What is C Diff (C Difficile)?
Our bodies are home to many bacteria including c diff. Good bacteria kills or inhibits “bad” bacteria before it can harm us. When the good bacteria are killed by antibiotics taken for other medical conditions, C Difficile, which some people carry in their intestines, can create severe illness.
C Diff Basics
What is C Diff?
What are the symptoms of C Diff?
How is C Diff diagnosed?
How is C Diff treated?
Understanding Your C Difficile Infection
How does C Difficile make you ill
Why do some people have recurring C Diff infection
How can C diff be prevented
What is the C Diff ‘fecal transplant’ therapy
Is C Difficile contagious?
What is C Difficile colitis
What are C Difficile toxins
C Difficile Drugs
A simple guide to Flagyl (Metronidazole)
New targeted drug – Fidaxomicin
When Flagyl is not enough – Vancocin
C Diff and Acid Reflux Drugs
We also have sites about MRSA, MRSA Infection, NDM-1 bacteria and the possibility of untreatable diseases
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
We had a family member who was ill sstaying with us for a week. What type of cleaning do we need to do? And this person was petting our dogs and let one of the dogs up in his lap, what type of percautions do we need to take with them (I.e. baths)?
Many people are colonized with C difficile and do not suffer any illness unless they are on medication for several days or weeks. C Diff spores are very hard to get rid off if the person was an active shedder when they were with you. Given that they were mobile most of the shedding would be via their hands. Clean high touch surfaces with strong bleach and clean the animals with conventional washing. Do not worry too much – you are unlikely to suffer a c diff episode unless you are already ill with something else.
Dave
Cdifficile.org
Does C Diff respond to Oredano Oil? It is extremely pathogenic and not a drug. ( in a negative fashion, for sure!)
Thanks for your time.
We are not aware of any information on this
Dave Roberts
cdifficile.org
My baby has a permante feeding tube and has c-diff three times he is only a yr old i was wondering if something else was going on with him the drs are missing he has bloody poops too has been tested for intrususseption and it was negative I am at a loss but scared of the side effects of flagel what else can i do he is also on a acidofalis to please someone help me hes been threw so much in his life I need an answer
Dear Shondell
We limit ourselves to advice of a general nature about c diff here on the site. I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Have you asked your doctors about Fidaxomicin as this often stops c difficile from coming back.
Dave
cdifficile.org
After antibiotic how many days or hours wait for repeat culture?
How many time do we need for culture for safety?
You will need to get expert medical advice re repeat cultures. We are an information site about general C Diff issues
Sorry we cannot be more helpful
Dave
cdifficile.org
I have had diarrhea for a couple weeks now, but I was in the hospital and on very stron antibiotics. I have been taking acidophilus and just started taking an anti-diarrheal. I don’t have any other symptoms, ie. fever cramps etc. Should I be concerned?
I work at a hospital in environmental services. Last night I cleaned a c – diff room without proper signage and didn’t wear my ppe or clean with the correct cleaner. I re did the room after I found out but I was already exposed. I am currently on ciproflaxin 500mg twice a day due to bronchitis. Am I at a greater risk?
Technically yes. Those on antibiotics are most prone to moving from being a carrier to being infected.
Dave
cdifficile.org
I have a dear friend whom I truly care about and love, and all of a sudden, he was taken down w/ “a flue”, of which, I too, had. But mine was fever, throat, ear infection, bronchitis, NOT GASTRO…..mine was treated w/triple antibiotic otic solution for ear (as 2ndhand smoke from working as FltAttdt has left me w/perforated eardrum)& I had allergies from 1st anitbiotic, which was 500 mg AMOX-CLAV taken down to 250mg AZITHROMYCIN 6PACK, point being I beat this “flue”, but my friend just sent me an email stating he has been in hospital (after receiving 5 bags of IV solution for gastrointestinal “flue, on 12/07/11), and NOW tells me he almost lost his life and has been in hospital until 1/13/12 with C-Diff & is still not back @ work. His work involves travel (which he had just come back from), works in the “field” as Homicide Detective, teacher, etc. Question is this: I did get sick, but I am over it, he apparently gave me some sort of illness as I know airborne germs very well travel around airplanes, but I READ that only 2-5% of population get C-Diff…..IS IT CONTAGIOUS? HOW CAN I HELP HIM? I am a former RN, have worked in all types of medical environments, am now disabled and generally do not work out in field anymore due to spinal problems. I am not sick, so is this something HE got from air, work, bad luck??? And, he was working 24/7 on call for this type of work….he was very dehydrated and always tired. Seeing that I want to help him, want to make sure that what/if I do is correct, and also do not want to spread it or get it myself. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO HELP? IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? Thank you so very much for your time and interest. God bless you with only the good things that life has.
