Flowchart for Richter's

[Guest guest]

I've been bothered by intractable diarrhea for over 2 months

now. In those 60+ days, I've had exactly two days without

totally watery diarrhea.

I am in the CAL-101, 200 mg daily trial. The principal

investigator is unaware of any link between CAL-101 and this

terrible diarrhea, and/or Richter's.

I've approached this problem (which started out without pain

or enlarged nodes) as a gastric problem, such an infection

or IBS or something similar. Cultures, blood cultures,

blood numbers, multiple MRIs, colonoscopy, endoscopy, and so

on, have found exactly zero problems. Which is big,

worrisome problem. Through a process of elimination, we've

decided that a PET/CT scan and perhaps biopsy for Richter's

is in order.

I am at high risk for Richter's. My first huge mistake that

increased my risk terribly was to do FCR, convinced partly

on what Dr. Hamblin has written, in glowing terms, about the

drug, as well as MD , whose staff seemingly is still

love sick with the harmful regime.

I also am male, young (48) at diagnosis, 11q del, unmutated,

large abdominal nodes, etc. etc.

So Richter's is a very real possibility.

My concern is that my approach to this problem is totally

scattershot, careening from stool cultures, to

hospitalization for blood cultures, MRIs, lymph node

palpation (multiple times) and so on.

Is there some better way to approach this? When one

suspects Richter's, is there a consensus 'best practice' to

rule in things and out other things?

And has anyone gone through the unceasing, unrelenting, pure

liquid diarrhea with or without Richter's?

Thanks for any help.

[Guest guest]

: Consider that you may have contracted MRSA in the

hospital. My daughter got MRSA from the hospital back in

2009. One of the main symptoms is diarrhea such as you have

described.

Ellen

[Guest guest]

,

have they totally tested for CDiff. clostridium Difficile..

an opportunistic infection that sometimes gets to immune

comp patients, especially when, in hospital environments, or

undergoing therapy, surgery etc, and when they've been on

prophylactic antibiotics. One of the major hallmarks is

ongoing watery stool, with no let up. three or four

movements a day. apparently it's not 'easy' to detect with

one or two stool samples in some cases. the sample MUST be

watery, so I've been told. This would be my first step, re

do any tests for that before jumping to Richters... C Diff,

is treatable, tho perhaps not easily and also should not be

ignored.

here's a link from Wikipedia, basic info, including several

testing methods which can be used.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridium_difficile

don't assume that you would need to have ALL of the

presenting symptoms as there are varieties in this as well.

Even if stool sample was negative, you may want to discuss

this with an infectious disease person, or whomever would

handle the testing so that you can rule this out before

leaving it behind. Untreated this can be serious. I say

this because you mention that your symptoms have not been

relieved.

wishing you well, Beth Fillman

[Guest guest]

Chronic C.Diff can be difficult to treat. Recently here in

Canada they have had very good success with fecal

transplants.

Basically, an infusion into the bowel of freshly cultured

mix of bowel bacteria, or infusion of filtered, complete,

healthy human fecal bacteria from a donor.

The work in Canada is being done by Dr. Tom Louie and is

currently in clinical trials in Toronto

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3060180/

more

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660798/

If this proves to be your problem you may wish to

follow up on this procedure that has over a 90% cure rate

~chris