Hi MC Buddies!
My latest Pediatrics Newsletter has an article on C. difficile. Apparently it is becoming more frequent, more virulent and is starting to infect younger, healthier individuals who have not had any antibiotic exposure or recent contact with hospitals or other health care facilities. It is also becoming increasingly resistant to the drugs used to treat it.
In one study 1/4 of patients had no exposure to antibiotics within 3 months prior to developing symptoms. It appears that it is now being spread in the community simply because of close contact with others who have the disease. And these community-acquired cases seem to produce significantly higher levels of toxins, which cause more severe D.
This is the part that grabbed me: Increasing use of medications other than antibiotics (and cancer chemotherapy) may be contributing to the new patterns seen in C. diff infections. Gastric acid-suppressive agents and non-steroidal inflammatory drugs were shown to be associated with an increased risk of community-acquired C. diff. Does this sound familar? It is believed that Prevacid/Prilosec, etc. and NSAIDS also contribute to causing MC.
Please put your thinking caps on and tell me what you think this all means. Could this be more indication that MC is due to an infection?
Love,
Polly
P.S. Oh, BTW, here's a "pearl" - the alcohol-based hand hygiene products do not work as well at eliminating C. diff spores as soap and water.
More on C. difficile
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More on C. difficile
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artteacher
- Rockhopper Penguin
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Hi Polly,
My aunt was recently hospitalized for CDiff. She did recover, sort of. She's out of the hospital, and the care facility, but she's nowhere near back to her original health. She required transfusions due to all the blood in her stool. Like you, I read that acid reducers alter the normal acid balance of the stomach/gut and reduce it's natural protective function against all kinds of infections. And that CDiff is at near epidemic proportions in nursing homes and hospitals, and it's being blamed on the overprescribing of Previcid and Prilosec, etc.
I'm with you, wondering about MC's possible bacterial connection. Thanks for the "food for thought".
http://foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/116/112226.htm
Love,
Marsha
My aunt was recently hospitalized for CDiff. She did recover, sort of. She's out of the hospital, and the care facility, but she's nowhere near back to her original health. She required transfusions due to all the blood in her stool. Like you, I read that acid reducers alter the normal acid balance of the stomach/gut and reduce it's natural protective function against all kinds of infections. And that CDiff is at near epidemic proportions in nursing homes and hospitals, and it's being blamed on the overprescribing of Previcid and Prilosec, etc.
I'm with you, wondering about MC's possible bacterial connection. Thanks for the "food for thought".
http://foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/116/112226.htm
Love,
Marsha
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barbaranoela
- Emperor Penguin
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POLLY
When I visited my Dermatologist---we had a discussion on the usage of this hand hygiene stuff----
I WAS forever using iit---in and outta hospital visits/and @ home---
She told me---STOP---due to the fact of my eruping psoriasis--
The reason being that I was not only *swashing* away the germs but also the GOOD GUYS too???!!! just wash the hands--???
So here we go again----the do's and donts!!!
Makes one so
luve barb
I WAS forever using iit---in and outta hospital visits/and @ home---
She told me---STOP---due to the fact of my eruping psoriasis--
The reason being that I was not only *swashing* away the germs but also the GOOD GUYS too???!!! just wash the hands--???
So here we go again----the do's and donts!!!
Makes one so
luve barb
the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control
Wowza Polly.....
Verrry interesting!! My client's grandma was hospitalized w/pneumonia a few weeks ago in Tucson....the mom was planning to go visit, but cancelled her trip as the grandma had come down with "infectious diarrhea, which was contagious". She had contracted it in the hospital. The mom confirmed it was indeed "antibiotic-associated diarrhea" and decided not to take the risk. I told her I had it before and it was the sickest I had *ever* been.
