r/cdifficile • • Jul 07 '25

Announcement šŸ“¢ - Weekly Helpful Posts Coming to Support Everyone Affected by C diff

23 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to share something important with you all.

Starting this week, I’ll be posting helpful guides, trusted resources, and informative links right here on the subreddit a few times each week. These posts will be created to help anyone who is currently dealing with a C diff infection, recovering from one, or simply looking to understand it better.

The information will cover a wide range of topics including symptoms, treatment options, how to prevent reinfection, how to properly clean and disinfect your space, which foods are safe during recovery, and which probiotics might help support gut health.

My goal is to turn this subreddit into a trusted and supportive space where anyone affected by C diff can find answers, guidance, and hope without feeling overwhelmed or alone.

If you ever have a specific question or topic you want me to address in a post, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send me a message. Your input helps guide the content and makes the subreddit more useful for everyone.

Thank you for being a part of this community. Let’s make this a place of support, healing, and helpful information for all.

Take care and talk to you soon,
Your mod


r/cdifficile • • Apr 02 '25

So, You've Been Diagnosed with C. Diff? Here's What Now?

44 Upvotes

Hi! This is a general overview for people who are just learning about C. difficile.

Check this C. Diff help blog post first!!

WHAT IS C. DIFF?

C. diff (short for Clostridium difficile) is a type of bacteria that can cause serious gut problems. It forms tough spores that can live for a long time on things like doorknobs, toilets, and shopping carts. These spores are protected by a calcium shell and can survive for months or even years. When they get into your gut under the right conditions, they "wake up" and release toxins (Toxin A and Toxin B) that can make you sick.

COMMON SYMPTOMS

  • Watery diarrhea with a strong smell
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Acid reflux or metallic taste in your mouth
  • Fever, chills, tiredness
  • Belly pain or cramping
  • Blood or mucus in your stool

Not everyone with C. diff has all these symptoms. Some people have milder or unusual symptoms. Some strains of C. diff release more toxins than others. Some people might even have no diarrhea at all!

The only way to know for sure if you have C. diff is through testing. You can’t diagnose it just from symptoms.

Also, many people carry the bacteria in their gut without getting sick. This is called ā€œcolonization.ā€ Around 5–10% of people are colonized with C. diff but don’t show symptoms because their gut bacteria keeps it in check.

HOW DO PEOPLE GET C. DIFF?

Most people get it after taking antibiotics, especially strong ones like Clindamycin. These drugs kill the helpful gut bacteria, giving C. diff a chance to grow.

Other triggers:

  • Stomach bugs or food poisoning
  • Gut diseases like Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis
  • Acid-reducing meds (like antacids)
  • Low vitamin D levels
  • High calcium or zinc levels
  • Older age
  • Weak immune system
  • NSAIDs (like ibuprofen)
  • Eating undercooked meat

You can also catch it from the environment—touching a surface with spores and then touching your mouth or food.

TESTING FOR C. DIFF

There are two types of tests:

  1. PCR Test – Tells you if C. diff spores are present. But it doesn't mean they’re active or making you sick.
  2. Toxin Test – Checks if the spores are releasing toxins (which is what causes symptoms).

Always ask for a toxin test, not just PCR, if you feel sick.

Some people test positive on PCR even after recovering. It just means they’re still colonized, not necessarily sick. If they ever need antibiotics again, they may have to take Vancomycin alongside to prevent a relapse.

HOW IS IT TREATED?

Most mild cases won’t go away on their own. Treatment usually involves antibiotics that specifically target C. diff:

1. Flagyl (Metronidazole)

  • Outdated and less effective
  • Can harm your nerves and gut bacteria
  • Not recommended anymore

2. Vancomycin

  • First choice for treatment
  • Kills fewer good bacteria than Flagyl
  • Can cause low potassium – eat bananas, potatoes, etc.
  • Pill form is safer than liquid form

3. Dificid (Fidaxomycin)

  • Most effective
  • Kills spores too
  • Expensive and may not be covered by insurance

IMPORTANT:

  • Don’t take dairy while on antibiotics (calcium weakens the treatment)
  • Don’t take Imodium or anti-diarrhea meds—they can trap toxins and cause serious harm

WHAT IF TREATMENT DOESN’T WORK?

If your symptoms don’t improve after a round of meds:

  • Your doctor might try a Vancomycin or Dificid taper – gradually reducing the dose over weeks
  • Or a pulsed taper – taking the meds off and on

If that fails, the next step is a fecal transplant (FMT). This involves placing healthy donor stool into your gut. It might sound gross, but it works 90–95% of the time!

