Parasites!

Yes go into any pharmacy and ask for a desparacito.  I use Zentel  2 pills a day for 3 days kills pretty much everything. I use it preventively every 3 months on the advice of an american doctor. It won't hurt anything to take it.

Ivermectin 9mg will do it as well.

Bob K

Where would I get these parasites from??? What should I watch out for on my upcoming trip? Is this a common thing in the country? Thanks.

Parasites and amaebas (can't spell that word)are pretty common. YOu get it from  water in pools, in the shower,  food, etc etc.  DOn't worry as its common here.

If you are new or just visiting - only drink bottled water, brush your teeth with bottled water, keep your mouth shut in the shower....  wash fruits and veggies adding a bit of white vinegar to the water.  be careful where you eat.  And wash your hands fairly frequently.  These things will help.

Bob you know more about this than I do........  weigh in....

planner wrote:

It won't hurt anything to take it.

...except a developing fetus. Just be careful in that regard as it's a pregnancy Category D medication.

I will trust you on that as I have no idea.  Anyone pregnant or breast feeding should ask their doctor.  I don't mean to give medical advice,  just to pass on what I do and have been told to do.

THANKS!!!

Planner is correct.  Another good med that is used here all the time is Abendazole.  Forgot that one this morning in my early morning fog.  We actually take one pill every couple of months and have never had a problem.  I am not sure of the Pregnancy category but it is easy to find in a PDR or online.

If pregnant ALWAYS ask you doctor before you take anything other than your prenatal vits.

BObK

Thanks Planner,will follow your guidelines, as a matter of fact I just bought a vegetable wash for my trip, but did not know about brushing with bottle water, I figured since I was not swallowing it would be safe, but I guess brushing creates micro tears and the amoebas can get in through there.

When you are not used to things here it is just better safe then sorry, after a while,  well we just brush our teeth.....LOL

In just 1 week my body has adapted to the water, I think. Ive been brushing my teeth and showering without any issues. I'm more scared of the side effects of the meds than the water.

yes, i think we got it from brushing our teeth with the tap water in santiago or maybe swimming in a freshwater river at an expat place outside of puerta plata or maybe from fresh vegetables like lettuce. i have both amoeba and giardia. boo hop

Not fun for you. Get some of these meds asap and you will quickly feel better.

Just came across this post and thought I would add a quick note.  Once I had a bad stomach and immodium did nothing.  I asked a Dr. Friend what I should do?  He told me if you get tested and have parasites you can take the drugs that were mentioned in previous posts but a little trick you can do is eat pumkin seeds and mix 2 tablespoons of pure carob powder in a glass of water(bottled of course).  They both have anti-parasitic qualities. Maybe this can help someone

Thanks the real issue is going to be finding both of those items!  not sure we can get them here easily.

yes, carob powder would be difficult. i have been give a few different local home remedies, and they all seem to require the local pumpkin/squash seeds and the stringy part as well as cinnamon and garlic. One called for malagueta also. I may have left out  few lesser ingredients.

I will stick to the one abendazole tablet.  Much easier.

Bob K

yes, and more effective. i didn't have much luck with the soup/tea, though I was probably supposed to be drinking it all day for a few days. It's actually cheaper to by the meds if you don't have a garden. Pumpkin is not that cheap.

I also suggest you use it 3 times a year or so as a preventative measure!

True we actually take a pill every 4 months.

Bob K

And its time for mine now!!!!

Hey Bob how many do you take every 4 months? Is this truly necessary and what foods should I watch out for? If these parasites go untreated, what are the end results? I visit often, but have never taken any anti-parasite tablets. How would I know I have a parasite? Thanks.

one pill
Make sure you food is well cooked and looks fresh.

Bob k

Parasites and other things (amoebas) come from many many places,  You swam in a pool.  You went in a river. You ate on the street corner.  You didn't wash your veggies well.  You brushed your teeth with tap water.  The list can go on an on an on. It is impossible to completely prevent it! 

Symptoms will depend on what you have!  They can be quite different.  I had one years ago that gave me cramps every time I ate anything.  Others will give you nausea and vomitting. And many will not have symptoms but they are there.....

I am not positive but I think we build up some resistance over time!  But I still take my little pills every 3 or 4 months!

Yes you do build a resistance as you are exposed to more.  I actually get more stomach problems when I visit the US than now in the DR.
Today I am having breakfast with eggs and I cannot remember the last time I saw eggs with yellow yolks rather that the orange ones I am used to in the DR.

Bob K

So true Bob.  Another  common thing for expats is to get viruses here in the first 2 years or so.  As expats we do not have any resistance to the bugs here, so we get them!  It is a pretty normal part of the process of settling in!!!!

Imidal 500 could be a good option.

What is Imidal 500???

MASSAGEWIZ wrote:

What is Imidal 500???

Google it.

Not overly helpful.

As stated earlier, Zentel works. Just ask the pharmacist at one of the larger pharmacies, they will help you.

I got some really nasty parasite (or perhaps parasites) from some chicharrones sold by a street vendor in Juan Dolio. They appeared to be well cooked and fresh, but that is the last time I will try that. I could not eat anything for days: I could not swallow food at all, and the couple of times I forced it, it came right back up. .Fradazol was what eventually cured me. I ate chicharrones in Mexico many times before without any problems.

Welcome to the forum.  Tell us about yourself.  Three are lots of good folks here.  We look forward to your contributions.

I have eaten chicharrones  multiple times here with no problem.  Sorry you did not do so well.

Bob K

I see  you did introduce yourself in another post.  Thanks
And again welcome

Bob K

I realize that anytime you eat anything that is not very recently cooked, you run the risk of getting some sort of bicho. So if I try chicharrones again, I will make sure that they are just recently out of the skillet. It's not like they are good for you, anyway.

It tastes way too good to be good for you

Bob K

It happens even at the best places..... it will likely keep happening once in a while.....just take the meds.

I agree that you never know where the parasites might be, but if it something hot off the stove, the chances are less. It was a really unpleasant situation.

hi! I had giardia lamblia in Southern Mexico before I got Dominican.
I suffered like 40 days,lost 6 kg. The gastro doctor in Mexico gave me Metronidazol 400mg,after each meal (3times a day) like 10 days maybe. + oflaxecino 400mg antibiotic.
And when I finished them, he gave me another one, nitazoxanida. And he told me to take it every 3 or 6 months.
Vinegar just helps to elevate the acidity so for this creatures it gets hard to live I guess, but for a disinfection I think there we have got to use some kind a tincture of iodine or clor,in correct proportions and times.
And if you live in a house,we should use a tablet of clor for the water tank,i think that would help.
My greetings to all

I dont know anything about that stuff.  I do know we never ever ever drink the tap water.  We put some chloro in the water tank to keep the mosquitoes down and other things.

I've never heard of iodine for our water or disinfecting here. I will wait for Bob to comment, he knows way more about this.