How long does clostridium-difficile last?

You were proactive in requesting rehab. I had to do the same thing for my mother's husband. He developed MRSA in a surgical site two weeks after the surgery. He was in the hospital for two weeks, ate little and rarely got out of bed and had become very weak. Since the surgical site was on his foot, he had alot of tenderness to deal with too. The hospital was ready to send him home, I requested an evaluation by a physical therapist that determined he would not be able to even enter the home because of one step into it. We all need to be strong advocates for our aging parents, as many times the medical community forgets about what specific needs might be.

My 94 year old father was admitted to the hospital for leg issues in June. He contracted C-diff at the hospital and died two weeks later. If your mother has been battling it for 30 days, it sounds like she has a good immune system. It takes a cocktail of drugs to kill the bacteria, which has become resistant to many antibiotics. I never should have let my brother take my dad to the hospital. He would still be alive. Stay on your doctor and hospital staff re: this issue. You need to be there every day to make sure your mom is showing signs of improvement. I found that the hospital where my dad was admitted, really didn't seem to care about my dad because he was 94. He was a healthy 94 year old who could drive. He was not feeble. He never should have died. Best of luck to you and your mother.

OMG! I feel for you. My mom had contracted C-diff in a hospital as well. Although she had many other issues -- she had gone in initially for spine surgery, contracted the C-Diff, lost her colon which she then had an ileostomy bag. With all of those issues, I don't believe it took 30 days. The hospital had her on Vancomyicin and Flagyl for the C-Diff. You have to be careful as she may become dehydrated and then, you need to be concerned for her kidneys! Someone absolutely needs to be there on a daily basis! My mom was able to have the reversal surgery within a year and no longer has the ileostomy -- THANK GOODNESS!!! I hope this helps!! Good luck and hang in there!

It can take a very long time. My mom got it after she had back surgery, and was in rehab. She was in and out of the hospital for a couple of months trying to fight it. The last hospital stay they did everything imaginable trying to cure it. It was awful all that she went through. She finally quit eating and then really went down hill. They said we should put her on Hospice and didn't expect her to make it. So, we did that, and moved her to a skilled nursing facility. Once she was there, and they took her off all of the IV's, meds, etc. she slowly started to improve, although the C.diff didn't clear up for 6-8 months. That was almost 3 years ago. She's still with us, but it changed her life, and her family's life forever. It weakened her so much, she was never really able to get back on her feet. She's been confined to a wheelchair ever since. She had some physical therapy for awhile, but didn't really progress as we had hoped. She did improved enough to move from the SNF to Assisted Living. She now has dementia, and is on a steady decline. She was a strong independent 87 year old woman living on her own when this all started, and has had no quality of life for the last almost 3 years. This may sound awful, but I wish God would have taken her then and spared her this existance she has now. I lost my mom back then, and have already done my grieving. I hope your situation turns out better. Just stay on top of them. I'm a little surprised her Dr. didn't test her from the get-go. Take care.

RRccRR8,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but once a person has the C. Diff infection they never totally get it out of their system. It can be controlled but not eliminated.

My mother caught it while in a NH last year for rehab from a broken hip. She went through a series of urinary tract infections and was given strong antibiotics to handle the UTI’s. The antibiotics wiped out most of the good bacteria in her system which let the bad bacteria multiply. We don’t know for sure how she contacted the C. Diff. spore. It was terrible!! She lost food almost as fast as she took it in. She got very weak from lack of nourishment. She was put in isolation & her doctor tried all sort of things. Finally he sent her to a gastroenterologist who put her on a heavy dosage of vancomycin. This finally controlled the C. Diff. She has been on a maintenance dosage every since then. (BTW, be sure you get the liquid version, the tablet form was over $1,500 per month after insurance).

The gastroenterologist told me that the C. Diff spore is like a tiny egg with a shell. As long as there is enough good bacteria in a person’s system then the C. Diff is dormant. But if something happens & the level of good bacteria decreases it is sort of like breaking an egg shell & the C. Diff spore spills out & starts to multiply.

Unfortunately my mother go pneumonia in early November & she had to have antibiotics for that. So as you can guess, the C. Diff has become active again. She has been back on the heavy dosages of vancomycin for the past 2 ½ weeks & is in isolation again. Visitors have to wear protective gowns & gloves. C. Diff is contagious, but we were told that you are at risk only if you come into contact with an infected person’s stool. We were also told that the alcohol based hand cleaners do nothing for C. Diff. You must wash your hands thoroughly with regular hand soap & hot water.

As you already know C. Diff is terrible!! I pray for you as you try to deal with it.

