BajaNomad

Parasites and amoebas

villadelfin - 4-25-2006 at 11:30 AM

Had a discussion today with some fellow gringos, one here 30 years, one 27 years, and one here just under 2 years. The topic was parasites and amoebas. The most senior gringo said never took pills for the cruds and the others swore that the pills were absolutely essential. What is your opinion on it? Symptoms, cures, causes...what do you take if anything?

[Edited on 4-25-2006 by villadelfin]

bajalou - 4-25-2006 at 03:47 PM

I've use Lomatil ? for runs etc in years past - but if that or Immodium AD doesn't work in a day or so it's local doctor time.

Diver - 4-25-2006 at 04:03 PM

I'm careful about what I drink and eat and have never had any problems in Baja or elsewhere.
When we used to go to the Dominican Republic in the '70s, we would take acidophylous pills for at least a week before going and all during the trip to "strengthen our flora". It seemed to work as the only ones who ever got sick were those that didn't take the pills. It was the remedy that everyone used back then and still, as far as I know.

DanO - 4-25-2006 at 05:52 PM

What do you take to strengthen your fauna?

Skipjack Joe - 4-25-2006 at 06:11 PM

I just evert my stomach.

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=16825&page=2

BTW, DanO, I love your avatar. The expression on that face is priceless. Boredom, disinterest, anxiety, nervousness? I can't decide. It's Hollywood's Mona Lisa. I remember that actor from the 60's. He starred in 'Third Man on the Mountain'. I dug those films when I was in my early teens.

[Edited on 4-26-2006 by Skipjack Joe]

villadelfin - 4-25-2006 at 06:50 PM

A little clarification here seems to be necessary.

The question is not about intestinal discomfort. They take pills twice a year to rid themselves of parasites and to counteract a feeling of being debilitated. Does anyone on the board take pills for this, and what do you take?



[Edited on 4-26-2006 by villadelfin]

Bajalero - 4-25-2006 at 07:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by villadelfin
A little clarification here seems to be necessary.

The question is not about intestinal discomfort. They take pills twice a year to rid themselves of parasites and to counteract a feeling of being debilitated. Does anyone on the board take pills for this, and what do you take?



[Edited on 4-26-2006 by villadelfin]




On the couple of occasions in my life that I got what I would call a case of the touristas, that held on for longer than several days and was I afraid that I had something taking up residence , I've had good luck with a single ,1 time dose of 2500mg. (10x250mg.) of tetracycline.

The next day I had a definite improvement .

Just make sure you have no preexisting conditions that would prohibit you from taking a dose that size. ie.kidney problems or taking blood thinners like warfarin .

If that doesn't do it I also carry metronidazole

Lero

Geronimo - 4-25-2006 at 08:10 PM

villadelfin

I know exactly what you are talking about. I lived in San Felipe for a couple of years; I got sick about a month after I moved there. I lost my apatite and while not sick like with tourista I just did not feel good. I lost my apatite (unusual for me), and just felt bad all summer. Winter came and I felt normal, the next summer it was back. The locals I asked and the full time Gringos all called it an amoeba. I lived with it....Never saw a doctor or took anything, so not much help. It came back the next summer when I was living in AZ. Last summer it was gone. Must be time to move back....

Geronimo

surfer jim - 4-25-2006 at 08:44 PM

Stay away from those taco stands and you won't have to worry about these things......:biggrin:

Metronidazole

villadelfin - 4-25-2006 at 08:47 PM

http://www.medicinenet.com/giardia_lamblia/article.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/metronidazole/article.htm

Thanks bajalero and geronimo

Above are a couple of links I found when I imputted metronidazole into yahoo!

bajajudy - 4-26-2006 at 06:34 AM

Just my opinion, but I would not take anything twice a year as strong as that drug without knowing for sure that I had something that it would cure. There are clinic everywhere that can test you for these parasites and I would certainly be tested first.
I have lived here for 6 years and have never had any symptoms that lasted long enough to indicate anything seriously wrong.

Giardia ? ?

djh - 4-26-2006 at 07:34 AM

I Had that once..... Should have been more careful fly fishing on the Big Hole in Montana... (I have not heard that it was local to Baja also....)

It was years ago before many people (and doctors) were really aware of it... so I had it for about 6 months before it was diagnosed.... 6 months of hell, that is. I'm 5'9 and was then 138 lbs, but dropped to about 110 lbs before I was finally diagnosed, received Flagyl, and started to get better.... In the meantime, my (then) regular family doc. was convinced that I was dying of Leukemia....

"What....? I'm NOT dying.... I can just take these pills for a little while and I will get better...??" I didn't know whether to hug him or kick the bejezus outta him!

