I posted the other day about constant loose/urgent bm's and mucus etc and got no replies...it turned out to be c-diff anyway. My doctor called me with my results (i was at work - i was incidentally buying sandwiches for a work meeting...so its a good job he caught me before i started preparing clients lunches!)...anyway he told me i had to stay home..possibly for up to 2 weeks...mostly because it is contagious..but also beause its a nasty infection. The thing is though apart from feeling tired, generally ill and run down from my previous infection..i dont feel really really bad...and my bm's are controllable..meaning i can make it to the toilet...afterall ive had these symptoms for weeks and it hasnt gotton any worse. I told my boss and told her it was contagious but that i felt well enough to stay at work so it was her call..she was ok for me to stay as long as i was careful.

Ive read peoples posts on this infection and they all seemed to have very bad diahreah (cant spell!) and feel awful...is it possible i have a wrong diagnosis or just a mild version?

I was also delighted to know that the meds they have given me to treat this can COMMONLY cause fits and other lovely side effects that i always seem to be sensitive to :(

My main question was actually am i ok to continue taking pro-biotics at the same time as these antibiotics (Metronidazole)?

Also with the issue of alcohol and how long you should wait to have a drink after finishing the course being a bit sketchy...i finish next Monday...i plan on drinking on the Friday..surely that must be a safe enough time?

Thanks

They found c-diff during my second admission to the hospital for diverticulitis, pre-surgery. I had pain from the diverticilitis and bowel perforation, but don't recall much in the way of diarrhea. I eat probiotic yogurt every day now. More if taking antibiotics.

Hi - I had c-diff about 12 years go. The pills didn't work on me, and I eventualy had to go into the hospital and take the Flagyl in an IV. I was SO SICK. I don't know whether it was the c-diff itself that made me so sick and weak, or if it was the meds. Flagyl makes you lose your appetite, and the whole week I was in the hospital I had to force myself to eat, and even then it was just a small amount. I lost about 15 lbs over the course of the illness, and I looked like "death warmed over", when I finally got home.
The good news is that I never got c-diff again! (knocking on wood here!) I have avoided antibiotics almost completely since then, but on a couple of occasions I did take them for as short a period of time as possible. I do eat a lot of yogurt and take acidophilus caps.

The thing I wonder about - why are some people on long term antibiotic treatment, and they never get c-diff? My cousin has taken strong antibiotics for over a year now because she has recurrent bouts of MRSA. I keep thinking she wil get c-diff from the constant antibiotics, but she doesn't.

Hope you are feeling better.

Thanks for the replies. The below post about mucus etc is actually me! Before I was diagnosed lol....I do actually feel a lot worse since i started taking the metranidazole...the bm's urgency etc has significantly eased up but i feel sick, flu-like and just generally not good...so probably just the meds i guess. The problem is im still not over the original infection that i was on the long term antibiotics for so i never know if i feel 'better' or if im coming down with something as i always feel like this!

Anyway thanks again..i will stick with the pro-biotics as well and hopefully it wont come back.

Tx for MRSA ie Vancomycin also treats c. diff