48 hours after completing the 7 day high dose probiotic treatment, which followed my 7 day vancomycin treatment for c-diff, cramping pain, bloating and fecal urgency convinced me that c-diff spores are rampant once again in my intestines. Rather than just left lower abdominal pain, I also have right lower abdominal pain. I hesitated to assess my symptoms while taking the high dose probiotics, because those can cause bloating. However I usually don't get pain and bloating for 24 hours after taking those probiotics. Also as soon as I finished the 7 day probiotic treatment and returned to lower dose probiotics, I knew my symptoms were more c-diff.
So I just emailed my doc to request another, but extended round of vancomycin. I didn't get any bad side effects or any less dangerous but bothersome symptoms from vanco. I know I can easily take that again. I also learned that I don't need to take that with food, just a tall glass of water. So I can space the doses out evenly without needing to stay up late at night to get the last dose evenly spaced after dinner. I just hope my doc is in the office tomorrow. I don't want to spend a weekend suffering and wondering when he can call my prescription to my HMO pharmacy.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Reality Check
On Monday morning I weighed a pound less that I had weighed during the rest of this month. So I believed I was finally beginning to lose the 3 pounds I gained during treatment for c-diff. Confident that I was doing whatever I needed to lose weight, I stopped weighing for a few days. After all many 'normal eating' experts suggest that we only weigh once a week. Only on very restrictive diets do we notice weight loss every day.
To my surprise (and disappointment) I had regained that lost pound when I weighed today. Nevermind that I ate more salty foods during the past two days. Nevermind that I ate half a fudgesicle while sweeping the garage, I consumed extra licks of peanut butter and almond butter while transferring both to smaller containers, I ate dessert after dinners when I felt full and I have eaten to the point of obviously full for the past few days. Obviously I can easily fall back into the same habits that made me gain the weight, especially when I feel confident that I'm eating just enough to lose weight.
My husband weighs almost every day. He says daily weighing keeps him honest. I agree. I'm not really overweight according to most height/weigh charts. Some of my clothes fit (but not all). I can easily compare myself to other people and think, 'why bother losing 3 pounds'. Then I see all the clothes that don't fit as well with 3 extra pounds. I have not binged for almost 5 months now, but I remember all the 'almost binges' where I overate to the point of feeling stuffed, but stopped before I purposely binged and purged. I can easily forget all the reasons I gained the weight and continue to hold onto that extra weight. I can ratioinalize that I'm eating healthy food. However that number on the scale reminds me that I'm just eating too much healthy food at meals and eating snacks (or licks and tastes) when I'm not really hungry.
Seeing that number on the scale won't throw me into restrictive diet mode. I know that extreme restriction just leads to extreme deprivation. Acknowledging extra weight won't 'trigger' a binge/purge episode. I'm waaay beyond that mindset. I don't like feeling too full and I abhor throwing up. Realizing that I either didn't lose a pound or I regained a pound doesn't even make me feel upset. If I'm well (recovered from c-diff), I will STILL go to Maui. I just want to weigh 3 pounds less to fit into more of my clothes. Those 3 pounds remind me that I'm not eating only when I'm hungry. I may start eating when I feel hungry, but I don't stop when I feel satisfied. I'm wasting food by overeating and that 'waste' goes to my waist. LOL So I intend to weigh daily (same time, same state of dress) for the next 6+ weeks. If the scale does nothing else, it will give me a daily reality check.
BTW I still don't know whether I'm recovered from c-diff. I stopped taking high dose probiotics 2 days ago. Now I take the lower dose (8-12 billion good bacteria per capsule) probiotcs once a day and hope for the best. I still have some cramping pain, but the location changed. Before c-diff treatment I had left lower abdominal pain. Now I have right sided pain and nothing on the left. I also still have soft (normal) stools, but I also have frustrating frequency (I go 4-5x a day). Nevertheless I feel more energetic, absolutely no nausea and undecided. I really don't want to go back on vancomycin, if I don't have constipation (one of my main c-diff symptoms). So I will continue to 'wait and see'. I've read so many c-diff websites that say taking lots of probiotics can prevent recurrent c-diff infectioins. So I'll just keep taking lower dose probiotics and pray for healing.
