Carrie

Post by **tex** » Sat May 03, 2008 7:21 pm

Hi Carrie,

I read your post in the "Chat" thread, and I'm very sorry to hear that Rick is having a bad day. Do you suppose there's any chance that he might have C. diff? As hard as you two have been working on this, you should be seeing some improvement, rather than another setback.

C. diff is usually associated with antibiotic usage, but the bacteria are almost always available in our intestines, and in our surroundings, (especially in hospitals), and in recent years they seem to be getting more potent. They can gain the upper hand by other means, (other than antiobiotic treatments) - IOW, taking certain meds can make one more susceptible. For example, the long-term use of certain heartburn drugs, (proton-pump inhibitors), such as Nexium, Prevacid, Protonix, and Prilosec, can triple the chances of developing C. diff. Even less potent drugs, such as Pepcid, or Zantac, can double the odds of developing a C. diff infection.

Since he already has diarrhea and cramping from the MC, it's tougher to read symptoms, but if he is beginning to display more flu-like symptoms, such as weakness, dehydration, fever, nausea, and vomiting, that could be a tip off of C. diff. And, of course, blood in the stool would be a strong marker, but that usually doesn't occur until an advanced stage of development. Fever, for example, is not normally a symptom of MC, though weakness, dehydration, nausea, and vomiting, can be, of course, for some of us.

Hugs,
Tex

crranch · Post by **crranch** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:13 am

Thanks for the concern Sweetheart, yesterday was very scary, but we think it was from either some candy that he ate that had corn in it. Or the fact that Friday nights dinner had some tomato in it. He had not had either one for the past month, and we aren't sure which one was the culprit, but he won't be trying any food challanges again any time soon.

Rick has been tested twice for C.Diff and was neg both times. So I wouldn't think it is lurking in him, but if I remember right, false negatives are common with that particular critter.

I wonder too if his flare could be connected with him having to quit smokeless tobacco (soy and other scary things were in it )...and his body was just having a hissy fit from nictotine withdrawl. He had to give up the nicotine patches after two days because of a contact allergy with them, so he was cold turkey with the flare hit...just a thought...

Sorry I never made it back to chat with everyone....sure hope we can do it again soon. I had been looking forward all week to that...major bummer that life had other plans...

Hugs,
Carrie

sunny · Post by **sunny** » Mon May 05, 2008 3:44 pm

Carrie...just FYI....my c-diff came about not from antibiotics but from the Entocort compromising my immune system...at least that's what the doc said.....i also had negative stool samples (5) before they found it....

crranch · Post by **crranch** » Mon May 05, 2008 7:08 pm

Thanks for the heads up about the C-diff......Rick is a little better today and was finally able to make it to work this afternoon. But if his flare doesn't let up soon, we will ask our doc to test him again for it....

I was reading today about the symptoms of cold turkey withdrawl from smokeless tobacco, and that could be the cause of his major downhill since he quit a couple of days ago...hopefully if that is the cause, things will be better for him in the next day or two....keeping good thoughts..today is his birthday...and this was no way to celebrate.

Hugs,
Carrie