Michael Carter
I am a 70-year-old man living in North East Maine. I have had multiple surgeries for mostly orthopedic issues, with three of the surgeries resulting in full-blown C. diff, caused by antibiotics to prevent infection. Before my last surgery, my physician consulted with the hospital Infectious Disease Committee, who advised that I take Vancomycin for two days pre-op. The result was no C. diff post-op, and we won’t know if this is coincidental or if this approach prevented C. diff again.
I thought this information might be helpful however, Vancomycin is very expensive and my insurance does not cover a lot of the cost. I have another surgery scheduled soon and have requested Flagyl [Metronidazole] which is much less in comparison to Vancomycin, and I have used previously to prevent C. diff.
On another note, I have not been able to see a dental hygienist due to recommendations of previous surgery patients who require antibiotics before any dental work. There are conflicting recommendations about this and I guess if I have to choose the risk of C. diff from antibiotics vs. an infection on a surgical site I will take a chance on the possibility of C. diff.
My experience with preventing C. diff. is I would advise all concerned to have conversations with their doctor(s).
Other Stories
-
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…
