I am a C. diff survivor. In June 2021 I went to the ER for a kidney stone. I passed it at the ER fairly quickly ( it was a small one). They tested my urine and did blood work, and said I didn’t have an infection but put me on antibiotics. I took them for only three days and quit because they made me so nauseated. Three days later, I went to my urologist with pain in my lower abdomen. He did a cystoscope of my bladder and gave me 500 mg of one dose of ciprofloxacin.

Two days later, I was back in the ER in pain. They sent me home because they couldn’t find anything wrong. Three days later, I was back at the ER, still in pain, with diarrhea 15 times a day. My bloodwork showed a high white blood cell count. They diagnosed me with appendicitis and sent me to the hospital. I tested positive for C. diff the next day.

I was in the hospital for four days in agonizing pain. I started a two-week regimen of vancomycin. A week after I was done, the symptoms came back again. I went back to the ER. My gastrointestinal doctor wouldn’t fit me in. The ER put me on two more weeks of vancomycin. I got in to see my gastrointestinal doctor a week later, and she extended my vancomycin regime with a decreasing dose for one month.

It’s November now, and I’m still not 100%. I still have lots of intestinal issues. I was perfectly healthy and 127 lbs before C. diff. I lost 30 lbs. I’m still only up to 110 lbs now. I have had arguments with my urologist who wants to give me ciprofloxacin again for a kidney stone procedure coming up soon. I won’t take it.

My advice to anyone who’s had C. diff is to research every drug a doctor gives you before you take it. They’re paid the big bucks, yet we have to research and do their job for them to protect our health. I’m also concerned that doctors just don’t have a clue. I’ve read about countless studies on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) related to an increased risk of C. diff. Even the FDA recognizes it, but I went to a new gastrointestinal doctor who came highly recommended and he put me on a PPI. I didn’t take them. He did give me a prescription for a drug called colesevelam, which is a cholesterol drug, but is used to bind the A & B toxins in the gut. It is a preventative. I haven’t had to use it yet, but hopefully this is a good option for people who’ve had C. diff who may have to have antibiotics one day. Good luck to everyone out there fighting this battle. Be vigilant and do your homework!