idea of healing through a diet plan like SCD if medication can be avoided. I have IBS and most likely IBD. Thank you
My boyfriend got C-diff after a dental extraction and course of Clyndamiacin (sp?) I don't understand why the doctor did not tell us to take probiotics as this antibiotic is famous for causing C-diff. It came back 2x with 2 hospital stays. The third time it came back he couldn't keep any food down. We immediately gave him Kefir yogurt smoothie with Reuteri probiotics. He was able to keep it down and better in a matter of hours. We make sure he takes the pill each morning with the Kefir on an empty stomach. So far, so good. I think he may need to take the probiotics permanently.
I'm in the hospital with it now and can't wait to get home to start this. Thank yu for sharing.
Hi Debi (Usa 10/19/2015)
I hope your h. pylori is gone by now (5/30/17). H. pylori will not go away on its own. Several years ago, my husband was successfully treated for h. pylori with sulfer drugs & Pepto Bismal. It has not returned.
Hi. I've had a fecal transplant, and it's not 100% effective for treating C. Diff…it flared back up after 35 days. It is very hard to get rid of.
Kefir without the flavors would help you, start with a tablespoon and if you are okay, then work your dose up higher and try a good multi digestive enzyme and here is a post on EC about barley water:
Amanda (Minnesota) on 04/05/2017:
Omg I just want to thank u commenter and this site! I have had c diff 2 times in 2 yes. I'm healthy and youngish. Anyway, this last time after the antibiotic was finished, it was about a week or so later that I either got c diff again or was getting it. I stumbled upon this site and read numerous, if not all posts. I went and just got pearl barley. Like 1 commenter Put 2 cups of it and filled crock pot up put on low/ warm. Drank and drank it for a day plus. I actually added more water in there after I took it out. Another commenter said they were taking that yeast probiotic on the hrs ever hr. I take florastor. And that combo, I think I'm cured!! I just can't believe it. Thank u to everybody!!
A side note that peeps should be aware of. Drink plenty of water. I think the barley kind of dries u up…
First, I am no one special, just someone who has experienced c-diff, now for my second time. The first was 15-20yrs ago the second (presently). My first (as anyone who has had the dubious pleasure will attest to) was a visit to hell. It truly feels like you will never get better. I don’t really worry about the flu, surgery, or many other medical issues… C-diff gets my full attention. Anyway, I have to say, I had hoped that, since my first experience, the “people trained to fix us” would have “perfected” their treatment of this insidious ailment. I was wrong!!!
This year, for me, has been the “year from hell”. It began with a couple of months of a very sick gall bladder, and removal, then another bout of diverticulitis, and now another visit from the beasts of c-diff. (I’m 57 and “they” lied about the golden years). All that to get to this… After starting on flagyl for the treatment of c-diff, and after 1wk with no relief, my doc prescribed the “next in line” Vancocin. This is apparently such an old med that most pharms don’t carry it in stock and I had to wait a day to get it. Well, as a result of my previous experience, I really didn’t want to wait, so visited this site and some others, and read about others battling c-diff.
Long story shortened a bit… I bought some activated charcoal (absorbs c-diff toxins) , and went to an oriental store for some “kimchee”(fermented cabbage)(also spelled Kimchi I think). That was 2 weeks ago. I did not start the vancocin because within my “waiting time” to pick up the meds, I thought I started feeling a little better and my stools seemed to be smelling a little less obnoxious. I still have not begun the vancocin and am eating the Kimchee. The pain is gone, am regaining some strength, and starting to feel somewhat human again. Of course, as we c-diff veterans have come to know, time will tell!
As with any info you may glean from whatever source, do your own research! This post may be worth nothing to you, or maybe a gift from God. I pray it is the latter. I find, for myself, that I am more and more willing to try what others, who have “been there”, have tried and have found success. I wish you well!
Kimchi did it for me. I have lost 20 lbs over the past month and been in ER twice. One course of Flagyl and two relapses. I had washed everything with Bleach, eaten Yogurt, Kefir, etc. And purchased two expensive ProBiotics, but still felt ill and relapsed five days ago after taking Flagyl. I had my daughter purchase some Kimchi for me and I ate it last night (it’s delicious if you like cabbage and hot spices! ) and I feel 1000% better today.
I’m going to keep be really aware of what I put into my body and continue with the Probiotics, Yogurt and Kefir, along with Turmeric and other Middle Eastern spices in my brown rice, but Kimchi really seemed to do the trick. I am so happy and relieved that I feel like a human being today for the first time in over two months!
Kimchi is for me!
Update from yesterday: This morning I had my first normal poop in over two months. Yesterday, my energy went through the roof, my depression cleared and I was able to get more work done in one day than in the previous two weeks.
Try the Kimchi if you are suffering with C-Diff. It is basically fermented Napa Cabbage with garlic, red peppers, chilis and spices.
I think that relapses can be caused by C-Diff spores laying around your house after an illness, so make sure you wash everything you can with bleach. I am lucky that the curtains in my room are white, so I was able to take them down and wash them as well. Wash all surfaces, including walls, and especially things you touch all the time like your phones, TV remotes, etc.
One source I found said that it can also be transferred via nasal route, so be very careful with your nose and mouth.
This thing can be beat, I just don’t think that the Western medical community knows how to do it.
BTW- I didn’t fill my second prescription for Flagyl, as I knew that it would make me feel worse.
I'm a little confused. I have been told unless you are pooping on yourself and you don't wash hands, it is the only way you can spread to other surfaces. How would c diff get on curtains if it isn't airborne from what I am told? It's only the spores that live, and they only come from fecal matter? No one can continue to wash and bleach like curtains. The first time I had we bleached everything down. The second time we just were cautious and bleached counter tops etc. wash hands real good. Wipe down phones and lap tops. Thanks
c. diff – the only thing that worked for me was betonite clay. I tried probiotics, yogurt, kefir( yogurt drink). The clay helped tremendously
I was wondering when taking the bentonite clay were you on any antibiotics for the c.diff. For instance, I am taking vancomysin currently for the c.diff but was wondering if I can and should take the bentonite clay while still on the antibiotics or if I should wait? I have been on flaygl for like 6 days (that didn’t work) and now I have been on vancomysin for 10 days and the doctor is extending it for another 7 days. I went to the health store and purchased it and also some super dophlis but I didn’t know if I should try the bentonite clay right now? Any suggestions? I need this nastiness to go away. I should also mention this is my second time getting this in 5 years….all because of antibiotics.
Hello Wendy, I don’t have the answer to your question on the bentonite clay, but I suspect that the answer is that the worst thing that would happen would be the clay might bind with the antibiotic, which might turn out to be a good thing because most people develop c diff after a round or two of antibiotics, which probably results of an overgrowth of bad organisms after the good guys in our guts are killed off by the antibiotics.
If this is true, then the bentonite clay and taking Probiotics should be more beneficial than another antibiotic. If the expense of probiotics is a problem you can pull up cultured cabbage recipes on-line and make your own much cheaper. Hope you get rid of that unwanted side effect quickly.
Hi Everyone – I am new to this forum and thankful for what I have read so far. I have been dealing with C Diff since August 2008 after taking Augmentin prescribed by my sinus doctor, been on Flagyl 4 times and I have lost 15 pounds. So Frustrating!! I am getting so tired of it all, I am looking heavily into Probiotics and taking the time to really read, learn and take action.
