Does this sound like C. Difficile? TMI alert.

[tummytrauma]

I'm having a bit of a panic as I'm reading up on C Difficile.

Do my symptoms sound like it, or another bacterial infection? I am convinced I have something bacterial and feel crap. Have not taken antibiotics which might have triggered C diff or been in hospital... so maybe unlikely?

Since last Wednesday (5/6 days ago) I have had round the clock diarrhoea. Watery with 'silt'. Horrible. Rectal pain on going, sitting on toilet feeling like I have more to do and don't, then more 30 mins later. Went from every hour or so, sometimes, 20 - 30 minutes, and has now settled into night time only, every 90 minutes to 2 hours throughout the night, a couple of BMs early morning, then nothing until midnight again. No real temp (slight) or vomiting, a bit shivery one day, cramping before going, v gurgling stomach, and as I said, 4-5 loose BM per night. Mucus. Sometimes green BM (but that was after I ate stuffed vine leaves - don't ask! Hardly the BRAT diet!!! )

Spoke to 111 GP on Friday. Today spoke very briefly to practice nurse (no doc available); just done stool sample. Trust my luck I felt CONSTIPATED but managed to produce a sample just before the 2 pm deadline. Receptionist said results on Thursday or Friday. I know it has to be cultured but freaking out as it feels a long time to wait. Can't bear to go through another night! I wasn't worried before but now I'm reading about C Difficile in older patients. I'm 50, by the way, no health conditions apart from reflux and not taken antibiotics. Can anyone reassure me that a few days before a diagnosis of anything is not a problem?!! TIA

My beloved DM had C diff - the smell of the diarrhoea is unlike any normal diarrhoea.

If no antibiotics, no recent hospital admission, and you don't live in a nursing home, it is incredibly unlikely to be c diff. Much more likely to be an ordinary common or garden diarrhoea bug.

The smell will give it away, not like normal D&V smell, very sour smelling.

Thank you for your replies. I appreciate them. Feel reassured it is not that.

I am rather concerned. Hope it is an ordinary bug, as you say. This is Day 8, diarrhoea is nocturnal only, three or four BMs a night. Convinced I have colitis or something inflammatory now and v worried.

Whilst you are waiting for the results (hopefully they will be clear), Enterosgel and Silicol gel are both very good for acute diarrhoea. I have horrible IBS, bad gut issues are just awful, I hope you get some answers soon.

Only the test can tell you that. There's loads of bacteria it could be. I recently suffered for 2 weeks like this before being given antibiotics

Anti D meds won't work if it's bacterial.

I’ve had c diff. I caught it in hospital and was on antibiotics st the time. I felt very Ill with it, along with a temperature and headache. The diarrhoea had a weird smell - quite sour as someone mentioned.

Thank you, @WheredidIputmymarbles . I’ll have a try at those. Sorry to hear about your IBS.

@MissMaple82 did yours get attributed to a specific bacterial bug? Did the antibiotics clear it up?

@Bordernotboarder sounds horrid! I definitely don’t have c diff, I realise. Horrible for you.

I’m most concerned by the fact that mine is at night (mainly, though went again at 6 pm tonight). Dr Google makes me think that means it unlikely to be an infection. I hope I’m wrong about that. Anyone know? What I mean is, I’d much rather find out I have a specific bug and get it treated than have no definite answers, ongoing problems and begin to fear I’ve got something seriously wrong with me (cancer or IBD)…

when does acute diarrhoea become chronic?!

anyone had mainly nocturnal diarrhoea with an infection?

My sister had something that sounded very like this recently. It turned out to be food poisoning – campylobacter – which usually comes from raw poultry.

Thank you @BlackInk. that’s reassuring (sorry about your sister, though!). I ate four mini chicken wings at work the lunchtime before it all started, (heavily coated in sauce, so tasted fine) - perhaps it was lurking in there! Thanks again.

BTW, night times were the worst for my DS too. I think she was on the mend by about day 7 or 8 so hope you're almost over the worst too x

C Diff smells like nothing else on this earth. It’s honestly the most poisonous smell, which you can’t even begin to describe unless you’ve smelt it! You don’t have any of the risk factors for it from what you’ve described above so my guess would be something like colitis or diverticulitis.

@BlackInk reassuring about the night times for your DS! That’s the thing I’m worried about. But maybe coming out of it. No BM between 11 pm and 6 am today - things are looking up! 😂 also less like water now, more like ‘normal’ diarrhoea, IYSWIM, so that’s gotta be a good sign surely????!!! 😂 😂 😂 sorry for grossness

@WhackingPhoenix thanks too! I’m going to have to hope I don’t ever get c diff! Still wondering if / what the test will show up or won’t, but less panicked now. Is colitis always really bad?

got GP appointment lined up to discuss results next Wednesday - receptionist thought they wouldn’t be in til then! Another week!! But hopefully there’ll be improvement before then…

So just had my results on patient access. N/A for everything! Tested for all the main things, salmonella, campylobacter… all clear. So now what on earth could have caused this? It feels like it’s lessening… gaps between BMs getting wider. Could it still have been a bacteria just an unidentified one, or is it more likely to be something chronic? I sincerely hope not! Also the headache and general iffy-ness I’ve been feeling suggest a virus or big of some kind… anyone know?

Could be norovirus without the vomiting (people have different symptoms, however I feel like most people have terrible vomiting and nausea with it) - a virus rather than a bacteria, did they test you for that?

could be anxiety?

could be a new medication…new vitamins?

any change in diet?

ive also had a bad tummy all week. Put it down to getting home from a lovely holiday where I ate and drank more than I usually wild and now having holiday blues!

Would* not wild!

Thank you, @Cashewwws . Hope it settles soon for you (and your holiday blues 😞).

anazingly, I’ve not had diarrhoea since Thursday lunchtime! Think I’m done. Phew! So relieved it’s over!
thanks for all the support and suggestions, people! Xx

TMI - when my dad died he was suffering C Diff (this was not the reason he died though!) The smell was unholy like nothing I've ever smelled. Rotting fish was the closest way to describe it.