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What Causes Diarrhea While Suffering From Clostridium Difficile Infection?
I have had c diff for months (my first stool sample test came back positive, my second came back negative, my third positive, and my last one was negative). Although my last one was negative, my stools go from watery and causing me to go running to the restroom every few minutes to having days where I have soft stools and no pain (that was how my stool was at my last test). My doctor put me on a lactose-free diet, stopped my 8 weeks of antibiotics, and scheduled me for a colonoscopy. I was afraid to ask if it is colon cancer. This does not run in my family. I am obese (my whole life) and have Type II Diabetes. What are the odds that I have Cancer? I had Uterine Cancer 12 years ago.
posted on
Sat, 1 Oct 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 26 Mar 2019
Answered on
Wed, 27 Mar 2019
Last reviewed on
Hello,
Nothing from what you have said would make me concerned about colon cancer. Colon cancer typically does not cause chronic diarrhea like this but rather can cause blood in your stools and sometimes obstruction. It sounds more likely that you have a chronic c-diff infection, and the colonoscopy can help to confirm that or to find another cause of the infection that would be causing this diarrhea.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch, General & Family Physician
Nothing from what you have said would make me concerned about colon cancer. Colon cancer typically does not cause chronic diarrhea like this but rather can cause blood in your stools and sometimes obstruction. It sounds more likely that you have a chronic c-diff infection, and the colonoscopy can help to confirm that or to find another cause of the infection that would be causing this diarrhea.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch, General & Family Physician
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