Right now, I am eating Activa yogurt which is helping a little and Yakult another type of yogurt. I am researching Probiotic foods, to make some major changes to my diet. Has anyone heard of Buttermilk as a good Probiotic? What specific foods and supplements do you suggest and what has worked the best for you?
This is the first time I have heard of Bentonite clay and am intrigued. I will look into this as a possible next step. My doctor says that since I have had 3 reoccurreces of C Diff since my original bout, the chance of another reoccurence is quite high.
I am doing all I can to ensure that this dose not happen and I am healthy once again.
I have left several posts about my c-diff but no responses at all.This thing is very frustrating and I am trying to find help and answers.Went today to get more probiotics and the person there told me it is very important to take the probiotic that has Saccharomyces Boulardii in it.
I asked her about taking bentonite clay and diatomaceous earth to absorb the bacteria which I read on EC. She was concerned that if it attracts the bad bacteria it may also attract the good which then becomes a vicious cycle. Does anyone have any information regarding these issues. I am trying to feed my body as much good bacteria as I can and also is it possible to over-do it on the good?
There are so many questions and worries that I have at this point and I’m stuck on finding out more. One says how great the bentonite clay is for your body,a nother one says it messed up their body and so on. I am starting to get very confused about what to do , but need to find a solution to get rid of this bacteria. The medical sites don’t know anything other than to keep you on more antibiotics.
Bentonite clay is very beneficial but do not use diatomaceous earth! Diatomaceous earth may be powdery to us when you first look at it but microscopically it is made up of tiny shards like glass. It is mostly used to kill pest with soft body parts like slugs. Do not take this internally. Don’t even touch it with your fingers. Bentonite clay is completely different than diatomaceous earth. Bentonite clay is a highly absorptive material that cleans your intestine and absorbs toxins. I hope you read this before it’s too late.
Hi Kaleid, thanks for the info,but I have googled the Diatomaceous Earth and read other articles about the food grade kind and I see no danger. I’ve been taking it for over a month now and I feel great now. Is there maybe a difference like always with food grade and industrial grade?
Yes, never ingest Industrial diatomaceous earth.
I am going through c-diff for the 3rd time. First hospital put me on clear liquids and I was really ill, 2nd time Dr just gave me anti bacterial prescription and no diet and I was really ill, the 3rd time the Dr at the hospital put me on baked skinless potatoes, mashed potatoes, white pasta, white rice, white bread and clear boullion with no salt. No butter, oil or seasoning. This along with anti bacterial drug and I never got the diarrhea.
Hello, I wanted to add this to the list of suggestions for treatment of C-Diff… In 2002 I had C-Diff for 1 month with no relief… Then, someone very knowledgeable(whom I STILL call my guardian angel! ) at my local healthfood store recommended that I take in combination 2 things: 1)Bio-K plus liquid.. This is a very potent strain of acidophilus (CL-1285)which has been studied and proven effective specifically against C-Diff.. You need to start with 1/4 bottle(each bottle is 2-3oz), and work you way up to entire bottle, dosing2-3x /day…
2)Mag O7 capsules, by aerobic Life!!! . The Mag o7 is an oxygen supplement bound to Magnesium… C-Diff is anaerobic and cannot survive in presence of 02… I believe I took the caps first and then 1/2-1hr later the BioK so the caps wouldn't kill the BioK.
I had instant relief but needed to stay on for 2-3 weeks to feel completely better… Hope this helps someone, because C-Diff is misery!
Julie
p.s. I am on this website because more recently I have been suffering from a different type of abdominal pain(weird gas pockets), especially when I lay down, and also seem to have developed milk intolerance (but not lactose, oddly enough as their is an actual test for this) and was wondering if this was maybe a possible result of my prior C-diff infection… Well maybe I will just try my old remedy and see if it works, but also will try the bentonite, because that sounds like it will absorb toxins.. just what I need! …
Hi Julie, just wondering how many of the O2 capsules you took daily anddid you have to take an antiiotics or just that and the Bio K? Thanks so much – TANYA
I take colloidal silver when c-diff symptoms return and it works very well. I get the silver from ___ and an 8 ounce bottle lasts for 6 months or more. It’s good for killing over 1,000 types of bacteria and it can be used in place of antibiotics which will prevent one from getting c-diff in the first place.
Have you tested negative for C.diff after taking the colloidal silver? I was told that silver helps but I want this disease gone.
I was told by my doctor (who is also very open to alternative treatment) that colloidal silver is not very effective treatment with C-diff. I have tried it myself with little or no positive results.
So now I am trying some of the other suggestions (such as pulsing and taking clay). I will post my results as something positive happens.
Try oil of oregano it seems to really work as well as colloidal silver.
Silver Sol is better than colloidal because it is smaller particles and can enter the red blood cell and be carried to all parts of the body. It is not ionic but a new solution by a Dr Pedersen and has a patent. My c-diff started the end of Feb 2010 and I am on my 4th round of pulse with Vancomycin. I was hospitalized 2 times for a week each. And 2 times in the ER overnight and then left go home because the vomiting stopped. I started with two doses of Flagyl and got deathly ill during my 2nd dose which was my first week in the hospital. I had IV Flagyl and Vancomycin was started. I am now pulsing 3 weeks at time since the week long treatment didn’t help. Just started on 2 times a day and so far all stools are formed. This has been a LONG year.
Wanted to ask the question about stools floating when we have C-diff. It is formed but sinks does that mean we are not healing?
Concerning colloidal silver and its effectiveness on C Diff mentioned above by Sarah; I had an interesting conversation with a mother who came to my office today. (I’m an attorney.) She brought her 5 year old. I’d forgotten I’d given her some colloidal silver months ago when she told me of her son’s problem with C Diff. I was guessing at silver’s effectiveness in dealing with bacteria but we have assumed it not only can kill viral infections but also bacterial and fungal. I have one of the little silver generators and give away bottles of it to anyone who might like to try it. Well, she thanked me and said over a two week period her son drank the silver water and it cured him. No problem now for months. And she immediately told me of another story. Her husband was cynical relative to his son but when he saw what it did for his son wondered if the silver solution might help a four inch by four inch layer of inflamed skin on the back of his right shoulder. She said it was like a layer of “skin on skin. ” He drank the silver every day and the wife applied it topically. Over a period of days the “spot” began giving off a liquid and in a week it shrank until it went away completely. I suspect he had been bitten on the shoulder by a spider and that became an ongoing infection. I thought her idea of a topical application was clever. She had run out of the silver and I immediately handed her a new one.
I’d sure like to hear from people who try colloidal silver for its effectiveness on C Diff. The trick is: for a system wide infection it has to be used daily for weeks if not months. You know if its working if the patient gets a new burst of energy after a week or two. The “energy” is the immune system being relieved in its stressed condition by the fighting power of the silver. It’s like the reinforcements arriving.
An update: The day after I wrote the post on the effectiveness of cs on c diff… The one about the mother and her son and the husband (not a c diff case), well, the day after I wrote it, the following day she came back to my office and I asked her a few more questions about the boys c diff. (And today is his birthday… He is four. ) She knew he had c diff because he was positively diagnosed. The boy had been receiving chemo treatments for cancer. He had the c diff from out of an iv treatment. After six months of treatment for the c diff he began having psychological problems and the mother decided to stop all treatments even though the doctors wanted to try different experimental drugs to cure the c diff. (Chemo was completed. ) At the same time she tried the cs and in one week the condition (extreme runs) had nearly gone away and the next week was completely gone. That was many months ago with no return symptoms. I asker her what the doctors thought about the turnaround. And she said she had not gone back to them since cutting them off after six months of c diff suffering. As we discussed this, and I was feeling very proud, she ask the boy, “Son, who healed you?” I expected him to speak my name, but the boy just calmly said, “Jesus.”
