As for friendly, the medications to terminate and eliminate them are not friendly either. In a sense, it's handy that I have experience with digestive upset, because I've drawn upon it over the course of the medications so far...
Now that the invaders have a name, they can be dealt with decisively. I know that there are billions of microorganisms in a human body...yet somehow, knowing that there are amoeba rioting in the gut is gross. Not only do they riot, but when they're medicated--they hunker down in protective cysts. Again- gross. According to the doctor, whose advice has already helped me greatly (trust is increasing there but it will never go 'blind'...), these wee bastards need a double-barrelled approach to bring about their exits.
The particular type that I have onboarded are very, very common, and less irksome to people in South America. Not coincidentally, I've been there...for five years. These parasites rarely cause problems for those who are accustomed to them; I am not part of that group. And so (entonces-for the Spanish fun of the equivalent expression), I am affected, quite negatively. I believe these little bastards are the explanation for the months of vomiting I experienced. How'd I manage to get these? I'm guessing either poor hygiene in the food handling chain of events in a restaurant or market somewhere, or in the veggies themselves, if they'd been present in the water using in growing the veggies...
I'm done the first step, which was an antibiotic that felt quite strong. I felt as though I was oozing with "medicine" smell. My sense of smell and taste was off...I didn't even like coffee, because it tasted so strange while I was on them. More about coffee later (as promised). The first medication is meant to kill off the amoeba. But as I understand it, that's not enough, because they'll encyst, and simply pop back into action once that medication clears the system. That's the reason for the second medication---ensuring that doesn't happen.
I've now moved onto the second day of the second medication, which is meant to eliminate the cysts. I don't think my brutally recurring headache yesterday was unrelated... [pausing to call doctor and see if pain medications interact well or poorly with this medication-because I abstained, not wanting to counter any medicine's potency]. Six more days including this one, and the sailing should be smoothed out. I feel fortunate that I can take the time to heal up, and get on with life.
I've used "smoothed out"...because I'll keep blending and shaking all those nutritious bits together and swilling them down in volumes, because even without the medications, I was feeling a bit better thanks to the continuing "nutrient-dense" approach. I'm not absorbing all of the nutrients I'm taking in - that is what having a parasite means I guess! Now, without parasite, I think I should be able to better digest foods and absorb nutrients, seal up and heal whatever damage has been happening inside my gastrointestinal tract, and get on with getting healthier.
As promised, this is a gross-post...I'm including excerpts from a website that explains the drugs and gives a more scientific, less...um... experiential description of the whats, whys and hows of this kind of parasitic infection. Click to read full explanation from drugs.com which sources some of the information from the CDC, according to themselves.
Gastrointestinal Amebiasis
What Is It?
Gastrointestinal amebiasis is an infection of the large intestine caused by microscopic one-celled parasites commonly known as amoebas (Entamoeba histolytica). Because these parasites live in the large intestine, they travel in the feces of infected people, and can contaminate water supplies in places where sanitation is poor. The parasite can contaminate fruits and vegetables grown in areas where human feces are used as fertilizer. They can be transferred on the dirty hands of infected people who don't wash their hands often or correctly.
Once amoebas enter the mouth, they travel through the digestive system and settle in the large intestine. Harmless strains of the parasite (Entamoeba dispar) live there without causing damage. E. histolytica can live in the intestine without causing symptoms, but it also can cause severe disease. These amoebas may invade the wall of the intestine, leasing to amoebic dysentery, an illness that causes intestinal ulcers, bleeding, increased mucus production and diarrhea. These amoebas also may pass into the bloodstream and travel to the liver or, infrequently, to the brain, where they form pockets of infection (abscesses).
About 10% of the world's population is infected with amoebas, particularly people who live in Mexico, India, Central America, South America, Africa and the tropical areas of Asia. In industrialized countries, amebiasis is most common in recent immigrants and travelers who visit countries where amoebas are prevalent.
Image from CDC website:
SymptomsImage from CDC website:
In more than 90% of cases, the infecting strain of amoeba does not cause any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they usually begin within months after amoebas first enter the body. In some people, the symptoms are mild, consisting of mild pain and gurgling sounds in the lower abdomen, along with two or three loose stools daily. In other people, however, there can be full-blown symptoms of amoebic dysentery, including high fever, severe abdominal pain and 10 or more episodes of diarrhea daily. Typically, this diarrhea is watery or contains blood and mucus.
When amoebas spread to the liver and cause liver abscess, symptoms can include fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen, weight loss and an enlarged liver. It is possible for a person to develop symptoms of an amoebic liver abscess without ever having had the diarrhea typical of infection.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will ask about your exposure to amoebas, especially about any recent trips to areas where amoebas are common. Your doctor will look for specific symptoms of amoebic infection, especially frequent diarrhea or loose stools and the presence of blood and mucus in your bowel movements. Because other conditions can cause bloody diarrhea, and because there are other types of infectious diarrhea, information about bowel disease in your family and details of your travels are particularly important.
Expected Duration
Harmless amoebas can live in the intestines for years without causing symptoms. When invasive amoebas cause symptoms of amoebic dysentery, attacks can last from a few days to several weeks. Unless you are treated, you can have another attack.
Prevention
There is no immunization to protect against gastrointestinal amebiasis. If you travel to areas where amebiasis is common, you can decrease your risk of infection by drinking only canned or bottled drinks or water that has been boiled. Eat only foods that have been cooked thoroughly. Drink only pasteurized milk and dairy products. If you eat raw fruit, eat only those that you have freshly peeled.
Treatment
Gastrointestinal amebiasis is treated with nitroimidazole drugs, which kill amoebas in the blood, in the wall of the intestine and in liver abscesses. These drugs include metronidazole (Flagyl) and tinidazole (Tindamax, Fasigyn). Metronidazole usually is given for 10 days, either by mouth or directly into the veins (intravenously). To kill amoebas and cysts confined to the intestine, three drugs called luminal drugs are available: iodoquinol (Diquinol and others), paromomycin (Humatin) and diloxanide furoate (Furamide). One of these drugs is used along with metronidazole when gastrointestinal symptoms are present. In people who pass amoebas in their stools without having symptoms of amebiasis, the luminal drugs alone can clear the amoebas from the bowel.
Prognosis
Drug treatment can cure amebiasis within a few weeks. However, because medication cannot keep you from getting infected again, repeat episodes of amebiasis may occur if you continue to live in or travel to areas where amoebas are found. Among children in developing countries, especially infants and those younger than 5, gastrointestinal amebiasis can be fatal. Worldwide, amebiasis is the third most common cause of death from parasitic infections.
External resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30333 Toll-Free: 1-888-232-3228 TTY: 1-888-232-6348 http://www.cdc.gov
Cheers and chao, and have fun washing your hands?!!
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