Quote Originally Posted by bamboo bob View Post
...but most go away on their own or with a dose or two of Imodium....
I agree with everything else in your post but this, and it's a technicality. As I understand it, Imodium simply stops the diarrhea, which can certainly be helpful sometimes (OK, most of the time). But if you're someplace near a toilet, I've heard you're better off letting the diarrhea go, so to speak, and get the baddies out of your system. The diarrhea is there for a reason, it's trying to do something helpful, and you don't want to stop it if possible. I don't think Imodium actually cures anything in the gut. But it sounds like it helps you get more hydration and nourishment out of your food and drink, if the diarrhea is really bad.

Personally, I don't like taking the pills if I don't need to, and I don't carry any when I'm hiking. I've never had diarrhea on the trail. When I get back to town life, different story. I often get sick when I get back to civilization. I think it's being around public transportation, door knobs, school children--all the stuff we escape when we go hiking.