I laughed about that, being corrected by a 4 year old. You know all the great ideas and helps on this terrific site are really not ours at all.
I know there are many different companies that make Colloidal Silver and many different strengths! I was wondering if anyone has tried a strength of 2000ppm which is SUPER STRONG? Most sold in stores is only 50ppm by comparison. Has anyone tried this? For something like C. Diff treatment?
Hello Aidea;
About using 2000 ppm Colloidal Silver for CDiff. I've taken high ppm myself with no side effects… over a few weeks. I also know people successfully used CS to kill C Diff apparently with great success. Wondering why you think you need high ppm if 50 ppm twice daily would work? To kill infection in body I take three tablespoons twice daily on empty stomach. If you want more atoms of silver I'd just drink more of the CS.
I wonder if Ted could weigh in on this. People are saying that yogurt is a good way to go when I’ve heard from nutritionists that yogurt is usually loaded with sugar which is never good, it is a milk product and for C Dif you are always advised NOT to use any dairy products for a while. Also I doubt that yogurt has the levels or variety of pro-biotics needed to actually help with C Dif. Also, I notice that just today someone wrote a frightening warning about C-Dif here with NO suggestions on how to help. Personally, I’m not happy that I just left my mothers hospital room who is frightenly ill with C-Dif, I come to this site for answers and I get more fear. I will contact a nutritionist on Monday about this and if he enlightens me anymore, I will add some HELPful tips about C Dif according to what he has to say. On my own I have read about Colustrum supplements, and (believe it or not) Fecal transplants. I am sure each case is different so I’ll mention that my mother was on anti biotics for a urinary tract infection she got a week after having a hystorectomy. I will add more information on Monday night if our nutritionist can enlighten me.
Nutrition is such a complex subject. I too am confused adout the sugar content in a lot of supposedly “healthy foodstuff”. My daughter, now 4, was diagnosed with a small rectum and lazy bowel within 8 weeks of birth. We were told that the only way forward for her was an operation and meantime laxatives. After consultations with nutritionists and other medical reps we chose to give her a prune juice and water mix instead of an unnatural laxative knowing that this could affect her front baby teeth. When introducing solids we were also very careful not to give her anything that could constipate her. This included plenty of fruit and natural plain yoghurt products which for flavour I added the fruit. She has had so little in the form of shop bought sweets that she thinks wet raw carrot and turnips are desserts. And the good part is……so far no operation needed.
When I brought her to the dentist recently he told me that she needs 4 filling on each of her back teeth so I explained about the prune juice. He told me that this would only affect her front teeth not the back ones and that she was getting too many sweets. When I explained that there was no way that this could be the problem and told him about her treats of yoghurt, carrots and fruits. He told me that these are all high sugar even though it is natural sugar and it is these healthy treats that are probobly causing her the problem. I am in a bit too much of a temper at the moment to fully research this but from what little I have gathered most of our foods turn to sugars apart from meats and she is a bit young for an atkins diet.
Conflicting advice is coming at us from all sides. My husband has been diagnosed with a hereditary heart defect and the specialist gave him a special diet. When we rang the nutritionist at the hospital about another issue I mentioned this diet and she said no way would it be beneficial and gave us totally conflicting advice.
I do my own research on the subject whenever I can but there is such a large amount of information on the web that there are too many sites to trawl through.
O.k. now I’ll get off the proverbial pedastal……….
Hi Patti, Since we know that C dif often starts after antibiotics, it would seem to be a result of the good guys getting killed off in the intestines,letting the bad guys take over and create havoc. If this is truly the cause then the cure should be in killing off the bad guys and replenishing the good guys.
Please read recent posting in EC on maple syrup/baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) cure for cancer (can also click on link to article in IMVA (International Medical Veritas Assn. by Dr. Sircus) where this information came from in which he states that he preferred black strap molasses instead of maple syrup because you don’t have to boil it). The explanation of how it cures cancer is to saturate the sugar that the mold thrives on with the baking soda which kills it, so the unsuspecting mold (probable candida) gobbles up the sugar, not suspecting that it is poisoned and is killed off, and the cancer goes away on its own. Probably the slaughter of the bad guys gives the body time to replenish the good guys, bringing the system back into balance and good health.
The rapid way to replenish the good guys is probiotics, which can be expensive, but if you have the stamina to make your own cultured cabbage, it is supposed to replenish the good guys quickly. Recipes for this and for Asian Kimchi (another cultured dish) can be obtained on line. Just type in “cultured cabbage recipe” or “Kimchi recipe” in the search window. My son recently made his first batch of Kimchi using the recipe calling for Napa or chinese cabbage, green onions or scallions, ginger root which he loves and I found it better than the commercial brands that he shuns because of pork or shrimp, etc. in them.
I am now on my first batch of cultured cabbage. Sure glad that it calls for 4 ounces of it mixed with 4 ounces of water, because when you open the jar it smells somewhere between sauer kraut and flatus (anyone doesn’t know what flatus is, the four letter equivalent begins with fa..). This definitely doesn’t whet my taste buds, and one is instructed to drink it 2 or 3 times each day until ones feces no longer stinks and until it floats. By the time my cultured cabbage juice is used up, my son might have a partner in making Kimchi and using it as a side side with each meal instead of drinking the cultured cabbage (Kimchi is also a cultured dish).
Fortunately I have never had C dif, but this is the route I would probably take. In fact, I pulled up the cultured cabbage because I suspected that I might have a lesser problem secondary to many antibiotics during my hospitalization this past spring, despite the fact that my good and wise doctor gave me probiotics throughout the hospitalizition to prevent problems with killing out the good guys.
Please warn your readers that C-diff is now more dangerous then it used to be. My Dr. one time laughingly told me that he knew he had caused a couple of his patients to get C-diff. Just because of course he had prescribed a anti-bioitc that his patients needed to recover from something else. C-diff was a common or fairly common after effect for some folks after anti-biotic treatment, as the anti-biotic causes diahrea which disturbs the bodies natural flora or bacteria in the intestinal tract.
However, about ten years ago or around that time, the bacteria became more resistant to being cured by flaygl or vankomycin. My mother got this disease and it was not from anti-biotics another thing to note, she got it from a colonoscopic exam.
After weeks of treatment with vankomycin, flaygl, dehydration, not being able to eat and yet gaining forty pounds of fluid she died.
This was unique at the time, but not as much any longer. One of the main reasons for her death, which is why I write at this time of year, is that she caught this illness at the typical cold and flu season, in the height of it. This year we are experiencing a pandemic flu that is predicted to overwhelm our health care system. Therefore what happened to my mother may happen again, Dr.s offices telling patients with c-diff it is just flu and to use a otc product to stop the diahrea, which is the worst possible thing to do.
This bacterium is like a cork screw it literally eats into your colon, with the many feet of colon we have, it is easy for the bacteria to be in a fold and after treatment is stopped it crops up again in a couple weeks. You are not healed of this until you have at least 3 negative tests, two weeks apart. Then anytime you get a return of symptoms it may have come back and you need to get into the Dr. asap.
People can become dehydrated and their entire system weakened especially if it gets to the point where they can no longer eat anything by mouth.
