r/cdifficile

I has a history of c diff. I was put on a keflex 2x a day for 5 days, then another course of kelfex for a ingrown toenail removal, so 10 days total of keflex. My infectious disease doctor prescribed be vanco to take during and after the antibiotic use. I still have 3 or so days left of taking vanco. I did get a little bit of a upset stomach while on the antibiotic, didnt really get diarrhea, just lose stools. Im kind of in a panick only because the last 2 mornings I have woken up sweaty and hot. Im only panicking because last time that had happened during a c diff relapse. Am I over thinking or could this possibly be the start of a reoccurring c diff? I have been having a mix of regular bms and so mushy bms. I obviously know id need stool test done, but not sure even if it would should up positive due to me still be on vanco. Any advice and help would be great.

This is my first Reddit post so I hope you can follow.

I am 34F and was diagnosed with my first C. Difficile infection in October 2025. For a context - this is my 3rd ‘reinfection’ since October, my 4th round of antibiotics (Vancomycin and Fidaxomicin) and I started VOWST yesterday. I have struggled with intense IBS symptoms and GERD from early teens to current. I was on a PPI for GERD (Nexium OTC, Pantoprazole and Omeprazole) from early 20’s until January 2026. I started to really talk about my GI issues to my PCP about 8 years ago when I could not get my weight under control. My stomach started to bloat above my belly button and was hard to the touch. I was not in any external pain but internally, I was struggling. I begged her for answers and her response was ‘how often do you work out?’ Needless to say, I switched PCP and tried to forget about my GI issues.

I made my GI issues a bigger deal when I had blood in my stool more frequently. My new PCP referred me to a GI and they got me in a month later (October 2025). She did tons of blood work, stool samples, and ordered a colonoscopy and endoscopy. When I received my abnormal stool results for C. Difficile and went down the rabbit hole called Google, it made me sick. How could something so harmful come about for something that should be so helpful? I am not a chronically ill person and am rarely on antibiotics. I will be honest though that I misused antibiotics by not finishing the full prescribed regimen and saved them for later. You hear that you’ll build a tolerance to them but not a potentially life threatening infectious disease. After 3 rounds of antibiotics- Vancomycin 1st, Fidaxomicin, then Fidaxomicin taper, it felt like I finally got rid of C. Difficile. I was even experiencing constipation and that has never happened to me. After my colonoscopy (everything came back normal), my doctor wanted me to test for C. Difficile again. I even questioned my GI and asked if it was necessary because I didn’t have any symptoms and through research I read your stool can still have a positive result for an extended period of time. She told me they were testing for the active Toxin. I did the stool sample and sure enough, POSITIVE. I feel defeated. I have scrubbed and disinfected every corner of that bathroom repeatedly. I threw away the shower curtains, rugs, and floor mats. I shut the lid when flushing to avoid toilet plume. What else do I need to do to get rid of this ? Do I need to get my house fumed ? How am I getting reinfected and will my children get it again?

I feel like I should add - 2 out of 4 of my children were treated for C. Difficile. One of them had a positive stool sample and the other was treated based off symptoms alone. I want to get the one with the stool sample tested again bc his stool smells awful but his pediatrician said to wait until I see blood or mucus in his stool. But why do we have to wait ? Why isn’t anyone taking this as serious as it seems like it should be ?

So here we are …. I finished Fidaxomicin on Friday night and started VOWST yesterday. Will this work? I guess I’ll report back when I take my poop in a tube for testing again🙃

anyone have any recommendations of anything i can do to relieve the pain of an inflamed colon post C. diff that isnt medication but can be used alongside it?

im currently taking flagyl (might be causing abdominal pain too. idk im new to this) 500mg three times daily, protonix 40mg two times daily, dicyclomine 20mg three times daily. im experiencing such bad pain, and idk what to do. my dr said that there isnt much i can do O/P, and she said that if this doesnt work for me, i need to be admitted into a hospital.

any recommendations? im just looking to get better.

TIA

ugh. The situation is not good down there. I saw that C diff can be caused by clindamycin. Should I talk to my doctor? I had diarrhea before, but it was not this bad. Now I get sudden cramps and random sweating sensations, not to mention that damned smell everyone keeps talking about 😭😭

Anyone been on a long vanco taper and pulse? Just wondered how you did after you finished the course. Please ewspond

I’m 36 weeks pregnant and tested positive for C. Diff. I’m spiraling big time. I was hoping to do fidaxomicin, but my doctor wants me to do Vancomycin because there is more data with pregnant women.

My question is - were you monitored on Vancomycin? I’ve read you should be monitored for kidney function but she didn’t say anything about that.

Also, any words of encouragement are appreciated. I feel like my life is going to permanently change. Im worried about the baby. I’m distraught.