To my surprise (and disappointment) I had regained that lost pound when I weighed today. Nevermind that I ate more salty foods during the past two days. Nevermind that I ate half a fudgesicle while sweeping the garage, I consumed extra licks of peanut butter and almond butter while transferring both to smaller containers, I ate dessert after dinners when I felt full and I have eaten to the point of obviously full for the past few days. Obviously I can easily fall back into the same habits that made me gain the weight, especially when I feel confident that I'm eating just enough to lose weight.
My husband weighs almost every day. He says daily weighing keeps him honest. I agree. I'm not really overweight according to most height/weigh charts. Some of my clothes fit (but not all). I can easily compare myself to other people and think, 'why bother losing 3 pounds'. Then I see all the clothes that don't fit as well with 3 extra pounds. I have not binged for almost 5 months now, but I remember all the 'almost binges' where I overate to the point of feeling stuffed, but stopped before I purposely binged and purged. I can easily forget all the reasons I gained the weight and continue to hold onto that extra weight. I can ratioinalize that I'm eating healthy food. However that number on the scale reminds me that I'm just eating too much healthy food at meals and eating snacks (or licks and tastes) when I'm not really hungry.
Seeing that number on the scale won't throw me into restrictive diet mode. I know that extreme restriction just leads to extreme deprivation. Acknowledging extra weight won't 'trigger' a binge/purge episode. I'm waaay beyond that mindset. I don't like feeling too full and I abhor throwing up. Realizing that I either didn't lose a pound or I regained a pound doesn't even make me feel upset. If I'm well (recovered from c-diff), I will STILL go to Maui. I just want to weigh 3 pounds less to fit into more of my clothes. Those 3 pounds remind me that I'm not eating only when I'm hungry. I may start eating when I feel hungry, but I don't stop when I feel satisfied. I'm wasting food by overeating and that 'waste' goes to my waist. LOL So I intend to weigh daily (same time, same state of dress) for the next 6+ weeks. If the scale does nothing else, it will give me a daily reality check.
BTW I still don't know whether I'm recovered from c-diff. I stopped taking high dose probiotics 2 days ago. Now I take the lower dose (8-12 billion good bacteria per capsule) probiotcs once a day and hope for the best. I still have some cramping pain, but the location changed. Before c-diff treatment I had left lower abdominal pain. Now I have right sided pain and nothing on the left. I also still have soft (normal) stools, but I also have frustrating frequency (I go 4-5x a day). Nevertheless I feel more energetic, absolutely no nausea and undecided. I really don't want to go back on vancomycin, if I don't have constipation (one of my main c-diff symptoms). So I will continue to 'wait and see'. I've read so many c-diff websites that say taking lots of probiotics can prevent recurrent c-diff infectioins. So I'll just keep taking lower dose probiotics and pray for healing.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Changed Perspective
Fighting a potentially lethal bacteria (c-diff) changed my perspective about what is important in my life. While I took flagyl to fight c-diff, I felt too sick to do much more than post on my FTGF board. When I finished the first round of flagyl, I no longer wanted to feel obligated to moderate a board. I also felt less sympathetic toward people who complained about overeating, going off their weight loss diets or fantasizing about food, when I was struggling to eat anything, while flagyl made me so nauseas. When my c-diff symptoms returned and I realized the flagyl didn't eliminate the c-diff, I was scared that I would never recover from c-diff and could develop life-threatening complications. My health problem was much bigger than my appearance or my weight. Some people who posted about overeating on message boards just didn't relate to my fears or struggle to keep eating to take medication. Because I didn't have the emotional energy to support others, I decided to delete my board.
After I got even more c-diff symptoms while taking the second round of flagyl, I felt even more frightened and hopeless about recovery. So I asked several friends and my church congregation to pray for me. Fortunately my doc switched me to vancomycin, which had good side effects (no more constipation). Meanwhile the flagyl side effects (nausea and horrid metallic taste) slowly disappeared. Although I was afraid to hope for complete recovery, because my hopes had been dashed so many times, I felt stronger while I took vanco.
