Current Medical Approach To C Diff Infection
Medicine will turn to standard antibiotics to treat a C. diff infection. But as antibiotics can be an initial trigger of C. diff overgrowth in the first place, this approach is sometimes necessary, but not without its limitations.
C. diff is also a natural inhabitant of the gut. It becomes opportunistic and dangerous when all of the other microbes are thrown off .
If you keep turning to antibiotics, fail to address long-term dietary change, or struggle maintaining healthy probiotics, sooner or later, antibiotic resistance will develop and the future risks can start to compound especially as you age.The use of fecal transplants is a new cutting edge option for ridding C. diff.
Yes, the procedure transplants poop from a healthy donor to an infected person. The feces from a healthy donor will contain a diverse balance of healthy microbes. When the feces are transplanted to the infected person, microbe diversity & balance is restored. Research has shown the transplant can restore healthy flora and crowd out opportunistic pathogens like C. diff.
Its increasingly covered by the media and due to the profit-potential of a fecal transplant youre seeing a lot of motivated parties to sing its praises.
Transplants are discussed not only for gut infections but for weight loss, diabetes, and other conditions that can relate to the gut and microbiome.
I dont like it. I dont like the false sense of security it creates in our minds.
Probiotics.
Probiotics For Clostridium Difficile Infection
If you have C. diff or Clostridium difficile infection you will almost certainly have been given antibiotic treatment. Generally the antibiotic drugs of choice are Flagyl as the first line of attack, and as a last resort, Vancocin for cases where the Flagyl proves ineffective. This treatment will hopefully clear the infection.
However the infection is becoming increasingly difficult to treat and if you are one of the unlucky 20% of patients, you will find that your infection reoccurs after this standard antibiotic therapy.
Panic not though….
Over recent years scientists have begun to consider the use of probiotics as treatments for C. diff or Clostridium difficile infection. The good news is that there are two specific probiotics which have proven benefit. These are:
- Saccharomyces boulardii
Specifically Saccharomyces boulardii has been shown to:
- Reduce the rate of the recurrence of C. diff or Clostridium difficile infection when combined with antibiotic therapy3,4.
Whats more Saccharomyces boulardii is a beneficial yeast so its big advantage over probiotic bacteria is that it is not killed by antibiotics. You can therefore take Saccharomyces boulardii with antibiotics.
The other probiotic, which has been proven to be of benefit in treating relapsing Clostridium difficle diarrhea is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG7,8. Additionally, it is thought that Lactobacillus plantarum may also be of benefit in recurrent Clostridium difficile diarrhea9.
Beginners Guide To Beating Pseudomembranous Colitis : Explained In Plain English
Home » Digestive Disorders » Beginners Guide To Beating Pseudomembranous Colitis : Explained in Plain English
Pseudomembranous colitis refers to inflammation in the gut that is associated with an overgrowth of C. diff bacteria.
This condition can cause very uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms that are very serious if not managed properly.
Unfortunately, pseudomembranous colitis is becoming more common with people often experiencing it more than once.
This article explores what to eat and drink during a C. diff infection, and what diet can help prevent pseudomembranous colitis from recurring.
Contents
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Heres What A Support Protocol Might Look Like During Or After Antibiotic Treatment For C Diff:
This list represents a sample of educational guidelines & not a substitute for professional advice.
When it comes to a probiotic protocol, here is what a sample day may look like:
1.) After Breakfast: 2 capsules Megasporebiotic2.) After Lunch: 2 capsules RestorFlora + 1 capsule Theralac 3.) After Dinner: 2 capsules Hu58
If taking Biocidin, or Berberine, follow health professional or manufacturers guidelines
The length of supplemental support can last 1-6 months.
For long-term probiotic guidelines and how to transition to a wellness schedule, I recommend checking out: Dr. Rineharts Probiotic Blueprint
If I had to choose ONE formula to skip the complexity while getting great baseline support Id choose Megasporebiotic.
Things To Consider When Buying Probiotics For Cdifficile
Clostridium difficile is an infection caused by an imbalance of the microbiome in the gut, due to the intake of antibiotics. The gut contains a lot of bacteria, these bacteria consist of bad and harmful bacteria, are living in a balanced state to keep your gut healthy.
However, antibiotics taken to treat various illnesses can offset this balance by killing the good bacteria, this leaves your gut susceptible to an attack from the C.difficile bacteria which eventually leads to an infection.Research has shown that C.difficile infection mostly takes place in hospitals where patients are confided with the horrid possibility of even getting the infection from the health workers. But study of probiotics has certainly been helpful to find strains that are able to treat the infection.
Although research is still ongoing probiotics have only been given a 50% success rate at eliminating C.difficile, the future is rather promising and you can be sure that more probiotics strains will be studied to help in the fight against C.difficile.
Probiotics have become heaven sent for people suffering from gastrointestinal disorders, they alleviate symptoms from different conditions. So you must ensure to buy the best probiotic for C.difficile, here are some factors you should consider before making that purchase.
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You Can Overcome Pseudomembranous Colitis
Pseudomembranous colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine associated with an overgrowth of Clostridium difficile bacteria.
