minimize chances of c-diff

Stay healthy and exercise vigilant hand hygiene. I got C. diff this year without being on antibiotics at all, my GI thinks it's because I had about a million colds and flus all winter (I work in an open plan office and ride the subway, very hard to keep from catching what everyone else has). Otherwise it's pretty much luck of the draw. I know it's easier said than done, but if it's possible to manage your pouchitis any other way (e.g. low carb diet) you might want to try that as well and see if you could eventually wean off of the antibiotics, or use them less frequently.

thanks liz, are you on a low carb diet? if so how is it working?

No I'm not. My pouch is still pretty new and low carb diets don't work for me... I really need the extra starch (rice, bread, etc) at every meal in order to bind things up and lower my frequency.

Check out the Pouchitis subforum though, a LOT of people there have gone low carb with good results. For me, since I don't really have traditional pouchitis, just C. diff, it didn't make a positive difference.

The probiotic most commonly recommended to help prevent C. Diff is S. Boulardi (Florastor or equivalent). It's a variety of yeast rather than a bacterial strain. I can't tell you how effective it is for this purpose, and I suspect no one can, but in your situation I'd be using it.

there are other antibiotics that you can take for pouchitis that do not increase risk for cdiff.
have you tried tindamax?

Flagyl is the "ideal" pouchitis antibiotic for C. Diff avoidance.

I got c.diff from Cipro once when I still had my colon so can never take it again. Have you asked your doctor about this possibility? Scott F. is right, I take Saccharomyces Boulardii for c.diff prevention and have not had it since I started taking it. I had c.diff with my j-pouch and it took multiple doses of Flagyl and months to get rid of it. The brand I take is "Jarrow Formulas". I ordered it from Amazon or some place like that on line. Once I got it I refrigerated it, as suggested on the label. It may be available in a health food store. I'm just telling you the brand I purchased and it took me forever to figure out which one to purchase! I've been taking it for around 18 months. Good luck!

Flagyl is idea but I got neuropathy. I live on and off Tindamax, best antibiotics ever. Knocks out my SIBO in a day. I take it for 14 days then go off for a month and how I manage. No reoccurrence of c.diff.

I was also on Bactrim for an abscess and did good on that.

marie how many of the ssboulardi do you take..one or two times a day..

I take it twice a day and the strength is 5 billion. The instructions said to take 1-2 per day or as directed by health professional so I take 2. I didn't run this by any of my doctors, just started taking it. I probably should have asked but my GI and surgeon at that time weren't pro probiotics etc.

I have my Internist prescribing my VSL#3DS and the s.boulardii is OTC. My Internist advocates taking probiotics, like Align, after antibiotics to her IBD patients.

vannasamy interesting i know you are on pale diet as i am on scd..do you find consistency in 14 days antibiotic and one month off..or is this new regiment..and have you been 100 per cent following pale?

i ask because i was off antibiotics 4 months..three being really pretty good..since than some ups and downs and wondering if it just might be necessary to take antibiotic on and off as required by how i am doing..i am off antibiotics day two after 7 days on because i was away on important family business and did not want any ups and down..my scd diet allows fruits and honey but this could be an issue setting me back some..even within diet different things work for different people..