If her life saves one, then God has used it for a purpose, because friends this is a stupid way to die. It should not happen. In order for it to not happen it has to be taken as serious as it can be, not that it will be, but if you do not know, err on the side of safety and do not, let anyone tell you it is just the flu, or it is a easy thing to get over.
Dear DKH,
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to share your story and tell you that I am so very deeply sorry for the passing of your mother. It makes me so angry and sad to read what the doctors did TO her. My heart and prayers are with you and your family.
Same situation happened to my father in the hospital, they only used flagyl and vanco and refused to do anything else. Doc said he is too old and no cure for this at his age and he died Feb, 2016. This post was from 2009 and still no cure?
Hi Richard,
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your Father.
I have seen a few things developed for C diff recently. Fecal transplants have a high success rate but difficulty delivering the material to the intestine. A new pill has been developed to bypass this, and to avoid possible problems with a live donor, research is looking at developing the correct bacteria (and other factors) in the lab. Both look promising for those suffering from C diff and other bowel problems, like Crohn's. I can't get the link to post, but if you Google "Pill for C diff" several articles from JAMA, science magazines and newspapers will show up. Successful trials with small groups of people have been done, with success rates in the 94% range.
Hopefully, others will receive more effective care in the future, regardless of their age.
Hi, Two weeks ago I was given antibiotics for complications of the flu bug, they call the Antibiotic the Zpack, a 5day course, I also had an Antibiotic shot.
The day after starting the pack I felt really well, but as the days went on, my throat felt not quite right, and the day of taking my last antibiotic pill,as the day progressed I could feel the original symptoms start back, hence early hours I awoke with terrible lower back pain, which ended up with me being admitted to Hospital, after tetss done etc a day later I was diagnosed with C.diff. I am now on 1500MG of Flagyl antibiotic which is not nice to take, I feel very lethargic, weepy, in other words just extremely miserably ill.
I read on this site of other people having had this awful C.diff and using the Bentonite Clay,where would I purchase this from please, I know one can purchase this clay at Farm Shops, but would be afraid to use that incase it has other additives??
As well as the 1500mg Flagyl daily, I am taking Aloe Vera Gel,and Acidophilus tablets trying to get my Colon flora back to normal. I would take the Bentonite Clay if I knew where to get it and maybe anyone who knew could email me. I would be very grateful for any advise.
What I want to know is…WHY do Drs give Antibiotics to patients knowing there is a chance they will strip the patients’ good flora from their Colon and end up like myself with C.diff, it is appalling,and reading through there are many people around in the same situation as myself, these Flagyl are causing heartburn, fuzzy head, sickly feeling, is probably the liver trying to deal with it all.
I hope someone can help me please as to what I can do, and to advise me where I can get Bentonite Clay from.
Thank you. Regards Jacqui
Hello there. Thanks to all who make this wonderful resource available to us! I usually buy bentonite clay online from Mountain Rose Herbs but I have also found it in bulk at Whole Foods around the vitamins section. I hope this helps.
i bought it from earth’s living clay. Carol who runs the business responds to questions if you have any about the use, so it’s better than a random chain that carries it. I am taking it to prevent and control c.diff. relapse (i’ve had it for the past 3 months) one 2 oz mixture in the morning before you’ve eaten and one in the evening – at least an hour after you’ve eaten. you mix 1/4 cup of the clay with 2 cups of water and shake the mixture before you pour the doze. Also, make sure you use all plastic or glass materials for the spoon and bottle and cup from which you drink, since metal will interact with the clay and strip it of its positive function. keep us updated on how you beat this horrible disease!
I was diagnosed with c.diff. in March after having taken antibiotics and had bloody diarreah for several days. The flagyl was working while I was taking it but a week after the 10 day therapy the symptoms were back. I went to the emergency room to avoid waiting for an appointment, but the doctors gave me levaquin, which is an antibiotic that makes the condition worse. Somehow it made it somewhat better, but when I went to see my primary doctor 5 days later he put me back on the flagyl, which didn’t make much of a difference any more. I was then given vancocin, but decided to take 3 days off all medicines since I was going to see a specialist then. I had diarreah about 5 times a day. I started taking probiotics and 4 days later my symptoms were significantly reduced. I tried the vancocin once but was allergic to it — it is a very strong antibiotic and actually its side effect — just like the flagyl — is mild diarreah, which is what I already had. I started taking cholestyramine, which binds the c.diff. toxin and causes constipation; also I started eating only white rice and white bread and some baked potatoes – very plain food, with aminoacid supplements (rice powder) and vitamins, esp. vitamin C. Also, I got about 5 different probiotic brands with several strains – you want those that give you billions of cultures – like 50 or 100 per serving. I have been free of symptoms for almost two weeks now and my last test was negative, although tests are not 100% reliable. You have to keep checking it every couple of weeks. All in all my advice is to stay off the antibiotics as much as possible and take lots of probiotics and keep a starchy simple diet. Certain herbal teas have also helped me — calendula (or marigold) and plantago lanceolitis – 1 tablespoon per 400ml of boiling water is left for about 30 min. Strain and drink before eating 3 times a day.
We recommend the interesting article in today’s Wall Street Journal called: Rising Foe Defies Hospitals’ War on ‘Superbugs’
https://online.wsj.com/article/SB122160848756745487.html
My chocolate lab has had recurring C. Difficile infections for the past 4 years beginning when she was a puppy. We tried the vet route of metronidazole and it would just recur every month like clockwork. I even tried treating her for 3 weeks instead of the 7-10 days the vet would prescribe (ordered the metronidazole from a fish supply site) but it would still recur. I tried the probiotic sacromycees boulardi for a year with no avail. I then saw a post on curezone.com that someone had cured their c. Difficile infection by using oregano oil for 6 months. I started my dog on just the oregano oil in February 2010 right after another bout and continued daily (4 drops in capsule dropped in her food bowl at dinner) and continued through the end of August. It is now September 28, 2010 and she has not had any bouts of diarrhea since February before I started the oregano oil. Her bms continue to be formed and normal in consistency. I used Nature’s Answer oregano oil and gave her 4 drops daily for 6 months.
Side effect reported
I was struck by c.difficile while taking clindamysin. i only took 3 dosages and went through great pain and fever,colitis. after a 10 day treatment of flagel, c.difficile returned., my gastroenteroligest then gave a heavier treatment of flagel for 10 days. this time it helped ,it was under control. my doctor explained it this way.,’it was a nuclear bomb going off in my colon and intestines and the clindamysin killed off all the bacteria’.
i was warned strongly not to eat dairy. i was weak and built my strength back up. i cannot have yogurt. i order a probiotic to keep the flora built up in the colon. i find banana’s and white rice helps, keep a balance on fiber, be careful with anti-biotics when your prescibed for an illness. have your gastroenterologist phone# handy just in case of a relapse with c.diffice. i have a great gastroenteroligist who is there for me a.m. or p.m. with great understanding.
