Help!! Campylobacter Infection suspected

freenote

Been back in England for three weeks and have developed these symptoms
Rear end like a hose pipe,
Hot flushes and cold shivers
Nausea ,
surprise ,surprise ,lethargy
Ac-king skin .
Wife suffering same symptoms .Went to doctor ,stool sample takern.and it came back Campylorbactor .medication supplied and taken as per instructions (wife as well.). Another stool sample which has just come back clear !! I was a couple better but it is now back with a vengeance .Any Ideas ?
must dash

passingby

don't know what advice to give you...
just rest up and drink mint tea or take some pepto bismol.
if the tests came back ok from the doc, then it is not so bad, maybe just a reaction from something you ate or probably maybe a reaction from antibiotics???

Gayamom

There are a bunch of possibilities: 1) you absorbed the antibiotic poorly, campy persisted, 2) the campy was resistant to the antibiotic, it persisted, 3) you didn't take all of the antibiotic, campy persisted, 3) you have malabsorption or a digestive deficiency (e.g. lactose intolerance) as a consequence of your bowel infection, symptoms should be slightly different from original process, 4) you have a second (or third) pathogen that was not treated by the original prescription, 5) you have an antibiotic-related process (e.g. Clostridium difficile). Probably more possibilities that I'm not thinking of.

I'm afraid you'll need another visit or two with your doctor to sort out what exactly is going on. Be persistent! It took me a full summer to work through all the gut kinks that resulted from a particularly long trip to India.

Cheers,

GM

P.S. The lawyers want me to say, this post is general information only and not medical advice directed to your care. Such advice and care should be sought only from qualified medical professionals. Please confirm all information you read on the web with your doctor.

Judi

I'm afraid this happened to me, too, the first time I went to India. The campy 'returned' and took another double does of antibiotics before it went. I'm sorry to tell you that it took me several months before I felt really well again. Go back to the doctor -now, please. Untreated campy can have very serious results.

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vistet

Stool samples is a dodgy thing , sometimes two negative tests are required before you can be certain it´s over. But as above said , don´t take my word for it, talk it over with your doc.

Sama

I googled this since I never heard of it and came up with old fashioned food poisoning. What did you eat? This is link from WebMD

http://www.webmd.com/hw/raising_a_family/tp21223.asp

I had salmonella food poisoning once from eating canned sardines in Mexico and all I did was take antibiotics and let it run its course.

Apparently what you have comes from poultry products according to WebMD

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Judi

Not just 'old fashioned food poisoning', I'm afraid. A severe bout can have really serious long-term consequences if not treated properly.

Yes, it does mainly come from undercooked or raw chicken - although it is found in other meats, too. However, if an infected chicken has been prepared on a chopping board, and then vegetables prepared on that same board afterwards without it being thoroughly cleaned,the bacteria can be passed on through the vegetables in this way, too

I won't go away without treatment, so I can't urge you enough to go back to the doctor. As another poster said, it can be present even if a sample says it's clear.

I took acidophilus (spelling?) tablets for about three months afterwards to sort out the gut - to counteract all those antibiotics. But be prepared for it to be along haul before you are really well again. Good luck.

Banarasi at heart

Just curious. What is Campy?

Sama

so how is it different from salmonella food poisoning, or any other food poisoning, other than a different pathogen? the bacterium is more virulent?

I remember from my bout with salmonella, I had severe diarreha, and a very high temperature, like 104 or thereabouts. It was many years before I ate canned sardines again!

on both trips to India I took probiotics daily. maybe that's why I never got sick.

lindakka

Camby is Campylobacter...a not-nice infection. I ended up with it, along with Giardia and was hospitalized for 9 days. Don't mess around with it. One source of the bacteria is from small animals - young puppies, goats, as well as milk that has not been boiled or pasteurized. My infection was definitely from animal contact. It took the Doctor a while to figure it out.

Hope you are well soon.
Lindakka

BlueRose

*****make sure to replace lost fluids by drinking lots of water, you may want to add a pinch of salt and sugar******

After 3 1/2 long months in India I was not ill once, but had a severe case of intestinal problems after hiking in the mountians of Wyoming, and yes drinking the water. After a course of treatment, I finally got rid of the protozoans by a natural remedy: black walnut, garlic and pumpkin seeds. It is/was highly effective. I reccomend it to any who have tried prescription to no cure. Often these stomach problems can be a bitch to get rid of and the prescriptions themselves can be highly toxic. Also, do lots of yogurt after to rebalance to system.
In your case however, you have a bacterial infection. Often there are no symptoms at all, my research says. It is dangerous for those who have compromised immune systems, the elderly and the young. If you continue to have ill effects, then I would follow up with your physician.

vinayverma

just be practical 'if you are not there YOU ARE NOT, next best thing is to be on IM everyday'

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brassil

Ok having read this, my raydar is up and running. I am a person living with HIV and I am planning my first trip to India this year. I'm on a spiritual mission. I've had problems with my gut here in the UK without knowing why or how to clear it up but just letting it pass. In time it does. My question, I guess now is, am I letting myself in for severe gut problems when I visit or is this thread a wider warning like the risk from malaria?

wonderwomanusa

Brassil, some folks get sick immediately when they arrive in India, and some never do.

If your immune system is compromised, be very careful where you eat -- choose busy restaurants and make sure your food is HOT when you eat it -- you don't want food that's been sitting around gathering bacteria. That goes double for food cooked on the street. And be sure to drink only bottled water.

Dr Funkenstein

You and the Mrs. feeling any better yet, freenote?

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