CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE COLITIS or C. Diff

Here's a summation of what's been ailing me for the last six weeks, off and on.

C.Diff. (also known as Clostridium Difficile Colitis,

Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, or C. Difficile) is a bacteria that

lives in the intestine. Normally, healthy and ill people alike have

millions of bacteria residing in their intestines, some helpful and

some potentially harmful.

“Clostridium difficile is a "bad" bacteria. Fortunately, when you are

healthy and not taking antibiotics, the millions of good bacteria in

your system keep the c - diff under control and in smaller numbers.

However, when you take an antibiotic, the levels of good bacteria are

reduced down to a smaller number. If your c-diff is strong and

doesn't get killed by the antibiotic along with the good bacteria,

then it is possible that the c-diff will overpopulate inside your

intestine or colon. When this happens, you may get the illness

called clostridium difficile colitis.

“When you have an imbalance of bacteria and c-diff takes over, it

creates two main types of toxins that affect your body and give you

the symptoms of the actual disease. The toxins attack your intestinal

wall and left untreated may cause ulcerations. Your symptoms may

include diarrhea and cramping at first. The later stages are

commonly flu-like symptoms of weakness, dehydration, fever, nausea,

vomiting and in advanced stages - blood in your stool / feces

“Antibiotic usage is usually the initial cause of developing this

disease. Additionally, antibiotics are usually the cause of recurrent

cases of c-diff. Ironically - two very powerful antibiotics are used

to primarily treat the disease!”

You can read more about C.Diff, diagnosis, treatment and alternate

treatments at the C.Difficile Colitis Support Group

http://www.cdiffsupport.com/aboutcdiff.html

And their main page is here:

http://www.cdiffsupport.com/