It's a horrible infection. My mother's doctor told me that almost everyone has the spores in their intestines, but people with normal immune systems and plenty of "good" bacteria in their intestines keep it at bay. A weakened immune system coupled with antibiotics (which kills all bacteria - good and bad - in your system) triggers the c-diff spores to take over. Vancomycin and/or Flagyll will help bring it under control, but you also need to replenish your gut with "good" bacteria. This means taking pro-biotics DAILY (Culturelle, Florastor, etc.) during treatment and after the infection has subsided. Of course if antibiotics are needed in the future, it will trigger the infection once again, so be sure your doctor is not one to hand them out for every little thing. It takes a good month to "control" (you won't ever get rid of it completely) with the above, and it's especially hard on the patient - especially the ones that can't get to the bathroom in time. I feel for you. I have dealt with this several times with my mother this year, and it is not fun.

It is horrible and frustrating! I have to say and I don't know if it's because my mom did lose most of her colon because of it but, she has not had a recurrance. As to antibiotics, my mom was on Levaquin after her spine surgery. I had spoken to doctors and nurses and each time I mention Levaquin they all nodded as if knowing that it has been known to cause c-diff. A friend of mine had the same issue with his mom when she was given Levaquin. I told him to have the doctor put her on another antibiotic and to never have her take Levaquin again. I always note under allergies to meds that mom is allergic to Levaquin. She also takes the probiotic - Culturelle - on a daily basis.

Everything GrampaHiker said was correct. I was told that it is believed that everyone has this 'bad' bacteri in their body but our immune system keeps it in check. Heavy doses of antibiotic for surgical procedures in the eldery kill both the bad and good bacterias allowing the C-dif to occur. Since antibotics are also given to counter-act this C-dif, sometimes it becomes a vicious circle curing it.

My 97 yr old Aunt developed it and spent a total of six weeks recovering from it. Ten days in the Hospital, almost three weeks at Hospice and then nineteen days at Re-Hab, learning to walk and become continent again. It is a terrible affliction on the elderly and will deplete their strength and energy quickly.

I was totally overwhelmed at the wonderful care she received at Hospice. I always thought that you didn't call them unless it was 'The End' so to speak, but I have been educated. They also do 'Stablization'. They give the prescribed meds, keep the patient comfortable and clean and let their bodies respond. No tubes, no forced procedures. As soon as she stablized, she went to the Re-Hab to finish regaining strength. I highly recommend their facilities.

My mother had C-diff twice at a care facility after a hip replacement. So debilitating. She was put in an isolation room to keep it from spreading to other patients (she got it from her roommate). It took a few difficult months to get each bout under control. She recuperated completely each time. The staff warned us that it comes back. Now she is happily home and takes probiotics. We keep everything as clean as we can (warning - the" sterilize" option on these new washing machines can really ruin clothing!).

gosh! we were very lucky by the standards spoken of here! my mom got C-dif after surgery for broken leg - either at hospital or rehab... in isolation with another lady who had gone thru 3 rounds of meds. my mom only took Vancomyacin and was clear after one round of 10 days. I was told by the nurse practioner that she would be a carrier from now on. Losing Hope- that is interesting b/c my mom was on levaquin for congestion prior to the CDif..... I have been giving her probiotics/yogurt daily since she has come home. what a nasty infection CDif is!
Good luck RRcc!

I feel for all of you...I went through this personally and it's completely miserable...one thing I would like to add is to please not allow the doctors to prescribe Ativan for your loved ones possible anxiety if they are elderly and especially if they also have dementia...it can literally mean the end for them...I also know that from losing relatives to it...prayers to all of you and those who are going through this...

LGVeal - I strongly suggest that she not take levaquin any longer. As I said, I note on all medical documents for mom that she is "allergic" to levaquin. They always ask what kind of reaction she has had and I tell them. My friend does the same for his mom as it has happened twice for her and both times she was on levaquin. Thank goodness it cleared up quickly for her with the use of flagyl. I would ask a nurse or doctor their thoughts on levaquin.

I was able to get rid of my mother's c-diff after a partial hip replacement. She was in rehab and never got rid of it. I brought her home thinking it was over! Not so...very nasty! I gave her Vancomyacin every 6 hours without missing a dose and she got rid of it. No mistakes are allowed with this illness!! Good Luck!!

thanksAthena....and losinghope. The PT working with her right now has suggested I consider some sort of antidepressant for her as she wants to sleep alot and the other day she was very snotty to him...due to a few other signals I asked her doc to prescribe amoxicillin for her as I think she has a UTI.... will ramp up the yogurt tmro! dont want her to lose good bacteria that will help keep cdif at bay! it sure is a vicious circle isnt it. I will also put levaquin on her allergy list....

My brother who has MS is just getting over the C-diff he contracted in hospital or rehab. How awful it has been for him and the family trying to get this under control. First time flagyll did not work. Second time when he was weak, dehydrated and not able to even get up did they take him to the hospital and put him on Vancomyacin. He is now home again and on Vanco for another week. He has STILL not regained the strength he had in September. I will surely try anything anybody has to suggest to keep this c-diff away! Going to go get him probiotics for sure.

