C-Diff Remedies

I'm so sorry to hear of those still suffering from c-diff and very happy to hear of those who have been cured! I've had c-diff for nearly three months; just finishing my third round of antibiotics... Second time for vancomycin but now it's double the dose. I don't know if anyone else has had abdominal swelling and pain and does that fit with c-diff? If anyone is continuing at their job, I'd really appreciate knowing how they are managing with lack of food and energy or the alternate of trying to eat but running to the bathroom all day? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Take care everyone and get better soon!

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/59/6/858/2895561

I posted this on here a moment ago, but as a reply so I am not sure where it went.

My husband contracted c diff in the hospital…and began a years long battle with it. Eventually had a fecal transplant which took care of it for a while. But with frequent hospitalizations and antibiotics (he has multiple health issues resulting in kidney infections and sepsis) we seldom were off of the vancomycin —-and rarely got to the “taper” part.

We were at the point of wanting another fecal transplant, but during covid, obtaining “clean” fecal matter was a problem. His infectious disease doctor recommended trying kefir and a Vancomycin taper, sending us a study (small, and maybe a pre-study-I tried to find exactly what she sent us, but I believe the link above is it or discusses it).

The conclusion of the small study was that it was as effective or almost as effective as a fecal transplant.

He took 5 oz of Lifeway kefir 4x a day, and did the Vancomycin taper. It worked. He still takes kefir twice daily, and I eventually ordered kefir grains online and began making my own as the store was sometimes out of it. (Homemade is supposed to have twice the probiotics in it)

It has been at least two years now that he has been free of c. Diff.

Recently I was on an antibiotic that gave me diarrhea so I started taking 4 oz of kefir daily….it helped.

I hope this helps someone out there…c.diff is a terribly difficult thing to get rid of.

I have had a recurrence 5 times, I don't think I was ever healed.I still have problems 2 years later with pain, can't eat somethings ect.

I couldn't walk and spent almost a year in a wheel chair.

What helped get me to where I am today is : Saccharomyces Boulardii with mos, barley water, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal. I also ate a lot of fermented foods.

1 cup of Yogurt mixed with berries, protein powder (food grade Metagenics Ultra Meal), Triple Fiber by Now, once a day, mid morning preferable. Oil of oregano is an absolute must 3x a day for 2 weeks then taper down to twice a day for a week, then once a day for another week or two, but keep a maintenance at least 4 days a week!!! I take 4-5 drops per does, this is very strong so use raw honey and then some tea with honey or food, do not take this alone. Ultimate Flora Critical care 3x a day (I would research buying this online because it is so expensive in the stores).

Word to the wise, do NOT eat any chocolate, caramel, or any thick syrupy sweet for at least 6 months! Keep sweets to a minimum (make your own from gluten free mixes or recipes online).

Eat rice approx. 3x a week in a hot dish or with steamed veggies and chicken etc. Try to eat all of your meals from your home.

Once your gut is healed you should be able to eat out occasionally but beware of the restaurant you are eating at because some of them are just filthy.

Bleach your bathroom head to toe 2x a week for the first 6 weeks, then once a week. Do not reuse any towels for anything. Use paper towels to dry your hands and a clean washcloth for your face each and every time. Do not have a towel hanging and reuse it!

I have had this 2x since 2012. I hadn't been on antibiotics once. I did not have a relapse for almost four years after the first.

Fill up your kitchen sink in the morning and add dish soap and a cup of bleach, have a pair of gloves sitting right next to your sink and wipe down all high traffic areas such as garbage disposal switch, light switches, handles on the appliances, handles on your doors into your home and the counter tops. Your cellphone, mouse, keyboard, tablet. Anything you use for electronics but be careful the washcloth is not dripping but wrung out pretty good. I do this all the time and have had no problems with my electronics.

Put your underwear in a small garbage bag you keep inside a basket with a lid and only your underwear in there. After putting them in your washing machine (with bleach) wash your hands thoroughly and get a new bag (throw the used one away). You can use the plastic bags you get at places like Target, the grocery store etc. or buy a roll of small plastic garbage bags.