Back to topic?.... Be careful re: where and what you eat. Take immodium, Pepto, etc., Keep the "heavy arms" available IF you really think you need it available (Cipro, etc.), but find a good doctor and don't be afraid to DIRECT the doctor regarding your own health...

IE... as a friend of mine says...

"If you don't like your doctor acting like god, get off your knees when you talk to him" (her)....

wilderone - 4-26-2006 at 08:38 AM

Well, if you want to bring along a few drug-free things to incorporate into your diet on a regular basis which purport to rid one of parasites, eat pumpkin seeds and extract of black walnut hulls. A renowned expert on tequila also said that tequila is good for your stomach and ridding of parasites. Giardia can be found even in well water. The tap water at Lake Tahoe and in Hawaii both have occasionally tested positive for giardia. The symptoms are unmistakable in a case requiring drugs. In a mild case, the offending organisms are "passed" without incident, but the longer they stay in your colon, the longer the time allowed to reproduce. So a healthy "passing" cycle, in any event, is a good thing.

Tomas Tierra - 4-26-2006 at 08:39 AM

If you can deal with it(my wife and I do), 1 clove(I take 2) fresh garlic taken like a pill every day just BEFORE your evening meal will deter unwanted species of ill will.Little bugs don't like raw garlic.Cloves should be crushed
not chopped o eaten whole. Allow garlic to sit for a few minutes before injesting. I find that taking it like a pill, before the meal, gets rid of some of the side effects(bad breath, lasting taste).

The other health benefits you will recieve from this practice ar monumental!
Plus you won't get people hanging around unless they are really your friends:biggrin:

AMEBA

OFFCOURSE2 - 4-26-2006 at 08:48 AM

Funny that this should come up now, yesterday I finished my script of flagyl --750 ml three times daily. Ten days in Tultepec -to much street food I guess, but god it was good. My symtoms were mostly just a lot of gurgling & overall tiredness. You don't want to take the medicine without positive results from the lab--the cure made me feel worse but they tell me if left untreated that the ameba can eat a hole in your intestine.

msrla - 4-26-2006 at 07:37 PM

I know several people who SWEAR by a product called Dr.Natura for the ol colon cleanse, it's supposed to rid you of parasites, don't know specifically which ones but I've been told that people have, errr, passed some pretty gnarly looking things!

thefishaholic - 4-27-2006 at 04:16 PM

When I lived in Cabo (97-2000) I got food poisoned twice (same resturant and cook) from the same Wahoo in a cilantro/cream sauce. Lomatil and back on the boat the next morning.

No I don't eat there anymore and he don't cook there either. Other than those 2 times he was awesome!!

I also got Denga twice and the pharmicist gave me an antibiotic and it was gone in a day.

Ex caught a parasite once and lost about 20 lbs before they diagnosed it up here. Doc said it came fron the water in the shower as we only drank purified water. Maybe it was something from her boyfriend, I'll never know.

All the above problems and I still can't wait to get back down to Baja!!

:spingrin:

GeoRock - 5-4-2006 at 06:50 AM

There are many, many, parasite killers on the market. There are well known throughout man's history particular herbs that kill parasites.
Black walnut, garlic, cascara sagrada bark, wormwood, wormseed are among others used to help the body expel intestinal worms.

Dr. Natura is one such program. It is a one month program that scours your insides. It is a fiber based program mixed with herbs that kill parasites and release toxins from your cells. I do not believe it is one of the stronger programs, but it is definately one of the easiest to use.

I just recently finished a three week program that is quite strong, called Parastroy. A company called Nature's Secret makes it. It had strong results and I would recommend it. I suggest you use it in conjunction with an excellent internal fiber based cleanser called Supreme Cleanse, made by Gaia Herbs.

A fresh garlic clove taken daily does indeed kill many parasites, but not all of them.

To reduce the chance of parasites drink at least 8 glasses of water per day; avoid eating meat that is rare or uncooked; when traveling abroad drink only filtered water and foods that have been properly cleaned; and follow ya ma's advice and wash your hands after elimination.

There are numerous parasites that enter and thrive in the human body that are alien. It is not healthy, and they do cause many problems. There are even some naturalists that believe cancers, among other diseases, are caused by parasites in the body.

Just as we clean the outside of our body on a regular basis, so too should we be scrubbing the interior. I use herbal detox's often, and have most of my family and many of my friends doing the same. A friend of mine told me five months ago that she has breast cancer. Although she chose to go the traditional route of radiation for treatment, she also begin a strict program of detox's. She ended up having more strength and endurance during her 7-week daily radiation treatments than any of the doctors had ever before witnessed.