When I was giving my GI guy my history - he was shocked I'd had c-diff even though it had been 3+ months since I'd had antibiotics for a sinus infection....he said he had NEVER heard of c-diff that was not closely linked to antibiotic use....it's like if the lab results hadn't confirmed it, he wouldn't have believed it!! I wasn't a big NSAIDs user before, nor have I taken an acid-suppressor....I guess that makes me a trendsetter
I used to carry the antibacterial gel in the diaper bag in case I had to change someone and there wasn't a sink available....but never used it much. We also just use regular soap at home. I've always been a fan of regular handwashing as a preventative measure
Mary
Verrry interesting!! My client's grandma was hospitalized w/pneumonia a few weeks ago in Tucson....the mom was planning to go visit, but cancelled her trip as the grandma had come down with "infectious diarrhea, which was contagious". She had contracted it in the hospital. The mom confirmed it was indeed "antibiotic-associated diarrhea" and decided not to take the risk. I told her I had it before and it was the sickest I had *ever* been.
When I was giving my GI guy my history - he was shocked I'd had c-diff even though it had been 3+ months since I'd had antibiotics for a sinus infection....he said he had NEVER heard of c-diff that was not closely linked to antibiotic use....it's like if the lab results hadn't confirmed it, he wouldn't have believed it!! I wasn't a big NSAIDs user before, nor have I taken an acid-suppressor....I guess that makes me a trendsetter
I used to carry the antibacterial gel in the diaper bag in case I had to change someone and there wasn't a sink available....but never used it much. We also just use regular soap at home. I've always been a fan of regular handwashing as a preventative measure
Mary
Very interesting, Polly,
You probably recall some months ago, when we were discussing pH balance in the gut, and the prevailing line of thought was that it was best to try to tip the balance to the basic side, in order to encourage a higher pH level in the colon and, (presumably), reduce the odds of having D. At the time, I was unsure about that, because the acid level in the stomach is not only essential for good digestion, but it has always been our first line of defense against undesireable microbes that may wreak havoc if allowed to multiply farther down the GI tract.
As I mentioned before, when I had one of my "episodes", I found that I recovered faster, if I took a betaine hydrochloride tablet with each meal, for a day or two, in order to increase the level of hydrocholroc acid in my stomach. I believe that quite often, when we think we have an "acid stomach", in reality, we have a "basic stomach", and we're short on acid, thus interferring with the stomach's ability to digest food.
It could be that MC just takes advantage of the situation when our immune systems are busy fighting an infection, or otherwise distracted. Maybe we become susceptable to MC after a certain type of damage occurs to our colon, due to some other event, whether the damage is caused by a drug, or an infection.
Looks like it's still hard to beat good old soap and water, for germ suppression.
Love,
Wayne
You probably recall some months ago, when we were discussing pH balance in the gut, and the prevailing line of thought was that it was best to try to tip the balance to the basic side, in order to encourage a higher pH level in the colon and, (presumably), reduce the odds of having D. At the time, I was unsure about that, because the acid level in the stomach is not only essential for good digestion, but it has always been our first line of defense against undesireable microbes that may wreak havoc if allowed to multiply farther down the GI tract.
As I mentioned before, when I had one of my "episodes", I found that I recovered faster, if I took a betaine hydrochloride tablet with each meal, for a day or two, in order to increase the level of hydrocholroc acid in my stomach. I believe that quite often, when we think we have an "acid stomach", in reality, we have a "basic stomach", and we're short on acid, thus interferring with the stomach's ability to digest food.
It could be that MC just takes advantage of the situation when our immune systems are busy fighting an infection, or otherwise distracted. Maybe we become susceptable to MC after a certain type of damage occurs to our colon, due to some other event, whether the damage is caused by a drug, or an infection.
Looks like it's still hard to beat good old soap and water, for germ suppression.
Love,
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Polly,
I've stopped using anti-bacterial soap because of reports that say we have overused it and now have strains that have become resistant.
It's a little hard to find liquid hand soap that isn't anti-bacterial, though.
Softsoap has one and that's what I use.
My mom had 3 infections when she was hospitalized the final time, and one was c-diff. It kept recurring, too. Very hard on an elderly person in a weakened state. It contributed to her death, I think.
