*****LONG POST ALERT!*****
Diagnosed 3.5 years ago, haven't had a flare since then... til this current one. In late Jan. I went on Augmentin for a sore throat, and I believe it started this whole flare-y process. Right as I could feel the flare coming on, my wife, son and I all got torn apart with Norovirus for a few days. By the time the virus was gone I was right smack in the middle of the stomach-cramping, bloating, wet-fart, quasi-constipated flare symptoms I so fondly remembered from 2012.
GI put me Uceris for what he called "mild inflammation" but just days later--as the steroid started to really pay dividends--a stool test revealed C-Diff, so I was put on Metronydazol and taken off Uceris immediately. Wasn't better after the Metro, so GI then gave me a scrip of Vancomycin which I took for 2 days before the colonoscopy I had scheduled back in December (when I was in remission.)
Colonoscopy revealed no more infection, and mild inflammation a bit further up in my colon than I had when orginally diagnosed. The colonoscopy was 3/1, and I was feeling 90% better, with no more stomach cramps, normal pooping, and no blood. Then today, out of the blue, the ****--pun intended--hit the fan. I'm on the toilet for what has to be the 15th time today, constant stomach pains, and crazy bloating. GI says C DIFF CAN COME BACK?!?!?! and I should come in and take another fecal test on Monday.
Given that everything has been descibed as "mild" with regards to my Crohn's at every step, and given how extreme and sudden this flare has been today, is it reasonable to assume that C Diff is back? GI says we won't know until the test, but in the meantime, it's okay to go back on the Uceris, which was working really well before. Ths strikes me as odd considering the whole reason I went off the steroid in the first place was its propensity to make an infection worse. The symptoms aren't really livable--I've been on my back all day and unable to parent my 2yo--so the steroid will be a welcome addition if it helps out in that department, but it seems crazy that my GI would tell me it could be C Diff and then encourage me to take a steroid.
(If you read the whole thing I'll buy you a drink.)
Diagnosed 3.5 years ago, haven't had a flare since then... til this current one. In late Jan. I went on Augmentin for a sore throat, and I believe it started this whole flare-y process. Right as I could feel the flare coming on, my wife, son and I all got torn apart with Norovirus for a few days. By the time the virus was gone I was right smack in the middle of the stomach-cramping, bloating, wet-fart, quasi-constipated flare symptoms I so fondly remembered from 2012.
GI put me Uceris for what he called "mild inflammation" but just days later--as the steroid started to really pay dividends--a stool test revealed C-Diff, so I was put on Metronydazol and taken off Uceris immediately. Wasn't better after the Metro, so GI then gave me a scrip of Vancomycin which I took for 2 days before the colonoscopy I had scheduled back in December (when I was in remission.)
Colonoscopy revealed no more infection, and mild inflammation a bit further up in my colon than I had when orginally diagnosed. The colonoscopy was 3/1, and I was feeling 90% better, with no more stomach cramps, normal pooping, and no blood. Then today, out of the blue, the ****--pun intended--hit the fan. I'm on the toilet for what has to be the 15th time today, constant stomach pains, and crazy bloating. GI says C DIFF CAN COME BACK?!?!?! and I should come in and take another fecal test on Monday.
Given that everything has been descibed as "mild" with regards to my Crohn's at every step, and given how extreme and sudden this flare has been today, is it reasonable to assume that C Diff is back? GI says we won't know until the test, but in the meantime, it's okay to go back on the Uceris, which was working really well before. Ths strikes me as odd considering the whole reason I went off the steroid in the first place was its propensity to make an infection worse. The symptoms aren't really livable--I've been on my back all day and unable to parent my 2yo--so the steroid will be a welcome addition if it helps out in that department, but it seems crazy that my GI would tell me it could be C Diff and then encourage me to take a steroid.
(If you read the whole thing I'll buy you a drink.)
Or two.
