IS THIS THE REAL CAUSE OF COVID DEATHS C. DIFF INFECTIONS?

[Rinse & rePeat]

“Sepsis means that bacteria, instead of being confined to the intestine, have moved into the blood stream and/or body fluids. There, they consume whatever they like, and shed toxic materials, such as lactic acid or endotoxin. The body reacts, with its own wasteful metabolism when it’s being poisoned. In malabsorption, caused by infection or surgery, the unused food feeds bacteriis, that irritate the bowel, causing it to secret water and minerals (and probably other things) from the body into the bowel.” -Ray Peat

Rinse & rePeat:

“Thank you so much Dr. Peat for that extra explanation. I really NEED to understand this, because doing everything right for such a bad outcome has been puzzling. I know the pain killers the doctors prescribed WITH C. diff was not helpful, but we don’t know what we don’t know, and I had never heard of C. diff before my husband contracted it. I know a couple people in the the last two months that have also gotten it. What is your best advice for someone with C. diff?”

RAY PEAT:
“It’s usually started by irrational medical treatments.”

 

[Rafe]

"One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else's survival guide." -Brene Brown

I was just catching up with this thread after being in forum only briefly the past few weeks.

I just saw the news about your husband, Rinse. Thank you for posting your photo together. You 2 are beautiful. I’m so sad about your loss.

It reminds me that we are reaching out to each other in very real ways, it’s not just words & anonymous people.

Sending you a big warm hug. Your pain is already helping other people. We all hold you close.

 

[Dolomite]

I was just catching up with this thread after being in forum only briefly the past few weeks.

I just saw the news about your husband, Rinse. Thank you for posting your photo together. You 2 are beautiful. I’m so sad about your loss.

It reminds me that we are reaching out to each other in very real ways, it’s not just words & anonymous people.

Sending you a big warm hug. Your pain is already helping other people. We all hold you close.

@Rafe that is a very thoughtful and loving way to express sympathy for Rinse. I really do love the forum and how people try to help each other.

 

[Peatness]

@Rafe that is a very thoughtful and loving way to express sympathy for Rinse. I really do love the forum and how people try to help each other.

+1 it's very moving

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I was just catching up with this thread after being in forum only briefly the past few weeks.

I just saw the news about your husband, Rinse. Thank you for posting your photo together. You 2 are beautiful. I’m so sad about your loss.

It reminds me that we are reaching out to each other in very real ways, it’s not just words & anonymous people.

Sending you a big warm hug. Your pain is already helping other people. We all hold you close.

You made me cry when you said that Rafe, in a good way, because I felt like you are standing right next to me when you said that. Thank you my dear friend :)

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

"….as the study below demonstrates, overactivation of the enzyme fatty acid synthase (FAS) likely plays a major role in the sepsis pathology. While the study does not mention it, overactive FAS means reduced glucose oxidation as a result of the Randle cycle. This may explain the benefit of thiamine in the thiamine+Vit C+cortisol combo, as thiamine activates the enzyme and improves glucose oxidation. When the scientists administered a FAS inhibitor (C75), the mortality rate in septic animals dramatically decreased. There are several inhibitors of FAS approved by the FDA for other conditions but they all (including C75) have toxic side effects. The least risky of these is probably orlistat and it is available OTC in the US, but even that chemical can cause severe side effects. One of the lesser known effects of aspirin is inhibition of FAS, and as such it may be able to achieve the same benefit without much of the side effects. Combining it with thiamine and niacinamide may further improve the effectiveness against sepsis by improving glucose oxidation and reducing lipolysis respectively.”

Inhibiting Fatty Acid Synthesis (FAS) Dramatically Improves Sepsis Survival Rate

Yet another study that points the finger straight at fat as a key factor in one of the most common causes of inpatient hospital mortality - sepsis. Sepsis is currently considered to be a condition of infectious (bacterial) etiology, driven by endotoxin. However, in light of the new findings it...

raypeatforum.com

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“In multiple organ failure, which can be caused by profound shock caused by trauma, infection, or other stress, aspirin is often helpful, but carbon dioxide and hypertonic glucose and sodium are more important.” -Ray Peat

Aspirin, brain, and cancer

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“And while quite a few chains have taken a stand against antibiotic use in their chicken, far fewer are following suit when it comes to beef and pork (for the simple fact that cows and pigs live longer, and are therefore more prone to sickness.)

