Blastocystis

[vee11]

Hello, to anyone who is looking for a parasite treatment for Blastocystis Hominis, try looking up the website badbugs org, or the website for the Centre for Digestive Diseases in Sydney Australia. A new triple-drug therapy has been trialed and proved succesful in treating this nasty critter. There are accounts that many of the traditional medical treatments like Flagyl used by many doctors in the States, are not appropriate. Also diet is relevant. I am being treated right now, here's hoping it works. My sympathies go out to anyone who has this. Read badbugs and you will find you are not alone in being hassled, ignored and misdiagnosed....


This discussion is related to Blastocystis Hominis.

[Harry777]

I had Blasto, did the triple therapy protocol, tested clear and still felt awful.

Turns out the cause of all my issues is actually a genetic disease called Pyroluria. Do some searches on Pyroluria and see if it matches your symptoms.

I blog about Pyroluria now too.

pyrolurialife.com

[Patient39]

I have had B.H for 2 years (39 years old female).  I tried the triple medication (with one drug swapped) and unfortunately I had to stop on day 7 due to allergic reactions, mouth ulcers.  I think my system is very allergic, I'm not sure if it is due to the B.H (off to allergy clinic tomorrow in London infact)!  I have totally changed my diet since my positive tests for B.H and have on the whole improved my lifestyle dramatically since doing.  I also had same levels of yeast in my bowels also.  May have been why my treatment failed i.e. two infections propping each other up.  In the last year my energies have improved and have even been working full time again without too much exhaustion.  In the last month or so I have had a period of high stress, plus have been drinking too much rice milk which I think may have kicked off B.H / yeast again.  In short I have been following low carb, no dairy apart from butter, no sugar (or fructose) of any sort (read labels carefully), eating stir frys, veg, meat, gram flour pancakes with cinnamon for a bit of flavour / pudding (that is gram flour, egg, coconut milk and cinammon, lots of garlic with meat, ginger, herbal teas and water to drink.  I had stage 3 out of 4 B.H (Great Smokey's) last year, I don't know what my current levels are but as it is £300 and I have run out of money to check again.  London School of Tropical Medicine can also test for (u.k)and is much cheaper but it will just say that B.H is present (not the levels).  Anyway, I have obtained a life with these critters you get used to not eating sugar and food even tastes more.  Stay positive people I think it even helps as when you are lessed stressed your immune system gets stronger, which may have also helped me to get my symptoms better.

[patient915]

You have responded to an old, outdated thread from 2009.  The people who originally posted these comments may very well have moved on.  Rather than reply to an old thread, we recommend that people start a new topic to discuss the subject anew.  To do that, please click on the green "Post a Question" button at the top of the page.  This will get your post the attention it deserves. Thank you.

[granasos]

I was diagnosed with Blasto a few weeks ago; does anybody no the "triple Therapay" they talk about ever work? I took Metronidazole, but does not seem to have work; My dr. wants to test after a month of taking the medication; I do not think that they are gone.

[virginiaguy193]

II'm a 33 yr old male and I've been sick for 7 months now and was just diagnosed with Blostocystis Hominis.  My symptoms are a bit different than others, but I've had all the normal ones as well. Mine started out with swollen lymph nodes in my groin that moved to my armpits and neck.  An immediate onset of having to go to the bathroom to empty my bladder every 10 minutes for two or three days.  I then developed cold chills, night sweats energy crashes, and then my stools changed colors to a pale white/light tan color (Very smelly to boot).   I've had zero energy and have been dealing with the pain from the swollen lymph nodes ever since (They've only in the last three weeks started to go down).  I've been very depressed and can't kick the feeling of impending doom, and my brain just doesn't seem to be firing on all cylinders.  My most recent symptom to add to the mix is severe reflux and bloating.  The reflux is so bad that I've had to start sleeping sitting up and it constantly feels like something is stuck in my throat (From the irritation I assume).  I'm taking prilosec to no avail, but baking soda seems to give temporary relief.

After thousands of dollars in medical expenses I'm now being treated with flagyl for two weeks.  After reading everything on the net I'm keeping my fingers crossed I'm one of the lucky ones that the treatment works on.  I plan to switch my diet to pretty much all proteins and suppliments to try and help weaken this nasty bug.  

Wish me luck.

[gwtx2]

I was diagnosed with Blastocystis hominis. The stool test also revealed an abnormally low level of Secretory iga (sIgA). sIgA is the predominant antibody, or immune protien the body manufacturer's and releases in mucosa linings, including the gut. It is a necessary component to protect against viruses, bacterial, parasites and other germs. Stress, anxiety, negative moods, inadequate nutrition and excessive alcohol intake are some causes of a low level of sIgA. In my case, several months of negative moods and mental/physical stress were the cause. I would suspect this caused a proliferation of parasite colonies, which the body can get rid of normally, or keep in control at least.

Of course, the fix to increasing sigA levels is stop the causes mentioned above. L-glutamine has been shown to greatly assist in rebuilding the levels. Also, the probiotic S.boulardii has been shown to significantly increase SigA in mice and rats.