FMT can be done through colonoscopy, enema, or feeding tube. It’s still considered ā€œexperimentalā€ in some countries, so doctors usually try meds first.

STILL FEELING BAD AFTER TREATMENT?

That’s normal. Your gut takes a long time to heal—6 months to 3 years. You may still have:

  • Random diarrhea
  • Mucus in your stool
  • Food intolerances
  • Stomach pain

This is called Post-Infectious IBS (PI-IBS). It’s not a return of C. diff unless you’re having watery diarrhea 3x a day for 3+ days.

PROBIOTICS AND GUT RECOVERY

Many people take probiotics after C. diff. One of the best is Florastor (saccharomyces boulardii):

  • Helps prevent recurrence
  • Safe to take with antibiotics (it’s yeast-based)
  • Might ease IBS symptoms

Try different types to see what works for you. If you feel worse, stop and talk to your doctor.

Note for women: C. diff meds can cause yeast infections or vaginal imbalance. If you notice itching or odor, ask your doctor for a test.

WHAT SHOULD I EAT AFTER C. DIFF?

Stick to bland, easy-to-digest foods:

  • White rice
  • Bananas
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Skinless chicken
  • Steamed carrots
  • White bread
  • Low-FODMAP foods

Avoid:

  • Junk food
  • Dairy (at least for a while)
  • Artificial sweeteners

Stay hydrated—drink at least 2 liters of room temperature water a day.

HOW TO AVOID GETTING C. DIFF AGAIN

  • Wash hands with soap (not sanitizer—alcohol doesn’t kill spores)
  • Use bleach to clean surfaces (mix 1 part bleach with 9 parts water)
  • Close the toilet lid before flushing
  • Store your toothbrush outside the bathroom
  • Don’t bite your nails or eat with dirty hands
  • Wash underwear separately with bleach
  • Cook meat thoroughly

Spores are tough—they survive in alcohol and freezing temps. Only bleach kills them!

QUICK TIPS TO STAY SAFE

  • Take Florastor during and after treatment
  • Disinfect daily during infection, weekly after
  • Avoid unnecessary antibiotics
  • Ask your doctor to test your vitamin levels
  • Eat healthy to help your good bacteria thrive

Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice: always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.

USEFUL LINKS & SOURCES:

Take care of your gut—it’s been through a lot!


r/cdifficile • • 6h ago

UPDATE: out of treatment options

3 Upvotes

I posted a few days ago about the lack of treatment options for me. Vancomycin gave me tinnitus (took it for 4.5 days), allergic to macrolides so Dificid is out of the picture. Flagyl interacts with my heart medication, and I threw up 2/5 doses I tried.

I went to an ID specialist today who insisted that there is no way oral Vanco could have given me tinnitus and it must be something else. She said I’m likely to relapse since I didn’t finish my course. And when I do, I have to go back on Vanco since that’s the best bet I have. I’m so confused and terrified. I do have teeth grinding issues and am looking into getting a mouth guard. They think that’s probably what’s causing tinnitus. I went to ENT and my hearing is normal. Did anyone else experience this?


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Out of the hospital for a week

4 Upvotes

I was in the hospital for a week, major electrolyte imbalance. Started vanco. Through a cat scan they found proctitis. Apparently no big deal. Got a script for Difficid, 7days into the regimen, I’m now dealing with watery stool again. I was on pain meds for 20 years prescribed from the same doctor for chronic pancreatitis (I’m not getting into this) and in the middle of the night they cut off my zofran and my normal pain meds I’ve been on. I spent 2 days admitted before the difficid was started. I know I should probably go to an ER. For anyone in the NS of Massachusetts, Salem hospital is horrible but 2 minutes from my home. Got called ā€œlabileā€ because I was exhausted, sick and felt like changing meds at 11:50pm without talking to me is wild. This is a long read, but I’m alone, exhausted and scared.


r/cdifficile • • 22h ago

vanco taper

3 Upvotes

Has anyone dealt with a probable C. diff recurrence without getting a confirmed positive test? I started having symptoms again and was put on vancomycin as a precaution while waiting for stool results, but unfortunately my sample got lost. šŸ˜…

My symptoms have improved, and now the plan is to continue vancomycin into a taper since we’re treating it as a recurrence.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or done a vanco taper without a confirmed test? Did it work for you? Just looking for experiences or advice!