Use bleach to wash the washing machine and dryer really well, the floor in your laundry room with bleach as well.

If you have a steam cleaner such as the Tancs you can use that, it is certified to kill this spore. I use this steamer and it hurt to pay for it but in the long haul it has been a life saver! I personally use bleach and the steamer both, I want all spores DEAD!

Wash your jackets and coats frequently. It's easier to pay a little more for a better brand you can wash and dry frequently than a cheap one you can't. Columbia or North Face wash and dry like new. Don't wear your clothes more than once a day until you have this program under control for a good couple of months.

Do not keep your toothbrush on your bathroom counter but inside a drawer on top of a washcloth and change that out once or twice a week. No make up or blow dryer either. Do those in your bedroom.

I know this sounds like a lot but it's really not once you get a system it goes really fast and remember, you are in charge! This infection is a dangerous infection and one I don't wish on anyone for sure. The first time I had this I felt great after 3 days on flagyl, I kept the system I described for about six months and then relaxed some with such stringency other than the bleaching of the bathrooms and the towel situation. The second infection was brutal. I'm still on my regimen I described above and doing well. My intentional tract does get sore on occasion depending on if I had something to eat I should not have.

I wish you all well.

Oh one more thing, your keys and your cars! Wash those weekly as well with clorox wipes (the steering wheel, blinker handles and door handles etc.).

I have an aunt who has c diff. Usually caused by too many antibiotics or acquired in the hospital. I take monolaurin to prevent catching it. It is from coconuts. Also have on hand Oregano essential oil if anything else is needed, but not taking it yet. Also use " the Ultimate Antibacterial Foaming Soap". Start with these I think they will help. Look up these products on the web. I not a doctor, but I believe these are helping me.

If you take antibiotics for c diff it would be wise to take a probiotic. I take custom probiotics, pure and human strain only.

C diff -- My sister got a bacterial lung infection after aspirating a piece of pizza around Christmas time. Long story short, she became very short of breath and went to the ER. She was admitted to hospital and treated with steroids and vanco. Her levels got to high and she went home on oral antiobiotics. after one day at home became very short of breath again. We began to nebulize fghp which helped immediately and cleared up her lungs however the next day came down with c diff. she had all the symptoms and was very miserable. We began with digestive enzymes. Colliodal silver. Alkalinzing pill, oil of oregano and peppermint. 100% better the next morning and so far diarrhea has not returned. Hope this helps others.

I contracted C-Diff after a dental implant and long use of strong antibiotics. Many think that just by taking probiotics you can get rid of C-diff. Nope. You must use something strong and doctors often use probiotics with some form of antibiotic.

Anyways this is what I am using. Turmeric Standardized 2 tablets twice a day, 2 Nutribiotic Maximum Strength Defense Plus (grapefruit Seed Extract) Lugols iodine 5 drops 2 times a day up to 4x a day. Or use iodine Plus-2 once a day. Twin Labs Betaine HCI with pepsin, 1 tab 1 or 2 times a day. Nature's Plus Mini Reds 2 a day, 1 coq10 200 mg, Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, Vitamin D 2000 mg, Nature's way B- Stress Formula 1 a day. zinc, 1 selenium 200 mg. Garden of Life OmegaZyme Ultra 1 a day. Barleans Cod liver fish oil, Barleans Omega Twin, Florastor/and or Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii plus MOS 1 or 2 a day. And Garden of Life Ultra Primal Defense as needed.

My thought is that the Turmeric can kill the C-Diff and there is a lot of research on it. Oh yes and I eat yogurt daily. Good Luck. Use for at least a month to two months depending on the severity of the problem. Oh if you start getting to sleepy cut back on the Probiotics just a little, as they are yeast products and if getting to much can make you tired.

Hi! Wanted to let you know how much your site postings have meant to me. I"m caring for my 76 yr old mother. Hospital antibiotics gave her c-diff.