Side effect reported
Anyway,I am 43 and December 21st 2009 I had some dental surgery done and was put on clyndamyacin for ten days. About the third day in I developed diarrhea but my husband said all meds have side effects and I probably shouldn’t worry about it. The next day I only took three doses instead of four and I was perfectly fine again.On 1-4-2010 a Monday I went back to the dentist for a follow up and told him what happened and told him I took all the meds just longer because I felt I didn’t tolerate the four doses. He said that was fine and asked if I was okay now. I told him yes, no problems. Two days later my diarrhea started again for a few days ,then I was fine again for a few days and then it started getting worse. By the following Wednesday I started getting really concerned and went to the doctor. I told him what I was on two weeks earlier and my concerns about what I read about the side effects. He said to try yoghurt and rice and bananas for a few days and see if that helps, if not it could be something else you develop from antibiotics. To cure it I would have to go on another antibiotic, but it can go away on it’s own. He probably said c-diff but that was a foreign word at that time. He said if I wanted to I could drop off a stool sample the next morning. I took it lightly at that point because I figured oh no big deal ,it will probably go away. Well that weekend was agonizing.I thought I was dying and have never felt the kind of pain I felt for those next couple of days. I read all of my natural remedies books and lived on slippery elm and pau’d arco tea ,but no relieve on the sools. I immediately dropped off the stool sample on the following Monday and didn’t hear from the doctors, I didn’t realize the test would take that long. By Thursday I didn’t know what to do anymore because I had called every day and the test wasn’t back yet,so the doc put me on metronidazole (flagyl) and by the next day my severe cramping was gone , I’ve been on this for 6 days now and I still have at least 10 or more stools,well ,diarrhea. I am so against antibiotics in the first place but thought I had to take them because of the surgery and of course I come down with the side effects.I have been online for hours,reading up on it and getting really scared that this may be a lifelong ailment to live with.I always considered myself a very healthy person,taking lots of supplements and vitamins, eating overall healthy,well for the most part and still I was not strong enough to fight this bacteria. So tonight I finally typed in alternative medicine for c diff and I can’t tell you enough how encouraged I feel right now to beat this bug. Now a few questions maybe someone knows about already.
Can I take all my regular vitamins and supplements while going through this? I usually take fish oil,vitamin e,c ,grape seed extract,cherry bark extract,potassium for my restless leg syndrome and a calcium, magnesium mix,which I won’t take for now because that usually helps me go the bathroom.
Another thing,I have oil of oregano which I take during colds,could there be some benefit to help fight this bacteria? And can natural antibiotics like Myrrh,boswelia ,ecchinacea and garlic be used along with the antibiotics?
I am very encouraged about the cabbage juice and will go out tomorrow and get some cabbage.Even if it takes a few days ,if it helps I will try it.
Can this bacteria be fought for good?
I forgot to mention that I was also eating probiotic yoghurt when I was able to, but I guess I did it all wrong when I was eating with the flagyl… I bought some probiotic pills yesterday and the lady said to wait at least two hours or the acidophillus has no effect at all….. darn it, I wasted my time on that and money….making the cabbage juice today to try that too.
I have had this since 12/29/09. I thought it was a side effect of the z-pak antibiotic I was taking after have my deviated septum surgery.when I talked to my Dr. he said that the zpak should not have this side effect and to take pepto also prescribed some anti dirrareal med.and Flagyl. after a month there was no improvement and I went back to the DR. where they did a stool sample. about a week later I was told I have c diff and they then called in a PX. forthey other antibiotic for this condition since the flagyl did not work it seemed to be getting better but after a week of stopping the new med. The condition now is back to a very watery stool. Will it ever go away? What happens if it does not I heard this is a very dangerous infection. How does one live with this. I hate to go to work just incase I need to use a public restroom. Yes I have a phobia about public restrooms. How will I go on I am awaiting another visit to my DR. he is on vacation until 4/5. This is an awful situation.
I had C-Difficile infection for 8 months in 2008 and lost 60 lbs. Below is finally what helped me conquer this beast and I have never gotten it back. I pulse dosed the Flagyl or Vanco (whichever antibiotic they have you on) while I slowly increased the probiotics.
For example:
Week 1 Vanco 2x daily , probiotic 2 x daily (at least 2 or more hours after antibiotic)
Week 2 Vanco 1 x daily , probiotics 3x daily
Week 3 Vanco every other day, probiotcs 3 x daily
Week 4 Vanco twice weekly, probiotics 3 x daily
Week 5 Vanco 1 x week , probitocs 3 x daily
It is very important to stay off of sugar during this time , because sugar feeds bad bacteria and causes it to grow, also just as important is the quality of probiotics, What worked for me was a well known brand found at any drug store that says LGG on the back of the box and another that had saccromyces boulardi which is a beneficial yeast. I took both of these together everyday.
C-Diff – reply to Joe from Los Angeles
I sympathize. I had this condition a few years ago. My dr prescribed saccaromycides (sp?) probiotic, various supplements to strengthen me generally, tested my iodine which was extremely low so put me on iodoral, and also prescribed cholesteramine (sp?), which is really a cholesterol drug that works by binding to fats in the intestines. It is also being used for c-diff to bind the pathogens, and it, along with the rest of the regimen, worked. There is hope. Just make sure your dr knows about all this. If not, find an MD who is also a certified nutrition specialist; I imagine the LA area has many. Good luck!
I am suffering from my 3rd time with cdiff, First time was in May, 2009, and just recently March,2010. Was hospitalized both times for 2-3 days. I am on Flagyl and 2 other probiotics. I took Flagyl for 3 weeks and 1 week later I started having recurrent sx. So I am no on Flagyl again and planning to do the pulse dosing. It is so frustrating because the doctors etc. do not know much about this and I have spent hours on the web trying to discover the best probiotic and the best way to get rid of this. I have lost over 10 pounds and just want my life back. If anyone knows the best diet plan to follow please respond or any other advise.
I am on my third bout of C. diff since the middle of February 2010. I contracted C diff after being treated with Avalox for pneumonia. I have been prescribed the standard protocol of Flagyl for the first episode, Vancomycin for the second and am doing a tapered pulse dosing of Vancomycin now. Sacharrmyces Boulardii has made a huge difference in my ability to live with C diff. I was taking as many as 20 450 mg capsules a day at the beginning of my third outbreak and only had about 2 bad days, compared with being bed ridden for 5 or 6 days with the first two episodes. I have now dropped down to about 6 or 8 capsules per day and can mostly lead a normal life. I don’t think Sacharrmyces boulardii stops the bacteria, but literature indicates that it may destroy the toxins that cause the problems with the intestines. It also is very helpful for diarhea. Sacharrmyces boulardii is relatively inexpensive, about $12 for 50 capsules if bought over the internet.
I was diagnosed with C Diff back in May and I am already on my fourth course of antibiotics. I have had both Flagly & Vancomyacin. I am very interested in the Pulsed & Tapered Dose strategies for the antibiotics. Can anyone share the dosage and frequency used for either?. My MD will only perscribe the standard 4 times a day for 10-14 days. I have read several case studies on line that show both Tapered & Pulsed dosage with favorable results for patients with multiple relapses. They do not however provide any details and while it seems that most doctors are just guessing when they treat C Diff, I would like to hear what dosage & frequencies were effective for real patients! Any and all input would be appreciated. I am researching all the “alternative” therapies as well. I just started on the probiotics. So I will share the results soon.
I was diagnosed with c. Diff. On October 14, 2010, after being symptomatic for four weeks. I had been given Omnicef for pneumonia but had started to have the beautiful yellow, smelly, and loose stools even before taking Omnicef. A few weeks previously, I had taken Clindamycin for an infection in a tooth that needed a root canal. The fact that this spore is so tenacious has me discouraged and fearful of relapse. I am on a 3 1/2 week regimen of metronidazole and pray it knocks it out of me. I’ve not been able to attend my college classes and find myself falling behind. It is devastating to me, because I’m a straight A student and loath anything below an A. I also have endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, so I’m suffering four-fold. The good news is I am in good spirits and keep on going, because there is no other alternative. I’m frequently washing my hands and using Clorox wipes and bleach to clean. I have yet to do laundry, because I don’t feel well enough. I also know I cannot ask any friends to do it for me due to how fastidious the spores are. The last thing I want is to put a friend at risk. I know I’m supposed to stay away from milk, but I just can’t. I am taking Culturelle as a probiotic, and I thank whomever said to take it at least two hours after taking metronidazole.
