Diarrhea is not always simply related to an upset stomach; it may be a sign of something more serious, like C. difficile, an infection often associated with hospital stays or antibiotic use. This condition may be treated with medications or probiotics, but diet can help relieve symptoms, though it cannot cure the infection. If you have C. difficile, talk with your doctor about foods you should avoid and how your diet can help you recover.
Identification
Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile, also simply called C. diff, is a bacterial infection that can range in severity from mild to life-threatening. The C. diff bacteria can be found in the environment, but individuals are usually exposed to it in hospitals and health care facilities. Healthy individuals can typically fight off the bacteria, but immunocompromised individuals can become very ill. Taking antibiotics for a prolonged period of time can also cause C. diff, because the drugs have killed the healthy bacteria that would have prevented the illness. Symptoms include watery diarrhea three or more times a day for two days, abdominal cramping, nausea, weight loss and dehydration.
Hydration
Prolonged diarrhea can cause dehydration, which can cause serious health problems. It is important to stay hydrated when recovering from C. diff by drinking plenty of fluids. You can lose electrolytes through diarrhea as well, so liquids containing salts and sugars --- like broths, soft drinks and diluted juices --- can help you replace these. Sipping on small amounts of liquids continuously throughout the day may be easier to handle than drinking large amounts all at once. If you start to have low or no urine output, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes or lethargy, call your health care provider. Intravenous fluids may need to be administered to restore fluid levels.
Foods
Though you may not feel like eating, it is important that you maintain your nutrition while recovering from C. diff. Avoid greasy, high-fiber or sweet foods when you have diarrhea, as these may exacerbate symptoms. Milk products may also increase symptoms of diarrhea, but yogurt with live cultures may be helpful in restoring healthy bacterial levels. When your diarrhea starts to resolve, you can start adding more solid foods into your diet that are still fairly bland, so as to not upset your stomach, like bananas, rice, toast, crackers or baked chicken.
Considerations
Diet alone is not sufficient to treat C. difficile. If you have symptoms of the condition, it is important that you see a physician for an examination and any stool tests that need to be done to obtain an accurate diagnosis. This infection can cause serious complications, and the sooner the infection is found, the sooner it can be treated, relieving your diarrhea and other symptoms.
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