Her doctor has been as much use as a chocolate teapot, prescribing metrozidanol (flagyl) 3 times every time it came back. All he was doing was weakening my mother and strengthening the bacteria. They've told us since feb that vancomycin was only available intravenously. After her 4th re-occurence last week they've now prescribed it in tablet form. I can only put their failure to give her this medicine earlier is because of cost. Her doctor has also been no help whatsoever in nutrician, supplements or any other advice to support her recovery.

Luckily, I spent 7 months on a candida diet last year and this gave me some knowledge on how to help mum. I've got her on probiotics (thanks for the mention of saccharomyces boulardii). I've also been giving her grapefruit seed extract, oil of oregano, spirulina, aloe vera juice, brewer's yeast, nettle tea, bee pollen and garlic capsules. I've also finally got her to give up sugar, wheat and dairy as I'm sure they all feed bacteria. I've also been juicing for her regularly, massaging her with lavender and tea tree oil, giving her reiki and crystal elixirs made to boost the immune system, heal her digestive organs and to remove toxins.

All of this does seem to be slowing it up a bit and she's not been as ill as in previous occurences, but I know I've not been doing the natural remedies long enough. I've just picked up her vancomycin so hopefully both treatments combined will help her combat it this time. She's lost so much I've just been to the sports nutrician shop for some protein shakes as the ones they gave her from the doctors are full of sugar. The NHS here in england is light years behind on it's awareness of nutrician and supplements. So thanks for all the posts that have helped clue me up on this vile disease, they gave me valuable support and knowledge.

I got C.diff after having a heart attack and needing surgery on my back. I had also gotten strep throat multiple times. As you can tell, I was overloaded with antibiotics. Being a diabetic did not help as my physicians were worried about infections. I was home and recovering and had gotten bowel pain it had become worse and worse, At one point I could not stand up straight when I got out of the car. Doubled over the hood the heat relaxed the cramps, they returned daily / hourly. My son brought me some food which included deli pickles in juice. My mother suggested that I drink pickle juice, I did and it was like a miracle. Within minutes the pain was gone and I could stand with no problems. I thought I was cured, fast forward. I had quad bypass and the slew of antibiotics began and this time the C.Diff returned 10 times worse with hourly bouts of bathroom visits three four days. Again with pickle juice and this time pickles and no white breads, cut back on starches, after two more bouts each getting worse my Doctors at the VA AND A colonoscopy later, a GI specialist was seen and a culture was ordered. Finally an answer!

I was warned about future antibiotics use and such, they ordered Metronidazole along with the warning of it might not cure the C. Diff. I am slowly going backwards experiencing pain, cramps, diarrhea so I have returned to using deli style pickle juice and eating a slice of pickle twice a day. I know the vinegar is acidic and boy does it work.

I was diagnosed with c.diff. in March after having taken antibiotics and had bloody diarreah for several days. The flagyl was working while I was taking it but a week after the 10 day therapy the symptoms were back. I went to the emergency room to avoid waiting for an appointment, but the doctors gave me levaquin, which is an antibiotic that makes the condition worse. Somehow it made it somewhat better, but when I went to see my primary doctor 5 days later he put me back on the flagyl, which didn't make much of a difference any more. I was then given vancocin, but decided to take 3 days off all medicines since I was going to see a specialist then. I had diarreah about 5 times a day. I started taking probiotics and 4 days later my symptoms were significantly reduced. I tried the vancocin once but was allergic to it -- it is a very strong antibiotic and actually its side effect -- just like the flagyl -- is mild diarreah, which is what I already had. I started taking cholestyramine, which binds the c.diff. toxin and causes constipation; also I started eating only white rice and white bread and some baked potatoes - very plain food, with aminoacid supplements (rice powder) and vitamins, esp. vitamin C. Also, I got about 5 different probiotic brands with several strains - you want those that give you billions of cultures - like 50 or 100 per serving. I have been free of symptoms for almost two weeks now and my last test was negative, although tests are not 100% reliable. You have to keep checking it every couple of weeks. All in all my advice is to stay off the antibiotics as much as possible and take lots of probiotics and keep a starchy simple diet. Certain herbal teas have also helped me -- calendula (or marigold) and plantago lanceolitis - 1 tablespoon per 400ml of boiling water is left for about 30 min. Strain and drink before eating 3 times a day.