Unless you have a test to establish that you have had C Diff it is unlikely that he gave it to you. C Diff is contagious but this tends to happen during the stage when the patient has very bad diarrhea. He needs expert medical help for the c diff condition and like us all some general TLC for the recovery period.
Dave
cdifficile.org
Hi,
I have a question about licensing content from this site for an app I am working on. Please contact me at my email to discuss in detail.
Thank you.
Hi my wife has been sick for a while first went to dr for bronchial infection given antibiotics took two days worth and became very sick with diarrhea went back to dr was told it was the stomach flu and put on another round of antibiotic. Finished the 10 days worth thought she was getting better two days later we were back at the dr with stomach issues. Went to lab did stool sample because her white blood count was 22,000 tested positive for c-diff. Dr said as long as we kept fluids in her she could stay home and not go to hospital, we were not told how contagious it is should we be worried?
With the right medication home care and plenty to drink will probably do the trick. The family should all wash their hands after contact with your wife and all the usual hygiene common sense should be observed. This article looks at risks within the family – they are very small.
Hi Shondell,
My son had cdiff too when he was 1 after taking antibiotic for a week…. his doctor recommended a probiotic Florastor kids. You may also want to google Dr. George Russell of Mass General on his article of C diff.
Good luck!
I was an 3 types of antibiotics (so for about a month) amoxicillin, zpack, and amoxicillin with clavunate. I had loose stools while taking the amoxicillin with clavonate but only twice a day and they were dark in color. I had to restart the amoxicillin after some dental work and last night I got really gassy and today I am passing watery, mucous like stools. It has that wierd C-diff smell to it, too. The highest fever I had was 100.0. I am very weary of going on another antibiotic, do you think this might go away on its own? Thanks!
You need to get a medical opinion if you are concerned. We would be wary of a wait and see approach and are not qualified to offer opinions. We seek to provide information but cannot comment on specific cases
dave
cdifficile.org
I had c diff several years ago and it almost killed me and I already have a very compromised immune system from way back before the c diff (no neutrophils) and now the docs think I might have it again. What are the chances of me already spreading it to everyone else without me knowing it? That is if I do have it again. What are some ways to prevent the spread of it if I do have it because I am really concerned for people around me getting sick from me possibly having it. The doc has sent a test in. My doc (s) are infectious disease so they know what to do. I have been a patient of theirs for a long time. My last question is: Can you tell me how long before they know the results of my stool sample? I gave it to them this last thursday.
Hard to say how long as hospitals have different ways of doing the test and capacities. The risk to family members of them becoming carriers is thought to be low. The risk of subsequent full blown infections even lower. See this page
Dave
cdifficile.org
I was just told today I have c diff. I have had cramping, recal pain, mucus in my stool,( I only had diarreah for a couple days) and a slightly upset tummy. I feel fine otherwise. But after reading alot of different things I am so scared! Was is the survival rate of people? Is catching early going to help me? I am really scared after reading it can be fatal!
The vast majority of those who have c diff survive, recover and have no further episodes. Those who die are often but not exclusively over 70 years old and usually quite unwell with other conditions which the c diff makes harder to fight.
Hope this helps bring clarity
Dave
cdifficile.org
I have had C-Diff for a little over 1 year straight now, i am 29 years old. I have been on anti biotics the entire time trying to fend it off. Will i ever get better? Or is my body now screwed for the rest of my life?
Reading that those over 70 are the ones to die scares me. I was a riding my bike 6 miles a day. Because of kidney stones I went to see a Naturopath to see if he could help me. After a stool test he said I had a bacteria. He prescribed clindamycin and within 7 days I was very sick. I don’t remember the next 5 days before I went to the hospital. They said I was freeze dried!! My face was black and blue from falling at home. After 4 days in the hospital I told my doctor I was going home. It within a week it came back and I went from flagyl to vacomyacin and then to Xifaxan which kills all bacteria in your intestines. He Gave me Florastor as a probiotic to take for 7 days. He is out of town and I would like to know if I should continue taking Florastor for a longer time. Also I 66, very skinny and am unable to gain my weight back. This started in December. This scares me – went from nicely fit to an old lady.