When I finished vanco and began high dose probiotics, I developed a new set of symptoms which made me doubt whether I would recover from c-diff. However, I soon recognized those as signs that my body was adjusting to a larger population of good bacteria in my intestines. So I decided to suspend judgment about my recovery until I finish the high dose probiotics.
This 5 month struggle with c-diff (symptoms, stool test, diagnosis, treatment and probiotic followup treatment) reduced my goals to just getting through each day, taking each treatment dose with meals, exercising, doing minimal chores around the house or garden, and getting enough sleep at night. I knew I was gaining weight, because I ate when I was nauseas as well as when I was hungry and needed to take pills. I also ate to distract myself from the taste of flagyl. Then while on vanco, I ate a 4th small meal to prevent stomach irritation from vanco with my last bedtime dose. I did not eat much less at the other 3 meals to compensate for the 4th meal. However, I chose to focus on doing what I needed to take drugs to treat c-diff. I believed I could lose weight after finishing those drugs.
Now I would like to lose 3 pounds before we go to Maui, IF I am well enough to go to Maui in October. I don't need to cut back much to lose 3 pounds in 7 weeks. I just need to focus on eating comfortable amounts when I feel hungry and not eating when I no longer feel hungry. My garden almost dictates what I eat. We have soooo much lettuce, zucchini and cherry tomatoes that we need to eat salads almost every night for dinner. I have sooo many blueberries and still some strawberries that I need to eat berries on my peanut butter and muffin for breakfast every day. Larger tomatoes suggest tomato and ham sandwiches for lunches. Maybe I will tire of my 'garden harvest' diet after a month or so, but right now I LOVE eating fresh picked berries and vegies at every meal.
Nevertheless, my c-diff experience has taught me to 'not sweat the small stuff'. I'm calmer. When I know what I need, I can confidently ask for that. At other times, I'm open to suggestions and go with whatever my husband wants. I no longer get upset or feel threatened by differences of opinion or viewpoints. Maybe wondering whether I would recover from a potentially fatal bacteria made me appreciate simpler pleasures, like sunshine, gardening, preparing a meal, playing my piano, walking or biking with my husband. Meeting my physical needs for exercise, food, elimination and rest seem more important than accomplishing anything really meaningful with my life. Just being a supportive wife or friend or neighbor seems like enough for now. Maybe a year from now my c-diff experience will seem like a bad dream. Maybe I will work toward bigger goals or accomplishments. However, right now I prefer the most peaceful path I can find through each day's challenges. If I'm healthy, nothing else really matters that much.
After I got even more c-diff symptoms while taking the second round of flagyl, I felt even more frightened and hopeless about recovery. So I asked several friends and my church congregation to pray for me. Fortunately my doc switched me to vancomycin, which had good side effects (no more constipation). Meanwhile the flagyl side effects (nausea and horrid metallic taste) slowly disappeared. Although I was afraid to hope for complete recovery, because my hopes had been dashed so many times, I felt stronger while I took vanco.
When I finished vanco and began high dose probiotics, I developed a new set of symptoms which made me doubt whether I would recover from c-diff. However, I soon recognized those as signs that my body was adjusting to a larger population of good bacteria in my intestines. So I decided to suspend judgment about my recovery until I finish the high dose probiotics.
This 5 month struggle with c-diff (symptoms, stool test, diagnosis, treatment and probiotic followup treatment) reduced my goals to just getting through each day, taking each treatment dose with meals, exercising, doing minimal chores around the house or garden, and getting enough sleep at night. I knew I was gaining weight, because I ate when I was nauseas as well as when I was hungry and needed to take pills. I also ate to distract myself from the taste of flagyl. Then while on vanco, I ate a 4th small meal to prevent stomach irritation from vanco with my last bedtime dose. I did not eat much less at the other 3 meals to compensate for the 4th meal. However, I chose to focus on doing what I needed to take drugs to treat c-diff. I believed I could lose weight after finishing those drugs.