Hi Miri, I’m sorry to hear that you are suffering with this nasty bacteria. Usually people will get C. Difficile after using macrolids or any antibiotics of a large spectrum. The problem is that C. Difficile is a part of our normal flora but once we wiped out our flora, this bacteria takes advantage of the situation and grows wildly. If you are taking Flagyl, you can add S. Boulardii. Because this yeast has shown very interesting anti-C. Difficile activity. The other thing you can use is oregano oil. The problem is the oregano oil cannot reach the low intestines and get absorbed very quickly from the stomach, duodenum and it will never reach the sites where C. Difficile is. I don’t know if a slow release formulation of oregano oil exists. But that will be the best choice against this nasty bacteria. You can take oregano oil slow release( if it exists) and S. Boulardii. Also L. Reuteri is a lactobacillus bacteria that inhibits the growth of C. Difficile. You can add that to. You need also L-glutamine to restore the damage colon mucosa. If the above treatment won’t help, then look for a hospital or a clinic that can grows your own probiotics from your stools to billions per capsule and that can help you to eradicate C. Difficile. Also Ask your doctor for a antibiogram to know for sure if Flagyl is working. Because if flagyl is not working, there is no need to keep taking it. Hope for you the best help.
Hi Miri,
Recently, I have been posting here on my use of homemade kefir w/ living grains. Perhaps, you’ve seen the posts. Well, reading about your C. Diff I thought I should bring your attention to kefir and C. Diff. Kefir has almost 20 strains of lactobacilli, almost 30 strains of yeasts and almost 10 strains of streptococci/lactococci of which keep the intestine ecosystem healthy and our immune system strong.
Also, if you google kefir and C. Diff you will find some very interesting information of how kefir is being used to help rid C. Diff. I hope this information is of use to you.
There was an interesting article that would probably interest you in regard to this subject which I will include a portion of:
Clinical and Health Affairs
Resolution of Recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated Diarrhea Using Staggered Antibiotic Withdrawal and Kefir
By Johan S. Bakken, M. D. , Ph. D. Abstract
“Eight patients, each of whom experienced recurrent episodes of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, were treated with staggered and tapered oral metronidazole or vancomycin combined with daily intake of kefir, an over-the-counter liquid probiotic dairy product. All eight successfully resolved their infection and did not experience any further diarrhea after completion of treatment. Further studies will be needed to determine whether gradual antibiotic withdrawal combined with kefir is a valuable treatment for recurrent C. Difficile-associated diarrhea.”
If you decide to use kefir I would recommend making it yourself as it is so easy and far superior to commercial kefir. It is an amazing food that can help heal the body. Wishing you the best, Lisa
I overcame c-diff in 2008 after having it for 8 months. I think the thing that helped me the most was taking many more probiotics than was recommended to me by my MD. I took Culturelle and Florastar at least 2 each 3 times per day. Also, healthy diet is important and no sugar while trying to get rid of this beast. Jewelc
My C-diff was the cause of overdose on Cleocin. I was given this antibiotic for an insect bite during our vacation in July. The side effects from this drug were really evil and eventually the doctor ordered me to quit taking them. Two weeks later I had such bad abdominal pains I couldn’t function. I dropped off a stool sample to the lab and two days later was prescribed Flagyl. Three weeks on the Flagyl and no change at all. I dropped off another stool sample to the lab & was prescribe vancomycin for 20 days @ 4times a day. Guess what? 2 days after I finished that dose, I dropped off another stool sample to the lab and it came back negative. I was starting to get bad again by the end of the week so the doctor had me return the following week to drop off yet another sample which came back positive. I had been told by the pharmacist that this is the last resort antibiotic and there is nothing else that can fix this problem.
I have been taking probiotics that I get from a supplement store and have a new treatment plan. I do two days on, one day off for 2 weeks now. My problem is that the days I don’t take anything, I am very sick by the end of the day still. I’m sure this pulsing treatment thing will work because I’ve heard from many people how successful it is. I also drink 32 oz of gatorade daily which keeps my potassium up. I am extremely allergic to milk, bananas & mint so I am limited on how I get these nutrients that my body needs. I have noticed that I crave coleslaw. After reading the information earlier about the cabbage, it makes sense. I was really concerned about messing up my digestive system with a vegetable that is so thick, but I haven’t had any issues at all with it. I guess I’ve been very lucky because I haven’t been hospitalized with this disease. I had also read that people with acid reflux issues have an environment that’s more comfortable for these spores to live in. The information that I have found on sites such as this one is very informative. I am just tired of being sick all of the time and really concerned for my husband who is probably at a greater risk to get this disease, too.
To Catherine from Portland with C-Diff: Have you tried colloidal silver for your c-diff? I think probiotics is the correct direction for this to clear up, however the 32 oz of GatorAde you are drinking each day could be slowing your recovery from this. It is very high in sugar (works against probiotic benefits), and dangerous levels of salt to be drinking long term daily, and also has sucrose and fructose in it (Splenda and corn syrup.. Weight gain and other health problems), and artificial dyes and flavorings. If you want to make your own sports drink (safer, more effective and cheaper) I found this recipe:
Ingredients for Homemade Organic Sports Drinks:
* Pure Organic Fruit Juice (No High Fructose Corn Syrup! )
* Water or Green Tea
* Organic Sea Salt
Directions: Fill your sports bottle with half juice and half water (or tea). Add a pinch of organic sea salt, shake, and enjoy!
Hi Catherine, You should take oregano oil slow release with S. Boulardii. This yeast antagonists against C. Difficile and also reduces the toxin loads. You add to that Flaxseed oil and some probiotics.
Dear Lisa in Thousand Oaks,
I’m also in So Cal. Am very interested in how you make your homemade kefir. I resolved a case of c. Diff with store bought kefir once about 2 years ago, now treating for borderline suspected sibo (xifaximin) and want to start kefir immediately when finished to prevent another bout of c. Diff. Can you point me to a prior posting of yours that explains how you make your kefir? Wold be endebted.
Many Thanks,
Danny
Hi Danny, If you go to the kefir section here on EC you will see my posts regarding kefir and its benefits. I also post sites that you can learn more about it. Since you are here in CA, may I suggest you also consider using raw milk to make your kefir from. We are okay here in CA regarding raw milk. At least for now… If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them! Hope this helps.
My story is similar to the ones that I have read in here. All starting with a prescription from a dentist or doctor for an antibiotic. My GP told me that Dentists are big culprits of prescribing Amoxicilan and Clyndamycin, both are “Broad Spectrum” which means they kill every bacteria… Good and bad. I was first given 7 days of Flagyl, and of course the c-diff returned 4 days after completion. My second case of c-diff was so severe that after I had emptied my body of anything resembling a stool, my bowel then went into spasm and continued to try and force anything out of me it could. I had nothing left but blood and mucous and the pain was so severe I ended lying on the bathroom floor sobbing which is where my husband found me and rushed me to the hospital. The pains and cramps made childbirth seem like a walk in the park. The hospital gave me IV Vancomycin and a morphine shot (which they say is necessary to stop the bowel spasms) and I was very grateful for it I have to admit. I spent two days in hosptial under quarantine and then sent home to continue my Vancomycin in pill form for 10 more days. I had been warned that c-diff can return over and over and decided to be pro-active about recovery this time so I phoned a Naturopath and this is what he told me.
