Clostridium difficile colitis is a difficult condition to eliminate once acquired. Clostridium difficile colitis, caused by bacteria, will need antibiotic treatment to eliminate the bacteria, followed by an all natural treatment to eliminate the colitis. Done properly, the patient can recover completely.
Clostridium difficile colitis (also known as c. difficle colitis or c diff colitis) is an antibiotic caused colitis. Clostridium difficile colitis is an infection of the colon caused by C. difficile in individuals who have used antibiotics. Clostridium difficile is the most common infection in patients during hospital stays.
More than three million C. difficile infections occur in hospitals in the US each year with 10% of patients after a stay of only 2 days developing infection with C. difficile. C. difficile can be acquired outside of hospitals in the community with 20,000 non-hospital related infections each year.
Clostridium Difficile Colitis Causes
C. difficile spores lie dormant inside the colon until a person takes an antibiotic. Prior to taking that antibiotic, other bacteria (probiotics) that normally are living in the colon, prevent C. difficile from transforming into its active Clostridium difficile colitis causing bacterial form.
C. difficile transforms into its infectious form and then produces chemicals that inflame and damage the colon causing clostridium difficile colitis. This inflammation results in an influx of white blood cells to the colon. The severe form of C. difficile colitis is called pseudomembranous colitis.
Not everybody infected with C. difficile develops colitis.
Clostridium Difficile Colitis Symptoms
Patients with mild C. difficile colitis may have:
- a low-grade fever,
- mild diarrhea (5-10 watery stools a day),
- mild abdominal cramps and tenderness.
Patients with severe C. difficile colitis may have:
- a high fever (temperature of 102°F to 104°F),
- severe diarrhea (more than 10 watery stools a day) with blood, and
- severe abdominal pain and tenderness.
Which Antibiotic Causes C. Difficile Colitis?
Clostridium difficile colitis is usually associated with clindamycin (Cleocin) though many commonly prescribed antibiotics also cause colitis. Examples of antibiotics that frequently cause C. difficile colitis include:
- ampicillin,
- amoxicillin
- cephalosporins (such as cephalexin, also known as Keflex)
Antibiotics that occasionally cause C. difficile colitis include:
- penicillin
- erythromycin
- trimethoprim
- ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Antibiotics that rarely cause C. difficile colitis include:
- tetracycline
- metronidazole (Flagyl)
- vancomycin (Vancocin)
Antibiotics can sometimes cause diarrhea that is not due to C. difficile infection. The reason for the diarrhea is not clear. The practical implication is that not all diarrhea associated with antibiotics should be considered to be due to C. difficile and treated as such.
Clostridium Difficile Colitis Treatment
Clostridum difficile colitis will need to be treated first with the necessary antibiotic to eliminate the Clostridium Difficile. Antibiotics that are effective against C. difficile include metronidazole (Flagyl) and vancomycin (Vancocin). These two antibiotics usually are taken orally for 10 days. After a retest by your physician to confirm the success of that treatment, the resultant colitis can be addressed.
Clostridium difficile colitis natural treatment includes the use of all natural supplements to re-establish beneficial bacterial levels (probiotics), restore normal chemistry to the tissue, the use of digestive enzymes, dietary elimination of diary products and gluten containing foods, a possible elimination of fructose containing foods and a necessary food allergy test. No colitis patient will get well without identifying the foods through an allergy test, that are creating the inflammatory chemistry that is causing the colitis.
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To find the costs of his program, please click here: “Do It Yourself Program” and solve colitis on your own or “Phone Consultation Program” to learn about how he can guide you through the step-by-step process to help you conquer this condition.