Now I would like to lose 3 pounds before we go to Maui, IF I am well enough to go to Maui in October. I don't need to cut back much to lose 3 pounds in 7 weeks. I just need to focus on eating comfortable amounts when I feel hungry and not eating when I no longer feel hungry. My garden almost dictates what I eat. We have soooo much lettuce, zucchini and cherry tomatoes that we need to eat salads almost every night for dinner. I have sooo many blueberries and still some strawberries that I need to eat berries on my peanut butter and muffin for breakfast every day. Larger tomatoes suggest tomato and ham sandwiches for lunches. Maybe I will tire of my 'garden harvest' diet after a month or so, but right now I LOVE eating fresh picked berries and vegies at every meal.
Nevertheless, my c-diff experience has taught me to 'not sweat the small stuff'. I'm calmer. When I know what I need, I can confidently ask for that. At other times, I'm open to suggestions and go with whatever my husband wants. I no longer get upset or feel threatened by differences of opinion or viewpoints. Maybe wondering whether I would recover from a potentially fatal bacteria made me appreciate simpler pleasures, like sunshine, gardening, preparing a meal, playing my piano, walking or biking with my husband. Meeting my physical needs for exercise, food, elimination and rest seem more important than accomplishing anything really meaningful with my life. Just being a supportive wife or friend or neighbor seems like enough for now. Maybe a year from now my c-diff experience will seem like a bad dream. Maybe I will work toward bigger goals or accomplishments. However, right now I prefer the most peaceful path I can find through each day's challenges. If I'm healthy, nothing else really matters that much.
Friday, August 14, 2009
High Dose Probiotics
For years I struggled with constipation. Everyone told me eat more fiber, drink more fluids, eliminate food allergies, take probiotics, take magnesium and vitamin C, drink apple juice, etc. I did all those things and still had constipation, when I had bacterial imbalances in my gut from bacteria, parasites and fungus. Most recently I took flagyl and then vancomycin to treat c-diff. The first week of flagyl turned my constipation into loose stools. However that returned to constipation, bloating and pain after a few weeks. The second round of flagyl did not resolve that constipation. After one day of taking vancomycin for c-diff, I developed really loose stools. I never had watery or bloody diarrhea, but I did have more frequency. Now 3 days after ending vancomycin treatment, I still have loose stools, which may be 'normal'. However, after years of constipation, I really don't know what 'normal' should be for my body.
Despite all that, I gained 3 pounds while fighting c-diff and enduring treatment side effects from flagyl and following instructions to eat when I took vancomycin (which I didn't need to do). So now I want to eat less to lose that excess weight. However, I still think about eating 'enough fiber' for regularity, despite my current loose stools. I'm drinking lots of fluids so I don't get dehydrated from my 'almost' diarrhea, but I'm also rationalizing eating extra bites of fruit (when I'm not hungry), because fruit helps regularity. Yesterday I cut back on vitamin C and magnesium. That reduced the 'frequency' during the afternoon, but nothing else changed.
Many vancomycin sites warn patients to tell their docs if they have severe diarrhea which continues after they stop using vanco. I didn't HAVE diarrhea when I started using vanco. I had just the opposite problem. So I'm not anxious to get rid of my 'almost' diarrhea. Compared to constipation which causes bloating and hemorrhoids, I really don't mind loose stools, even with frequent bathroom trips. Maybe someone else would call what I have 'diarrhea', but I'm not too alarmed.
I also have more gas and a little bloating after meals. At first I was concerned. Then I remembered that those high dose probiotics cause much more gas and bloating, while the good bacteria repopulate my intestines. So I really can't assess how I'm doing until I finish the 7 day course of high dose probiotics. Those should make me more 'regular', neither diarrhea or constipation. So I just need to wait and see how I'm doing after I finish the probiotics.
Despite all that, I gained 3 pounds while fighting c-diff and enduring treatment side effects from flagyl and following instructions to eat when I took vancomycin (which I didn't need to do). So now I want to eat less to lose that excess weight. However, I still think about eating 'enough fiber' for regularity, despite my current loose stools. I'm drinking lots of fluids so I don't get dehydrated from my 'almost' diarrhea, but I'm also rationalizing eating extra bites of fruit (when I'm not hungry), because fruit helps regularity. Yesterday I cut back on vitamin C and magnesium. That reduced the 'frequency' during the afternoon, but nothing else changed.
