Infectious disease

[Donna]

While on holiday in Thailand became sick two hours after a meal with indigestion then vomiting, for 2 days experienced dizziness and then finally diarreha.  It has now been one month and am still experiencing nausea, irregular bowel moments from conspitation to diarreha, some dizziness and feel lethargic and overall unwellness. I reside in India where lab tests are suspect due to contamination.  I have completed a anti parasite medication and am now on Cipro.  Have read article in Wall Street Journal Dec. 18, 1999 European Edition stating that Cipro does not work on stomach bugs from Thailand. any suggestions for the Indian medical profession on a drug treatment course for this stomach bug.

[HFHSM.D,-Gastro-RF]

Dear Donna,
There are many possible parasites and bacteria that coule be the cause for your symptoms.  Because of differences in therapy, I would be reluctant to try a shotgun approach.  Instead, I would find a reputable microbiology laboratory and arrange for stool cultures for bacteria, check for parasites e.g. giardia and search for acid fast organisms.

Best of luck

[faye]

I had the same symptoms during a trip to Bavaria one summer. In fact I thought I would die. I took charcoal which calmed things down so I could live normally. When I got home my gastro found I had a parasite and I took something starting with Meth - long word with a z in it. It did the trick.

[jean]

You don't have to live in India to have an incompetent lab,unfortunately.  With HMOs, I might as well live in a third world country.  I live in Boca Raton, Florida, and have an HMO (Blue Cross HEALTH OPTIONS) that requires me to go to a separate lab for all labwork (LABCORE).  This lab routinely refuses to analyze samples, from what my doc says.  I was very ill, with nausea, vomiting, diahhrea, weakness - still have weakness, after 2 weeks.  At first, I collected a stool sample in just a baggie, which is all I had at the time.  The lab refused to analyze this as it was not in the right "container", or it was 3 hours old - depending on whom I spoke with, I got different excuses. THe second day of this, I had an app't with my doctor and was given bottles in which to collect sample.  I did so when I could and returned it to my doctor.  I was too ill to drive to the lab.  The lab collected from the doctor's office but again refused to do an analysis.  ONly after raising hell did I get them to do a partial analysis, after 3 days.  

This is our HMO system in the US>  All I can surmise, is that the HMO spends less money by denying service - including lab analysis that could indicate a potential public health problem.  I am amazed, and don't really know where to go to even complain.

After Cipro was determined ineffective, my doc put me on Flagyl, which seemed to have helped.  I still don't know what caused it, and if there is a problem with food, for example, that could potentially be a health hazard, we'll never know - thank you HMO's!!