what is C--DIFFFICLE in medical terms?What do you do for it?

Answer 1

Other names that the disease can be known as are:

Clostridium Difficile Colitis, Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, C. Difficile, C. Dif, C.D., A.A.C.D. and C.D.C.

What is Clostridium Difficile - in easy terms to understand?

C - difficile is a bacteria in your intestines. It is found normally in healthy and ill people alike. There are millions, perhaps billions of different types of bacteria in your body. Bacteria are an important part of your health. They help break down and digest food. They also ward off many "bad" or foreign bacteria that you may come in contact with. In fact, the "good" or normal bacteria on your hands can kill certain bad bacteria which you may pick up handling food or touching everyday items and fixtures.

How do I get Clostridium Difficile Colitis or Antibiotic-Associated Colitis?

Your body has lots of "good" and necessary bacteria. It also has some "bad" or dangerous bacteria. 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. If a patient is left untreated, they can die from it. This is rare. It has been reported that clostridium difficile is mostly only contagious from other people through the fecal-oral route To avoid spreading this - one should clean thoroughly all toilets, utensils and fixtures (wearing rubber gloves) while in the same house or ward to avoid cross-contamination. In addition, people should always wash their hands while preparing food regardless of if they have c-diff or not. While using these simple precautions, normally it is rare to spread c-diff and there is no need for hysteria or paranoia about catching it. I lived with my wife for over a year in the same house and did not catch it. Also, even if you did get a spore - you may not actually become symptomatic.

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! Ironic, isn't it?


How is it normally treated?

Keep in mind that this illness is usually treatable with a couple of special antibiotics. For most people; it goes away after a couple of weeks. For the other approximately 20%of the patiensts who are not cured the common first -line and least expensive drug used is Flagyl.(metronidazole) If Glagyl is ineffective; then Vancocin (Vancomycin) is prescribed. The Vancocin is very expensive about $4.80 per pill. As of now, Vancocin is the last resort and there are no main line and clinically proven and accepted by the USDA defenses agaist C-dfficile.


The pain is caused by cramps from the diarrhea. C-difficile can be hard to treat and certainly can come back. Another med that is used is Amphogel to bind the toxin (1/2cc/kg/dose 4 times a day--not by other meds as it will bind them) and either homemade yogurt or lactobacillus capsules to try and alter the flora enough to control the diarrhea and cramps. The prep used is called Culturelle.

Answer 2

Clostridium difficile is a bacteria that will cause severe diarrhea. You treat it with specific anti-biotics and re-hydration.

Answer 3

rather than explain it to you i have a very easy link to explain all you ask
http://www.cdiffsupport.com/aboutcdiff.html