Many vancomycin sites warn patients to tell their docs if they have severe diarrhea which continues after they stop using vanco. I didn't HAVE diarrhea when I started using vanco. I had just the opposite problem. So I'm not anxious to get rid of my 'almost' diarrhea. Compared to constipation which causes bloating and hemorrhoids, I really don't mind loose stools, even with frequent bathroom trips. Maybe someone else would call what I have 'diarrhea', but I'm not too alarmed.
I also have more gas and a little bloating after meals. At first I was concerned. Then I remembered that those high dose probiotics cause much more gas and bloating, while the good bacteria repopulate my intestines. So I really can't assess how I'm doing until I finish the 7 day course of high dose probiotics. Those should make me more 'regular', neither diarrhea or constipation. So I just need to wait and see how I'm doing after I finish the probiotics.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Back to Just Enough
I weighed this morning, the same as I weighed one week ago, when I was 3 pounds above my usual weight. Fortunately I didn't gain more, while eating high fat foods 4x a day to take the vancomycin. However I definitely overate. I know I had at least 2 'almost' binges, where I started snacking after a meal but stopped when I felt obviously full. Knowing that I have abstained from bingeing and purging for 20 weeks kept me from saying 'oh what the heck, I might as well binge' after I felt guilty about overeating. Nevertheless, I need to eliminate those 'almost' binges by just stopping when I finish my meal and not snacking while I prep dishes for the washer. Also I suspect I was not tuned into what I really wanted to eat at meals which preceded my extra snacking. So I wasn't satisfied by the meal and continued to look for satisfaction through snacks.
I won't diet or restrict what I eat, but I will limit how much I eat by not dishing up so much. So I may have open faced sandwiches and more sweet fruits than sweet desserts like ice cream or cookies. I won't abstain from those desserts, but I'll have cantaloupe (my current favorite) handy in the fridge all the time. Also I need to increase my activity. I already walk at least an hour a day and do yoga and weight lifting. However, I can add gardening and playing ping pong at night after dinner. Neither seem like 'exercise', but both are more active that sitting at this computer. LOL
Above all I need to wait until I'm actually hungry to eat, which I prefer because food tastes better, AND only eat enough to stop hunger sensations, rather than feel obviously full. Serving myself smaller portions and eating mindfully will also help me eat less but feel more satisfied.
I won't diet or restrict what I eat, but I will limit how much I eat by not dishing up so much. So I may have open faced sandwiches and more sweet fruits than sweet desserts like ice cream or cookies. I won't abstain from those desserts, but I'll have cantaloupe (my current favorite) handy in the fridge all the time. Also I need to increase my activity. I already walk at least an hour a day and do yoga and weight lifting. However, I can add gardening and playing ping pong at night after dinner. Neither seem like 'exercise', but both are more active that sitting at this computer. LOL
Above all I need to wait until I'm actually hungry to eat, which I prefer because food tastes better, AND only eat enough to stop hunger sensations, rather than feel obviously full. Serving myself smaller portions and eating mindfully will also help me eat less but feel more satisfied.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Probiotics Helped
Taking an extra probiotic capsule (8 billion good bacteria) at breakfast resolved my problem of riboflavin deficiency (evidenced by sores in the corners of my mouth) and vancomycin induced diarrhea. Of course I felt bloated all day and all night after taking another probiotic capsule, but I don't have obvious signs of low good bacteria. I do still have bloat 1-2 hours after every meal. I suspect that's caused by the vanco itself. I get a little cramping pain, some fecal urgency (but not really going) and bloating awhile after taking the vanco. I don't know whether that means it's eliminating the c-diff or that the c-diff is winning. I hate not really knowing what's going on, but I'm not anxious to spend another $300 for a stool test to determine whether I still have c-diff. I'll just pay attention to how I feel.
