Chronic Diarrhea_Husband and Wife

[BradandMarina]

Hi,

My wife and I began experiencing occasional diarrhea about 4 or 5 years ago. The diarrhea was accompanied by nausea, dizziness, stomach cramps and fatigue. We assumed it was just a passing bug. However, the incidences became more frequent.

When we started having bouts of diarrhea every 2 or 3 weeks, we started going to an MD who practiced holistic medicine. We did stool tests, which turned up the parasite- blastocystis hominis. The doctor prescribed Gentian, Pro Biotics and Wild Oregano. He said that low-level infection was diificult to treat and could take a while to get rid of.

The possible causes we discussed- my wife working with very young children and changing diapers, improperly washed organic vegetables, travel and using drinking water collected from an outdoor spring (the source for Great Bear spring water)

We followed the treatment with mixed results. We continued to get lab tests of our stool samples. Two different labs did the tests. One was a very complete test. The b-hominis did seem to be going away. However, the diarrhea persisted along with the symptoms. We told the doctor we were concerned about our persistent symptoms. He still did not recommend the use of antibiotics.

Then this past fall, my wife had a lab test done by a different lab(lab #3). This test showed the presence of Citrobacter and Campylobacter. At this point, we started seeing a new doctor. She saw the spring water as the likely cause for the infection. She looked at the lab results and immediately put us Cipro for 5 days.

Within 2 or 3 days, we felt better than we had for a long time. Our bowel movements returned to normal as well. When we went off the antibiotic, the diarrhea and symptoms returned. The doctor then prescribed 3 weeks of Cipro.

This time, the results were less dramatic. Our symptoms improved but never totally went away. After going off the antibiotic, the diarrhea and symptoms returned. We did more lab tests that came up negative for campylobacter. My wife did a blood test that showed increased levels of Eosinophil.

We are both experiencing frequent bouts of diarrhea or gloppy bowel movements accompanied by headaches, dizziness, fatigue and nausea. I am finding it harder to get through each day due mainly to the dizziness and fatigue, which is now occurring on a daily basis.

My wife is going through menopause and is experiencing difficult periods which I am sure are compounded by our diarrhea problem. I am 47 yrs old. My wife is 45. We are definitely experiencing the same symptoms. The symptoms often seem to be occurring at the same times for both of us.

Have you ever heard of cases of campylobacter infection that are chronic like this? Why did it only turn up in one test? Was Cipro the best choice? Can b-hominis still be considered? Can we get a more definitive lab test done somewhere? (7 tests each so far)

How do we proceed if our tests are negative but our symptoms persist?

Thanks,
Brad

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Hello - thanks for asking your question.

You note chronic diarrhea.  Possible blastocystis hominis, citrobacter and campylobacter.  Treatment with an extended course of Cipro.  Possible increased eosinophils.  

Typically infection with campylobacter do not last this long, especially with treatment with antibiotics (Cipro).  Cipro can treat campylobacter appropriately, but resistance frequently develops.  Erythromycin and azythromycin are antibiotics of first choice and should be considered if you are continuing to have symptoms.  

Regarding B-hominis - I would repeat the ova and parasite tests on the stool to document whether it is still present or not.  Typically a concentrated stool sample is used.  Metronidazole, furazolidone, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), quinacrine and pentamidine are used to treat this parasite and may be considered if the Cipro is ineffective.  The fact that the eosinophils are elevated may be suggestive of a parasite.  

If the infectious route is a dead end, then it is time to consider endoscopy - either a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy.  Tests for Clostridium difficile (a bacteria associated with antibacterial use) and malabsorption (i.e. fecal fat tests, lactose intolerance tests) should be considered.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[MelanieLu]

Check the site called Moldmaster,testing kit for all at home depot type stores. Just a thought.Know a similar situation w/this but Doc will know better.Good luck

[PAJ]

