Question 1

how long after taking antibiotics can you get c.diff?

Accepted Answer

2-3 months: Can happen after any antibiotic, some more than others; can happen after short-term use.
Moral of story: if you don't need them, don't take them.  If you do need them take them.  Probiotics maybe decrease risk.

Question 2

can you get c diff 3 to 4 months after taking antibiotics?i finished the antibiotic back in february and in beginning of june was having diarrhea for a week.it cleared up for a week but is back again. is that likely c diff?no fever but it smells bad

Accepted Answer

C diff: Infections may develop in the absence of recent antibiotic use. Hand washing is the most effective way of preventing infections. There are many other reasons to develop diarrhea, infectious and non-infectious and work up including stool studies is typically needed.

Question 3

is it possible to get c.diff 6 months after last dose of antibiotics?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is: C diff can happen at any time and it can be 6 months after an antibiotic dose.  Some people never have symptoms or they may be mild.

Question 4

how long does it take to get a c-diff infection cleared up with antibiotics?

Accepted Answer

Several days: Several days depending on the length and severitiy of the infection.

Question 5

my husband tested positive for c.diff and hasn't taken antibiotics in decades. is this unusual? prescribed flagyl. how likely that i will get it?

Accepted Answer

Not really: C diff is to a certain degree normal in some people

Question 6

do some people get c-diff after stopping antibiotics due to not practicing hygiene/handwashing etc.- not realizing they're still at risk for while?

Accepted Answer

Clostridium dfficile: C. diff is not caused by stopping antibiotics but is an opportunistic infection that happens because of taking antibiotics. Antibiotics can eliminate a lot of the normal bacteria in the colon allowing C. diff to begin to take effect. Once a person has C. diff they are at increased risk of developing it again with any antibiotic.

Question 7

confused about c-diff, on antibiotics. i thought u get it from contact w/ the germ, why won't handwashing, not touching face, etc. help stop it?

Accepted Answer

Misunderstandings...: The exact source of Clostridium difficile (C diff) usually isn't known. It probably usually is contracted from other people, and handwashing is very effective in preventing it. "Touching face" has nothing to do with catching C diff. Most of the time, healthy people get no illness from C diff, although being on antibiotics that suppress other intestinal bacteria increases the risk.

Question 8

what type of antibiotics does someone get if they're infected with clostridium difficile?

Accepted Answer

See below: Ihttp://www.uptodate.com/contents/clostridium-difficile-in-adults-treatment is not a do-it-yourself issue and need prescription. Usually vancomycin and metronidazole are given orally. see this site for more info.

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/clostridium-difficile-in-adults-treatment

Question 9

after how many days of taking antibiotics can you be sure that you were not c diff colonized and hence no c diff infection? from what i understand is you get cdi after taking antibiotics only when colonized and no cdi if not colonized even after abs?

Accepted Answer

Take some probiotics: Antibiotics do not cause colonization by anything but they do kill off susceptible germs normally in the gut. C.diff is not usually affected by routine antibiotics so if it is there by chance (you ate it) it can overgrow &amp; set stage for problems. The problems usually start when multiple abx are used in sequence or at the same time. C. diff can occasionally be in the gut &amp; produce no problems.

Question 10

i had cellulitis i had antibiotics been off for 2 weeks and now it looks like it is coming back. i had to do more antibiotics because of a uti. i don't want to be on antibiotics again. i don't want to get anything like c.diff again so what can i do?

Accepted Answer

See your doc: You can see if this is actually present or not. If it is you can either get treated or let the germ invade your system, enter your blood &amp; accept the finite consequences. You can take probiotics (good germ pills) that help protect your gut. All of this requires you have more information to move forward.

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Doctor answers about:

Can you get c diff without antibiotics

A member asked:

How long after taking antibiotics can you get c.diff?

A member asked:

Can you get c diff 3 to 4 months after taking antibiotics?i finished the antibiotic back in february and in beginning of june was having diarrhea for a week.it cleared up for a week but is back again. is that likely c diff?no fever but it smells bad

A member asked:

Is it possible to get c.diff 6 months after last dose of antibiotics?

A member asked:

How long does it take to get a c-diff infection cleared up with antibiotics?

A member asked:

My husband tested positive for c.diff and hasn't taken antibiotics in decades. is this unusual? prescribed flagyl. how likely that i will get it?

A member asked:

Do some people get c-diff after stopping antibiotics due to not practicing hygiene/handwashing etc.- not realizing they're still at risk for while?

A member asked:

Confused about c-diff, on antibiotics. i thought u get it from contact w/ the germ, why won't handwashing, not touching face, etc. help stop it?

A member asked:

What type of antibiotics does someone get if they're infected with clostridium difficile?

A member asked:

After how many days of taking antibiotics can you be sure that you were not c diff colonized and hence no c diff infection? from what i understand is you get cdi after taking antibiotics only when colonized and no cdi if not colonized even after abs?

A member asked:

I had cellulitis i had antibiotics been off for 2 weeks and now it looks like it is coming back. i had to do more antibiotics because of a uti. i don't want to be on antibiotics again. i don't want to get anything like c.diff again so what can i do?

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