Also I realized after taking the vanco capsule with just water last night that I never really needed to eat a high fat snack or anything to take the vanco. A large glass of water was enough to prevent burning stomach pain. I could also drink more water to eliminate any burning sensations. I wonder why that pharmacist told me I had to eat high fat foods to take the vanco. All the other info just said take with full glass of water. Maybe she thought I looked thin and needed to gain some weight. Well, compared to most overweight people working for my HMO I do look thin.
However now I need to decide how to lose the extra fluff around my waist. I will weigh tomorrow morning and assess the damage. At the very least I need to eat more mindfully, especially limit eating to sitting down. I don't really enjoy the food I eat standing up while preparing the meal, as much as I enjoy eating the meal. Those stand up bites still reduce my hunger, so I can't eat as much as I planned without overeating at the meal. However, I've also done lots of overeating beyond satisfaction during the past week on vanco and the previous 17 days on flagyl. I sure hope all that treatment eliminated the c-diff bug, becuase I'm tired of enduring side effects from treatment and comforting myself with excess food. Even if I'm well enough to go to Maui, excess weight will make me feel uncomfortable in hot weather (skimpy, revealing) clothes.
I don't want to restrict WHAT I eat, because that just sets me up for rebellious or 'last supper' binges om all the foods I restrict. I already have restrictions from 7 food allergies. Also I've abstained from bingeing (and purging) for 20 weeks now or almost 5 months. However all those 'almost' bnges, when I stopped myself after overeating before actually bingeing, contributed lots of excess calories. I need to change WHEN I eat or only when I'm hungry and stopping as soon as I feel satisfied or just barely full. That will also eliminate the reflux I have experienced lately when I overeat.
Above all I need to change HOW I eat so I only eat sitting down. No more snacks while I prepare what I really wanted to eat. No more afterthought desserts standing in the kitchen doing dishes. No more samples at the grocery store, just because the food is free. I intend to sit down and focus on how hungry I feel, how the food tastes and whether I'm satisfied.
Also I realized after taking the vanco capsule with just water last night that I never really needed to eat a high fat snack or anything to take the vanco. A large glass of water was enough to prevent burning stomach pain. I could also drink more water to eliminate any burning sensations. I wonder why that pharmacist told me I had to eat high fat foods to take the vanco. All the other info just said take with full glass of water. Maybe she thought I looked thin and needed to gain some weight. Well, compared to most overweight people working for my HMO I do look thin.
However now I need to decide how to lose the extra fluff around my waist. I will weigh tomorrow morning and assess the damage. At the very least I need to eat more mindfully, especially limit eating to sitting down. I don't really enjoy the food I eat standing up while preparing the meal, as much as I enjoy eating the meal. Those stand up bites still reduce my hunger, so I can't eat as much as I planned without overeating at the meal. However, I've also done lots of overeating beyond satisfaction during the past week on vanco and the previous 17 days on flagyl. I sure hope all that treatment eliminated the c-diff bug, becuase I'm tired of enduring side effects from treatment and comforting myself with excess food. Even if I'm well enough to go to Maui, excess weight will make me feel uncomfortable in hot weather (skimpy, revealing) clothes.
I don't want to restrict WHAT I eat, because that just sets me up for rebellious or 'last supper' binges om all the foods I restrict. I already have restrictions from 7 food allergies. Also I've abstained from bingeing (and purging) for 20 weeks now or almost 5 months. However all those 'almost' bnges, when I stopped myself after overeating before actually bingeing, contributed lots of excess calories. I need to change WHEN I eat or only when I'm hungry and stopping as soon as I feel satisfied or just barely full. That will also eliminate the reflux I have experienced lately when I overeat.
Above all I need to change HOW I eat so I only eat sitting down. No more snacks while I prepare what I really wanted to eat. No more afterthought desserts standing in the kitchen doing dishes. No more samples at the grocery store, just because the food is free. I intend to sit down and focus on how hungry I feel, how the food tastes and whether I'm satisfied.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Really Bloated Today
OK, now I have true diarrhea. According to my nurse neighbor, that's a good sign which means vanco is wiping out the c-diff. However, cracks in the side of my mouth, which are a riboflavin deficiency sign, concerned me a little. I already take 50 mg of balanced B vitamins with every meal. So I suspect I'm just not absorbing B vitamins due to depleted good bacteria. So I decided to take another probiotic with breakfast to decrease the diarrhea and increase riboflavin absorption.