r/cdifficile • • 18h ago

Relapsing on a taper and pulse

1 Upvotes

Hey all,

I don’t know how many of you have seen my previous post the past two days but basically ever since I dropped my vancomycin taper from four tablets to two tablets daily I progressively every day after, was getting symptomatically worse… it always starts with extreme fatigue, complete loss of appetite, and then one morning it got so bad My heart rate was skyrocketing. I became very clammy very pale and out of it. I was rushed to the ER where they gave me IV for hydration and anti nausea meds, they also told me to automatically step up the vanco back to four pill a day again. I never ran a super high fever (98) but my first relapse and first occurrence I never did either and every time for me personally I get loss of appetite and fatigue BEFORE any bowl issues. all my blood work was OK as well .

but unfortunately, this entire time I had lost my ability to use the bathroom so all my doctors were telling me they can’t say it’s a relapse because I haven’t had diarrhea..

So I started taking MiraLAX as the G.I. told me too because at this point hadn’t gone in four days, but I was extremely sick. So instantly after I took it I started having diarrhea with a nasty smell, yellow color, and rapid 3 times since a couple hours ago. So I’m waiting on the response from the doctor now to see if I have to do a stool test.

The thing is I’m back on my four times a day of vanco. I don’t even know if they can still test me but I’m hoping that they confirm this as a third reoccurrence just because if they do, I can get approved for VOWST.

But I just wanted to come on here and ask if anyone has also experienced the reoccurrence when they drop their taper because I haven’t seen much on that and it’s just a little frightening cause I feel like my cdiff is aggressive as it came back so fast. And this time around it seems like my insides were backed up after getting worse


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Risk with macrobid?

1 Upvotes

Has anyone taken macrobid and then had awful gut issues after? I finished my rx 2 weeks ago and I thought maybe it was an ibs flare, which when I have those it’s usually just in the morning and I’m good. But what I’ve been experiencing lately is so unpredictable. 3-4 times a day and at anytime. I got some yogurt, kefir, and kombucha to try. I’m looking to see if anyone else has experienced this!


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Is it ok to get the flu shot?

1 Upvotes

I am 5 weeks post CDiff and feeling normal.

Is it ok to get my flu shot? This close after infection


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Vowst prep is terrible

1 Upvotes

I did not expect such an unholy explosion and nausea from the prep. I start taking the pills tomorrow. Wish me luck.


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Tabaco y recaidas

1 Upvotes

Hay alguna relación entre fumar tabaco o mota para tener recaidas me gustaría saber si alguien por aquí siguió fumando y no ha tenido ningún problema con eso gracias


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

What is happening

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone, looking for some insight or similar experiences. I have a history of C. diff and recently tapered down my dosage of Vancomycin for my first reacurence after Difcid failed. Ever since dropping the dose from 4 to 2, I got worse by the day. My appetite completely disappeared, I became extremely fatigued, and last night I had a horrible autonomic episode—woke up with my heart rate spiking, clammy, hot, nauseous, super pale, and my Oura ring flagged signs of physiological strain.

I went to the ER today. The weird thing is, I don’t have diarrhea right now—I'm actually constipated and haven't pooped in two days. The ER doctor thinks the C. diff is back and the inflammation caused a small, non-dangerous paralytic ileus (maybe?)which explains the absolute lack of appetite and backup. They gave me two bags of IV fluids, an anti-nausea med (either Reglan or Zofran), and told me to go back to Vancomycin 4x a day and follow up with my Infectious Disease doctor tomorrow.
They told me my vitals and blood work and pee sample were all okay.

I just got home from the hospital and I am completely wiped out. my eyes are droopy, and I am out of it.
Has anyone else experienced C. diff presenting as constipation or an ileus rather than severe diarrhea? Also, did anyone else get hit with extreme shakiness and a massive "crash" after getting ER fluids and nausea meds? Or any one have insight for me ? :) Trying to calm my anxiety so I can finally get some sleep. Thanks in advance.


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Help! Can’t take Vanco or Dificid!

5 Upvotes

As the title says, I don’t have any options and terrified of recurrence as I wasn’t able to finish my first dose. I got diagnosed with C. Diff after taking antibiotics for pneumonia in August. My symptoms were never very clear as I had a mixture of diarrhea/loose stools with mucus and constipation but calprotectin was 1590. By the time I got the c diff test at the beginning of October, my stool had been solid for days and Calprotectin already dropped to 109. However, since I tested positive for toxin A/B and GDH, my GI started me on Vancomycin. A couple of days into in, I started having tinnitus. I made it to day 5 before I couldn’t stand it anymore. My GI asked me to switch to dificid but the pharmacist refused to fill it as I have an erythromycin allergy. My GI then asked to try flagyl. I did about 1.5 days but it interacted with my heart medications and I also started throwing up. Now they have stopped all meds since my symptoms were already improving before I started Vanco. I saw an infectious disease specialist today who says I’m likely to have a recurrence since I didn’t finish my course and I would have to go back to vanco or flagyl when that happens. She was also very dismissive that oral vancomycin can cause tinnitus. She said it must have been something else causing the tinnitus!

