[pct-l] Giardia questions

[Lisa Peru]

I agree completely. I had amoebas in Chile and it was three times as bad as the time I got giardiasis in Oregon. The anti-amoeba meds killed all my symbionts as well and it took several years for my gut to recover. Blech, but not treating would have been deadly. IIRC, Flagel for giardia is not expensive and far nicer than a two-week diet of unadulterated white rice. 

And thanks for thinking about the rest of us! 

Peru

On Dec 30, 2011, at 7:36 PM, "Hernandez" <hernand at magicriver.net> wrote:

> Moonbeam here. You might try getting tested at an office of the Department
> of Public Health near you, because you may have amoebas, which can be quite
> nasty. I suspect the DPH would be lots cheaper than a private lab. Make sure
> you tell them you were in Colombia.
> 
> FWIW...
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of Gail Francis
> Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 10:15 AM
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] Giardia questions
> 
> Hi,
> I was in Colombia a couple months ago and seem to have picked up some
> giardia or something similar. Since I have a huge deductible for my health
> insurance, I had been planning to just let it run its course. (I had another
> intestinal buddy like giardia about ten years ago after a messy stint on the
> Appalachian Trail and it took a couple months but it did clear up on its
> own.) However, just this morning it occurred to me that if I don't get it
> treated I could be introducing it wherever I shit when I'm on the PCT or
> other hikes. Of course, I always dig a cat hole, but that's hardly perfect
> and sometimes the circumstances are such that digging a decent hole is
> scarcely possible. So, does anyone know how long after symptoms clear up my
> shit might still contain creepy crawlies? Thanks!
> gmf
> 
>  
> ---
> http://gmfranci.wordpress.com/
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