Parasites

[whatmeworry]

Hello!  I am wondering how common it is to become infested with a parasite, here in Florida, in a suburban neighborhood in 2009.  Our new community uses reclaimed water to irrigate our lawns, and my dogs and 1 year old grandson got very sick with cryptosporidium.  Reclaimed water is 90% purified sewage water, so there can be 10% contaminant of giardia, cryptosporidium, and many others.  I used to do alot of gardening, but am scared to death now because I have had some horrible URQ pain for about 3 1/2 years now.  Had my gall bladder out, which turned out to be normal, colonoscopy, endoscopy and finally ERCP.  Still in horrible pain, and wish to get some suggestions as to where to lead my gastro to look.  I know parasites can hide just about anywhere in the body, and since my colonoscopy and endoscopy turned up zilch, what about the small intestines?  Do you always have to have weight loss and diarrea (diarrhea) with intestinal parasites?  Can the small intestine be tested for parasites somehow? Will parasites show up in a CT scan or MRI? I have a cyst in my liver, but MD was not concerned, wants to wait a year to repeat the ultrasound.  I read that parasites can take up residence in the liver too.  Meanwhile I am on protonix and bentyl when pain is very bad.  No relief from either.  Any ideas would be a[preciated!

[ChitChatNine]

From what I've recently read online (but I'm not a medical person or doctor, etc.) is that the small intestine can be the home for Garidia ... there is medicine you can take which my son recently started and his symptoms of severe pain (they thought gallbladder in the ER or bowel perforation) started to subside within 24hrs of the first pill!  The lab samples have high false negative.  Maybe ask about trying the medicine and see if it helps .... the other possibiity we were told is Celiac but remote in his case.

C~