Apparently C-Diff is becoming more of a problem for those being treated in the hospital or other facilities. I will be having some dental surgery soon and the oral surgeon if being quite careful and is quite aware of the meds I am taking and this risk of C-diff. With that in mind this article got my attention
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/02/08/c ... spreading/
--Joe
C-Diff a Growing Problem
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Joe,
The scariest part is in all the comments that follow the article - it's obviously a widespread problem.
Do you really need that surgery? You know, of course, that surgeons almost always ask patients to stop taking a corticosteroid well before their surgery date. Of course, that may be mostly because of the effect on healing rate, rather than over concerns of an increased susceptibility to infection. They can't very well ask a patient to withdraw from Imuran, of course, because of it's longer persistence.
Be careful with this, and definitely have your plans in place for a "bulletproof" probiotic program.
Tex
The scariest part is in all the comments that follow the article - it's obviously a widespread problem.
Do you really need that surgery? You know, of course, that surgeons almost always ask patients to stop taking a corticosteroid well before their surgery date. Of course, that may be mostly because of the effect on healing rate, rather than over concerns of an increased susceptibility to infection. They can't very well ask a patient to withdraw from Imuran, of course, because of it's longer persistence.
Be careful with this, and definitely have your plans in place for a "bulletproof" probiotic program.
Tex
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.
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Joefnh
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Tex I have a molar that's split in 2 down to the jaw bone and is going to require an implant to replace it. i want this to get fixed before heading to Oz. I will have to go off the Imuran for 5 days prior and will be taking antibiotics before and after. I asked for Cipro given the MC aspect.
Yeah this will have to be managed correctly, but it does seem the surgeon is used to dealing with patients on immuno-suppressants.
--Joe
Yeah this will have to be managed correctly, but it does seem the surgeon is used to dealing with patients on immuno-suppressants.
--Joe
Joe
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MBombardier
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Joefnh
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That's funny Marliss. I did ask my dentist what he thought caused it. Since that tooth has had a deep cavity that was filled 30 years ago he feels that it just was compromised. The other teeth do not show any signs or grinding them so that's good news. Its just one of those things that need to be fixed.
--Joe
--Joe
Joe
Joe,
C-diff infections are almost always secondary to antibiotic use, although there are also other situations which lower the body’s immune response allowing this noxious bacteria to thrive and over populate.
I had to have some recent oral surgery. When my medical history was discussed with the Oral Surgeon, his opinion became that any routine antibiotics would not be needed in my case. If I needed something after, then we would pursue that course of action. (And fortunately, I did not.)
One must always remember that the mouth (oral cavity) is the beginning of the GI tract. This is why I always think better of a GI Doc whose examination begins with looking at the condition of the patients mouth no matter what their complaint is. An infected oral cavity may signal or give some hints as to the origins of other difficulties elsewhere in the GI tract.
To some extent, the general condition of the gums and teeth will dictate whether or not an antibiotic should be used with oral surgery. It has been well documented that any incising of the gum tissue does automatically release bacteria --- from the mouth into the blood stream ---- which then go wily-nily throughout the body. The concern of course becomes other major organs becoming infected due to release of this bacteria into the blood stream. (i.e. And most importantly - the heart)
AS an aside here --- Did you know for example that in the emergency room, a human bite is considered to be a ‘dirtier bite’ that a ‘dog bite’?
A person does not “CATCH” a C-diff infection. Pretty much everyone harbors this bacteria in their GI tracts normally already.
A C-diff infection is really something of a White Hat - Black Hat situation which can happen when a person takes an antibiotic which kills off a substantial amount of the good bacteria (the White Hats) in the GI tract, thus allowing the bad guys, in this case C-diff organisms, (the Black Hats) which are not killed by the antibiotics, to then over populate and raise a real ruckus in the tract. Mostly this happens in the colon, but I do know of a person who has had a Total Colectomy with ileostomy, who developed a significant C-diff infection of the small intestine after orthopedic surgery with antibiotics – so it happens.
