{"id":5116,"date":"2019-10-16T08:30:33","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T12:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=5116"},"modified":"2024-01-31T14:35:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T19:35:19","slug":"antibiotics-that-cause-c-diff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/antibiotics-that-cause-c-diff\/","title":{"rendered":"8 antibiotics that cause C.Diff"},"content":{"rendered":"

The introduction of antibiotics to cure infections undoubtedly revolutionized medicine over the past century. But some of these \u201cwonder drugs,\u201d as they were once called, can also leave the body vulnerable to an infectious disease called C.Difficile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is C.Diff?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Clostridioides difficile<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> formerly known as <\/span>Clostridium difficile<\/span><\/i><\/a>, or C.Diff, is a<\/span> contagious bacteria<\/span><\/a> that can cause severe diarrhea. Other common C.Diff symptoms include fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s estimated to cause<\/span> almost 500,000<\/span><\/a> illnesses in the United States and<\/span> 15,000 deaths<\/span><\/a> each year, according to the<\/span> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/a>. It is currently classified by the CDC as an \u201c<\/span>Urgent Threat<\/span><\/a>\u201d\u2014the Centers’ highest threat level\u2014to human health from an infectious pathogen in the U.S. (The CDC plans to release an<\/span> updated report<\/span><\/a> regarding this data in fall 2019.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Which antibiotics cause C.Diff?<\/b><\/h2>\n

So how exactly does antibiotic usage make one susceptible to a life-threatening disease like C.Diff? When you take an antibiotic, it works to kill a bacterial infection in your body. In the process, these drugs can also destroy the healthy bacteria that keep invaders like C.Diff in check. It’s important to note, not all antibiotics cause C.Diff, and not everyone has the same risk. Although almost any antibiotic can cause it, the worst culprit, in this case, is often broad-spectrum antibiotics. Those most at risk are patients 65 or older who have been in a healthcare setting, such as a hospital or nursing home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBroad-spectrum antibiotics have activity against a [large] range of bacteria that reside in the gut,\u201d explains<\/span> Dr. Hana Akselrod<\/span><\/a>, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Disease at the<\/span> George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s very important to have a healthy and diverse population of these bacteria.\u201d When people are given broad-spectrum antibiotics, \u201ctheir gut bacteria are depleted,\u201d thereby allowing for a \u201cpathogenic species,\u201d such as C.Diff, to \u201cessentially create overgrowth of aggressive bacteria that produce toxins that damage the bowel and create very severe illness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Erika Prouty, Pharm.D., former adjunct professor at<\/span> Western New England University College of Pharmacy<\/span><\/a> in Springfield, Massachusetts, breaks it down further: Broad-spectrum antibiotics can be potentially threatening for patients because they \u201cnot only target the bad bacteria we\u2019re trying to eradicate, but they also kill a lot of the good bacteria that\u2019s in our digestive system.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Dr. Akselrod and Dr. Prouty identify clindamycin and fluoroquinolones as some of the worst offenders. The list of antibiotics that <\/span>could cause C.Diff<\/span><\/a> includes:<\/span><\/p>\n