Love,
Alice
Love,
Alice
I've stopped using anti-bacterial soap because of reports that say we have overused it and now have strains that have become resistant.
It's a little hard to find liquid hand soap that isn't anti-bacterial, though.
Softsoap has one and that's what I use.
My mom had 3 infections when she was hospitalized the final time, and one was c-diff. It kept recurring, too. Very hard on an elderly person in a weakened state. It contributed to her death, I think.
Love,
Alice
Love,
Alice
Wayne,You wrote "I believe that quite often, when we think we have an "acid stomach", in reality, we have a "basic stomach", and we're short on acid, thus interferring with the stomach's ability to digest food"
Remember the pharmacist I had a consultation with in PA.........He basicly said the same thing (short on acid, thus interferring with the stomach's ability to digest food).
Gave me those licorice derivitive things to chew when I had heartburn, and then when it wasn't occuring so often some digestive enzyme tablets to take before meals.
I'd NEVER have gotten off Nexium without those aids, but I do quite well now. In fact, if I do get heartburn now, I just take 2 of the enzyme tabs and it goes away.
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
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moremuscle
- Rockhopper Penguin
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Hi everyone,
I have battled with d-diff several times over the last few years. I went to GP and tried the antibiotics prescribed for it and they didn't help.
Then I went to a NP and she put me on probiotics and digestive enzymes, among other supps. I still take them and probably always will. This is what keeps the c-diff in check for me.
I was told by NP that the c-diff probably was in my colon, but antibiotics I had taken for an URI killed off most of my good bacteria, letting the c-diff take over. She said I had to build up my good bacteria, and help my digestion and build up my immune system.
I also took prednisone for a skin rash that kicked me over the edge again, the c-diff came back.
I think for me my immune system on one hand is weak, my white blood cells didn't look right when I had my blood analyzed with the darkfield michroscope. Also I have a lot of allergies, which produce a lot of histimine reactions.
I also think that any medication can kill off the good bacteria and let the c-diff back in control. In my case I think it is a combination of poor and over acting immune system along with antibiotics and other meds that led me to the c-diff trail. It is horrible, I guarantee you. I would rather be sick with pneumonia than take antibiotics and get the c-diff going again.
I also believe the lymphocytic infiltration in my gut was caused by the c-diff I had so long.
What do ya think?
Love, Kathyp
I have battled with d-diff several times over the last few years. I went to GP and tried the antibiotics prescribed for it and they didn't help.
Then I went to a NP and she put me on probiotics and digestive enzymes, among other supps. I still take them and probably always will. This is what keeps the c-diff in check for me.
I was told by NP that the c-diff probably was in my colon, but antibiotics I had taken for an URI killed off most of my good bacteria, letting the c-diff take over. She said I had to build up my good bacteria, and help my digestion and build up my immune system.
I also took prednisone for a skin rash that kicked me over the edge again, the c-diff came back.
I think for me my immune system on one hand is weak, my white blood cells didn't look right when I had my blood analyzed with the darkfield michroscope. Also I have a lot of allergies, which produce a lot of histimine reactions.
I also think that any medication can kill off the good bacteria and let the c-diff back in control. In my case I think it is a combination of poor and over acting immune system along with antibiotics and other meds that led me to the c-diff trail. It is horrible, I guarantee you. I would rather be sick with pneumonia than take antibiotics and get the c-diff going again.
I also believe the lymphocytic infiltration in my gut was caused by the c-diff I had so long.
What do ya think?
Love, Kathyp
Birdlady
Jaco, a parrot in Salzburg, could not only speak but seemed to understand grammar. Whenever his person left, Jaco would say "God be with you." But when several people were departing, Jaco would change it to "God be with all of you."
Jaco, a parrot in Salzburg, could not only speak but seemed to understand grammar. Whenever his person left, Jaco would say "God be with you." But when several people were departing, Jaco would change it to "God be with all of you."