Intestinal Parasites

cobraboy

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Anyone can get them and not know from where.

They can be very nasty, although with proper treatment short lived. Most common types found in the DR can be treated with metronidazole, available OTC in the DR. Not a bad idea to have a supply on hand in your DR medicine cabinet along with imodium and cipro just in case. You never know...

Get treatment the first signs something just isn't right, like nausea and serious gas/bloating WITH the trots.:eek: One of those symptoms isn't a huge deal, combined they just might be.

Trust me on this one.

:(
 

DMV123

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Mar 31, 2010
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Some people suggest treating preventively every 3 to 6 months for all the yukkies you can get here.

Sounds like you did not have much fun! And yes you can pick this stuff up so easily..............
 

dulce

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Jan 1, 2002
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Been there done that cobraboy. I learned after the first time to treat those nasties at the first signs.
 
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Metronidazole (Flagyl) is an antibiotic, and as such can plays havoc with you intestinal flora. Sometimes a cure is worse than the disease, and this is frequently the case with metronidazole. You can get rid of amoebas, giardia, pinworms and most intestinal parasites with natural medicine, such as ground toasted papaya and mango seeds. You can pm me for instructions.
 

dv8

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first thing - prevention. take albendazole pills every six months. theye are marketed under many names (zentel, unizol, oxarmin). take one package (one or two pills, depends on the brand) and then two weeks later another package.
second thing - watch your poo. yes, i know how it sounds but many parasites will "show" there. diarrea, blood, mucus, all can be symptoms of the parasite infection.
third thing - do not panic. sometimes diarrea and stomach ache is en effect of drinking too much or eating someting that was a bit off.
fourth thing - there are things better than metronidazol, for example aminosidina, sold here as gabboral and paramox. it is also an antibiotic but better for the tummy. best to be taken with omeprazol or espomeprazol that will protect the stomach.
and last but not least: after some time here you get a certain degree of immunity to this stuff :)
 

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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Anyone can get them and not know from where.

They can be very nasty, although with proper treatment short lived. Most common types found in the DR can be treated with metronidazole, available OTC in the DR. Not a bad idea to have a supply on hand in your DR medicine cabinet along with imodium and cipro just in case. You never know...

Get treatment the first signs something just isn't right, like nausea and serious gas/bloating WITH the trots.:eek: One of those symptoms isn't a huge deal, combined they just might be.

Trust me on this one.

:(

I understood that Imodium was the worst thing to take?

Matilda
 
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xGabriela

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The half year prevention you speak about, is Albendazol or Mebendazol. This would kill simple worms, but not Amebas or Gardias. The advice to take Metronidazol at the first sign is not a good one. Metronidazol is a strong medication and you do not take it if not necessary. Bring a stool sample to a laboratory to know what kind of parasite you have. Metronidazol (Nitroimidazol) helped 10 years ago, but the parasites got resistent to it. This is why doctors will now perscribe a medication from the Nitazoxanida family. If you believe you have parasites, better investigate here in the country, the doctors back home don`t have as much experience as the local doctors and lab`s here, where it is every day work.
I worked some years for a natural doctor here in the DR, but we never found anything natural strong enough to kill amebas. We tried all the old remedies and ended with the frequence generator from Dr. Clark. If someone knows a natural treatment for amebas I would like to know.
Still the best is to eat by the following rules:
"cook it, peel it or forget it!" If you cannot live without salads, you eat them only when you washed it yourself
 

dv8

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i do not know about immodium mat since i have never taken any. i just prefer to have all of the bad stuff out. after you start taking medication for parasites/bacterias/amoebas the diahhea stops as well...
 

cobraboy

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I understood that Imodium was the worst thing to take?

Matilda
Not with the parasites, just part of a well-stocked medicine box for living in the DR.

I took what the docs @ HOMS suggested. They looked at the symptoms and pretty much said "we see this a lot."

Much better today. :classic: "better" doesn't mean perfect.

I may start the 6-month regimine suggested, thanks.
 