Why exactly does this matter? The overuse of antibiotics in livestock is a huge factor in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) can lead to serious illness and death. In fact, in a 2013 report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it was estimated that more than two million Americans get sick every year with antibiotic-resistant infections, with at least 23,000 dying as a result.

5 Fast-Food Chains That Use the Lowest Quality Beef

Some fast-food chains have great standards and policies for their beef...but that's not the case for other chains.

www.eatthis.com

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

This is the kind of hospital my husband had to deal with. They discharged him before even checking his stool sample. He was stunned and asked why he was leaving when he still didn’t even know why he had bloody diarrhea, and doctor said, “Oh yeah let me go check that.” That is when he was told he had C. diff. I can’t imagine the mess other patients who don’t ask question end up….


“It is a growing problem as more emergency departments are staffed by for-profit companies. A laser focus on profits in health care can imperil patients, they say, but when some doctors have questioned the practices, they have been let go. Physicians who remain employed see that speaking out can put their careers on the line.”

Some doctors say a focus on profits is hurting health care in U.S. ERs

A doctor fired after criticizing care at the ER he ran said execs are focused on the financial outcome, “and the outcome is ‘Hey, we’re making money.’”

www.google.com

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

BTI: How can we improve digestion? Are there specific ways of eating or combinations of foods that can help us digest better and benefit from nutrients?

RP: Starting at birth, the body accumulates increasing amounts of the polyunsaturated fats, and that process accelerates when the body stops growing. They are especially antagonistic to the thyroid gland and its functions, leading to a slowing of the metabolic rate and formation of digestive enzymes. A young person’s digestion is intense, extracting nutrients quickly, and suppressing bacterial growth in the stomach and small intestine.

When digestion slows, bacteria can thrive in the upper part of the intestine, even in the stomach, producing many chronic symptoms. Undercooked or raw vegetables are poorly digested by human enzymes, and so, tend to support bacterial overgrowth. Some plant materials have an antiseptic action (raw carrots, cooked mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, for example), that can be helpful, but, if the tissues have a large amount of the fats that inhibit metabolism, it’s sometimes helpful to supplement thyroid hormone until the body composition can be changed.

 

[aliml]

High Dietary Fat in the Context of Low Dietary Fiber Causes Increased Mortality in Antibiotic-induced Clostridium difficile Infection​

A High-Fat/High-Protein, Atkins-Type Diet Exacerbates Clostridium difficile Infection, whereas a High-Carbohydrate Diet Protects​

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

High Dietary Fat in the Context of Low Dietary Fiber Causes Increased Mortality in Antibiotic-induced Clostridium difficile Infection​

A High-Fat/High-Protein, Atkins-Type Diet Exacerbates Clostridium difficile Infection, whereas a High-Carbohydrate Diet Protects​

Thank you for this contribution! Can you post the source if this info?

 

[aliml]

Thank you for this contribution! Can you post the source if this info?

Dietary fat promotes antibiotic-induced Clostridioides difficile mortality in mice - npj Biofilms and Microbiomes

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea, and emerging evidence has linked dietary components with CDI pathogenesis, suggesting that dietary modulation may be an effective strategy for prevention. Here, we show that mice fed a high-fat/low-fiber...

www.nature.com

A High-Fat/High-Protein, Atkins-Type Diet Exacerbates Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile Infection in Mice, whereas a High-Carbohydrate Diet Protects

The role of Western and weight-loss diets with extreme macronutrient composition in the risk and progression of CDI is poorly understood. In a longitudinal study, we showed that a high-fat/high-protein, Atkins-type diet greatly exacerbated antibiotic-induced ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Dietary fat promotes antibiotic-induced Clostridioides difficile mortality in mice - npj Biofilms and Microbiomes