The bad news is that probiotics cause bloating and gas. I usually take them after dinner at night, especially when I plan to stay home (and wear baggy clothes). However the weather is cooler today. So I'm wearing jeans, which are supposed to be medium rise, but with my long torso fit me like low rise. However, my probiotic bloat creates the 'muffin top' over my jeans. LOL No matter how thin I look, I feel 'fat'. I know I'm just bloated, but that doesn't change how my inflated belly looks or how my clothes fit.
As for actual weight, I refuse to weigh until after I finish this vancomycin treatment. I was at the top of my normal 3# range when I started this drug. Then I had to eat high fat foods 4x daily to protect my stomach supposedly from vanco stomach irritation. So I won't be surprised if I gained more weight. Last night I took vanco after drinking hazelnut milk and eating some cantalope, which was not very 'high fat'. When I felt a little stomach sensitivity, I just drank more water. Then I slept just fine.
Tonight I plan to get in bed earlier, read until I'm sleepy, which should be about the time I need to take my last vanco dose, and take it with a full glass of water, but no bedtime snack or maybe just fruit. Either my stomach adjusted to the vanco 'stomach irritation' or I could have just avoided that by drinking lots of water when taking the capsule. Whatever ... I will have to deal with weight gain AFTER I finish the vanco, starting Wednesday with weigh in. Then I can resume obeying my hunger/fullness cues to eat only when I'm hungry, whatever I crave, and stop eating as soon as I feel satisfied, rather than eat high fats on a pill taking schedule.
The good news is that the cramping pain I experienced during the past 3 days has all but disappeared. I hope that means the vanco has overcome the c-diff bacteria. I can only wait and see after I stop the vanco. However, I'll also take a higher dose probiotic as soon as I finish the vanco. That probiotic may cause even more bloating during the day, although I will take it with dinner. More feeling fat ... SIGH
The bad news is that probiotics cause bloating and gas. I usually take them after dinner at night, especially when I plan to stay home (and wear baggy clothes). However the weather is cooler today. So I'm wearing jeans, which are supposed to be medium rise, but with my long torso fit me like low rise. However, my probiotic bloat creates the 'muffin top' over my jeans. LOL No matter how thin I look, I feel 'fat'. I know I'm just bloated, but that doesn't change how my inflated belly looks or how my clothes fit.
As for actual weight, I refuse to weigh until after I finish this vancomycin treatment. I was at the top of my normal 3# range when I started this drug. Then I had to eat high fat foods 4x daily to protect my stomach supposedly from vanco stomach irritation. So I won't be surprised if I gained more weight. Last night I took vanco after drinking hazelnut milk and eating some cantalope, which was not very 'high fat'. When I felt a little stomach sensitivity, I just drank more water. Then I slept just fine.
Tonight I plan to get in bed earlier, read until I'm sleepy, which should be about the time I need to take my last vanco dose, and take it with a full glass of water, but no bedtime snack or maybe just fruit. Either my stomach adjusted to the vanco 'stomach irritation' or I could have just avoided that by drinking lots of water when taking the capsule. Whatever ... I will have to deal with weight gain AFTER I finish the vanco, starting Wednesday with weigh in. Then I can resume obeying my hunger/fullness cues to eat only when I'm hungry, whatever I crave, and stop eating as soon as I feel satisfied, rather than eat high fats on a pill taking schedule.
The good news is that the cramping pain I experienced during the past 3 days has all but disappeared. I hope that means the vanco has overcome the c-diff bacteria. I can only wait and see after I stop the vanco. However, I'll also take a higher dose probiotic as soon as I finish the vanco. That probiotic may cause even more bloating during the day, although I will take it with dinner. More feeling fat ... SIGH
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