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Anyone ever contracted any type of stomach/intestinal parasite?

I feel like I've picked something up, been to the doctor and they told me to wait it out and see if it got any better. His next course of action was (wanting) to stick a camera up there-- personally, I think that's jumping the gun. Maybe I'm just protective off the 'ole balloon knot.

I spend a lot of time in the mountains and don't filter/boil everything I drink. It's hot here, I'd do nothing but sit around and filter all day long.

What were your symptoms?
What tests if any did you have to diagnose yourself?
What treatment(s) did you undergo?

What are YOUR symptoms?

I picked up something on the AT in 1974. I had terrible stomach cramps for about two months. They mainly treated me by treating the symptoms (lomotil).

I had Giardiasis a couple of years back. I got over it in about a month, but meds would have been nice. i had pretty bad diarrhea, cramps, and significant weight loss.

Most intestinal parasites are treated with metronidazole or similar drugs, which are no fun to take. I don't know why your doctor would need to do a GI endoscopy. That is usually a last ditch diagnostic effort.
Your doctor should be taking stool samples of some kind if something is actually wrong. You may want to find a new physician if you are convinced something is wrong.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to, constitutional symtpoms such as fever, malaise, weight loss, dizziness & weakness, and more gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdomal cramps, diarrhea, blood in the stool, excessive gas, food intolerance, changes in stool patterns and color, etc.

Your physician can and should order the following stool studies:

Stool culture
Fecal leukocytes
O&P (ova & parasites)
stool wet mount (microscope examination) w/ acid-fast stain, trichrome stain

Sometimes muscle biopsy is required if trichomonas is suspected.

jeash. Sorry bub.

Your doctor told you to wait it out?

So, what happened since you posted?

I contracted some sort of intestinal parasite in high school and those were the worst cramps I've ever had. I would lay doubled-over thinking I was dying. Finally went to a doctor who did the ol' scope, they found what it was, was given some medicine (sorry can't remember what) and it cleared up in about 3 days.

I'd weigh the pros and cons of filtering water more than you do now. At least it's not worth it to me to go through that again versus spending some time pumping water.

I had a parasite for a while. Mild symptoms for over a year, but hard to say just how much was due to the parasite alone. I did lose about 10-15 pounds, though. I forget the type of parasite, but it wasn't giardia, which is the one everyone seems to focus on, but definitely isn't the only kind you can catch. Others like the ones I had aren't necessarily obvious in their symptoms

I'd suggest going to a naturopathic doctor for this kind of thing, they're better at it and will take it more seriously. In addition, they'll more than likely order a comprehensive stool analysis that can detect the type of parasite you have, or rule it out. That's how I found out I had one.