On Monday morning (01/04/10) I shippped via Fed Ex my 'sample' from a DNA Microbial Stool Test back to the lab for analysis. The lab which will examine my 'sample' to determine whether I still have c-diff or any other bad bugs (bacteria, fungus or parasites) which cause intestinal pain and damage. Before I took the test I had to abstain from probiotics, antibiotics and digestive supplements for 3 days. I had already abstained from vancomycin (antibiotic) for a week before taking that test.
Two days before the test, I began to experience cramping pain, nausea and passing mucous, which seemed very much like my previous c-diff recurrence symptoms. So after doing the test on Monday morning, I took a vancomycin with breakfast, another vancomycin with lunch and a high dose probiotic packet with dinner that night. All during the next day I felt WONDERFUL (no bloating, cramping, fecal frequency or urges).
Unfortunately, I didn't feel as well the next day. However, I hesitated to take more high dose probiotic packets, because I only have 2 left. If I need to take vanco again, I want to follow that with the high dose probiotic treatment. As I accumulate more days since my last vanco dose, I wonder whether those last symptoms meant 'recurrence'. So perhaps I need to take another vanco sooner than a week after the last. However, I really don't know at this point.
I'm sooooo tired of guessing. Do I or don't I still have c-diff? Do I have something else which causes these symptoms? Am I just taking too much magnesium, eating too much fiber, not drinking enough water, etc., etc.??? (All the questions I asked myself when I had cramping pain and irregularity before diagnoses of food allergies and each of my previous intestinal bugs.) ENOUGH ALREADY!!
I tracked the Fed Ex medical lab package containing my 'sample' all the way to the lab in Georgia. It arrived in less than 48 hours. So I wonder: why I usually don't see test results until 3 weeks after I mail the sample?? Whatever ... I'll certainly call my doc's office exactly 3 weeks from the date I sent the sample and tell them to call me or email the results as soon as they receive the 'analysis' from the lab. I don't need my doc's interpretation. I've done that test 3x now and other stool tests 3x before that. Will this intestinal infection nightmare ever end???
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I am so sorry to hear that you are still having either C-diff symptoms or contamination (as per your most recent post). I hope you feel better before you get those results back. I am not sure which answer you are looking for in the analysis...
Thanks, Lisa. At this point I feel @#$%^& if I get a positive result and @#$%^& if I get a negative result on that DNA Microbial test. I decided to take the test, when I felt pretty well. However, after abstaining from vanco for 9 days, probiotics and digestive enzymes for 8 days, I did not feel very well. By the morning of the test, I decided to take another vanco with breakfast, right after doing and packaging my test sample. I was feeling so bad (cramps, nausea, bloating) that I actually took 2 vanco (4 hours apart) that day.
Taking vanco after a week of not taking vanco allows me to reexperience the nausea side effects. So I usually take it with high fat meals (like PB on a muffin) and space 2 vanco at least 4 hours apart.
IF by some miracle, my test is negative, I won't feel reassured, because I've had c-diff symptoms at least once a week since I sent the test results.
Positive test results will corroborate my suspicions about symptoms. However, then I have to deal with my naturopathic doc, who doubts that vanco is effective, because he's clueless about c-diff recurrence. So I don't know if he will prescribe more vanco or try some new herbal treatment. I haven't read any positive results with treating recurrent c-diff with anything besides vanco.
However, my husband reassures me that my GHC doc would prescribe vanco, if I take my test results to her. Right now I have 30 vanco, enough for a week of full dose treatment, but not enough to follow that with tapering and pulse dosing which eliminates the spores. So I've just tried to stay ahead of the spores with pulse dose treatment.
My GHC doc readily accepted my CD and food allergy test results, even after telling me I had 'IBS' for years. I suspect she felt a little guilty for misdiagnosing my CD symptoms. I hope she will accept my DNA Microbial stool test results if I need to see her.
However, my naturopathic doc repeatedly screwed up my c-diff treatment. I've described all that in previous posts and in our IM chats. So I won't go into detail. So I'm hesitant to even talk to him.
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