C Diff success story?

C.Diff -- what some doctors are calling the new superbug.

C.Diff can be difficult to eradicate or control in adults and children. C.Diff inhabits the intestines of some healthy individuals. Antibiotics or intestinal disease may cause a shift in good bacteria which allows C.Diff to thrive and become the dominant bacteria in the intestine. When this happens, severe gastrointesintal distress follows, usually frequent episodes of diahrrea, abdominal pain, weight loss and other symptoms.

There are some treatments available for C.Diff including combination antibiotic treatments that are aimed at suppressing this bacteria long enough for good bacteria to dominate the small intestine again.

Some antibiotics specifically aimed for C.Diff that work in the intestine only

include

Vancomycin

Rifaximin

Metronidazole

Septra DS

A novel approach to treating recurrent C.Diff infections despite adequate treatments with antibiotics is a stool transplant. The theory behind this treatment is that by taking the healthy stool of a donor (healthy bacteria) and transplanting it to the person with C.Diff, the good bacteria will overtake the C.Diff and will restore a person's gut flora and intestinal function.

There is some literature on that claims 98% success rate. It was originated by Dr. Thomas Borody, an Australian physician noted for his work in gastro related disease. You can see for yourself in the internet. His clinic is called Center for Digestive Diseases (Australia). There are some doctors in the US that do this type of procedure. I know of one in Oklahoma and Oregon.