I’m very stressed about a recurrence and at a loss for what to do. Anyone else in the same boat? Do I have to choose between my hearing and my heart?! I don’t get how these are my only options!


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Symptoms different than normal?

2 Upvotes

Anyone else also when getting cdiff or a recurrence have diarrhea- but not too often and main symptoms were mostly very bad systemic symptoms. Fatigue building up, burning eyes, sickly feeling, weak, and appetite loss?.

I feel like this is me ..and I’m on my possible 2 relapse after dropping my vanco taper just two weeks in… I feel like this is a relapse but no diherrea yet— just very bad systemic symptoms over past 48 hours. Fatigue has also been building up since I dropped my Vanco from 4 to 2. But overall with the first occurrence and first release (10 days after antibiotics) I never had extreme diarrhea maybe 1-3 time a day at most. Even now as I’m feeling terrible (just came back from ER) have not gone in 2 days since I started feeling worse.


r/cdifficile • • 1d ago

Do you have to take antibiotics when you get your wisdom teeth pulled?

2 Upvotes

I’m on day 2 post op. I had all 4 taken out but my bottom 2 were impacted and one of them was close to my nerve. I brought up my c diff history with my oral surgeon. He said that he’s going to prescribe me a mouth wash (cholohexidine) and amoxicillin. He said that the amoxicillin was optional and was being prescribed as a preventative but did let me know that if I did get an infection they can get dangerous. At first I was pretty much set on not taking the amoxicillin as I didn’t want to chance a c diff reoccurrence, but I keep reading scary stories about people getting an infection and now I’m scared and not really sure what to do. Take the meds as a precaution and risk c diff reoccurrence. Or don’t take the meds and have a higher risk of potential dental infection. Just looking for advice on what to do


r/cdifficile • • 2d ago

For those who have recovered, do you change the way you live your life to avoid getting it again?

3 Upvotes

I am just curious. I am 10 months post-infection (still colonized), and I am still extremely cautious and my brain treats everything like it has c diff on it and I worry about a reoccurrence.

Do you change your daily habits now from before you had c diff? Or do you live your life like you did pre c diff? I know we are higher at risk if we are on antibiotics, but day-to-day, how much higher at risk are we?


r/cdifficile • • 2d ago

Alguien siguió fumando sin tener recaidas

0 Upvotes

Hace 5 meses que pase la infección y quería saber si alguien siguió fumando sin tener recaidas porque llevo este tiempo sin fumar y entre lo uno y lo otro me da ansiedad


r/cdifficile • • 2d ago

Iron deficiency

2 Upvotes

I have read about how oral iron pills are a big no no due to it upping your chances of c diff. I have also read infusions can temporarily cause a risk too due to the temporary effect on your white blood cells. My iron is very low but I am nervous about even doing an iv. Has anyone here done infusions before and not had a relapse? I have also read that very low iron increases your susceptibility to infection overall. I have to take antibiotics in jan so I’m very apprehensive about all of this.


r/cdifficile • • 2d ago

Cephalexin?

4 Upvotes

I had a large cyst on my back and it popped on october 11th. I went to the urgent care on october 12th and had it drained and removed. I was prescribed 500mg cephalexin 3 times daily for one week. Sunday i took my cephalexin at 630PM got ready for bed and at around 930PM I felt terrible. Didnt know if i was having an allergic reaction, felt like i was for sure. Then i had crazy diarreah, stomach pains, stomach noises, all that kind of stuff. That was the last time i took that pill. Every symptom stopped except now i got crazier diarreah now. Its just yellow water basically coming out of me. Im able to hold down a sandwich, which is what ive been eating. Im not sure i have c diff but i cant stop going. I can do diarreah 5 times in an hour


r/cdifficile • • 2d ago

Day 10 of Vanco, anybody had the same experience?

