I had what was supposed to be a routine colonoscopy in April 2016. My doctor instructed me to use SUPREP to clean myself out for the procedure. The SUPREP made me very ill! I immediately got stomach pain, intestinal pain, severe diarrhea, and weakness.

I had my colonoscopy at about 7:30 AM. When I woke up I was in terrible pain. The nurse said it was just air. The doctors kept me a little longer, then sent me home. Throughout the day, I continued to go downhill. I was unable to eat or drink anything. By evening, I was not urinating anymore and was barely able to walk. I went to the Emergency Room where I was then admitted to the hospital.

My lipase was over 3000, my potassium was low, my labs were all abnormal, I had fluid in my upper intestines and right colon, poor liver functions, and acute renal failure. They stabilized me and sent me home next day, with orders to see my Primary Care Provider (PCP) in one week. I did see him, and I told my PCP that I still had diarrhea and mucus. My PCP ordered labs and fecal tests. The fecal tests came back positive for C. diff! Here’s the kicker: I have not been on any antibiotics in forever! So I did not get this C. diff from antibiotics! I got it either from the SUPREP depleting my body as it did and/or the doctor failing to use sanitary equipment when doing my colonoscopy.

I did one round of Flagyl antibiotics for fourteen days. And in less than two weeks the C. diff was back full force with a vengeance! My doctor put me back on Flagyl for twenty days after that. I wasn’t sure if that would work or not, and I had little faith that it would. Then, this past weekend I had an allergic reaction to the Flagyl and have had to stop the treatment. I am now fighting with my insurance to pay for any of the other medications used to treat C. diff.

I am an unusual case of C. diff, and I am very upset and angry! A simple routine colonoscopy has landed me with C. diff! All of my family lives in other states far from me. I want to see them and can’t because I am confined to medical care, as I am also on blood thinners and this antibiotic that has me all messed up all of the time. I have to be monitored very closely. I just pray that this goes away, that the doctor doesn’t do this to anyone else, and that this SUPREP gets more warnings on it!