Many people scoff at the idea that parasites can destroy the human body and cause many health issues. But I believe they do cause damage. If you want to view pics of them, check out curezone.com.

For parasites in Mexico, which are the cause of Montezuma's Revenge, stir a half teaspoon of Bentonite Clay into a half a glass of water. Drink it and you will be cured of the diarrea causing parasites in a couple of days instead of a couple of weeks. Bentonite Clay is just volcanic ash. Because of it's structure, if it touches a parasite the bug is instantly killed. Dr. Schultz's detox's are clay and fiber based and are good products.

Good luck!

Paulina - 5-4-2006 at 07:55 AM

Wow Suzanne, thanks for the info. I just might try to sneak some of this stuff into our diets...can we mix it with beer though? ja ja ja.
Seriously, thanks mucho.

P>*)))><

Bob and Susan - 5-4-2006 at 08:27 AM

Georock....

Did you know there may be a worm in the TEQUILA:lol:...

at Keri's tasting....

[Edited on 5-4-2006 by Bob and Susan]

villadelfin - 5-4-2006 at 09:36 AM

Georock

Great info on bentonite clay.

Since La Paz tapwater is GRAS, I've been using bottled water only for the morning coffee. Comitan pointed out to me that the tinacas tinacos the rooftop cisterns can become contaminated. How does one lab test the water?

Marie-Rose - 5-4-2006 at 11:07 AM

As per villadelfin we are interested in knowing how to test our water source as well as
care for our 3000 gal cistern (?sp) For the time being the water is not sitting in the cistern for too long as there is construction going on. When we are away, and the water is sitting in the cistern, should we be adding product? Someone suggested bleach????

Bob and Susan - 5-4-2006 at 11:15 AM

The most popular method currently in use to maintain water quality is Chlorination

GeoRock - 5-4-2006 at 01:14 PM

I have a friend who is looking into water testing and a system to rid of parasites. I'll post again when I have more info from her.

And I knew, JUST KNEW, I'd be kidded big time for this post! Gotta love you guys!

And Paulina, I have acquired a taste for good mezcal--worm or not. I just don't eat the little bugger.

GeoRock - 5-4-2006 at 01:15 PM

I highly suggest that the water you drink and bath in has a filter on it to rid of the chlorine. Many alternative medicine thinkers are linking chlorine to breast cancer.

Marie-Rose - 5-4-2006 at 01:25 PM

...so, add chlorine and use a filter??? Any ideas of where to find out quantities?
Suggestions for good filters???

BCSTech - 5-6-2006 at 02:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Marie-Rose
...so, add chlorine and use a filter??? Any ideas of where to find out quantities?
Suggestions for good filters???
Marie Rose... Are you and Fred back in TS? Call me 'bout this... (yep, water filters, too) :)

BCSTech - 5-6-2006 at 02:18 PM

RE Chlorine quantity, here is a link For Water Disinfection Info

Marie-Rose - 5-6-2006 at 03:57 PM

Thanks Allen...should have known:tumble:
We will be back for a couple of weeks in July. Will be in touch with you then. Greetings to Debra!

Bucketful of problems and remedies

Sharksbaja - 5-7-2006 at 12:09 AM

if you want more info previously mentioned:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=12791#pid1053...

Diver - 5-7-2006 at 06:48 AM

If you have a contaminated or unknown system you want to cleanse, add chlorine to make approximately 8-10 ppm and leave this in the system overnight. Slowly drain the system through all outlets that also need sanitizing.

Once the sanitizing is complete, you can refil and flush the system. A typical chlorine content for daily use would range from 0.5 to 2.0 ppm measured at the point of use. (I would keep to the bottom of this range unless you are having contamination problems.) Various style and sensitivity chlorine testers are available from pool stores and plumbing supply stores.

Another common source of contamination that most people don't consider is at the spigot or hose bib. Occasional touching of the end by humans and others or by raw meat or fish, even blowing dust with game or livestock fecies can contaminate the spigot. It's a good idea to soak them with bleach or if they are not near the valve (which heat could damage), use a torch to disinfect.

Actual testing would probably be easiest done by taking a sample to a local lab from time to time. Test for inorgnics once when you start using the well to check for suspended metals, arsenic etc. Test periodically thereafter for organics ie coliform, ecoli, chripto....

Consider testing within a few days after a heavy rain if you have an open source.

Diver - 5-7-2006 at 06:51 AM

Water filters using sieves, chemicals or UV/ozone technologies are available all over. Ozone is the best overall for larger situations but you need a bunch of power. When properly maintained, filters work fairly well but often restrict maximum water flows.