I thought I just had irritable bowel or that the antibiotics I was taking for a UTI were giving me diarrhea – which they were, but in a different context. I then spent the next three months on antibiotics for bronchitis and pneumonia, then again for an ear infection. Finally, I went to a gastroenterologist because of alternating constipation and explosive diarrhea. They did cultures for several things, but it came back positive for C. diff.

I was treated with Difficid, but it came back almost immediately. They next prescribed Vancomycin. I am only one week off of that. What I want to share are my atypical symptoms that the gastroenterologist never acknowledged or treated as valid. Actually, I never saw the MD, just an NP. She did many things wrong, one of which was tell me to take Imodium. I didn’t, I knew better because I had been to the PLF website.

I went to the ER with severe flank and lower back pain before I got the diagnosis. They suspected kidney stone and when CT scan found no stone, they said UTI and prescribed me more antibiotics.

One week into C. diff treatment I started having flu like aching and then it localized in one thigh. At the ER, they were baffled. They knew I had C. diff but said maybe it was a pinched nerve. I now think it was reactive arthritis or a side effect of vancomycin.

I believe I had a delusion or hallucination at one point which was very disturbing. Through all of this, diarrhea 12 times a day was never the primary symptom. Even gastro providers do not know enough about C. diff. They certainly cannot handle an atypical case. I am going to a new doc soon. I am paying close attention to your website and patient stories.