My dad doesn't have much time left and he is very attached to my baby boy who is blind (dog) he is coming home to finish out what time he has left... He does nothing but talk about how he can't wait to see his four legged grandson.. My dad has c-diff so how do I protect my baby so that he can spend time with his pap like he has always done??? Please if you can help me or point me in a direction to get this answer I would be so grateful

I am 30 year old female, healthy, active, always have been conscious of what I eat and my health in general. I came down with a sudden fever, and after 4 days of fevers, chills, malaise, nausea, vomiting, some diarrhea, went to the hospital, which is very rare for me. I had a 104 fever, severely dehydrated and was given 2 liters of fluids. Nothing was found in my urine, blood, or throat swab, although the Dr. hoped it was the flu. I went home that night with hopes that I would get better. 2 more days, and the fevers, nausea, chills did not stop. I went back in and got an x-ray: nothing. CT scan revealed what looked like a kidney infection, although my urine was clean, and with that I started a 10 day course of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim). I began taking one Asprega Probiotic pill per day 3 days into the Bactrim course.

After 6 days, I still had fevers, no appetite, some nausea, and extreme tiredness. I went back to in and saw the on-call doctor, she ordered urine and blood cultures, and gave me a shot of ceftriaxone, and changed the antibiotic to 5 days of ciprofloxacin. The cultures came back clean. I requested they continue to grow out the cultures to see if it was a fungal infection, since they hadn't found any bacteria yet. But that message must have not gone through, because they disposed of my samples. 5 days after finishing the Ciprofloxacin, I went back in for having diarrhea and generally not feeling like I was "better". The on-call doctor (doctor #3) ordered another urinalysis and a stool sample. The next day, the clinic notified me that I had C. diff and that they had called in a prescription for 10 days of oral vancomycin. I thought about it and decided I would get the script as a backup and go all out on trying to heal myself. I have insurance so the script was only $15.

I bought kefir, barley (for barley water), kombucha, sauerkraut, 3 types of chewable probiotics, another big bottle of Asprega probiotics, garlic pills, oil of oregano, beet juice, carrot juice, and organic Miso. The previous day I had also ordered probiotics online, nascent iodine, magnesium chloride cream, iron, calcium, vitamin C and D, and a book by John Brisson titled "Fix Your Gut", which I highly recommend. What a wealth of information. The last day I saw the doctor, let's call it

Day 1, I had 12 bowel movements.

The next day I started my treatment,

Day 2: 8 bowel movements,

Day 3: 7,

Day 4: 4,

Day 5: 3.

Day 6 is today and I'm on 0 at 8am, have been up since 5:30. I have no more cramping unless I eat something I shouldn't. I have now figured out, I take 1 bite and wait. I will get cramps within 15 minutes. I have only tried this on a couple foods, but it works. Eat slow. The first day I drank barley water (quite soothing and not bad at all although it sounds gross), I ate the barley with flavored kefir on it for breakfast and miso for lunch. Lots of water. I continued this diet and am still on it while introducing new foods and liquids like kombucha, carrot juice, beet juice. I am also consuming all of the things I mentioned earlier. I am overdosing on probiotics.

Every 3 hours I take double a full day's dose of each kind that I have. Every morning on an empty stomach, a shot of water with 2 drops of oregano and iodine in it. Plenty of rest and naps. I still have the antibiotics just in case. But I now realize that they should be a backup plan and not the first line of defense. Our medical system is ridiculous. Why was I not warned of this when I started 3 different types of antibiotics in a week? Why was I not given advice from my doctor on dietary changes that could have helped prevent this from happening? It really is a shame. Why was I not warned that this could come back even after taking dangerous antibiotics? Everything I have found out about C diff, I researched and found out myself.

