View Full Version : giardia...my first time
Just got back from 180 miles on the LT/AT in vermont. Being a tuff guy i never filter or treat my water. well after ten years of it i finally got bit by the little giardia bug.. oh how wonderful it is....trying to treat with no doctor hopefully it works...anyone have any good home remidys for treatment of it?
rmitchell
08-12-2012, 20:08
Six weeks supply of pepto-bismol. :(
Lone Wolf
08-12-2012, 20:12
Just got back from 180 miles on the LT/AT in vermont. Being a tuff guy i never filter or treat my water. well after ten years of it i finally got bit by the little giardia bug.. oh how wonderful it is....trying to treat with no doctor hopefully it works...anyone have any good home remidys for treatment of it?
how do you know it's giardia? never assume
Depends what you call a home remedy. You could get fish zole delivered to your home and treat yourself with that. Err, I mean treat your pets with it. Fish zole is what flagyl is called when it's not prescribed by a doctor.
Either giardia...the flu...or food poisoning... the stuff im taking(stomach rescue and acidophilus and bifidus) that my pharmacy recommend is supposed to help food poisoning and giardia so in theory i have 2 of the three covered. again i said in theory. did a bunch of research and the symptoms all match giardia but are very close to the other two conditions stated above....be stocked up on soft TP is the main thing that I've found
Oh, and I'm not a doctor, so if you get sicker or die, then you'll serve as an example for what happens for listening to internet advice instead of medical professional advice.
Leafty....lol ill in no way hold you responsible...thanks for the info....where can this product for my pets be purchased?
kayak karl
08-12-2012, 20:32
giardia is a parasite and can only be diagnosed with a stool sample test and even that is not always definite. under the microscope is the second test.
how do you know it was the water that made you sick. touching privy door handle, shelter floors, bad food and poor conditions even in town. if it is giardia it will take months to pass the "bugs". hope you sleep in your own room :)
Karl...i don't think anyone can be certain of where they picked it up im just guessing at the most common cause i guess...
Ask your doctor for a prescription for Flagyl
rocketsocks
08-12-2012, 20:48
Regardless of what it is, it's important to keep hydrated, and replace lost electrolytes, stay away from the sweet drinks like gator aid, or at least water them down, something about the sugars taking more water to process ...I think. Bananas, Rice, may help to bind or slow the complete evacuation or all your fluids, and bananas are high in potassium. Stock up on the TP also. good luck!
The Cleaner
08-12-2012, 20:49
Wasn't there just a warning about the norovirus in the northern part of the AT?Seems like every time some hiker gets a stomach bug they think it's Giardia.You can get really sick from not washing a cooking pot and rinsing with a little boiling water.I've seen more than one hiker cook food in a pan then lick it or wipe it out then put it away.Then they say the next time I cook that will kill leftover germs.The problem is that they put food to be cooked in that pan which has been in their pack all day and it can come into contact with the last meal's leftovers that you can't see.....
I was prescribed 250mg metronidazole 3x per day for five days. I carried fishzole on my thru hike and keep it in stock at all times just in case. There are different strengths of Fishzole, check the strength. You can get it on the net and shipped the next day. That is much quicker than the efficient medical profession was able to get me on the medicine after I walked in and told them exact what I had. $700 worth of testing, several days and much weight lose and finally they gave me metronidazole. May not be the approach for everyone but make your own call.
rocketsocks
08-12-2012, 20:50
Wasn't there just a warning about the norovirus in the northern part of the AT?Seems like every time some hiker gets a stomach bug they think it's Giardia.You can get really sick from not washing a cooking pot and rinsing with a little boiling water.I've seen more than one hiker cook food in a pan then lick it or wipe it out then put it away.Then they say the next time I cook that will kill leftover germs.The problem is that they put food to be cooked in that pan which has been in their pack all day and it can come into contact with the last meal's leftovers that you can't see.....Yep, the story is on the home page here at white blaze.
metronidazole is generic for Flagyl
Wise Old Owl
08-12-2012, 20:57
I have a small stool sample for you ..... Nevermind. Fogettaboutit just awkward, movin on.
After reading this the blisters from my trip do not fell near as bad.
Sarcasm the elf
08-12-2012, 21:13
how do you know it's giardia? never assume
Exactly, I've met lots of people who have suffered from "Giardia" but I've never met anyone who has gotten it confirmed by lab tests. I imagine most of those cases are actually some sort common of foodbourne illness.
Either way it sucks and I feel for you, but I'd get it checked out to make sure you get treated for the right thing.
The Cleaner
08-12-2012, 21:37
Wash your hands......... and your cooking pans...
rmitchell
08-12-2012, 21:45
Agree with the cautions about sanitation. Noro virus was reported in TN/NC in May and has been reported in Me now. However wouldn't a virus or food borne illness run its course in a couple of days? Giardia could take weeks to for the parasite to get out of one's system.
Leafty....lol ill in no way hold you responsible...thanks for the info....where can this product for my pets be purchased?
Walmart, pet stores. I got mine online.
SCRUB HIKER
08-12-2012, 21:58
Best home remedy I've ever heard of, which was allegedly suggested by a doctor to a friend of a friend who had been diagnosed with giardia (see how many qualifiers I'm throwing in? This could quite easily be BS, but in the story I heard it worked) is ... get yourself blindingly drunk. Like, blacked out, keep a friend around to babysit you drunk. Allegedly this nukes the giardia out of your stomach.