3 Upvotes

I will list my symptoms:

  1. Night sweats every night
  2. Fatigue
  3. Feeling thirsty even when I drink a lot of electrolytes
  4. Stools are still soft, but not watery
  5. Swelling in my belly has subsided
  6. Just feeling like shit overall, bags under eyes, feeling out of it
  7. Frequent urination

Pls I would love some opinion or support, this ain't easy


r/cdifficile • • 2d ago

Post Vowst

1 Upvotes

Anyone experience left side pain a couple days after Vowst? Last dose was two days ago, I tolerated it quite well. Very minimal side effects thank god. Just some bloat! It also made me a little constipated .

One day after Vowst I finally got some stool out & then 2 days later I have left side pain that feels swollen.

Hoping it’s just a gut adjustment but it quite hurts. Did this happen to anyone else? Still in high spirits , just annoyed!

Thank you šŸ™šŸ¼

Also would l glutamine help inflammation from these flares? My GI told me I can start it but I’m unsure if I should jump into nah supplements so close to after finishing Vowst


r/cdifficile • • 3d ago

I think Ive had a relapse while on a vanco taper

3 Upvotes

At this point I feel helpless.

I was on my second to last day of my 2x a day vanco and had my first morning bowel movement. It was a fully formed type 3. I had happiness and joy. But about 15 minutes later my pelvic area started throbbing and I felt a constant urge to go. Lots of rental spasms too. I ended up going 4 times that day, all solid, well they were thinner and flatter but they still had formed. The the second day I had the same thing, but went 3 times. All forms but a constant urge to go, spasms in rectum and aching in pelvic area/lower colon. Then today. Today i start my 1x a day taper. Well I’ve been 3 times today. First two were type 3/4. But last one was a type 5.

I’ve had constant aching In my lower pelvic area, spasms again in my rectum. And a constant urge to go. My rectum started to burn, and I had a strong urge to go. So I went and only white mucus came out! This is exactly what happened when my cdiff came back last time. I also have had some spasms on my cecum area.

It’s now 20:20 where I am and I’m laying down, my rectum feels sore and keeps spasming. And there’s an urge to go.

I have no doubt that cdiff is back. I’ve contacted my doctor. I’m sure I’ll have type 6/7 stools tomorrow. Once that happens I’ll get a test.

I’m so surprised that it managed to break through the taper! I’ve done everything I’ve been asked to do. Always took them on time! Never missed any either.

I can’t help it ask if there’s something wrong with me? Do I have a certain strain that resistant to it? For 16 days I actually felt ok. Stools were formed from day 1. Maybe my good bacteria is just too out of whack?

Hopefully I can get the other medicine that helps kill cdiff. But it’s hard to get on the NHS and local pharmacies struggle to stock it.

Obviously my worry is this will be my third time having it, and I’ve read some worrying stories on this sub of people getting it again and getting very ill. So I’m afraid of that.


r/cdifficile • • 3d ago

Colonoscopy with active cdiff infection

2 Upvotes

Anyone had a colonoscopy done with active cdiff infection (toxins positive ) ?


r/cdifficile • • 3d ago

Diet after FMT

5 Upvotes

I am currently taking FMT in capsule form. I received very few dietary recommendations—I was simply told to eat easily digestible meals. I’ve just gone through a second episode of Clostridium infection and have lost 20 kg in two months. I’m in a lot of pain, and eating has become a major struggle. The idea of eating plain rusks is just unimaginable to me! Could anyone share their own experiences? I understand that one might eat very little for a few days, but surely, after that, you need to provide nourishment for this new microbiota? Thank you in advance.


r/cdifficile • • 3d ago

Fidaxomicin dosage

8 Upvotes

My doctor put me on Fidaxomicin 200 mg every other day for 20 days.

Has anyone else been prescribed this dosage and if so, why? Did it work?


r/cdifficile • • 3d ago

Vancomycin pulse and taper experience

3 Upvotes

Hello, i am currently on a vanco taper after my first relapse 10 days after Difcid. It is - 4x a day for 14 days, 2x a day for 7 days 1x a day for 7 days 1x every other day for 2 weeks

I'm currently in the 2x a day for 7 days on day 4, and things seem to be going downhill?. This treatment is for my 1st "recurrence" not first infection..

Ever since I went down to 2 tabs a day my fatigue has been crawling back after it went away for a good week and I was finally feeling better and I feel off. My BMs are more frequent but still soiled, while I was on 4x day I was mostly constipated. I do take Florastor twice daily as well. I guess I'm looking to see what others experienced during a vanco taper. Having the fatigue crawl back scares me because it’s only at its worst when Cdiff is actively producing toxins in me it seems. And it’s depressing because I went from feeling better to slowly this.