Hi everyone,

I have post-infectious IBS, as a result of a C. diff infection after taking antibiotics for a tooth abscess two years ago... The cure for C. diff is MORE antibiotics, and my gut flora was devastated.

My system has slowly but surely gotten alot better during the two years since it all started (firmer! lol) ..... EXCEPT when I eat very low-carb for even just a day. The next morning it's just like I have C. diff again, just a flood. Adding some rice and potato back brings my system back to "normal" within a day or so however, and I'm fine.

Does anyone else have this issue? It seems like I can eat or drink pretty much anything, AS LONG AS it's not completely zero carb for too long. I haven't tried sticking it out to see if it's a induction flu thing. I'm afraid I'll dump my system out too badly and have the C. diff come back...

Thanks!

There another new treatment for C. diff involving fecal transplants. Sounds gross, but it is supposed to be very good. The idea is you get the healthy flora of someone else to replace your devastated one.

Have you tried probiotics at all? Have you tried an elimination diet to see if it is particular foods you're having issues with? I discovered I have issues with a long list of things. I have to eat them in moderation or not at all... or suffer the consequences.

Do you eat gluten, nuts, chocolate, raw veggies, soy, sugar alcohols (except Erythritol) and so on? Those are some of the ones that can cause issues.

Nancy, I did tons of expensive probiotics and yogurts for over a year, and they did no good at all.... I tapered off them finally, and noticed no difference being off them. I actually did two "transplants" right after my last round of Metronidazole, by the book, and they didn't seem to have any effect either... Tests showed that the C. diff was gone, but what was left of my gut bacteria was way different than what I'd had before.

I eat no gluten, raw veggies, soy etc., just alot of meat, eggs, cheese, a small amount of white rice and potato (from the garden!) and some cooked veggies. I've chopped out all the big categories like dairy to no effect.

The only thing that has helped is TIME. I think maybe my exposure to different bacteria just as a course of life has slowly recolonized my system with some better bacteria, but the IBS symptoms may never go away totally. I'm like a little old lady constantly monitoring my bowel functions; a few weeks ago I was so proud I almost took a picture of it! I still have lots of gas in the mornings, and some bloating, but for the last six months, I almost never have diarrhea UNLESS I went VLC the day before. Two days ago I didn't even think; I had LC tacos (meat, cheese, sour cream, sauce, lettuce and tomato) for BF and dinner, no other meals, and the next morning it just ran out of me. We have tacos all the time, and they never bother me, just usually I have other stuff also during the day.

I've researched and experimented with LC for years now, and this has really got me baffled and depressed. My next step is to break down and call the doc for a colonoscopy to make sure nothing more sinister is going on. Yuck.

Note to everyone: Make sure you REALLY REALLY REALLY need antibiotics before you take them!!! THIS is what can happen.

Wow, sorry to hear the transplants didn't work, they sounded so promising.

I never found probiotics much help either.

Other thoughts... SIBO? (Google that one)

Oh... just read about a sort of tick on the E. coast that can cause intolerances to meat. I posted about it here within the last year (media section). I know you live in a rural area.

http://discovermagazine.com/2012/ju...llergic-to-meat

Diarrhea could be one of the symptoms. Do you get that sort of reaction to non-red meat?

And I'd get an endoscopy done at the same time as the colonoscopy just in case it is in the small bowl.