First he said that Probiotics are 100% necessary for this. So are Vit B’s and a whole host of other nutrients to restore the good “Gut Flora” after this infection. He gave me Immune Boosters, heavy dute suppliments L. Glutamine and put me on an IV of nutrients 2 X week for 4 weeks. He said that c-diff needs to have a very agressive approach or I could have it stay dormant for years and it could take me up to 2 years to just get back to normal.
I have taken Acidophilous anytime I take an antibiotic and the average number per pill is around 100 million in drug store brands. Everything I read on-line said I needed a much higher dose for c-diff recovery. So I bought one from the pharmacist that was 10 Billion per pill. However the Naturopath told me that I needed ones that were 100 Billion per pill to treat this particular problem. Hi comment to me about eating yogurt and taking health store pro-biotics and/or off the shelf brands was, “It’s like trying to put a forest fire out with a garden hose”. All are fine for maintence of a healthy routine but once you get something that has killed off ALL your good bacteria they aren’t effective enough to do any good. Once healthy again then by all means go back to low dosage pro-biotics and eating yogurt if you choose but don’t be fooled that they will help you once you are dealing with something as severe as C-Diff.
Hope this helps some of you. Naturopaths aren’t cheap and usually not covered by medical but I think it is worth the money. Even my doctor told me that most doctors aren’t trained in nutrition and this type of medicine and a Naturopath was a good otpion. I have paid literally thousands of dollars for my dogs at the vet…. Why would I not spend money on myself for this. The total cost was about $1200 for the IV nutriants and about $400 for the heavy duty probiotics and supplements. Oh and the next time someone offers me a prescription for an antibiotic I am going to be asking a lot of questions and thinking long and hard about whether I really need them or not, believe me.
After reading your post I was just thinking about when I had that for 6 months and lost all my weight, it would be wise to also add a potent supplement of vitamins and minerals and omegas if you could keep them in your system long enough to absorb them.
None of the meds they gave me helped and only seemed to make me feel worse. I did use a lot of over the counter pain meds for the stomaches, taken with a saltine cracker.
You also might benefit from coconut oil or meat to heal the digestive tract.
I have had c diff now for about a year. I have been through 6 different doses of vanco and the new meds called difficel and now I went thur a fecal transplant and it did not work. 4 weeks later I will have to go through another fecal transplant. I heard someone say that pain meds make the spores worse. I am having a terrible time with this; if anyone has any other ideas, please pass them along for me. I go next week for another transplant, please say prayers.
Barb: One of the best local natural antibiotics is Oil of Oregano. Take 2 or 3 soft-gels before retiring. In the morning take a broad-spectrum high organism Probiotic (4-60 billion units).
Do this for one week then add 50mg Zinc w/ 5-10, 000 iu of Vit-A away from meals. Home made Kefir will also help populate the gut w/ good bacteria.
Probiotics can reduce the symptom. S. Boulardi is therapeutically used to flush C. Difficile. You can try S. Boulardi capsules.
Water kefir is rich in S. Boulardi. (S. Boulardi is good yeast)
To Kill you can Take 6 drops of Lugol’s Iodine Solution 2 times a day after meal for one week.
Or Take 1 tbsp of Colloidal Silver for one week. If you are allergic to iodine, don’t take Lugol’s solution.
The herbal method. Take Black wallnut Tincture 30 drops 2 times a day for one month. Or as indicated in the Bottle.
Also, alkalize the intestine with Ted’s Alkalizing formula before or after meal. Good Health
hi Barb from Indiana, I think I'm following your route…would like to know if you have finally conquered the beast?
To Beth from Bristoll 4/01/08:
Hello Beth, Welcome to the world of unwanted side effects (c diff in your case) from antibiotics. In most cases this is from killing off the good bacteria along with the bad. If so, the best treatment is to replace the good bacteria by eating lots of live YOGURT. Ripe bananas (the peels get brown speckles on them) should also help.
I also remember reading where someone wrote in to Earth Clinic, that they solved the diarrhea problem with 5-6 drops of iodine in a glass of water. I would try one or both instead of taking another antibiotic. Looking at the humorous side of the sitation, you can now respond to Kyra Jones, from Los Angeles 4/2/08, question: “What on earth are they doing for their $150,000 education”?
I was diagnosed with C-Diff on Feb.14,2008. I had initially gone to the Dr. with bad stomach pain & sore throat & was prescribed Omnicef. On day 10 I had bad diarrhea with blood. I went to the ER. A week later I got a call saying that I had C-Diff. I took 10 days of Flagyl which was one of the worst experiences ever. I still have upper abdominal pain from time to time. I want some relief.
I contacted c diff after being prescribed clindamycin for infection. I had 2 rounds of vancomycin, 2 rounds of flagil, took florastor, and culturett faithfully. I also started drinking Kefir. This started January 1, 2009 and I could not shake it. I wound up in the hospital in February. In April, my gastroendologist decided to do “bacterial” therapy. Another name is fecal transplant. My husband was the donor. Since I was 53, I needed a colonoscopy anyway, so my doctor did both at the same time. I have not had c diff since. Automatic cure after all these months. Now I am getting ready to face breast surgery and am loading up on florastor, kefir, and culturette. I hope it does not come back but if it does another bacteria therapy is in my future.
I have had another recurrence of C Diff, but am unable to find a doctor willing to do a fecal transplant. Does anyone have the name of a physician that will perfom one?
To Dianne in Rives: A fecal transplant is also called a fecal enema, and normally a family member is the donor. You instantly have the benefit of healthy bacteria, flora, without introducing cultures to your system orally. I think you could find out how to do this yourself online… Everything is online.. That’s how I found this thread! Fighting C-dif in my 88 yr old Dad, second bout in three weeks of Flagyl… If this doesn’t cease, 6 to 10 diapers a day.. We won’t mention sheets)here comes the enema!!
Regarding fighting clostridium difficile in your 88 year-old father – My mother had c. Diff. At 88 also (caught it in the hospital). The doctors were at a loss. A child’s dose of bovine colostrum had her bowel movements back to normal within 24 hours. In 2 weeks she was back at home, and lived another year. Get bovine colostrum capsules at your local health food store.
My 84 year old mother has had diarrhea for 3 months now. First month her gastroenterologist refused to think it could be C Diff despite fact she had been on 2 yrs of antibiotics for recurrent UTI’s and most recently CIPRO and Levaquin (which I have since learned are notorious for causing C Diff. ) Ended up in hospital dehydrated and had colonscopy and sent home. 2 nights later fell while cleaning diarrhea and fractured her spine w/bone fragment wedged against spinal column and couldn’t walk. Back in hospital, colonoscopy results came back with collageanous colitis in meantime. Had 7 hr neurosurgery for spine, a few days later diarrhea even worse and diagnosed C Diff. I think she had it all along although they said it didn’t show up in colonscopy (is this possible?) Started her on Flagyl 4 days, then switch to Vancomyacin. Then her heart rate became irregular, fluid built up etc. Sent her to rehab and 4 days later she was VERY ill and back to hospital with infection in blood stream (doc said from all the diarrhea), heart attack, congestive heart failure, atrial fib, SVT, pneumonia… We almost lost her. Infectious disease doc was great (wish he’d been called in earlier)and he chose an antibiotic for the blood stream that wouldn’t aggravate C Diff and wouldn’t let them put her on any other antibiotics. Started her on Floraster and lactobacillius in hospital (at least they do that now). She got better, blood stream infection and C Diff both got better. Her heart functioning was 25%, and only 2 2wks earlier it was strong and fine. They did angiogram and found 95% blockage in LED artery and put in 2 stents. Doc told me that stress of being so sick and diarrhea so long can cause veins to restrict and plaque to be knocked off, blocking the arteries.