If youre having diarrhea caused by C. diff, it may help to eat starchy, low-fiber foods like white rice, saltine crackers and soup. Eat these as part of small meals, and be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
To prevent pseudomembranous colitis from recurring, choose foods that benefit your gut bacteria. These include products with probiotics like yogurt , kefir and sauerkraut.
There are two types of probiotics that may help too, which is worth considering if you have been experiencing recurring flare ups.
As for a general eating pattern, the Mediterranean diet appears to be a good choice.
Following these recommendations and being consistent with your diet changes and improvements can go a long way to prevent the inflammation from recurring.
About Christine Sexton
Christine is a Registered Dietitian who writes evidence-based articles about nutrition and health.
Learn more about her on the About page.
Joe Leech, Dietitian
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Best Probiotic For C Diff Of 2022
You can depend on our experts to share their product searching experiences with you.
To assist you select the probiotic for c diff brand, we examined all the features and came up with a list of ten possible purchases.
We looked at durability, materials, designs, expert reviews, and customer ratings to find the best-performing probiotic for c diff.
The review includes detailed performance information and recommendations for your goals and budget. Find out which is best for you.
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Is It Time To Get A New Probiotic For C Diff
Youre looking for a new probiotic for c diff. What do you think? Its difficult to predict future price changes. If there are no signs of production slowing, it can be worth buying now to enjoy your investment sooner. But if output is declining and prices are predicted to rise, you might want to wait until the buzz has died down before making a choice.
What Is Clostridium Difficile
Clostridium difficile is a pathogenic bacteria which can result in fatal infections. It is often contracted in a hospital environment, and in fact is the most common cause of nosocomial infections, with hundreds of thousands of cases reported each year. This serious and unpleasant illness is more prevalent in the elderly or those with serious health conditions, so its onset is even more serious in these vulnerable patients. It also commonly develops in those who have been given broad-spectrum or long-term antibiotics.
Consequently, any adjunct to support conventional treatment would be welcomed, and its very encouraging that a safe, natural solution may be on offer in the form of certain probiotic strains.
All of these very well-researched strains are also featured in our latest web resource, The Probiotics Database, an impartial compilation of the world’s best strains, based on the weight of research that supports their use.If you found this article interesting, you may be interested to read these other related blogs and information pages:
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Probiotic Agents In Cdi
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate dosage, confer a health benefit to the host. Russian scientist and Nobel Laureate Eli Metchnikoff made the original observations of the positive role played by certain bacteria. He suggested that it may be possible to modify the gut flora, replace harmful microbes with useful microbes, and thereby improve health. A wide variety of probiotics have been tested and used to prevent or treat CDI., The best studied probiotic agents in CDI are Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus GG and other lactobacilli, and probiotic mixtures.
Direct Inhibition Of C Difficile
Certain bacteria produce antibacterial compounds, that could prevent or treat CDI. This can include molecules such as the bacteriocin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis DPC 6431. Other bacteria produce non-protein antimicrobial compounds. Lactobacillus reuteri ferments glycerol to produce reuterin, an antibacterial substance with activity against numerous enteric pathogens, including C. difficile. A recent study by Spinler and colleagues utilized L. reuteri strain 17938, which displays high-level resistance to vancomycin, metronidazole, and fidaxomicin, making it an attractive option in patients receiving concomitant anti-CDI therapy. These investigators utilized a mini-bioreactor system that contained a human-derived microbial community to compare the ability of L. reuteri 17938 with or without the addition of glycerol to inhibit C. difficile growth in bioreactors pretreated with clindamycin. The combination of L. reuteri and glycerol resulted in a 5-log reduction in the growth of C. difficile in these bioreactors .
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Not All Probiotics Are Created Equal
Taking the right kind of probiotic is essential. Probiotics must be both potent and stable to handle your stomach. They should also contain the correct species of bacteria or yeast that will live in and positively effect your microbiome in order to assist your healing. Delivering the right strain of probiotic with enough potency has always been a problem in the probiotic industry.
Taking probiotics is an easy and effective way to support your microbiome and immune system and to speed infection recovery.
Probiotics are especially important if you have a history of recurring C. diff. infections. If you have taken antibiotic drugs recently, then probiotics can help reduce the negative side effects and help repair damage done by these drugs. Even if you dont have an infection, daily probiotic use can help your body maintain a balance of healthy microbes, which improves your overall health and helps prevent future infections.
Our favorite probiotics have qualities that are uncommon in the probiotic industry:
- They survive the acidic stomach at 100%
- They actually will thrive and make a home in the human gut
- They arent killed by antibiotics like most probiotics
- They inhibit the growth of C. diff. bacteria and other pathogens
- They enhance the immune system and produce antioxidants and vitamins in the gut
- They can survive with or without oxygen
- They are widely used in Europe and are safe and effective
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True Probiotics Survive Stomach Acid And Provide Targeted Support
True probiotics benefit your gut microbiome in multiple ways by reconditioning, pulling weeds and tending the soil.
