Just ending C-Diff infection... do I take probiotics?Vancomycine, probiotics?

[Butitisme]

I just left hospital after 7 days... C-Diff... on Vancomycin for 5 more days... Should I take probiotics to rebuild the good bacteria in bowel? Anyone experience this.... ?

Butitisme

[Hidden]

my wife went thru a c-diff infection. after finished with vancomycin took nothing else special. However she does not have cll

[Hoffy in reply to Hidden]

I do know sauerkraut is a very cheap and good probiotic. Also good vegetables are pre-biotics. Be well, Hoffy

[Hidden in reply to Hoffy]

Re: Kraut, Only if it is not pasteurized. At least here in the US, the cheap stuff is always pasteurized. The live stuff is quite expensive.

BUT, it is extremely easy to make. Just requires a high standard of cleanliness to prepare.

Seems "neutropenic diet" is controversial unto itself, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

llscanada.org/managing-your...

but there are guidelines against eating live kraut with neutropenia. Citations:

hillman.upmc.com/patients/c...

healthline.com/health/neutr...

thisisaurl.com/wp-content/u...

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

How healthy are your neutrophil counts?

Remember this prior post of yours?

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Then there is this research healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Our understanding of our gut biome is unfortunately in its infancy particularly in immune compromised individuals. You might find that some probiotics and prebiotics help, particularly if you've had no problems with them before AND you aren't neutropenic. Then again, you might do better through eating a wide range of foods with minimal processing to encourage the recovery of your gut biome. It takes a huge amount of probiotics to have a reasonable success in actually getting them established and with the inherent immune compromise associated with CLL, there is the admittedly slight risk of that bacteria becoming a problem.

Neil

[Butitisme in reply to AussieNeil]

Neil... Thanks for reminding me... I am 80... and forgot my earlier post and had missed the responses... really appreciate the feedback. I'm taking the probiotics as they were ordered by the doc to follow up... along with sucrafate to coat the stomach. The Vancomycin is a nasty drug... and I hope I live through the recovery, and also pray that I don't have recurrence or that I give this dread disease to my hubby. Thanks again

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Butitisme]

I know what you mean about Vancomycin from personal experience - it's hard on the veins. I didn't have any problems recovering gut wise after my several experiences with it.

[Butitisme in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks Neil... don't know my neutrophils... I am 80 and even forgot that I had gotten on here before... afraid my gut doc does know diddly about CLL and is also not factoring my age... and I've not had much diahrrea ... I'm afraid he's overdosing me... afraid of gut bleed.

[Cllsller]

I have had 3 bouts of c-diff and totally understand what you are going through. The answer to your question is yes you should take probiotics; they have worked wonders for me. I wish you the best. One more thing, don’t buy the cheap ones as they do not work very well.

[farber]

Hello, Last year I had CDiff also, you must take probiotic to restore stomach conditions

[Doggoneit101]

I had C-diff and was given Vancomycin and my oncologist said to take a probiotic everyday. Glad you doing better C-diff is horrible!

[Butitisme]

Thanks sos much for the advice on probiotics... Culturelle? And also the encouragement... was afraid of Vancomycin... but I guess it is the best for Cdiff. I have a "tamper down" of nearly 2 months... Is that about right? I was concerned with that drug and CLL... you sound lije it is okay... so that helps my apprehensiveness,

[Butitisme]

I replied at the wrong place below... Thanks for all your encouragement...I don't have easy access of my cancer doc.... so your words mean a lot... Culturelll a good probiotic, digestive advantage? I pop them in daily... when I remember... Guys... getting 80 robs me of much mind.... I used to be intelligent! I forgot where I left it! Thanks so much for your help. And glad to hear good about Vancomycin... I was afraid of it... said it was drug of "last resort" so I was afraid of it. I never took antibiotics because some can give you Cdiff! But I got it anyway,!!!,, it is much around our apartment... so I got it anyway!