I'm wondering...
My stomach has been feeling weird for the last little bit and I was wondering if maybe it might not be bacteria or adaptation to certain foods, but what if it was a parasite? How could I know if this was the case and does the body rid parasites on it's own or would I need to help it out? I'm kind of getting paranoid over this thought, pretty nasty to think about. Ｓｈｏｕｌｄ Ｉ ｇｅｔ ｔｅｓｔｅｄ ｗｈｅｎ Ｉget home to be on the safe side? Anyone ever get a parasite during their travels?
Reply to this Hello Danny 😊
Some parasites go away by themselves as far as I know. I don't know if they all go away by themselves or some need medication to make them go away.
If the sickness gets worse and is not gone in a few days, I would go to a clinic and ask them to do some tests for parasites.
All stomach upsets I have caught have gone away withing a few days, with no medical treatment.
I wouldn't rush home because of it. Sometimes you are better off staying put when you have any kind of tropical ailment. When you get home they are often unfamiliar with treating tropical illnesses, and their confusion can be more scary than the illness. Clinics in Asia will be more experienced with dealing with any parasite you might have picked up there. Go to a reputable one in a major city. Your insurance company may be able to advise you on which one, or else choose one recommended in the Lonely Planet book.
Also, keep in mind that things like dehydration can make you feel very sick too. And so can other things such as sun stroke. ie. There might be no parasite.
Mel
Reply to this My freinds stomachs felt wierd ,as you describe, when 1st travelling in China.They went to see a Dr and he told them not to worry their bodies were just ajusting to eating dog.
Combantrin is a well known and respected "worm medicine" that won't hurt you if you are clean.You will know if you have them though as the medicine will make you just a little sick.
Don't go home over a tummy ache.
Reply to this Danny, not sure what you mean by 'feeling weird'!! most parasites would give you vomiting, diarrhea and some sort of stomach cramps. If you are in doubt then definitely get tested once you can and get the treatment you need (usually very strong anitbiotics).
We have both experience parasites travelling - the main one is giardiasis and it's bad, very bad....in fact I (Donna) still suffer as it re-occurs every now and again - usually when I least expect it and at the worst time (like before a 16 hour sleeper bus journey!). It's very obvious though if you have a parasite, if it's just your tummy feeling weird then don't worry you are just probably adjusting to different foods/oils - palm oil is used a lot in Asia and if your tummy isn't used to it you can feel a bit weird. If you do get diarrhea then don't travel and don't use Immodium, let it run it's course. Rest, have plenty of fluids and if it lasts longer than 48 hours then you need antibiotics...that's usually the doctor's advice!
Don't go home because of it...over the last 3 years I have had 4-5 instances of the giardiasis flaring up and on one occasion I had to continue hiking the Inca Trail (it happened on the first night of the hike!) - it's never stopped us!!
Reply to this No worries I wouldn't go home because of this, I just want to be on the safeside that's all. Stomach is still feeling bloated and gassy, I did notice some white flakes in my stools but could be nothing, also noticed a rash that sometimes occurs on either side of my abdomen, again could be unrelated, if my stomach still bugs me in one month, when I arrive in Shanghai I might just get a test to rule the possibility out completely. I drank tap water when I was in a monastery for a week in the mountains, cuz there was nothing else so maybe I'm overthinking it, best case scenario.
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