We are unable to comment on specifics re medical cases. We can offer information but not advice.
Sorry to not be more helpful – but you might like to check out the florastor we site which says this:
Long-term use of Florastor is not associated with complications. After repeated oral doses, Florastor transits through the digestive tract attaining steady-state levels that are maintained throughout the administration period.†5 Florastor is no longer present in stools 2 to 5 days after discontinuation of treatment.†2
http://www.florastor.com
I am in my late forties and i was being treated for a bacteria infection of my finger . The doctor had told me about a risk of diarrehea and throwing up but i didnt catch the name of it.Anyway within a week of starting this new antibiotic i got sick and called his office.They told me i had the flu and to not go to the hospital they would check with me on monday. In the meantime my daughter tried to get everyone to convince me to go to the emergency she knew i was not thinking right. I ended up getting my family to call a ambulance on late saturday. I woke up 3 weeks later from a coma and i hardly remember anything except for the ambulance and talking to the doctors office. I guess once i got to the emergency it took 2 days to figure out i had cdiff and by then my breathing was shallow from my swollen bowel. I had gone septic and my organs were shutting down. 5 doctors argued about what to do and they ended up getting family members to sign to remove my bowel and do a ileostomy. My chances of surviving that were not good but got worse when 5 hours after that surgery i had internal bleeding and lost 4 liters of blood and they had to reoperate to stop the bleeding. My heart stopped twice in those 3 weeks and they had to put a needle into it to start it. I woke up not knowing where i was and unable to move from all the water and swelling in my body. I was like a beached whale. I am not sure why i was so swollen if it was the cdiff or all the iv liquid they gave me. My skin was breaking and water was leaking out of it. Supposedly in a few months they can reverse the ileostomy since i have a small piece of my large bowel left. That is if i do not relapse with cdiff.
This is a scary disease and anyone on antibiotics should be aware of it. I was not in a hospital when i got it. It is starting to attack healthy young people and kill them. I guess i asked for a priest and told everyone i was dying. I knew i was dying and so did the doctors. This disease is getting stronger all the time and i think the public needs to be aware of it and something needs to be done. To say it only kills those who are sick or over 70 is not correct.
This whole thing has been a nightmare…..but i am alive….Be warned it can happen to anyone…but especially those on antibiotics…
When contracting C-dif in a hospital on average how long would the treatment of it extend a patients stay in the hospital. Would the hospital be reimbursed by insurance for the additional days in the hospital. Please let me know. Thanks.
I had C-diff about 6 years ago. I was treated in a clinical study and fortunately received the experimental drug and not the placebo. I was involved in treatment for 6 weeks when I was finally back to normal. When I was released from the study, I was told that I could suffer a recurrance and to stay away from any future antibiotics that may be prescribed for me or at least inform an emergency room or future medical provider of my history. I’ve had no reason to need an antibiotic until recently. I may need to take one for a dental issue. Should I be worried? Is there something that I can take that will be mild enough to take care of the tooth but not proboke a return of the C-diff?
We’re not medically qualified here at cdifficile.org. We’ve studied the infection in depth as medical journalists and have a broad knowledge. You would need to seek medical advice re the right drug to use re your dental issue. If the clinical trial was for was is now called Dificid there are less cases of repeat C diff with this drug
Dave
cdifficile.org
my wife was diagnosed with c diff has all kinds of tests and was on flagyl and a couple other meds her stomach is swolen and will not decrease the doctor treated her and said she was clear of c diff but the symptoms still persist she is desperate
Does he know that she is clear of C diff because he has tested. If he has then there may be some other intestinal issues.
Dave
cdifficile.org
My husband had his aortic valve replaced in September. His Dad has c-diff. He was around his Dad before he was diagnosed with C-diff. He wore the gown and gloves in the Hospital with his Dad but I am really concerned about him. He and his siblings are going to clean his Dad’s home before he comes home from the nursing home, just wondering if he should even be involved. He is doing great with his recovery from his surgery just don’t know how cautious he should be with the c-diff. I didn’t want him to go around it at all but he was with his Dad before they decided he had c-diff. His Dad wasn’t big on good hygiene before he got c-diff.