Amoeba's don't feed on grains, they feed on bacteria and/or blood. When your intestines are out of whack, undigested foods which enter the colon will begin to break down by the bacteria. The worst offender is refined carbohydrates, which includes breads made with refined grains. Some grains are not as bad such as oats. You really have to learn what you can eat by trial and error. Coffee, including decaf should be left out.

There are lots of herbs which many people claim to work and not one works for everyone. Those include oil of Oregano, berberine (Goldenseal), Grapefruit Seed extract, Wormwood, freshly ground cloves, Black Walnut Hull tincture, and a host of others. By extensive researching and reading, you will find all those things that have been stated as helping.

It is controversial whether it is good to take probiotics when trying to get rid of parasites since they love bacteria. My philosophy is to heal the gut and it will take care of itself, so I'd take ample doses of "good" probiotics, not cheap brands.

Tackling this bug without conventional drugs is not something that is done overnight, or in a few days. It will take weeks or months. It didn't happen in a few weeks, and it will take a few weeks to fix. Patience and strong commitment to taking supplements, healthy emotions, food, and lifestyle is key to recovery. You may or may not ever get rid of the bug completely, but it is possible to build up your immune system and gut to counteract any colonization, thereby eliminating symptoms.

[shayley13]

If blasto is described as a bug that feeds on grains, would it only make sense to eliminate any grains competely from your diet, while taking the anti-biotics for long enough to hopefully clear it? Is this something everyone who has said that drugs have failed, have tried??

[watermelon13]

Hi !
I'm in the middle of trying to rid myself of Blasto ..I've had it for quite some time and finally found out what it was six months ago after undergoing a complete gi panel..I went to several natural and conventional Dr.'s and got one antibiotic after the next..none of which worked !! My saving grace has been Jackie , the mediator of badbugs.org.  She has devoted herself to spreading knowledge about b.hominis and consequently her web site is the most informative and comprehensive source for anyone suffering from this terrible parasite..I am now "done" with Dr.'s and  ordered the "triple drug therapy" (not available in the US) from Mexico..I have taken the meds for two days now and will be on them for a ten day course..I then plan on taking a product called Florastor to recolonize my gut..Florastor is sacchorimycis Boillardi , a yeast that doesn't feed b. hominis..So I figure it's better than other probiotics , since they seem to be food for the parasite..I'm going to stick to a no carb diet for as long as possible , and hope that some day soon I'll have normal stools again instead of watery , gassy, odd colored and smelly stuff !!! I encourage you to study on badbugs.org..Jackie will actually e-mail you personally and is so willing to help..She had it for 10 years !! She is a saint !!! Good luck..I'll let you know how I do after this 10 days of meds,,Watermelon

[blastoishell]

Hi!

Has the results been good? Anyone else tried it?
Have you gotten rid of BH successfully and how? PLEASE ANSWER!!!

[Mike45526]

The key is ratio of protein to carbs.  Carbs that can reach your lower intestine (such as grains) are obviously out.  Milk products are of course out.  Lean chicken (poached or cooked in a way that is readily digestible works).  

Your mileage may vary, but I have found all these to work well:

Raw coconut, unsweetened So coconut milk
Raw cashews.  Natural peanut butter. Raw sunflower seeds.  Raw pumpkin seeds.  Flax seeds to keep things moving.
Raw walnuts
Broccolli, unpasturized saurkraut, asparugus, granny smith apples, garlic, olives. Blackberries

As stated before, chicken.  Eggs and egg whites cooked in olive oil or canola oil.

You also must supplement your calcium since you need to eliminate dairy.  I take a calcium, magnesium, zinc supplement.  I also take a multi and B complex.

I found to recover quick from accidental carbs, a buffered C complex works well.  It must be buffered.  Otherwise you will forfeit the calcium from your bones to balance your body's PH. I like a C complex with calcium and small amounts of zinc and magnesium.  I take around 5 to 7 grams a day typically.  Depending on how I feel. A psylium husk, flax seed combo also keeps things moving so the carbs do not linger for them to feed on.

The more digestible protein you get into your system, the better.  It shifts the ratio of carbs to protein in your favor.  Once you starve the BH, you body can start to fight it.

I use a modified version of the specific carbohydrate diet.  "Modified" meaning, I eat carbs in moderation.   When I eat too much, I follow the regimen above for few days.  Once I followed the above regimen and went asymptomatic for three weeks until a stomach bug hit my family and a week later my symptoms returned.  Essentially, I had rendered the BH insignificant.   The bad stomach flu gave it the setting to come back.  I'm working up my health to get back to that point.  I'm pretty close.

Good luck

[cheekydani]

HI Vee,

I'm about to start the treatment that the Aussie clinic have developed, though I'm in the UK so having to have it sent to me. Just wondered if it was effective for you?

[chaspat]

Hello,
I was diagnosed with bh last Tuesday and since have been on three different meds. The symptoms seemed to go away after a couple of days and then returned with a vengence. I am just looking into dietary changes, that my doctor failed to address. I have a sweet tooth and just before the last flare up had lots of cheese and ice cream. From what I've read, these are not good choices for parasites. Can you recommend appropriate food choices that will help eliminate this parasite?