Hi all, I tested positive for cdiff beginning of April, did 10 days of vancomycin and felt great, after about 2 weeks of finishing antibiotics I started to get symptoms again, but it was weird because I’d have good days and bad days. I would have 3 good days in a row with the only symptom being the smell in the stool and then I’d have a bad day where I’d have more than just the smell of symptoms. Then I’d go back to good days, repeat. My pcp decided to have me tested again and I will put results down below. He prescribed me another round of vancomycin but from everything I’m reading I’m just colonized. Do I have active infection? Should I take the vancomycin? I guess I’m confused on the W/REFL to PCR and Real time PCR results.
Thank you everyone.

CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE TOXIN/GDH W/REFL TO PCR

GDH Antigen: Detected
Toxin A and B: Not Detected

CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE TOXINB, QL REAL TIME PCR : Detected

Hi all. I've been dealing with an atypical case of C Diff for two months now, since early March. Thankfully my case was less severe than most, but it was (is?) still very annoying.

Recently it seems like I've been somehow "cured" without taking an actual antibiotic, and this just makes me confused and mistrustful. Any insight it appreciated.

I found out I have C diff on April 15th, by testing positive for Toxin B and GDH. Before that I thought it was a Candida infestation based on a big misunderstanding.

After this revelation, I changed a few things*, but I did not take an antibiotic. My doctor thought the case was too weird, so she told me to test again, and only start with the antibiotic - Metro - if I get a positive Toxin or PCR test.

I test again on April 22nd I get negative on toxins, negative on GDH, negative on PCR.

Confused but cautiously optimistic, I go on without taking the antibiotic.

Two weeks after that, I do another C diff toxin test (in my country, when you do a toxin test they also throw in a free GDH test) - negative for toxins, negative for GDH. Again, despite not taking the antibiotic.

Around this time, my symptoms have started gradually improving and are currently mild as long as I keep to a bland, easy-to-digest diet. Various foods still aggravate me, suggesting there might be post-infectuous IBS at the very least.

So basically:

• April 15th: Toxin B positive, GDH positive
• April 22nd: toxins negative, GDH negative, PCR also negative
• May 6th: toxins negative again, GDH negative again

My questions:

1. What tf does this mean? I know the active Toxin test can produce false negatives. But the GDH test and the PCR tests - as I understand - don't really have false negatives, they're supposed to be very good signs of C Diff presence (whether active or dormant). So how can they go from positive to negative without antibiotic treatment? Is it possible for a mild case of C Diff to not only go dormant, but straight up pack up and leave, without the use of an antibiotic?
2. Is these a chance that I might still be colonized with C Diff, despite getting two negative toxin and GDH test results? I'm worried it's buried somewhere deep in the colon, waiting to come out once I lapse with my diet or have to take an antibiotic for something unrelated.
3. Would it be safe to reintroduce things like regular sugar, dairy or nuts? In small amounts, at least? I'm still not convinced the bacteria is gone, and if it isn't gone - I don't want to provoke it into an active infection again.

*for the record, this is what I changed after April 15th and before my first negative test results. I am intentionally putting this at the bottom - maybe some of these things helped, maybe not, but I fundamentally have no idea what happened with my C Diff, and I don't want to make recommendations about something I still don't understand.

• Started taking a Boulardii probiotic twice a day
• Started eating Manuka honey (grade 15+), like 2-3 spoons a day
• Switched from an attempted anti-Candida diet (low carb, high fat), to a high-carb diet focused on bland and easy-to-digest foods. Eliminated dairy completely, for now.
• Stopped taking the anti-fungals and herbal antimicrobials for my non-existent Candida infestation
• Upped my Vitamin D to 6,000-8,000 IU per day
• Reduced my Zinc supplementation to zero (I was taking fairly large amounts the week before that)

I was diagnosed with cdiff in late January, did vancomycin for 14 days

Relapsed within a week, did 14 days of vancomycin again and havent relapsed in 2 months but since last night i have been feeling pain under my rib cage and on the sides of my abdomen. I had loose stool in the morning and i am getting the urge again.

I havent had rib cage pain like this before like the pain kinda was always there but it wasnt as bad but its pretty bad since last night. The pain is basically where the colon follows. What are my chances of a relapse after 9 weeks??

hi all, i’m 18f and been suffering for around 3 weeks with what we originally thought was a bad case of gastroenteritis. i recently sent a stool sample but didn’t have enough in it but my nurse did say that c diff may be showing up positive. i’ve sent another stool sample today and hopefully get results by the end of the week. i’ve never had anything like this before and just looking for any advice while i wait on my results. i’ve been eating and drinking totally fine but the watery stool is taking a horrible toll on me right now. is there anything i should be doing while i wait? i know how serious it can be and hearing my nurse say it has really given me a fright

Hi all,

I just went to visit my parents and learned my dad MIGHT have C Diff. He’s been having bad stomach issues following a course of antibiotics and is still undergoing testing. I was only around him for about an hour and hugged him before leaving, I didn’t use the bathroom or touch much of anything at the house.

