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C Diff is it really contagious?

5 replies

feelingmean21 · 08/04/2021 21:28

My dad had a kidney removed due to cancer, but it returned and is being treated with Paz to keep it at bay.

He started getting severe diarrhoea (spending the entire day and night on the loo and wearing nappies). He's been hospitalised for this several times due to dehydration.

The oncologist said it was due to the Paz, and he needs to find a balance between loperamide and laxatives, to prevent this...so the more than monthly trips to the hospital have yielded no help as it was thought to be this as the cause.

He's been admitted now, again. This time they tested his stools and found out he's got C Diff and probably had it for some time and are angry he's never been tested before. He is very weak at the moment (lost a lot of weight and has a catheter as he can't wee).

I'm so pleased that he is finally going to be treated, but worried that I may have it. I've had diarrhoea today and a noisy/uncomfortable tummy, that feels like it's clunking. I have, however, just started my period again, less than two weeks since the last, and often get a bad tummy then (it's impossible to predict as my periods don't seem to stop right now - perimenopause which I'm taking Red Clover for).

OP posts:
Letsallscreamatthesistene · 08/04/2021 21:33

Yes its very contagious. Good hand hygiene will help you out.

AcornAutumn · 08/04/2021 21:36

I thought it was the most common hospital acquired infection.

My information might be out of date.

I hope you don't have it - lots of women get these issues with periods.

the antibiotics are a big factor, see here

www.nhs.uk/conditions/c-difficile/

MonkeyNotOrgangrinder · 08/04/2021 22:04

AFAIK, you're not likely to get it unless you've recently been taking antibiotics, because they also reduce the amount of helpful bacteria in your gut, which then allows the c.diff bacteria to take hold and colonise your gut.

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Duckyneedsaclean · 08/04/2021 23:12

Unless your immune system is weakened/have been on antibiotics long term you will probably not get ill with it.

1 in 30 adults carry c.diff in their digestive systems.

notagainmummy · 09/04/2021 09:26

It's very contagious but normal healthy people don't get it or can fight it off easily. Lots of antibiotics wipe out the healthy gut bacteria and allow cdiff to take hold.

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