Chirimoya

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Things like imodium block the digestive process and should only really be taken in situations where one has to travel and/or there are no toilet facilities within sprinting distance. Ideally you should let your body excrete everything while keeping yourself hydrated with a salt-sugar solution, building up to solids once you can keep food down. A papaya (lechoza) shake made by blending the flesh together with the seeds and a touch of lime juice works very well too.
 
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Chip

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Things like imodium block the digestive process and should only really be taken in situations where one has to travel and/or there are no toilet facilities within sprinting distance.

I learned this the hard way on my wedding day no doubt and according to the doctor another day with the severe intestinal infection and I may have not made it, good grief. Therefore I could never recommend Imodium under any circumstances. I'd rather take my chances with a roll of toilet paper and the bushes. :)
 

cobraboy

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Things like imodium block the digestive process and should only really be taken in situations where one has to travel and/or there are no toilet facilities within sprinting distance.
I agree 100%, and FTR I didn't take any for my recent "issue"...
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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I took Flagyl years ago in Guatemala.. after the doc, after doing the tests said

"you have amoebas. There are two kinds of people in Guatemala, those who have amoebas and those who have not yet gotten off the plane"

Bad as the amoebae were. the flagyl was worse.. or felt worse, even though for sure it killed the beasts...

I do the Zentyal.. or whatever that 6 month pill is called.. at the first sign of trouble..

has worked every time

although I do not remember to take it every 6 months

nor .. alas.. did I go to the dentist every six months

should have
 
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May 5, 2007
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Anyone can get them and not know from where.

They can be very nasty, although with proper treatment short lived. Most common types found in the DR can be treated with metronidazole, available OTC in the DR. Not a bad idea to have a supply on hand in your DR medicine cabinet along with imodium and cipro just in case. You never know...

Get treatment the first signs something just isn't right, like nausea and serious gas/bloating WITH the trots.:eek: One of those symptoms isn't a huge deal, combined they just might be.

Trust me on this one.

:(

Nothing like climbing to about 12000 over the ocean solo and realize you are beginning a bad episode :-(
 
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HS10

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Feb 17, 2008
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"Still the best is to eat by the following rules:
"cook it, peel it or forget it!" If you cannot live without salads, you eat them only when you washed it yourself"



Do you wash your salad in tap water or bottled water?
 
Jul 4, 2010
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Bottled water and a bit of white vinegar.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Lindsey

Lindsey, that's a very good advice, since chlorine does not kill all the parasites, including the more pathogenic ones, like amoeba. You can use dark vinegar, and your salad ingredients have to soak for at least 30 minutes. Getting used to the soggy lettuce takes a little longer ; )
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Things like imodium block the digestive process and should only really be taken in situations where one has to travel and/or there are no toilet facilities within sprinting distance. Ideally you should let your body excrete everything while keeping yourself hydrated with a salt-sugar solution, building up to solids once you can keep food down. A papaya (lechoza) shake made by blending the flesh together with the seeds and a touch of lime juice works very well too.

I just heard that cure last nite....papaya seeds... crush them and put them in your salad dreesing...on everything.

Another was chopped garlic in CocaCola.... chug it back. UGH!

My wife is the victim here..... our local Dominicana has her on shredded carrots and serious garlic every 3 hours. Stinks like heck!

She went to the medico ... has an amoeba so 3 days of pills too.

So far..... nada! Still chained to the bano

WW
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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There are some grey areas when it comes to water use - what do people think about tap water vs. botell?n water for the following:

Boiling water in a kettle/pan for making coffee using a cafeti?re
Making coffee using a greca
Tea
Cooking rice, pasta, potatoes and other tubers (viveres)
Soaking and cooking beans, lentils, chickpeas?

We use tap water for all of the above, on the grounds that it boils in the process. We rarely get sick, but it might be because I grew up in the Mediterranean region and may be more resistant compared to people from further north. My husband and son have always lived in the DR. I was wondering though, especially in the light of the cholera situation, whether I should be more careful and use botell?n water for some/all of the above.