I didn’t realize until I got home and told my roommate who is a nurse that my dad said he might have c diff that it’s extremely contagious and dangerous and he shouldn’t have had me over. (I was not educated on the severity until now)

I’m on antibiotics for a UTI currently and am freaking out that I might be infected. I leave for my dream vacation in 5 days and I am panicking that this might ruin it.

The info on this sub has been so helpful and I need some reassurance from people who have maybe experienced the same. Should I be super worried and is there any precautions I should take in the coming days? Thanks in advance

3 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. About a week after that, I started have horrible stomach cramps and diarrhea. I got stool tested, but by the time the results came back, I was feeling better. The results came back about 2 days ago. I had E Coli and C Diff. I’ve no diarrhea in a week and a half just about, and I’ve been taking florastor. The doc called today and sent in vancomycin, but when I told her I had no symptoms, she told me to pick up the meds but not to take them unless it comes back. Do I need to take them? Will it come back? I was extremely ill and I seriously don’t want to go through that again.

Update: my doctor called me back today, since I still have mucus in my stool, although no diarrhea, she told me to go ahead and take the antibiotic for it.

Wondering what everyone’s pain experience was during infection?

I think I have a relatively high tolerance for pain; I’ve had a few traumatic painful medical emergencies before. My second occurrence of C. Diff was without a doubt, the worst pain I have ever experienced. I genuinely thought I was going to die. I ended up accidentally overdosing on Tylenol in an effort to manage the pain. I really cannot explain how excruciating this pain was. While the overdose was accidental, the pain was so severe I was considering doing something intentionally. I feel like I haven’t been taken as seriously as I should be when I’ve described the amount of pain I was experiencing. I assumed this level of pain was just how it is but after my hospitalization and various outpatient GI appointments, I’m realizing this might not be everyone’s experience.

I've been toxin negative for three weeks. I think I'm realizing that dark chocolate gives me diarrhea. Not all dark chocolates but one I ate this morning with caramel in it did.

If I get behind on bowel movements and do something to open the floodgates then not even Immodium can stop the bowel movements that turn into diarrhea. I have to take 2-3 Welchol (Colesevelam) to stop it.

I’m just trying to find people here 65 or older. Anyone have just one occurrence and anyone who did what fixed u! Thanks

I will be given antibiotics after a procedure I will undergo this week. I don't like going on antibiotics and have had my gut affected by them in the past. Not sure if I ever had C-DIFF but its possible, or even HPylori as have had IBS symptoms in my history. So I want to be to tell the Interventional Radiologist what antibiotic to not give me. There is not a huge chance I will become infected but they use antibiotics to make sure there won't be a problem.

I think about this disease all day everyday. I know it’s not good but I live in fear of this coming back never able to eat what I want always having to clean with bleach and not seeing family as the don’t understand and have shunned me. No joy just fear and daily crying. Please be gentle I know I’ve saturated this site but I’m just so lost. On antidepressants and therapist just isn’t helping . Thanks

I finished a week on antibiotics on April 25th, and shortly after started having watery diarrhoea several times a day. I sent in a stool test on Friday, and got the results today- tested positive for C diff.

Since sending in the stool test, my diarrhoea has been slightly better - I actually had no diarrhoea (or stool) on Sunday, and only 2 small diarrhoea episodes yesterday, followed by 1 this morning after eating porridge.

My GP said that if you're having less than 4 episodes of diarrhoea a day, then antibiotics actually aren't needed, just monitoring. He prescribed them anyway, as I'm going on holiday on the 16th of May for a week and would like to be able to still go.

However, I've been reading up on side effects etc, which has me a little bit nervous that maybe I'll be dealing with antibiotic side effects on holiday.

My question is, is it true that antibiotics aren't needed if you're having less frequent episodes of diarrhoea?

hi everyone, I had c diff in 2012 after taking amoxicillin; took it again for an ear infection a couple weeks ago (also took preventative vancomycin bc I knew of the recurrence risk). Anyway sure enough, a week after the antibiotics were over, I got bad and familiar diarrhea. PCR test positive, tox test negative but my doc figured maybe the tox test was a false negative and since I had symptoms and a history, started me on dificid. Absolutely no improvement (doc was saying maybe post-infectious ibs) so I begged for additional testing and sure enough, almost a week later - positive for giardia/cryptosporidium. (Not sure which of these I actually had - an infectious disease doc friend of mine says that they can both show up positive on labs even if you just have one). Took three days of Nitadoximide and it immediately fixed things. Apparently those two parasites can ALSO show up soon after antibiotics. Sharing my story in case it helps others bc if I hadn't asked for testing it would have been a long road.

I’ve developed severe germaphobia/ maybe contamination ocd from my fun times with recurrent cdiff. We’re moving soon and I’m absolutely panicked. Everything is going to get touched and moved and I’ll be in a whole new environment that hasn’t been fully and thoroughly disinfected and I’m so worried there are cdiff germs everywhere. I’m so tired of living like this, I can’t have people over without worry, I can’t go anywhere without panicking if anything touches my hair or exposed skin. I’m so paranoid about germs all the time. Help. Tell me I’ll be fine.