RNinPGH

Thanks for the tips. More nurses need to be aware that its not just 'watery diarrhea', this is so painful, and it stays with you for a LONG LONG time. I had a horrible bout of otitis media and was on two heavy antibiotics within two weeks, that is what triggered the cdiff in me. I knew right away what I had when Immodium didn't work for two days. My (former) PCP did not believe me, but ordered the stool test just to humor me, and it was positive. In this new age of 'superbugs' and antibiotic resistance, nurses have to take more precautions to protect themselves. Its just a fact. My dad often tells his grusome tales of critical care nursing in the earlie 80's, when they didn't use gloves or contact precautions. He tells me about being elbow deep in someone elses blood and not thinking anything of it. And then he adds "And I never caught anything". I can usually handle any gross story that is thrown at me, I've seen alot in the ICU, but those stories make me shudder. And being where I am now, well into the fourth month of battling this illness, being scoped from every direction, being on the other side of the bed, all I can say is PROTECT YOURSELVES, no one else will look out for you but you.

I thought it was known that IV vanc doesn't cross into the gut, thats why its primarily INEFFECTIVE against cdiff? That is what ALL the literature I have read to date has stated. The PO vanc (which I have been on intermittently since July) doesn't cross INTO the bloodstream, essentially sparing my kidneys. My first round of PO flagyl became ineffective after 5 days of treatment, I horribly relapsed and ended up as an inpatient for a couple of days. My current dose of vanc, which is now doing NOTHING for me, which is making me question a possible VRE experience, is 250mg QID PO. I was an inpatient last week, and despite two stools coming back negative, I was still in isolation, the ID docs explaining that since I was on vanc, my tests would logically come back negative, the vanc suppressing the toxins. The same reason why you get a blood culture BEFORE you start IV antibiotics. The proper way to test, is to be off vanc (or flagyl) for two weeks. If I were any nurse on any unit anywhere and had a pt with a HISTORY of cdiff, I would gown and glove and take every precaution for my own protection. YOU DO NOT WANT THIS RUINING YOUR LIFE!!!!! As a result of the cdiff, I have now developed fibromyalgia, which my docs say is a direct result of battling this bacteria for so long. I have lost nearly 30 pounds to date, been off work at 60% of my salary (which is a BIG loss if you add it up), and have been paying out the butt (ha ha) for meds/copays/tests/hospitalizations and the like. BTW, I was first on Augmentin 875mg BID for 5 days, which did not touch the symptoms of severe otitis media, then Avelox 400 mg QD for 10 days before I had the first symptoms of cdiff. I really don't want to know what was growing in my ear that didn't respond to the Augmentin at that dosage. I'm happy I don't have your doc treating me If you want more info about what your docs SHOULD be doing, please see the cdiff support site's FAQ section: www.cdiffsupport.com

Supposedly one round of flagyl was supposed to cure me...but 5 days into the flagyl treatment, I became violently ill and required hospitalization. I went on vancomycin for a month, 250mg QID, test negative for cdiff x 3 stools but still had symptoms. I was scoped to see if something else was causing symptoms, and I was found to be cdiff positive again. So now I'm on a second round of vanco, this time at 125 mg QID, I'll be done with my second week on Friday, but I still am VERY symptomatic, can't eat, extremely fatigued, have muscle pain, etc. Its been THREE months since I initially became ill. I can't work due to my 'cdiff positive' scourge. According to my research (which is scant, no one wants to make new drugs or research this bacteria), 80% of those who get it do fine with one run of flagyl or vanc. Apparently they both have the same effectiveness, but vance is SOOOO expensive ($1000+ cash price for a two week course). I'm one of the 20% that looks to have 'relapsing' cdiff that can turn into a chronic condition. I can look forward to having relapsing events until I die. I will forever have to be wary of any kind of infection I get, and need to seriously talk over any kind of antibiotic treatment with my doc. With work, I do plan on returning to my job, if I ever get rid of this bacteria, and if my job is still there when that happens. But I'm not allowed to take care of c.diff patients. So there goes half my ward. I don't know why cdiff isn't treated more carefully as it should be. It is transmitted through the fecal oral route, which should make it hard to contract, but it is transmitted through spores which can survive in the environment for up to 40 days outside the human body. Only bleach can kill it. Most nurses I know don't know that. And most nurses I know (including myself) didn't know about the extreme pain and muscle fatigue and anorexia associated with it. They think its just bad diarrhea. Most of our patients with it were on the stairway to heaven to begin with...so no one paid attention. Most nurses figure that they are colonized for everything anyway. Also to note: I was on heavy antibiotics when I became ill, most nurses don't know that they are VERY suseptible to their patients illnesses when they go to work sick. I found out the VERY hard way.

Despite my best handwashing efforts, gowning and gloving, I got cdiff. Three months ago. I just relapsed. It has been a complete nightmare. I can't return to work. I can't eat. I'm in pain, I have fatigue, etc. Now I have three more months to completely get better or I will be terminated. The hospital says that I can't prove that I contracted the c.diff there....and I'm harassed by HR to 'prove' that I'm still sick. Do they HONESTLY want me to PROVE that I have c.diff? Don't they think that I could find other things to fake other than this horrible disgusting illness? My question is, have any ID nurses noticed an increase in your workers contracting c.diff, or a general increase in c.diff in your patients. About the time I got sick, I was on antibiotics, a very bad one in terms of c.diff. But others in my hospital have contracted it (RNs, CNAs and the like), and its seems that half of our ICU unit has it at sometime or another. Any advice would be helpful. Also, I wasn't even offered workman's comp, and I'm financially drowning.... Thank you ~Amanda