Now, if you try this and kill yourself or incur severe dehydration, don't blame me. I'm just passing on unverified advice.
rocketsocks
08-12-2012, 22:03
Best home remedy I've ever heard of, which was allegedly suggested by a doctor to a friend of a friend who had been diagnosed with giardia (see how many qualifiers I'm throwing in? This could quite easily be BS, but in the story I heard it worked) is ... get yourself blindingly drunk. Like, blacked out, keep a friend around to babysit you drunk. Allegedly this nukes the giardia out of your stomach.
Now, if you try this and kill yourself or incur severe dehydration, don't blame me. I'm just passing on unverified advice.After reading your comment....I've decided to subscribed to this thread.;)
scrub
i would almost rather have the sickness than the horrible hangover...the hangovers are why i quit drinking....just smoke(not cigarettes) now seems much easier on the body and really opens up the mind....but other than getting sick i had a great trip met some AWESOME people and took some great pictures....by the way the starks nest warming hut was the best night on trail....second was goddard shelter
fredmugs
08-13-2012, 10:20
Best home remedy I've ever heard of, which was allegedly suggested by a doctor to a friend of a friend who had been diagnosed with giardia (see how many qualifiers I'm throwing in? This could quite easily be BS, but in the story I heard it worked) is ... get yourself blindingly drunk. Like, blacked out, keep a friend around to babysit you drunk. Allegedly this nukes the giardia out of your stomach.
Now, if you try this and kill yourself or incur severe dehydration, don't blame me. I'm just passing on unverified advice.
So the "best home remedy" is your unverified advice? Were you Michael Jackson's doctor?
Snowleopard
08-13-2012, 11:21
If you are in contact with children or infants, see a doctor and practice extreme hygiene. Untreated diarrhea can cause death in children and especially infants.
For mild diarrhea that doesn't require a doctor, peptobismol helps.
If it really is giardia, see a doctor. Don't take animal antibiotics.
For all diarrhea, the danger is dehydration and it can be really dangerous. Get pedialyte from your drugstore or make your own (lacks some ingredients):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy#Basic_solution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy#Basic_solution)
Gatorade or other sports drinks diluted half and half with water is probably OK.
If dehydration gets bad enough, you will need to go to an ER for IV fluids. If you are unable to keep fluids down (or in), you'll probably need this.
Mountain Maiden
08-13-2012, 11:41
Just got back from 180 miles on the LT/AT in vermont. Being a tuff guy i never filter or treat my water. well after ten years of it i finally got bit by the little giardia bug.. oh how wonderful it is....trying to treat with no doctor hopefully it works...anyone have any good home remidys for treatment of it?
Google 'grapefruit seed extract' in regard to giardia, diarrhea, etc. Easy to find, easy to use, inexpensive per dose and all natural. Best of all----effective.
Hope u feel better SOON!
Capt Nat
08-13-2012, 11:54
I consider myself an expert on giardia. I've gotten it 3 times here in Florida. The first time, I didn't know what was wrong. I tried to tough it out. When I was not able to function well anymore, I went to a doctor. The stool sample was easy to obtain, all I had to do was drink a half cup of water and wait about 60 seconds.
I found out that you don't die from giardia, you die from the dehydration and exhaustion. The cramps are spectacular. The flagyl cleared up the symtoms within 12 hours or less.
The next time, I recognized what it was immediately. There's no other smell like it. I immediately went to a doctor and took care of it instead of suffering for 3 weeks like the first time. The 3rd time, on the way to the doctor, I stopped at the vet with my horse. The vet asked what was wrong with me and I told him. He gave me flagyl for horses, told me to cut the pills in half, and I cleared it up myself.
I don't know about the alcohol thing but it's a fine line between killing the parasite without killing the host.
I do not recommend waiting. It's not going to go away. The longer you wait, the longer you suffer.
WILLIAM HAYES
08-14-2012, 00:43
had it no fun take flagyl and in the future always treat your water I learned the hard way
vamelungeon
08-14-2012, 05:15
Go see a doctor.
5 days in i feel much better....so if in fact it was "giardia " the meds the pharmacy gave me worked....thanks for all the advice.
sawyer filter maybe or do i just keep on chancing my luck....it did take 10 years to get it this time
rocketsocks
08-14-2012, 07:56
5 days in i feel much better....so if in fact it was "giardia " the meds the pharmacy gave me worked....thanks for all the advice.
sawyer filter maybe or do i just keep on chancing my luck....it did take 10 years to get it this timeGlad your feeling better, so what were you given at the pharmacy?
rocket
just so i don't have to type it again its in my second post of this thread.....
I got it last fall, NH hike, confirmed by stool sample..............Doctor thought it was a virus, he prescribed some kind of antibiotic, took 4 at once..........gone.
That's the good news, the 2 1/2 weeks before this was like a 2 1/2 week hangover - lost about 7 lbs.
Not fun............would not want to have it while hiking.
Buffalo Skipper
08-14-2012, 22:25
My oldest brother has been married 4 times. He always says: "The first time is always so special." Somehow I feel the same thing can be said for giardia.
Get well soon, brother. :)
infoleather
08-16-2012, 01:45
Different strengths Fishzole, and to check the strength. Net and shipped the next day, you can get it.