Check out the mayo clinic website. One of the latest and very effective treatments for nasty resistant C. dif is a fecal transplant from a healthy person in order to replace the normal gut microflora. It's pretty safe and can work like a miracle. I think that more doctors should consider this option. Hope this helps.

I have heard of the above (fecal transplant) - I think it was on an episode of either ER or Grey's Anatomy, actually!

My mother (92 years old) caught it doing my step-fathers laundry when he was in an ALF (Alzheimer's ward). She has been in an out of the hospital for a long period of time due to her condition from it.. They now have it under control having taken Vancomycin and Flagyl. Plus at one point they had to use another medication as she was so bad. Plus she takes Florastor and they also have her on something on the order of Metamucil. Her health has improved considerably since she has followed this regimen of medications. She was weak, could hardly walk and lost considerable weight during this time. During the different times of being hospitalized with she ended up in physical therapy in a NH. She is not a candidate for surgery due to other health issues. But must say at this time she is doing the best she has in years aside from the effects of minor strokes she suffered over the years. At one point we had her admitted to Hospice as she was to the point she was so exhausted from fighting it. She is now back in the first stage of Hospice as they are monitoring her condition but at this point could graduate back out if she keeps up the progress she has been showing. As a caregiver I will say it has been a long process to get to this point where she has a more meaningful life. It is good to see her be able to enjoy the holidays with us and take part in things she hasn't been able to in the past several years. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you work through this.

Athena3,

Can you please elaborate on the drug Ativan. As I posted earlier in this forum, my mom had a terrible expeiance and outcome with c.diff. She now has dementia, and they recently have perscribed Ativan as needed for her agitation. She's only been given it a couple of times so far. She has a chronic UTI so she has been given antibiotics several time over the past many months, but so far no c.diff. Thank you.

Geesh this is scary, I heard of this once and I was told no one recovers from it. I heard it was severe diarehea from a hospital, what is it and can you get it at home or in a dr office? Could my Mother catch this from a caretaker that I hired/ or if they had been at a nursing home before here? I myself take levaquin every time I am sick, like 2-3 times a year, is this bad for me also? I so hope all of your parents get well and my heart goes out to you all. I never heard this about levaquin or ativan. I can give my Mom a klonopin if she got aggitated but I will only give her one to have a mole removed in January, as she doesnt need one regularly. Is one yogurt a day sufficient for probiotics, she cannot swallow pills? Any advice appreciated and good luck to you all.

Reverseroles: My daughter (31) had it . I know she is so much younger, but she had it for almost a year. It started after she was on an antibiotic for a throat infection. She also was on all the "coctails" Vanko/flagyl. Her hair was falling out and she was wasting away. Plus she had to stop nursing her 2 month old! Finally I was advised that she needed to stop the antibiotics and start probiotics. The Iantibiotics were actually making the bacteria grow, so the doggone thing would never go away. My daughter can't swallow pills either, so she was told to buy Floragen 3 capsules.. She was to start out with 9 (yes 9) a day! The bottle says 1 or 2 but the nutritionalist said she would need 9 because all the antibiotics had stripped the good bacteria out of her. She opened the capsule and mixed it w/ plain greek yogurt in the am/ afternoon & pm. The yogurt actually helps the probiotic to work. If you are on antibiotics you would have to space them at least 1 hour before or after the antibiotics so they can be effective. Then, she was able to slowly wean herself down . Each month she would go down 2 pills. The third month she tried to go down to 5 a day, but her gut started acting up, so whe stayed on the 7 a day for another 2 months. Finally, like I said after a year she was good. She still failthfully takes 2 probiotics a day, and she watches her yeasts and sugars. And yes it is very contagious but my daughter made sure she washed her hands. None of her 3 children (one was a two month old infant) or her husband ever caught it. Neither did I and I had to care for her for several months because she was too weak to care for the children. One of the reasons we think my daughter got it was because her grandma was in a nursing home at the time, and my daughter was on antibiotics for a throat infection right after her gram passed away. When my daughter was little she had constant ear infections and of course, antibiotics were always prescribed. She would be on them every 3 weeks until we found a wonderful dr. who said she needed tubes in her ears. After her surgery she didn't get sick any more, but we think all the antibiotics could have stripped so much good out of her, her immune system was weakened. No one ever said that for sure, but it's possible. Whatever reason she got it, I'm so glad she was able to get over it with the probiotics. The pharmacy who was able to get her Vanko in liquid form for her, told me there is an elderly lady who has had it for over 2 yrs. and they are still prescribing vanko for her...Antibiotics to kill something that is caused by antibiotics????/ Doesn't sound logical. Try the probiotics, worse thing they can do is strengthen her immune system.

