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 significant diarrhea, stomach tenderness, nausea, and loss of appetite. I went to my general doctor and he suspected a bacterial infection called C. diff (I’d never heard of it). He ordered a stool sample and the results confirmed I was positive. He put me on 10 days of Vancomycin. 4 days after completing the meds, the C. diff returned. My doc then put me on a Vancomycin taper,14 days of 4 pills/day, then 3 pills/day for a week, 2 pills/day for a week, 1 pill/day for a week, 1 pill every other day for a week, and 1 every 3 days for a week. A few days before I started the taper, a friend recommended I read a book titled The Makers Diet. It totally changed my outlook on food and health in general. I began eating organic, healthy foods, grass fed meets, etc. No sugars or processed stuff and no alcohol.
After a month wait on March 9th, 2023, I got in to see the GI doc. He told me that if I had another reoccurrence he would set me up for a fecal transplant. I felt relieved to have a plan in place in case I needed it. Long story short and after doing some research I settled into the following daily routine. A morning drink including whole organic fiber and superfood. I took 3 daily Saccharomyces Boulardii (down to 1 per day now), 1 Brocco Max, 1 Allicidin, and 1 Bio Sponge. I also added daily helpings of Kefir, organic yogurt, sauerkraut, and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. I like to use the Bobby Approved App (Flavcity) at the store which identifies foods that are good for you (or bad for you). I also started walking at least 30-45 minutes each day. If the C. diff is to come back, I want my cells as healthy as possible to help fight it off. I finished the taper/ meds on April 5th and it appears the C. diff may be under control. I am now clear 8 weeks and I pray it is gone for good. Eat healthy and include fermented foods. Take a probiotic (I heard a doc say Sacchromyces Boulardi is the probiotic of choice for C Diff) and get a little exercise. I know I’m not out of the woods but feeling grateful at this point. Keep battling.
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…
