OK- So I started an antibiotic for the Shigella on Thursday night and the diarrhea was gone by morning! I didn't go all day on Friday :)
However, Saturday and this morning I've been awakened by mild cramping and have gone - semi-formed and full of more stringy mucus than stool. Do you think this is just the after-effects of the Shigella damage? I am on my 4th intestinal infection since May - the first put me in the hospital w/ severe dehydration, the second in August was diagnosed as 'enteropathogenic e-coli' and the antibiotics given to me for that one caused me to get 'c-difficile', which was diagnosed and treated with flagyl in September, and now Shigella. I am so ready to move out of Bolivia. I've had post-infectious IBS since the first infection in May, so I am sad that this new illness will probably set me back to square one. At least I know more or less what to expect.
Hi m&ms,
I'm not sure what symptoms you would have from the shigella since I am not at all familiar with it. I would definitely keep your doctor informed of your symptoms so that he can decipher if thats whats causing it. I'm so sorry that you are going through this.
I'm not sure what symptoms you would have from the shigella since I am not at all familiar with it. I would definitely keep your doctor informed of your symptoms so that he can decipher if thats whats causing it. I'm so sorry that you are going through this.
Hugs, Des
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Well, if it's any comfort, they are much more used to dealing with intestinal disorders in Boliva than here in the States. Doctors here would probably just scratch their heads and shrug and say you "have IBS" and leave it at that.
Soooo... make sure you bring any medical records home with you that you can. At the very least, make sure you take good notes so when you get back, you can tell your doctor here what you have/ have had so they can adjust their way of thinking (which is normally to discount things usually seen in developing countries).
Are you taking probitoics while you're on this antibiotic? Got to put that good stuff back in while the antibitiotics are killing everything off. Hopefully with that combination, you can reestablish balance in your guts again. Make sure you stick to the bottled water to keep from undoing what you're doing! When my fiance went to India, he was warned not to even rinse his mouth or toothbrush with the water from the sink; all liquids had to be from a bottle. And he was warned too not to drink from a bottle that came to his table already opened; some sneaky restaurants just fill up empty bottles with tap water and then serve those, claiming to have just opened it for you.
I hope you can get back to the U.S. soon. I've been sick in a foreign country before, but at least they spoke English; I'm sure it's so much harder being in a truly foreign land. Hope you get better.
Soooo... make sure you bring any medical records home with you that you can. At the very least, make sure you take good notes so when you get back, you can tell your doctor here what you have/ have had so they can adjust their way of thinking (which is normally to discount things usually seen in developing countries).
Are you taking probitoics while you're on this antibiotic? Got to put that good stuff back in while the antibitiotics are killing everything off. Hopefully with that combination, you can reestablish balance in your guts again. Make sure you stick to the bottled water to keep from undoing what you're doing! When my fiance went to India, he was warned not to even rinse his mouth or toothbrush with the water from the sink; all liquids had to be from a bottle. And he was warned too not to drink from a bottle that came to his table already opened; some sneaky restaurants just fill up empty bottles with tap water and then serve those, claiming to have just opened it for you.
I hope you can get back to the U.S. soon. I've been sick in a foreign country before, but at least they spoke English; I'm sure it's so much harder being in a truly foreign land. Hope you get better.
m&ms, I'm glad to hear the diarrhea has begun to subside! Although you know that living in Bolivia, you are likely to see it again...and again...and again! The worst D I ever had was in Bolivia, 30x/day, literally non-stop for three weeks. Gads, I hope you don't go through that!
As far as post-infectious IBS goes...that's what the Mayo docs thought was wrong with me after my repeated parasitic infections. The infectious disease doc said that if these infections are severe enough, and occur frequently enough, they can forever alter your intestinal lining and cause long-term problems.
If you think about it, I'd venture a guess that the VAST majority of people living in developing countries have chronic diarrhea as well. I think it's just a way of life for most of them, and nothing out of the ordinary. m&ms, you and I have joined the ranks of millions, perhaps billions! More people die from the dehydration resulting from chronic diarrhea than perhaps any other affliction. Now, if we could just pump a little bit more money into developing programs for sanitation, health education, rehydration, etc. instead of pouring it into the hands of big for-profit drug companies who are developing drugs to eradicate women's facial hair, maybe things would start looking up!