All advice I can say Is try staying away from doctors they are not God take care of yourself and eat the right foods I have gone at one time to many doctors and none did me any good they took all kinds of blood test still I was the same I spent hundreds of dollars for nothing. I went to see a herbalist and learned on my own about things and herbs it worked for me I feel so much better and look a lot better than I did. Herbs help keep you well once you get real sick then yes for tests you have to see whats wrong. They can only help they only help get you better doctors sometimes once you become sick. They can't keep you well only herbs I strongly believe herbs can if you take it every day and follow what you need to take. I know this cause I have experienced it. Hope this helps!

To kjhinshaw...I'm so very sorry about your Mom...what a horrible experience. Was your Mom ever given Ativan during the time she was being treated for C. Dif?
Here's the best thing for checking out the situation with Ativan...google "Ativan and the elderly"...the very first thing to pop up is the forum that gave me all the information I needed, but there are other sites you can check, as well. Ativan stays in an elderly patient longer due to the kidneys and liver not working as well to remove the drug...the drug can then build up...my Mom went into the ER after a stroke...they gave her what they referred to as "a lot of Ativan" and she never really came to after that...strangely, the medical records from the ER doctor said she had a TIA, was FULLY RECOVERED (!!!) and would be going home the next day...then along comes the doctor doing the rounds who told us she was now in kidney failure, which she was not in before going to the hospital, and we needed to arrange for hospice...she passed away exactly one week later without ever waking again. Please read the posts made on the forum...I know they will help you make a very informed decision about Ativan.
Best of luck and Blessings to you...
Athena

It is highly contagious. If someone has been in contact with c-diff and doesn't wash properly, they can spread the germ. Therefore, yes, you can get it at home and/or a doctor's office or a caretaker who hasn't taken proper precautions (gown, mask, gloves, handwashing, etc.). As to levaquin, it seems more seniors or those whose immune system have been compromised have issues. I wouldn't take it for myself but, that's me.

Kjhinshaw, I would have your mom take a probiotic (culturelle, acidophoulus) while she is on the antibiotic.

My heart goes out to all!

A word of advise if you loved one has C-Dif and they need an antibiotic please be sure your doctor gives them the Vancomyacin and Flagyl right away with the antibiotic. This will avoid a recurrence of the C-Dif according to my Mothers physician.

Thank you all for these postings and info, scary stuff! I am hoping if we are all extra careful with washing that my Mom wont ever catch this. I guess I should get her probiotics but she does have a full yogurt daily if that helps.
Good luck to all of you, I really feel bad for those affected with this on top of dementia, etc. :(

Athena3....I don't think she was ever given Ativan when she was being treated for the c.diff. Ativan isn't a antibiotic is it? I thought it was used tor aggitation. She hasn't had any flare ups from the c.diff for close to 2 years or so even though shes had antibiotics galore due to a chronic UTI, and she's on a daily low dose. However she has had a couple of bouts with diarreah the past few days, but I think it's because they have been giving her Ensure, and that sometimes can cause it. They just recently gave her Ativan a couple of times because she was very aggitated and was swearing at everyone, and trying to throw things. That is not normal for her. The first time they gave her too much, and she was like a Zombie, so we told them no more. Then a few weeks later she started that all again, so they did give it to her at a much lower dose once or twice, along with another med combo that they put in a cream form. Both of these are only to be used if and when she's really out of control, and haven't been given for a week or two. After reading about Ativan, I'm now thinking I should tell them not to give it to her again. She has been a lot more out of it more often lately, so now I'm wondering if that's why. It's so hard to know if it's the dementia, or the meds at this point.

Loosinghope.....yes my mom takes a probiotic every day.

Thank you for the wonderful advice and support that you have given during my mother-in-law's recent illnesses. You are so kind! Now she is confined to bed here at home with help from hospice nurses and has just days to live, so your help is no longer needed. Once again, thank you one and all!

I just wanted to mention something regarding the use of probiotics while you or a loved one is being treated for c diff. DO NOT TAKE the probiotics at the same time the antibiotics are given! Wait at least 2 hours afterwards. The antibiotic will kill the "good bacteria" in the probiotic, thereby killing the benefits of the same. My mother couldn't figure out what was taking the antibiotic so long to start working on eliminating the diarrhea - turns out the nurse at the SNF was giving them to her at the same time. Just wanted to pass that on!

@kjhinshaw...Ativan is used for anxiety, it is not an antibiotic...I find it disturbing that even though you told the doctors not to give it to your Mom they went ahead and did it anyway...it just really scares me because of what it did to my Mom and aunt, and also all of the other people who posted on other forums. Just be careful...best of luck to you!