If his father contracted C Diff or experienced the full infection at the hospital then the chances of your husband being a carrier are small. The gowning process will have helped at the hospital and the risk will be low at the home. You might like to check this article also: http://www.cdifficile.org/risk-of-family-clostridium-difficile-infection/
If there was other work he could do on behalf of the family at this time that would be great – but if he still helps with the cleaning the risk is small.
Dave
cdifficile.org
I had a bad case of cdiff about five years ago. No antibiotic helped, so I had a fecal transplant and from that day on I never had a recurrence. I have not been on an antibiotic since, but now I fear that I have strep throat. I do not want to go to doctor in case he wants to put me on an antibiotic. Since I had the transplant, will I be less likely to get cdiff again? If they want to put me on an antibiotic for the strep, which one is the safest?
The fecal transplant does tend to redress the balance in the gut. I’m not sure whether the science is exact as to whether it cleanses the gut of C Diff altogether. I think you will need to discuss your antibiotic situation with an MD or specialist as we would be speaking outside of our current knowledge if we ventured an opinion.
Dave
cdifficile.org
okay, thank you. I am taking a z pack for strep throat. My doctor said you have to take antibiotics sometimes because strep throat or a uti if not treated has the potential to kill you. So I am taking the chance. I will let you know what happens
Hi GarretMarsha, I hope you’re feeling better and that the Z-pack didn’t start up c-diff. I’m upset the general public is unaware of this awful organism! It seems no one has heard of it unless they contract it! If more people knew about it, when the c-diff symptoms start after extended use of antibiotics, they’d seek help. I thought I had a G.I. Flu! Feel better.
Shelley
I was put on Bactrim for an infected toe(ingrown toenail)&kept on it for 15 days waiting to see a Podiatrist. At about day 11 of Bactrim, I got horrible watery diarrhea,nausea,102 fever,stomach cramps and I thought it was the flu.I went to Dr’s and was severely dehydrated.This is when I 1st heard of C-Diff.They stopped the Bactrim&I gave 2 stool samples. I do have C-Diff and am on the 7th day of Flagyl. I started feeling better about 4 days on Flagyl. But I was SO sick. I think more people should be aware of C-Diff! I pray the Flagyl will rid me of the C-Diff and never have a reoccurence. Oh, also I was told to Take Lomotil for the diarrhea which I’ve since learned is NOT good as one wants the toxins out of the body. I’ll be re-tested to see if the C-Diff is gone. If it isn’t I’m going to go see a Gastroenterologist a.s.a.p.! Why is C-Diff kept such a secret? It’s dangerous when untreated and none of my friends had ever heard of it either! Wish me luck! 3/26/12.
I had C diff this year. Successfully treated with Flagyl. Is it safe to work at a Dr’s office or hospital once you have had C-diff because of risk of reinfection? I am very concerned because of spores that could be living in the hospital.
The C diff drugs do not always rid the body of C Diff. Balance returns to the stomach and the patient recovers. Another bout of C diff could be from existing c diff in the intestines or a new infection from another source. When taking antibiotics in the future there may be a risk of c diff returning. With respect to the hospital hand hygiene protocols should help prevent you from getting a new infection from a patient.
Dave
cdifficile.org
patient still has symptoms (diarrhea) a week after antibiotics for c-diff were completed. Patient was told she may have symptoms for several more months but no further treatment is recommended. Is it accepted protocol to just monitor patient’s symptoms and not prescribe further antibiotics?
We can’t really comment on specific cases. But there are degrees of severity. Two key factors in treatment would be whether the patient has other conditions and whether there is internal inflamation and pain.
A small percentage of people do seem to have chronic c diff
Dave
cdifficile.org
Cdiff is HELL
My son has been sick for 6 months with c-diff with none of the normal symptoms. The only things he has is vomiting( which has stopped) and abdominal pain. He has had 4 doses of antibiotics in 2.5 months (2 flagyl, alinia and vancomycin). He continues to be sick. He was never in the hospital before symptoms and had not been on antibiotics for a long time prior. I am baffled as to if we are treating the right thing. His stool samples come back positive.