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea, and emerging evidence has linked dietary components with CDI pathogenesis, suggesting that dietary modulation may be an effective strategy for prevention. Here, we show that mice fed a high-fat/low-fiber...

www.nature.com

A High-Fat/High-Protein, Atkins-Type Diet Exacerbates Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile Infection in Mice, whereas a High-Carbohydrate Diet Protects

The role of Western and weight-loss diets with extreme macronutrient composition in the risk and progression of CDI is poorly understood. In a longitudinal study, we showed that a high-fat/high-protein, Atkins-type diet greatly exacerbated antibiotic-induced ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Thank you!

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“When stress is very intense, as in trauma or sepsis, the reaction of liberating fatty acids can become dangerously counter-productive, producing the state of shock. In shock, the liberation of free fatty acids interferes with the use of glucose for energy and causes cells to take up water and calcium (depleting blood volume and reducing circulation) and to leak ATP, enzymes, and other cell contents (Boudreault and Grygorczyk, 2008; Wolfe, et al., 1983; Selzner, et al, 2004; van der Wijk, 2003), in something like a systemic inflammatory state (Fabiano, et al., 2008) often leading to death.” -Ray Peat

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“Three months before her wedding in 2012, Christina Fuhrman was hospitalized due to severe diarrhea.

“The day I started feeling sick, I hosted a bachelorette party for my best friend. We were on a boat trip and… I was tired and going to the bathroom a lot. It progressed from… having frequent large bowel movements to me quickly becoming so ill that I was decimating parts of my intestines,” Fuhrman told Healthline.

During her first visit with her primary care doctor, Fuhrman was told she most likely had a virus that would go away in a few days.

However, as she experienced increased pain and more frequent diarrhea over the course of a few weeks, her doctor recommended she visit the emergency room.

At the hospital, she received a diagnosis of Clostridium difficile (C. diff), a bacterium that can cause life threatening inflammation of the colon.

“C. diff used to be a disease that affected old people, so it wasn’t the first thing doctors thought of with me. In fact, in the hospital they tested me for cholera before C. diff,” Fuhrman said.

Dr. Bruce E. Hirsch, attending physician and assistant professor in the infectious disease division of Northwell Health, says C. diff is a peculiar infection.

“In contrast to other infections in which a bacteria invades the body and causes inflammation and the body fights it, and antibiotics help kill it, C. diff is contained inside the large intestine. It stays inside the colon and it makes toxins. Those toxins cause intense inflammation of the colon,” Hirsch told Healthline.

The inflammation causes severe diarrhea, which puts a person at risk for dehydration.

This was the case for Fuhrman. After her diagnosis, she was hospitalized for 4 days and treated with an antibiotic. However, 2 days after her course of antibiotics were done, C. diff returned.

“I was put on antibiotics on and off for 7 months, and as soon as I’d go off, it’d come back raging,” she said.

She was also put on gut rest for 5 days at a time, which meant she couldn’t eat food or drink water. She received nutrients and liquid via an IV.

“I was hospitalized six times for at least a week each time, and I had to go into the GI doctor to get fluids when I wasn’t in the hospital because I was so dehydrated,” Fuhrman said.

She barely made it to her wedding and spent her honeymoon in isolation..“


“Fuhrman believes she was susceptible to infection because she was taking antibiotics prescribed to her by her dentist.

“I started having symptoms of C. diff a week after I took the antibiotics following my dental work,” Fuhrman said. “I was the typical American antibiotic user. My doctor would give me an antibiotic just in case, and I’d take them.”

Hirsch says the antibiotic clindamycin is often prescribed for dental procedures because it’s effective at killing germs inside the mouth that can cause infection.