She is now out of hospital back in SNF for rehab, and diarrhea started getting worse again pretty quickly even tho on Vanco for 4 wks. Doc extended it 10 days more. Meanwhile – I expressed concern that she may have a UTI (with diarrhea in diapers and CNAs not making effort to get her to bathroom no wonder! ), and put her on Macrobid without telling me. Now I know and am torn – the UTI could make her very sick again, but so can the C Diff. He says Macrobid isn’t one that causes C Diff like Levaquin does. So I compramised and said ok to 5 days of it. Making myself sick too worrying about this, managing it, advocating and researching. Are there any good antibiotics she could be on that won’t make C Diff worse?
I agree with Joyce that yogurt is the best for curing C-diff. My mother has the same thing from antibiotics killing the good bacteria. I get her Kefer yogurt drink that she has every morning. Suppose to be the best probiotic.
I had C-Diff early this year (January, 2011), after taking the antibiotic, Clyndamycin, for some supposed necessary dental surgery I was to have at Aspen Dental (which turned out to be totally unnecessary, per a true dental surgeon). Horrid, nasty disease, it was! I got so badly dehydrated that I had to have the emergency squad come get me. That’s how I discovered that I had C-Diff. I was given Flagyl, which had no effect on it.
I have found several medical research team articles that document the use of what is called kefir for C-Diff (and other bugs like this). It works very well for getting rid of this superbug. The treatment they used is a type of yogurt, but the yogurt is not made with pasteurized milk. Kefir has been around for centuries. It originated in the Caucasean Mountains (research kefir for full history).
What I’ve read is that all of the test individuals recovered from C-Diff with no recurrence, using the kefir treatment. They stated that antibiotic treatments had little to no affect on the disease. Kefir is staggered througout the day with the antibiotic, as they gradually decrease the dosages of the antibiotic, finally replacing it totally with the kefir, which is taken every day for awhile.
Any good store that carries a wide variety of yogurts carries this probiotic liquid (I get mine at Kroger and Meijer). In Kroger, go to either the yogurt or the healthfood sections. Meijer – yogurt section. Look for a container shaped like a small milk bottle. It comes flavored or plain. I use a brand, raspberry flavor, which both stores carry where I live. (Google online for coupons, and for what this container looks like.)
I personally stopped the antibiotic (Flagyl) right away. Instead, I drank a 1/2 cup of kefir four times the first day, then went down to 1/4 cup four times a day for about a week. I mixed it with a little bit of filtered cold water from the fridge, which watered it down a bit and made it a little easier for me to drink (I’m a woos, even though the stuff tastes good right out of the bottle. ). I have since replaced the water with about six ounces of Meijer brand, “not from concentrate” orange juice. The drink tastes like an orange cream popsicle. Quite good, actually.
Within 24 hours, after taking 1/2 cup two times the first day, the severe diarrhea began to decrease. Within two days, it was gone. It’s been seven months, and I have not had even a hint of a recurrence.
I still drink one or two servings of the 1/4 kefir to 3/4 orange juice or water, once or twice a month, just in case, because I have a history of intestinal problems since childhood. I have also started adding a 1/2 cup of cold water with 1/2 cup of aloe vera juice (buy at healthfood store), to keep my stomach and intestinal lining healthy (I extensively researched this). It knocks out any trace of heartburn, for some reason. I only use the aloe once in awhile when the heartburn rears its ugly head (after I slip and eat something with sugar in it).
Dear Readers, to all those who lives and bodies are upset and down from C-diff, this horrible destroying bacteria and to those who lost loved ones from it, I hope to let people know, please be your own advocate and question your doctors, they don’t have the answers for severe cases . I read many stories to find comfort, DKH from High Point NC we needed to understand all this information about the way C-diff is handled and how deadly in some cases it could be. I didn’t come across it till now. Your story really touched my heart, as it still aches over losing my brother. At 42 on February 20, 2010 Bob JR died from COMPLICATIONS of C-diff and the long lasting effects of the colon being destroyed. It is a long story of a single guy with a heart of gold, an ambulance driver and volunteer fireman to boot, there were missed signals and many hospital stays with diverticulitis issues and lots of antibiotics over the course of probably 3 to 4 years.
I live in PA the rest of my family in NY and the FEBRUARY 14, 2010 wedding of our nephew was a blessing to whole our family as my brother was dancing and smiling (we have lots of pictures) through his pain as he could not eat and had lost over 40pounds in the year. He was released from the hospital Jan 11, 2010 on antibiotics again only to return as we rushed him there Feb 17 where he died. This C-diff is a killer still. The doctor in the hospital said we have 5 cases and Bob’s is the worst, besides doing emergency illiectomy surgery, as he was Sepsis and in shock when we brought him there. His ambulance friends went to a sister hospital in New york City to get an experimential medicine, it was given who knew if it would have work it was just to late. Why was he sent home in Jan. with a port of antibiotics, nursing care that didn’t really know about how dangerous C-diff was, as we didn’t either and given a letter that he could return to work just 10days before he died, yet the discharge doctors didn’t even have the blood tests back yet. We have all the hospital records but according to New York State Law they, the doctors and the hospital were in their Jurisdiction of care and laws of care as three experts told our lawyer…. So to all….. OUR heallth care system is crumbling and we need to be proactive for ourselves, our children, grandchildren and loved ones that need a voice, be viligant.
I have friends and family in the medical field who are so fustrated by the politics and profits of “People Care” consumers not patients to some any more with human life on the line.. Doctors Nurses, Caretakers you went into this field because you care for others.. Please speak up. Knowledge is Power and the public needs to know what can we do to help ourselves against these killers…. Start a group…… Life is precious. Sepsis, C-diff and MRSAs- all of them killers and on my dad’s Death certificate 1/09/2009 and my brothers 2/20/2010 as cause of death. In our hearts forever….. Thank you for listening and the good info. on what to do if someone else in our family gets C-diff…. I pray not.
Thank you Dolores from Lancaster for sharing your story about your brother and C-diff. I am so sorry for your loss.
You are right about needing to be proactive in our health by empowering ourselves and our families. As a former C-diff sufferer (1995 when I was given Biaxin and Cipro for walking pneumonia), one thing I strongly recommend for getting and staying healthy is taking a very high-quality probiotic daily – eating fermented food helps too.
Take care, Bess
I had cdiff last year after the first round of flagyl for 14 days it came back after 3 or 4 days, then I went on metrodinasol (vancocymin) for 14 days. Again I thought I was finally rid of this horrible thing, but it came back after 3 days again. My doctor, and I also did some research, put me on 21 days of flagyl and that is what finally did it. I also take an Activia yogurt everyday and 1 pill of saccaramyses Boulardi MOS and I have been free for the last 9 months. As a matter of fact my stomach has never been this good even before CDiff it must be the probiotics. I hope this helps.