Michael O.
I came down with C. diff at the end of the COVID pandemic in 2021. A dentist prescribed Clindamycin as prophylaxis prior to a minor dental procedure. I wasn’t aware it was C. diff at first, my primary care physician diagnosed me with C. diff after numerous tests. I was first misdiagnosed with a stomach virus and was prescribed antibiotics, which made the problem even worse. Then after a stool test, the C. diff was detected along with toxins A & B. He prescribed vancomycin (yet another antibiotic). After a 10 day course of that I was ok for about two weeks. When I developed symptoms again, severe diarrhea constantly, it was with me 24 hours a day 7 day a week.
For the next two years, I went through 7 relapses and tried various other therapies – Dificid, Zinplava and still more vancomycin. I was generally OK for about two weeks following cessation of the medications. Zinplava being notable exception, we managed almost 10 weeks. After every medication I had high hopes for a resolution, only to crash once again. It takes a toll. I suffer from PTSD from my service in Vietnam and PTSD was compounded further by C. diff.
I finally got an appointment with a specialist at NYU Langone and he prescribed a medication called Vowst. It did the trick. That was almost exactly a year ago. I’ve been symptom free since. C. diff is an absolutely devastating disease. I was unable to leave the house, or sleep comfortably. I was trapped in my home for the entirety of the disease.
Other Stories
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Mira
In December of 2019, my husband got sick with C. diff. It was after he was prescribed antibiotics for what they thought was a case of diverticulitis. In hindsight, it’s clear he may have simply had C. diff all along. He was treated with vancomycin… -
Beth W.
My story began in 2018 when I went to see a colorectal surgeon for the incision of a thrombosed hemorrhoid. In order to ‘prevent’ an infection, the surgeon prescribed me both Amoxicillin 800mg 2x daily and Vancomycin 500mg 3x daily. Upon completio… -
Mollie Lauck
My Husband and I were expecting our first child. We were so very excited. My Pregnancy was complicated to begin with- I was considered “Advanced Maternal Age” and had Hypertension and Gestational Diabetes. Though it was a labor of love, Pregnancy … -
Ken Fredrickson
I’m 62 and generally healthy, I’ve never had an intestinal issue. I went to the ER on Jan 2, 2023 and a CT scan revealed Diverticulitis. They sent me home with a 2 week course of antibiotics. Four days after completing the antibiotics, I developed… -
Jan
I am a healthy active older woman. On March 1, 2019 I had an explosive episode of diarrhea, out of the blue, no idea what caused it. The smell was indescribable, like nothing I had ever experienced in my long life. That was the beginning of a long… -
Dr. Melissa Geraghty, Psy.D.
At the start of 2018 I was diagnosed with C. diff. I never really heard much about C. diff outside of people acquiring it in a hospital setting or people of advanced age contracting it. Oh, was I wrong. After being sick for about 8 weeks with w… -
Cassie Padilla
As a nurse for 35 years I thought I knew a lot about C. diff but as a patient I’ve discovered I knew NOTHING about C. diff. I have had 2 episodes of C. diff in my life. The first was in 2017 following (prophylactic) antibiotics after surgery. That… -
Julia
I’ve been suffering from this infection for the past few years. When I was first diagnosed, I was shocked and thought this was something that only the elderly suffered from. It’s been 3 years since my first infection, and I still suffer daily. I’v… -
Sue
I had emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix and was given SO MANY antibiotics in the hospital. I was also given Protonix for the acid reflux that resulted from all the antibiotics. Looking at the list of risk factors for C. diff, I fit every o… -
Howard
While many of us who battle C diff have quick success with the usual antibiotics, the purpose of my entry here is to emphasize the high rate of success of the Fecal Microbiota Transplant. My C diff experience was such that A) a lengthy course of V…
