What is C Diff? C. difficile is a bacteria found in the gut of many. It is prevented from harming us by the action of other bacteria. When these ‘good’ bacteria are killed by antibiotics taken for other medical conditions, there will be severe illness in the intestine.
C Diff Answers On This Page
We will help you discover answers to the key questions about c.difficile.
What is c difficile (c diff)?
Clostridium Difficile is a bacteria found in soil, animals and humans. It has the ability to form spores that are hard to destroy. Read More
What are the symptoms of a c difficile infection?
These include a fever, stomach cramps and often diahrrea. Learn the difference between mild and severe infections here. Read More
How do I know I have c. difficile?
A guide to c.difficile tests and why knowing what strain of infection you have is important. Read More
What is the c diff treatment?
It may be simple as withdrawing antibiotics. But it could be special drugs. In hard to treat cases it may need a fecal transplant Read More
Is there a C.Diff diet?
Simple suggestions to help you recover from an infection. Read More
The C Difficile Fecal Transplant Therapy Explained
It sounds gross but it cures 90% of the people who have chronic c difficile Read More
The C Diff Smell – 6 Key Facts For You
C.Difficile sufferers and their nurses and carers talk of a very distinctive smell Read More
C Difficile Colitis – What is it?
Bad cases of this infection will damage the lining of the intestine.Read More
C Difficile Contagious – How do you catch it?
People do catch it in hospital but there are many other possible ways it is transmitted Read More
Recent C Diff News
Last Updated on December 30, 2023
After 6 rounds of antibiotics, I had the fecal transplant. Worked the first time! I do have colitis as a result of my C:Diff but easier to manage that than c:diff. I would highly recommend the fecal transplant.
I had c diff for over a year and had to have a fecal transplant, or I would not have made it, I am in my 50’s. I went from a size 8 to a 2 and it has been since May when I had the transplant, that I am thank God, finally starting to feel like I can eat and feel alive again. I have had other illness from the c diff that developed, blepharitis/eyes, roseca/face, full blown osteoporosis in my spine from not being able to eat correctly, and ostepenia in my hip, edema in my feet and I had neuropathy in my feet which has gotten worse from my nutrition issue. It is critical if you have this disease for a year, I would highly recommend for you to check into fecal transplants, it saved my life.
In response to Lisa Covington. A fecal transplant also saved my life. i suffered for 2 years with this dreadful condition. Tried 6 rounds of antibiotics at the cost of anywhere between $800 & $1600 each (and I work for a fortune 500 company–terrible insurance). I was the first patient in toledo, ohio to have this procedure. IT WORKS! within 5 days, i was symptom free. contact me with questions @ mary.b.rabquer@owenscorning.com
Trying to reach Dave. Thank you for your site, this is a nightmare! I had a root canal and to avoid drugs in my body, opted to have it without novocaine, only to come down with c diff from the three seperate perscriptions of clindamycin. I am a public speaker and known in the area of suicide prevention in Maryland for 20 years, as well as Nationally. I am sharing this because I have been on the phone with the TEVA and the FDA discussing I want them to put the word c diff on the bottle of clyndamycin, not just stating you can come down with bad diareah. They state it is on the paperwork but to be honest I have been researching and people as well as myself did not read the paperwork, we look at the bottle and that is where the information should be. I am still not right, and have had to give up attending events because of this illness that can be prevented if more know what c diff is and it is very important to be taking probiotics while on the drugs. I never heard of it and everyone I tell does not know what I am talking about. I found a wonderful lady after my husband heard her on a national program via radio who sells a drink called B.R.A.T which we have now talked and I would like others with this illness to know about. http://www.bratdiet.org/contact.html
Dave, If you would be interested in working with me or know someone, at trying to make label changes with clindamycin can you please get back to me, I made sure I was able to get phones put on several bridges in Maryland for jumpers and I am very serious about this condition that is literally killing people and robbing them of their health. Thank you. Lisa Hurka Covington 410-377-4004
My daughter is 26 months old. A month ago she tested positive for salmonella, classic symptoms. She was already back to normal before the results came in. No antibiotics just probiotics bought from the Dr. office. Before the tests results came back, the ped. office had referred her to a ped. gastro b/c I saw blood in her stool. The gastro said she thought it was a bacterial infection but also wanted to test her for Celiac and ordered blood tests (CBC, celiac, vit D, B12, iron) all normal except low iron. She also ordered more stool tests which I took in yesterday from a sample of formed normal stool. Today I received a call from the nurse that said her stool test came back positive for c-diff. and wanted to call in antibiotics.
Tomorrow is her follow up with the ped. gastro. I want to question why would we need to give her antibiotics when she is not symptomatic. What questions should I ask about c-diff and treatment, colonization vs. Infection. Should I question whether the test was preformed accurately or even needed done if the child was not ill?
We cannot give medical advice on specific cases. Our background is medical journalism. BUT we would want to ask the following questions. Why treat a child who the tests indicate is simply a carrier – as are up to 5% of the population. Why risk further disrupting the intestine with antibiotics. What strain of c diff is it – is also worth asking. if it is the hard to combat 027 strain they may want to limit it’s spread. But if that is the case they need to brief you fully.
dave
cdifficile.org
I just wanted to thank you for your quick reply and very informative site. The doctor didn’t even bring c-diff up so at the end of the appointment I told her about the nurse calling me and telling me my daughter needed antibiotics for c-diff. The Dr. said c-diff lives in our bodies and as long as my daughter wasn’t having any symptoms then there was no need for antibiotics. If she started to have diarrhea then they would first test to see if c-diff was the cause. She said to continue on with the probiotics for the salmonella for at least 2 months.
Has anyone else had C Difficile with major muscle joint stiffness and pain? I have had a confirmed case of this nasty bacteria and am on metrodizonale. The diarrea was nothing compared to the crazy joint and muscle pain! I havent taken antibiotics in over a year prior to this. My co worker same symptoms as me was confirmed with it . My spouse and dad same symptoms and they are being treated metrodizinole as well. I am just afraid the bacteria has become stronger and is now affecting healthy (non antibiotic) individuals. I have wrote to BC centre for disease control with my worries of this as none of us were on antibiotics. C dificile is in the same family as c tetani (tetanus) could this be why I suffered MAJOR muscle and joint pain? My dad had his calf so tight his 2 toes stood up. The doctors are baffled and I really want to know why that happened to us!??? Now lets just hope these antibiotics help get rid of it as we have 3 children, who have no symptoms, thank goodness! Thanks in advance for feed back.
If you can’t get into the infectious disease dr. soon get to a GI dr.. My GI doctor performed my transplant.
I was wondering also if anyone knows what the long term damage is after suffering cdiff and sepsis..I had to be operated on and i found one article stating that the long term status is not good. This article was talking about people with extreme cases that needed a operation to save their life from cdiff which is me..But i am unsure how much weight i should put in it. If anyone has any info on any long term complications from cdiff or sepsis i would very much like to read or hear about it. thanks..i am including a link to the article that i am speaking about that says the survival rate is poor past 5 years after suffering cdiff and having a operation to save your life from it. http://www.springerlink.com/content/74pv1442kk1005q6/ Thanks again i love this site for information and i wish more people were aware of this disease and the symptoms to look for….
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
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
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