With full discussion of your history and medications as well as your oral situation, the best course of action for you should be decided b between you and the oral surgeon. If you do need to take an antibiotic, it is recommended that you try to cover that by ingesting a variety of pro-biotics with acidophilus, at the same time, in an attempt to keep some good bacteria in the gut.
Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
IMHO -- This is one case where this old axiom applies.
Wishing you the best of luck with this .... do know very well that it is always a concern.
Gayle
C-diff infections are almost always secondary to antibiotic use, although there are also other situations which lower the body’s immune response allowing this noxious bacteria to thrive and over populate.
I had to have some recent oral surgery. When my medical history was discussed with the Oral Surgeon, his opinion became that any routine antibiotics would not be needed in my case. If I needed something after, then we would pursue that course of action. (And fortunately, I did not.)
One must always remember that the mouth (oral cavity) is the beginning of the GI tract. This is why I always think better of a GI Doc whose examination begins with looking at the condition of the patients mouth no matter what their complaint is. An infected oral cavity may signal or give some hints as to the origins of other difficulties elsewhere in the GI tract.
To some extent, the general condition of the gums and teeth will dictate whether or not an antibiotic should be used with oral surgery. It has been well documented that any incising of the gum tissue does automatically release bacteria --- from the mouth into the blood stream ---- which then go wily-nily throughout the body. The concern of course becomes other major organs becoming infected due to release of this bacteria into the blood stream. (i.e. And most importantly - the heart)
AS an aside here --- Did you know for example that in the emergency room, a human bite is considered to be a ‘dirtier bite’ that a ‘dog bite’?
A person does not “CATCH” a C-diff infection. Pretty much everyone harbors this bacteria in their GI tracts normally already.
A C-diff infection is really something of a White Hat - Black Hat situation which can happen when a person takes an antibiotic which kills off a substantial amount of the good bacteria (the White Hats) in the GI tract, thus allowing the bad guys, in this case C-diff organisms, (the Black Hats) which are not killed by the antibiotics, to then over populate and raise a real ruckus in the tract. Mostly this happens in the colon, but I do know of a person who has had a Total Colectomy with ileostomy, who developed a significant C-diff infection of the small intestine after orthopedic surgery with antibiotics – so it happens.
With full discussion of your history and medications as well as your oral situation, the best course of action for you should be decided b between you and the oral surgeon. If you do need to take an antibiotic, it is recommended that you try to cover that by ingesting a variety of pro-biotics with acidophilus, at the same time, in an attempt to keep some good bacteria in the gut.
Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
IMHO -- This is one case where this old axiom applies.
Wishing you the best of luck with this .... do know very well that it is always a concern.
Gayle
That's true, but it's also misinformation in the form of a half-truth, and it regularly turns up in responses to blogs about C. diff, by well-intentioned, but misinformed respondents. Yes, virtually all of us have C. diff bacteria in our gut, (just as we have plenty of E. coli bacteria, and various others), and I'm relatively sure that under the right conditions some unlucky souls may occasionally develop a case of C. diff infection after taking an antibiotic, due to these existing bacteria in their gut.Gayle wrote:A person does not “CATCH” a C-diff infection. Pretty much everyone harbors this bacteria in their GI tracts normally already.
The problem is, though, all strains of C. diff are not created equally, and while the strains that we carry may or may not be antibiotic resistant, the chances are pretty good that not very many of us carry the strains that are antibiotic resistant, (unless we've been infected in a previous health care setting, and been through the treatment before).
If the bacteria that we normally carry in our gut were responsible for the serious cases of C. diff infection that we are discussing here, we wouldn't have to spend time in a hospital bed, in order to develop the disease - just taking the antibiotic at home, would be sufficient to do the trick. Right? You will note that this is rarely the case - the vast majority of antibiotic-resistant C. diff cases originate in connection with a hospital stay, or a nursing home stay, etc, because the patient is infected with the more dangerous strain, where they normally are found - in hospitals and nursing homes, (not by the "domesticated" strains, in their own gut).
Tex
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.
