Here we go. Vancomycin when taken orally can cause indigestion or stomach ache. It makes not mention of hurting flora in the intestine. The pharmalogical effects of Vanco seek to kill aneorobic, single cell bacteria (It's looking for c-diff only). Flagyl, or Metronidazole works the same way of taken orally. (Different drug, but works better for some, or for Vanco resistant c-diff). Finally Zyvox or Linezolid is for MRSA, which is a staph infection, typically on the skin. Unless you have MRSA, then stick with the Flagyl or Vanco. Either way, it's a prescription for any of the three. If you have c-diff, personally I'd go with the Vanco, then Flagyl. Not to mention I'd be seeing my physician, or getting a second opinion if the meds don't work. Good luck, and c-diff is contagious by the way.

Alternative treatments for C. diff;

These alternative (not medically or clinically proven or certified by USFDA)treatments might be worth thinking about. You should consult a doctor prior to any treatment and realize that self-treatment may be dangerous without proper direction. I am not recommending any specific treatment but here is some food for thought. Get your doctor's guidance before using any listed below as this is for informational purposes only.

Here is the list:

Acidophilus, bifidobacterium, yogurt (live cultures), brewer's yeast, saccharomyces boulardii (Florastor), fructooligosaccharides (FOS), lactobacillus, enemas, specific diet as recommended by a Medical or Naturopathic Doctor & "pulse dosing".

I am a firm believer in the words of wisdom offered by Hippocrates many years ago,

"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food."

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Eat chilies and feel the burn!!

Try laughter as an alternative medicine. My Rx is poop report twice dailey.

I had a friend, (Former friend, I stole his wife) who was a doctor, who said, "Doctors prescribe medicine, about which the know little, for diseases, about which they know nothing."

Well said, Chief! Though I can hardly believe it since you always seem to contradict my food combining comments.

I believe it was Voltaire who actually first said, "We put drugs of which we know little into bodies about which we know less to cure disease of which we know nothing at all."

They were both right. The power of FOOD is incredible; it can help us heal AND it can kill us.

GARY -- after you're done with whichever medicine you decide to take, contact me if you want to learn how to use food correctly so you never need meds again.

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Email me

I'll be damned. Lookit all you brainiacs.

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.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com

First of all, there shouldn't be much of anything growing in your stomach or small intestines to begin with, so your only concern should be with messing up your colon flora. However, that is probably besides the point at the moment, since C. diff infections are almost always caused by a die off of the normal flora in the colon from taking antibiotics (especially fluoroquinolones like Cipro or Levaquin). So your concerns are sort-of besides the point, as your C. diff infection is a sign that you've already messed up your gut flora. From what I've read, vancomycin is what they give people with the worst infections. Your best bet would probably be to focus on getting rid of the C. diff first and foremost, and worry about building your gut flora back up after you've finished treatment. Something to try to restore your gut flora is VSL#3, you can read more about the science behind it here. Good luck and get better soon.

Oh, and make sure you wash really good with soap and warm water to mechanically remove any C. diff spores. Alcohol based hand sanitizers, antibacterial wet-wipes, and household disinfectants like Lysol can't kill bacterial spores, and all Clostridiums are spore formers.

I agree with Chief. Go with homeopathic first, if possible. Celiac, you sound like you've dealt with this once or twice. Daphne, did you expect any less? This is gonna be a fun place.

Welcome to Poop Report Flynmonkeypoop....didn't I meet you at the San Diego zoo a few years ago?

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Eat chilies and feel the burn!!

Thanks Chief. Don't think so, but I do live in Tennessee...

Now that I reconsider it was flying gorilla poop I saw at the San Diego zoo:D

IBS NO MORE.....I believe in eating healthy foods I just believe in shoveling them all in at once and letting my different digestive enzymes sort it out. My mother insisted on veggies, a starch, and either fish or meat at every meal. She ate like that for one hundred years and two months.

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Eat chilies and feel the burn!!

Vanco is indeed a very strong antibiotic and most doctors hesitate to prescribe it unless whatever they're treating is resistant to most everything else. C. diff is a slightly different story, though...it's caused by a bacterium that takes up residence after you've eradicated all your normal flora for an extended period of time. Therefore, like a previous poster said, you should focus primarily on getting rid of the C. diff first and then building up your gut flora naturally. Flagyl is a different class of medication and it's more effective against parasites than bacteria, but it IS better-tolerated than Vanco for some people.

I would personally go with the Vanco, take it for the full extent of time that it's being prescribed for, and while you're on it, start a diet that is very rich in dark leafy greens, broccoli, oats, whole grains, other veggies, fresh fruits (preferably with the peel), and lots of yogurt. The fiber in those foods is great feeding material for the natural lactobacilli and E. coli organisms that normally live in your colon, so you can restart your own "good" bacterial culture.

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An apple a day keeps the ExLax away!

I was going to recommend a couple of grains of Ricin (Kids, don't try this at home.) but, all things considered, you should give these other recommendations a try first.
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Yo quiero Taco Bell.

Chief -- How was her health as she drew closer to the end?

And... what if I told you we could easily live 2 to 3 times longer, with no chronic or debilitating illness along the way?

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How I beat IBS

Her health steadily went downhill after the age of 98, but since most people, at the age of 98, have already been dead for 20 years I suppose that is almost to be expected. She was still alert and enjoying life right up to the end which was gentle.

She was the youngest of ten siblings and the youngest age at death of any of them was 88, except for one who was killed in a mining accident. They all ate the same way and most of them were rather plump.

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Eat chilies and feel the burn!!

My son, (Son of Squat RN?) read the posts, and recommended Spew and Running girl's comments. He's a brilliant little bugger. I'd happily trust him with my life. (or wealth, or common since, or anything else for that matter.)

further to your point on not killing or effecting anything in the gut or upper intestine, see this info about a product Cosmo make..just doing what I said ..avoiding the unwanted effects on the upper GIT. So it does make sense to use this or a similar technology for Vanc or Metronidazole.

The application of MMX® technology to Rifamycin SV allows the antibiotic to be delivered directly into the colon, avoiding unwanted effects on the bacterial flora living in the upper portions of the gastro-intestinal tract.

Dog health care still relies on anecdotal claims; natural dog food has never been in a position to provide the research necessary to establish standards about proper dog diets. Individual nutrients do have enough research to validate measurable benefits to a dog’s health. Dog nutrition products make dog health care a reality for owners seeking a healthy life for their dog. VitaHound is an enthusiastic forum for the devoted dog owner, If you value dog health so we know you will value our organization.