You will beat this! You are your best advocate. You don't have to do everything a doctor tells you. Listen to your body. Take it slow. Do what is making you feel better. Try the barley water. You have to take care of this all day and be on top of it, but you will win.

I was on very strong antibiotics for three weeks for an abscessed tooth and about a week after discontinuing the antibiotics, I developed all the symptoms for c. Diff. The diarrhea I managed almost instantly with tumeric, but the cramping was so severe that it literally was almost unbearable. My daughter brought home Kefir. That was all I could eat/drink for six weeks. I did not have the cramping while on kefir but that was ALL I could eat. I mean all. I tried one bite of banana after six weeks on Kefir and the cramping returned full force. Finally I went to health food store and bought the capsules with billions of the good bacteria in them (have to be refrigerated). I started on them and within days could eat as normal. After stopping the capsules, about two weeks afterward, the c. Diff cramping returned with a vengeance. The moral of this story is to take the probiotics at the same time (separated by hours) as you are taking the antibiotic. It has come back, not the cramping, but the discharge from bowels that alerts one to the fact that the bad bacteria, c. Diff, is still there ready to act up. Now I notice the pharmacy is alerting people about c. Diff BUT it is still not telling people what to do to prevent it. You do not want to get this bacteria. It is bad, but I now know how to control it. Also, there is now a coated pill (so it lasts in a bottle) of acidophilus cultures but it is only in the millions of good bacteria, not the billions of the refrigerated capsules. They are cheap. Got online for $2.48 per bottle of 50 or 100. I stocked up on them.

I thank those who provide this life-saving site for us. Bless you and bless you, again!

To all fighting C Diff... My mother in law is in a care facility where C-diff runs wild. After 4-5 rounds of it and all the antibiotics, I took matters in my own hands. After a lot of rerearching and talks with health pros, I tried out the Probiotics and added also some D-Mannose powder. As explained to me the D-Mannose is a type of sugar and it lines the bladder walls so the "bad guys" bacteria can't hold on. So with a regimine of Probiotics and D-mannose, along with lots of water, she has been C-diff free for over 5 years now. It's worth the effort. Good luck to all.

On April 2, 2013 I took a taxi to the nearest ER to find out why I was having non-stop bouts of diarrhea with a scorching fever. Later the next day, I received a call from the attending ER Doctor informing me that I had c-diff! I had never heard of this infection; but with intesnse research I found out that the on-set of this attack is usually brought on by heavy doses of antibiotics--2 weeks prior I had a dental procedure that required 8 consecutive days of an intense antibiotic dosage.

I went through 2 weeks of sheer hell--which included lots of blood and pus in my stool.

I went on a full attack on April 4th--using a standard probiotic (10 Billion cultures) and rapidly increased it to 50 billion and subsequent other products that I learned of from people on this forum (and my dogged research) I am happpy to report that on Saturday, April 20th, the bleeding, loose stools, painful gut and incessant bathroom visits STOPPED.

I feel absolutely great and I want to share some of my protocol so that someone else might not have to suffer months, even years on ened.

I started with Digestive enzymes before every meal and heavy doses of probiotics and then added [probiotics] before breakfast. I also took on e saccromycess bilourdii capsule midday--sometimes on an empty stomach and sometimes with food. I wanted to try different approches in order to monitor my body's reaction.

I think what brought about the quickest relief is that I ingested Oil of Oregano and drank Kefir several times a day. More importantly, I refused to go along with my Doctor's suggestion to start a Rx of Flagl to purge the infection--this makes no sense, and unfortunately Western medicine is pretty much lost inmy opinion. It was completely counter-intuitive to put more antibiotics in my body... They do more harm than good!

I am continuing with taking 4 drops of oil of oregano on an empty stomach--once in the morning and an hour before dinner. I drink 2-3 glasses of Kefir; yogurt (try to avoid the sugary kind); before dinner.