Nothings for certain , but the more negative test results for yur dramatic symptoms , the more chance it.s a yeast infection!!! I assure you Candida infections are ENDEMIC check out the reply I gave on the 1 May , And please get back to the forum with any conclusions.
For your information.
Search “Dr Orion Truss The Missing Diagnosis” for more.
Lack of energy and digestive disturbances, arthritic joint pains, skin disease, menstrual problems, emotional instability and depression. All symptoms of what I call the 'antibiotic syndrome' which have greatly increased in frequency in recent years.
On further examination, more symptoms may be discovered. Most of the gastro-intestinal tract is tender when pressed, especially the small intestine, liver and gall bladder. There may even have been a gall bladder operation that failed to improve the condition, sometimes even worsening the symptoms.
There could be a history of thrush or oral, anal or vaginal itching. When these are present the diagnosis of Candida is obvious but it may also be present in the absence of these manifestations and that can be somewhat confusing. The yeast or fungus Candida albicans, of course, thrives during antibiotic treatment. I regard it as reckless negligence to prescribe antibiotics without simultaneous fungicides and replacement therapy with lactobacilli afterwards. I believe that this practice has greatly added to our vast pool of a chronically sick population.
However, the 'antibiotic syndrome' is not just due to Candida. I regard it more generally as a 'dysbiosis' where the wrong kind of microbes inhabit the intestinal tract, not just Candida and other fungi, but many types of pathogenic bacteria including coli bacteria which are normal in the colon but become disease-forming when they ascend into the small intestine.
If the problem has existed for years, there is usually a lack of gastric acid which then allows the stomach to be colonised by microbes, causing inflammation with pain and later, ulcers. The toxins released by the microbial overpopulation cause in addition chronic inflammation of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas and intestines. I regard it as rather likely that a chronic inflammation of the pancreas is a major contributing factor in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes.
Bacterial attack
Specific types of pathogenic bacteria appear to cause or contribute to specific auto-immune diseases. One variety of coli bacteria, for instance, produces a molecule that is very similar to insulin. When the immune system becomes activated against this molecule it may then also attack related features at the beta cells of the pancreas
Another type of bacteria, Yersinia enterocolitica, induces an immune response that attacks the thyroid gland and leads to Grave's disease with a serious overproduction of thyroid hormones.
Ulcerative colitis is linked to overgrowth with pathogenic microbes, the same as Crohn's disease, osteoporosis and ankylosing spondylitis. In ankylosing spondylitis the vertebra of the spine fuse together causing stiffness and pain. Other joints may in time become affected.
Klebsiella, another type of pathogenic bacteria, produces a molecule that is similar to a tissue type found in people with this disease. When klebsiella numbers in the gut decrease, related antibodies in the blood decrease and the condition improves.
Rheumatoid arthritis is linked to other bacteria, called proteus. Proteus is also a common cause of urinary tract infections. Women suffer urinary tract infections as well as rheumatoid arthritis twice as often as men, while men usually have higher levels of klebsiella and three times more ankylosing spondylitis than women.
In addition microbial overgrowth dam ages the intestinal wall so that only partly digested food particles can pass into the bloodstream, causing allergies. In this way all auto-immune diseases can be linked to food allergies.
While rheumatoid arthritis is a frequent feature of the antibiotic syndrome, and I regard it as relatively easy to cure, not many sufferers of this disease seem to be interested in this natural approach. The other day a young man with severe rheumatoid arthritis knocked at my door to collect money for a medically sponsored walkathon. When I told him that I do not give money for drug treatment as it can be overcome with natural therapies, he shouted: 'You are mad!' and left visibly upset.
Other auto-immune diseases that have so far been linked to dysbiosis are psoriasis, lupus erythematosus and pancreatitis. When remedies are given that bind bacterial endotoxins, these conditions usually improve. A further consequence of dysbiosis is susceptibility to food poisoning as with salmonella bacteria, while a healthy intestinal flora prevents these from multiplying and causing trouble.
Staphylococcus aureus or golden staph cause serious infections in hospital patients. It has been found that not only golden staph but also other infections are greatly potentised when they occur with a Candida overgrowth. As Candida overgrowth is a natural outcome of the standard hospital treatment, it is easy to see why golden staph is so deadly in hospitals.
A similar picture emerges with AIDS. People do not die from the AIDS virus but from Candida-potentised bacterial infections. I also see the antibiotic-induced dysbiosis in babies and infants as the main cause of their frequent infections, glue ear and greatly contributing to cot death.
While it used to be uncommon for children to have more than one or two infections a year, now more than six is the norm.
In the 1940's Candida was found in only three per cent of autopsies, now the figure is nearer thirty per cent. There are, of course, other factors that can cause dysbiosis - the contraceptive pill, steroids and other drugs, radiation treatment and chemotherapy - but the main culprit is, without doubt, antibiotics.
Closely related to Candida are the mycoplasms or pleomorphic organisms. These have been shown to be a main factor in the causation of cancer. Therefore, antifungal therapy has also major benefits in cancer treatment.
Dr Orian Truss
In 1953 Dr Orian Truss discovered the devastating effects of antibiotics in an Alabama (USA)

[Concerned lady]

I think you got good advice from the doc and Paj.

You may want to check into possible:

--bad intestinal bacterial infections, due to the antibiotics,

--Candida albicans (yeast) infections, due to the antibiotics

--gluten intolerance, possibly acquired due to bad intestinal infections. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats, barley & buckwheat. Brown rice is gluten-free. Corn is also gluten-free, but is very "allergenic" to many. Kamut & Spelt are types of wheat, and have gluten in them. Celiac Disease is one type of gluten intolerance, and may involve both severe indigestion and severe mal-absorption, leading to greasy (fatty) stools, etc.

--lactOse intolerance (from lack of production of the enzyme lactAse that normally helps to digest/break down milk sugar/lactOse). If one's small intestinal microscopic villi (finger-like projections) have been harmed from various causes (intestinal infections, genetic predisposition, etc.), less or no lactOse enzymes would be produced. Taking lactAse enzymes along with milk, can help, BUT...

--intolerances to milk "proteins" can also cause digestive problems.

Also, have you both tried eating some milk-free, gluten-free PROBIOTICS, such as "Dairy-free Maxi Bifidus" (by Ethical Nutrients), or something similar? This preparation is simple, but powerful, and contains only 2 ingredients: Bifidus infantum (the probiotic, related to Acidophilus), and rice maltodextrin (supposedly gluten-free).

You may want to avoid the FOS's (fructose oligo saccharides), found in some probiotic formulations, because FOS's can be irritating to some people's digestive tracts.

Check out Dr. Kenneth Fine (MD)'s helpful website about non-invasive stool sample testing to determine possible food sensitivities, at <a href=http://www.finerhealth.com>http://www.finerhealth.com</a>

Good luck to you both!

Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[smoochie]

Real sorry for you guys, hope you will feel better. You might find it useful to check this site:
http://bara.idx.com.au/info/parasite/parasite_home.htm       They have information on Blasto and stories of successful medical and herbal treatments, too.
Good luck.