[pct-l] Giardia Test at the Kick-Off Party - (Was Giaradia

[brick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (brick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)]

At 12:29 AM 3/10/03, you wrote:
>Ok....
>
>This is a *really* bad idea.

Maybe it is a bad idea for YOU....

>If a doctor prescibes a regimen of antibiotics, fine, but please do not
>self-prescibe.

In the circumstances prevalent along the PCT, the hiker may be several days
from the nearest town, and many of the smaller towns have no doctors, which
would require begging a ride to the nearest town with one. Assuming it's
not a weekend, this would still require several miserable days of travel to
seek treatment. In this situation, self diagnosis, and treatment may be a
better choice for the informed and competent through hiker. This does NOT
mean swallowing some pills at the first loose stool. If you are not
comfortable evaluating yourself, and don't have enough confidence in your
own judgment, then by all means don't even consider this. (You also might
want to reconsider your through hike!)

>Most people who decided on their own to take antibiotics stop
>as soon as they feel better.<snip>

You didn't read what I wrote did you? the treatment for Giardia is ONE dose
(24 hours), so this argument doesn't hold water.

did you even bother to read the article in the link?


>Gray
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <brick@webrooster.com>
>To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
>Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 9:44 PM
>Subject: RE: [pct-l] Giardia Test at the Kick-Off Party - (Was Giaradia
>
>
> > At 04:24 PM 3/9/03, Bryan@bryan-w.com wrote:
> > >  If you got very ill for a two month
> > >period of time, do you think you would still finish the thru hike?
> >
> > Two months? why be sick for 2 months?
> >
> > The antibiotic Tinidazole will cure Giardia in 24 hours, costs about $2
>for
> > a dose, and is available in Tijuana, very close to the start of the PCT.
> >
> > See http://www.aldhawest.org/Tips/girdia.htm
> >
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> >