Sorry, do I sound bitter??? It just drives me batty that so many people are sick and all some people can think about is what will make the most money.
Now, off my tangent. Probiotics might do you some good, although they didn't do much of anything for me. Limiting your lactose ingestion could be beneficial as well. Taking anti-spasmodics for the pain might help. In the long-term, it's going to take some effort, energy, and above all, PATIENCE to learn about how these little buggies might have changed your guts. BUT - there is a definite chance that things could just go back to normal! So don't lose heart!
Well, Sarita, M&Ms, if it makes you feel any better, 3rd world and developing countries have the lowest occurences of colon cancer in the world. Scientists think that the regular, um, colon flushes that happen in these nations keep gunk from sitting in the intestines too long and thus leading to cell mutation and cancer. In first world countries you have a compartively higher occurence of colon cancer and constipation.
Hi again ladies,
I am doing so much better than I was a week ago it isn't even funny. Tho I hate antibiotics because they gave me c-diff, so far (knock on wood) I am handling it like a normal person and am praying I won't relapse. I know when I started the antibiotic for e-coli back in August, I was already starting to feel better on my own, so the antibiotic may have been overkill. This time I would still be a mess if I hadn't started it. I am taking my probiotics and florastor faithfully and plan to take double for at least this month.
My GI Doc down here told me he treats at least 200 cases of chronic diarrhea a year, and only 2 of those patients had Ulcerative Colitis. He said Crohn's and UC are almost a rarity here because (he thinks) the poor sanitation keeps it at bay. Apparently the more 'sanitized' a society, the more cases of IBD. My poor 'americanized' colon is just in shock over all the assults it has been taking. Don't you all wish we could see inside (like on CSI) and find out what is happening inside our colons every time we're 'off'? By the time we get scheduled for the colonoscopies, everything looks all 'hunky-dory' and I just KNOW it isn't!
I am doing so much better than I was a week ago it isn't even funny. Tho I hate antibiotics because they gave me c-diff, so far (knock on wood) I am handling it like a normal person and am praying I won't relapse. I know when I started the antibiotic for e-coli back in August, I was already starting to feel better on my own, so the antibiotic may have been overkill. This time I would still be a mess if I hadn't started it. I am taking my probiotics and florastor faithfully and plan to take double for at least this month.
My GI Doc down here told me he treats at least 200 cases of chronic diarrhea a year, and only 2 of those patients had Ulcerative Colitis. He said Crohn's and UC are almost a rarity here because (he thinks) the poor sanitation keeps it at bay. Apparently the more 'sanitized' a society, the more cases of IBD. My poor 'americanized' colon is just in shock over all the assults it has been taking. Don't you all wish we could see inside (like on CSI) and find out what is happening inside our colons every time we're 'off'? By the time we get scheduled for the colonoscopies, everything looks all 'hunky-dory' and I just KNOW it isn't!
hi guys i usually post on chronic pain and arthiritis but i visit here from time to time.
listen up this is very important that you know this information;
last year i had taken levquin for a uti and got bad c dificle intestional infection. i didnt know that is what i had for 2 months i didnt do anything about it, then i got on flagyl to knock it out.
NOW i have BAD arthritis from it ( reiter's) and it i has invaded my spine and even docs think i have AS from it now ( anklyosing spondylitis) your spine gets all screwed up.
be very careful when you get c dificle it can be an extremely dangerous bug that can cause poly arthritis. i now have to be wheat and gluten free lactose free.
i eat very little of anything. they call it iliac sprue or celiac sprue this bug has helped to ruin my life.
9-02 crash w/ C-5-6-7 anterior/posterior fusion in neck w/11 screws and 4 metal plates. multilevel HNP at T & L section. FMS, PA in dec 05. SSI approved after 2.5 yr wait. sezuires, CTS, etc. on norco, xanax etc. i dont know what else is wrong with me and neither does anyone else!!!
9-02 crash w/ C-5-6-7 anterior/posterior fusion in neck w/11 screws and 4 metal plates. multilevel HNP at T & L section. FMS, PA in dec 05. SSI approved after 2.5 yr wait. sezuires, CTS, etc. on norco, xanax etc. i dont know what else is wrong with me and neither does anyone else!!!