Most probiotics reseed the gut, attempting to replenish the specific probiotic strain or strains you ingest. True probiotics take a different approach and recondition the gut. They work like tiny gardeners in your gut garden, loosening and fertilizing the soil, which helps the flowers to grow and become strong and healthy.
True probiotics work by making conditions better for your resident healthy gut microbes to grow and flourish. They promote a diversity of microbes, a key indicator of a healthy gut. Restoring the balance of healthy gut microbes also crowds out disease-causing bacteria like C. difficile.
True probiotics target and fight unhealthy bacteria.
Unlike fragile probiotics that try to reseed the gut, the true probiotics below are spore-forming probiotics, meaning they are very hardy and tough. They will arrive in your intestines at 100% potency.
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Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii Plus Mos
As youre starting to see by the common pattern, the Jarrow Formulas also contains only a single probiotic strain Saccharomyces boulardii.
Even though Jarrow Formulas only has about 5 billion CFUs per serving, I highly recommend it, because of how affordable it is, the probiotic average is usually around $1 per capsule, but the Jarrow Formulas comes in at only 45 cents per capsule, which is a great deal.
Additionally there are over 30 positive reviews on Amazon raving about how effective the Jarrow Formulas Probiotic is.
And lastly another plus, is the MOS included with the probiotics, which will contribute to the reversal of your c. diff problems even more.
Probiotic Strains For C Diff
Though there are a lot of probiotic supplements in the market, not all of them are effective in treating CDI. There are thousands of probiotic strains and each of them has different functions. Taking a probiotic supplement with strains geared for oral disorders might not work against gut illnesses.
So how do you know which probiotic supplement to take?
According to studies, the following probiotic strains show promising effects against C. Diff infection:
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Probiotics Help You Lose Weight
Although this fact has only been attributed to some probiotic strains it is worth appreciating. Probiotics may contain prebiotics which act as food to help the probiotics in functioning. Prebiotics help in keeping your belly full.
This is the reason that you are likely to feel full when you drink yogurt. This helps in burning more calories, studies have shown that plus sized people have a large number of bad bacteria compared to thin people.
Probiotics Taken During Or After Antibiotics
Probiotics can help reduce C. diff growth by these mechanisms:
- Competition with pathogens for growth
- Direct interference with C. diff metabolism
- Immune stimulation and modulation
- General maintenance of intestinal health .
Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillusacidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Bacillusprobiotics can be taken during or after antibiotic treatment to help maintain gut flora, reduce the potential severity of infection, and actively keep C. diff levels at bay.
Spore probiotics, specifically in the formulation Megasporebiotic, have also been studied in a mouse model to help support leaky gut, inflammation, and the immune response to recurrent C diff infection .
The use of the probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii, has been well-regarded in the literature . Clinical trials demonstrate S. boulardii may prevent C. diff recurrence, but its use may be limited to a first-time infection .
When using S. boulardii, I use RestorFlora as my preferred source as it combines the probiotic yeast with spore probiotics. I use S. boulardii by Klaire Labs when supplementing the strain individually.
Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus reduce inflammation and the severity of C. diff-related diarrhea .
TruFlora by Master Supplements is a good source of Lactobacilli combined with a small amount of spore probiotic to support the health of the small intestine as well as cycled for periodic intestinal cleansing.
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Best Diet To Prevent Recurring Pseudomembranous Colitis
Not much research has looked at whether particular foods or diets can prevent pseudomembranous colitis.
However, theres one interesting study that looked at the effects of drinking kefir.
Patients being treated for recurring pseudomembranous colitis who drank at least five ounces of kefir three times a day for at least two months were more likely to remain free of diarrhea during the following nine months than those who didnt.
This success rate is equal to that of fecal microbiota transplantation, currently the most successful treatment option for recurring pseudomembranous colitis .
Foods that contain probiotics , like kefir, are known to beneficially impact gut health as well as overall health. Its possible they may also help stop C. diff recurrences.
Yogurt, quark, sauerkraut, tempeh and miso may all contain probiotics. Check the packaging of these foods to make sure that they contain live active cultures.
New Research Reveals Surprises
Recent discoveries by the Human Microbiome Project have given us great insight about what microorganisms live within us and how they work together to create a healthy gut. And new research reveals how your gut microbiome, which is all the species of microorganisms living inside you, has a huge effect on your health, especially with infections.
An astounding 70-80% of your immune systems function is directly related to the health of your GI tract and your microbiome. So far, several thousand different species of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms that make up your microbiome have been discovered by the HMP1. The different species communicate with each other and share information to survive. Your microbiome also helps you to digest food, absorb nutrients and produce vitamins and enzymes. And importantly, your microbiome is your first line of defense against infections.
The HMP also made some surprise discoveries. They found that C. diff. is a normal inhabitant of the GI system in many people and it causes no problems. In healthy people, the other microorganisms inside your gastrointestinal system compete with C. diff. bacteria for food and space, keeping the C. diff. in balance.
A healthy gut is a diverse gut that has many different kinds of microbes, including low levels of C. diff. bacteria.
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