“Although any antibiotic can cause C. diff, clindamycin is one of the antibiotics that has the greatest risk of causing C. diff because it injures and kills so many important healthy bacteria, leaving the lower GI tract open to infestation if you’re exposed to the C. diff germ,” Hirsch said”“

She Recovered from a C. diff Infection, Then Her Daughter Got It Too

After a long battle with C. diff that eventually spread to her daughter, Christina Fuhrman is working to raise awareness of the infection and how taking antibiotics can leave people vulnerable to such superbugs.

www.healthline.com

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“A third factor: C. diff spores stick to walls and other surfaces, Sonnenburg told me.

Once having established a foothold in a building, this bug is tough to get rid of. It can run rampant in hospitals and other large health care settings, such as nursing homes. (A 2015 study by the CDC says that 1 of every 11 patients age 65 and older with health-care associated C. diff infection died within 30 days of diagnosis.)

Like most living creatures, a bacterium is driven by the evolutionary imperative to eat, grow and multiply. Organisms that do this, thrive. Those that don't, die out. If you're a gut-dwelling microbe, disabling or even killing your host doesn't seem to be a good way to keep the ball rolling.”


“Sorbitol is a so-called sugar alcohol commercially used as a food additive, said Sonnenburg, who at one point in his career was trained as a sugar biochemist. Although it has a sweet taste, it's considered non-caloric because we humans are short on the enzymes needed to metabolize it efficiently. So we extract less energy from it than we would from the sucrose for which it's a substitute. If you check the ingredients on a bottle of diet soda or pack of sugarless gum, for instance, you may find sorbitol listed.

It turns out that sorbitol is one of C. diff's favorite foods. It's got the enzymes it needs, the study showed, to get the full caloric benefits of sorbitol -- enzymes it makes more of whenever it senses sorbitol in its surroundings.“

Why C. diff wants to make you sick

Stanford research findings could lead to new ways to block the bacteria Clostridium difficile -- or C. diff -- from multiplying in our guts.

scopeblog.stanford.edu

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“At 85, Thomas Dawson accepted he would die from lung cancer.

He’d lived a good life and believed he had enough time left to see his granddaughter’s wedding in August and his 65th wedding anniversary in December.

He died April 8, only a couple of weeks after his diagnosis. But it wasn’t cancer that killed him — it was C. difficile.”


“And he had no idea the same gruesome disease would also claim his wife — 84-year-old Margaret Dawson — 10 weeks after him.

The painful infection attacks the gut causing relentless toxic diarrhea, fever, swelling, and dehydration, often perforating the bowl and sometimes causing septic shock.“

Married couple dies from C. Diff 10 weeks apart

<p>Family of Thomas and Margaret Dawson struggling for answers</p>

www.thespec.com

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

This is an excellent 5 minute video explaining why C. diff is so dangerous now….

C. Difficile Risk Factors and Manifestation

Pharmacy Times offers the latest news and insights for the pharmacy professional and solutions that impact the everyday practice of pharmacy.

www.pharmacytimes.com

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“Human-to-human transmission plays a major role, but other infection sources and routes are under investigation. Clostridioides difficile has been isolated from various foods and experts believe it is feasible that some of them could be important vectors for its widespread dissemination.

Existing evidence suggests that potatoes, which represent a major staple food consumed worldwide, could contribute to the spread of Clostridioides difficile. They have the highest contamination rates among vegetables tested to date. Confirmed cases of food-associated CDI have not yet been described.”




“Role of positive potatoes in infection
Overall, 33 of 147 samples tested positive for Clostridioides difficile. All nine samples from Slovakia were negative and all seven from Romania were positive. Positivity rates across countries varied substantially.

Only 13 potato samples were imported, most from other EU countries, but one each from the United States, Israel and Egypt.

There was a significant difference in the proportion of Clostridioides difficile-positive samples between visibly clean potatoes versus those moderately or excessively covered with soil, with the latter the most contaminated.

High potato contamination rates could have potential public health relevance, said researchers. They added very large sample sizes will be needed to understand the extent and relevance of Clostridioides difficile in foods.”

Scientists study connection between Clostridioides difficile and potatoes

The role of food in Clostridioides difficile transmission chains still needs to be clarified, according to a study. Clostridioides difficile infection

www.foodsafetynews.com