I can't say for sure but I kind of doubt you'll be able to get all your dental work done before you leave. Implants need a time to "set" and the length of time depends on where it's located and if you need any bone graft material prior to the implant being inserted. That adds to the "heal time".
Perhaps your surgeon has already covered all that and feels you can get it all done before your trip. I hope so and I hope all goes really well.
Love, Shirley
Perhaps your surgeon has already covered all that and feels you can get it all done before your trip. I hope so and I hope all goes really well.
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
Joe,
I can empathize about teeth. I have had so many problems. I think my teeth were poorly mineralized (soft) from birth. I have read that this can go along with celiac disease, so I wonder if it applies to gluten sensitivity too?
Anyway, just to let you know about another possible option - Levaquin. I had it for oral surgery and tolerated it really well......almost as well as Cipro. I believe it's in the same class as Cipro but newer and it is good for oral issues.
Good luck.
Love,
Polly
I can empathize about teeth. I have had so many problems. I think my teeth were poorly mineralized (soft) from birth. I have read that this can go along with celiac disease, so I wonder if it applies to gluten sensitivity too?
Anyway, just to let you know about another possible option - Levaquin. I had it for oral surgery and tolerated it really well......almost as well as Cipro. I believe it's in the same class as Cipro but newer and it is good for oral issues.
Good luck.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Tex,tex wrote:If the bacteria that we normally carry in our gut were responsible for the serious cases of C. diff infection that we are discussing here, we wouldn't have to spend time in a hospital bed, in order to develop the disease - just taking the antibiotic at home, would be sufficient to do the trick. Right? You will note that this is rarely the case - the vast majority of antibiotic-resistant C. diff cases originate in connection with a hospital stay, or a nursing home stay, etc, because the patient is infected with the more dangerous strain, where they normally are found - in hospitals and nursing homes, (not by the "domesticated" strains, in their own gut).
Tex
That's a relief! My 3 yr old daughter is on her 4th antibiotic for strep throat this winter. She started with clindamycin in December, got a rash and switched to Keflex. Got strep again and took Zithromax in early January. Got strep this week and is back on Keflex. This is strep #5 in 10 months! 2 more and I suppose they'll recommend she get her tonsils out (yikes - she's so young!). I've been worried about the possibility of C-diff, but she's never spent any time in an institution or hospital. She did have hemorrhagic/shiga-toxin+ E.coli last year - I hope that's not one that sticks around in the GI tract after the acute infection is over. I'm giving her Culturelle for Kids every day and she eats plenty of yogurt. I hope that's enough to keep her well!
New antibiotic for C-dff
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV.
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
Zizzle, I've heard that if a person gets multiple strep infections, it's sometimes because a family member or someone close to that person is an asymptomatic strep carrier and keeps reinfecting the person. The solution is to have throat cultures of all the family members to see if this is the case. If so, antibiotics are given to that member to clear the strep. Have you checked out this possibility?My 3 yr old daughter is on her 4th antibiotic for strep throat this winter.
It's a tough situation. When I was in my 20's I just kept getting monthly strep infections around the time of my period and finally got my tonsils removed as an adult. Interestingly my mother had her tonsils removed when she was 26, so there may be a genetic connection.
Rosie
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time………Thomas Edison
My husband and 6-yr old son tested negative. I'm the last one to test! But she's in daycare, and strep is epidemic in our area right now. Plenty of kids at daycare have had it, just none as many times as she has. I think she just has very receptive tonsils. Multiple studies show that in any childcare or school setting, 10-20% of children are asymptomatic carriers. Some docs say there is no need to worry about them, and they don't transmit much of the bacteria. Then again, a friend of a friend has a daughter with PANDAS, an autoimmune attack on the base of the brain by strep antibodies. It causes OCD, tics and other forms of psychosis. Very scary. She was never once treated for strep before her OCD problems started at age 8 or 9. So is carrier status really benign? 
I suppose I should go for a throat swab soon. I had a string of strep diagnoses in middle school before they realized it was mono. I don't recall much strep after that.
I suppose I should go for a throat swab soon. I had a string of strep diagnoses in middle school before they realized it was mono. I don't recall much strep after that.