Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a bacteria that lives in the gut.
Some people can get a very serious C. diff infection after using antibiotics such as clindamycin. In one study, clindamycin was shown to wipe the gut almost entirely for two years. One dose.
Most cases of C. diff occur in hospital. One of the biggest causes of this infection is antibiotic use.
Conventional medical websites will say that the cause of C. diff is antibiotics and the cure is antibiotics.
To me, that’s like saying, “Watch out for handguns. They kill people.
By the way, if you carry a handgun, it’ll help you not get killed.”
If you’ve got a clostridium difficile infection, the concern is that you’ve got a 20% chance or recurrent C. diff infections.
If you have C. diff, my recommendation is to get a comprehensive stool analysis. The stool test will tell you if you also have problems with yeast, parasites, or other harmful bacteria. It will also indicate your levels of beneficial bacteria.
Some people recover quite quickly from C.diff. For others, it becomes a chronic infection. Some will have relapses and recurrences. Unfortunately, some people have a very poor recovery from C. diff.
Fecal microbial transplants are recommended in some cases. Some people have to be hospitalized and have surgery for C. diff.
As far as diet goes, if you have C. diff, you should avoid aggravating foods.
To keep a long story short, with C. diff, it’s definitely an advantage to be alcohol, coffee, and caffeine-free for at least three to six months.
I would recommend including steamed vegetables and other easy to eat foods in your diet. You’ll have to monitor what does and does not agree with your GI system. For example, some people with C. diff have quite bad diarrhea and abdominal pain when eating salads. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar may also be poorly tolerated on the presence of C. diff.
Yogurt is often fine, but be cautious with kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
For protein, emphasize lean protein without too much fat. Fish and eggs are usually perfectly fine.
Proceed with caution when it comes to fruit. I don’t think bananas or oranges are great foods for people with gut problems. I think the same about white bread.
Drinking water is essential because C. diff causes diarrhea.
As far as supplements go, grapefruit seed extract works quite well for C. diff.
Try not to take antibiotics if you want to prevent clostridium difficile infection, especially if you’re older. I suggest avoiding antibiotics unless it’s a matter of life and death.