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Maybe not IBD-parasite?

Hi all,

So I am still undiagnosed, with my latest abdominal MRI coming back clean. I recently saw a new internist who thinks I may have a parasite, due to a severe bacteria imbalance and yeast overgrowth, so I am seeing a specialist in a few days. He will do a "bowel scrape"--which I think is a sigmoidoscopy--to identify the parasite and determine treatment, if it is indeed a parasite. I just don't know what to think--I have been sick for 9 months now, which seems like a long time for a parasite, and I haven't traveled out of the US. Does anyone have any experience with parasites? I am also concerned about the possibility of doing a sigmoidoscopy without being sedated, as I had one back in February while under sedation and it was still terrible. I would really appreciate any advice or feedback.
 

nogutsnoglory

Moderator
Have you had a stool test for O & P which stands for Ova and Parasites? It's a quick and non invasive way to see if that might be an issue.
 
Yeah I've actually had 2 or 3, all negative. But the first was also negative for blood, but there was definitely blood in the sample. My doctor told me that sometimes parasites aren't picked up by the stool test, and require a closer look.
 
i hope they find what it is. i would ask to be sedated. i had the same test with a endoscopy and was barely sedated. was no fun. but some can handle it. i think i punched the dr not really meaning to. so they heavily sedated me.now i have to have general anaesthetic for tests. im sure it will be fine. good luck.
 
I hope they can figure it out for you. Not sure how useful a sigmoidoscopy will be in diagnosing a parasite though. Those are usually found in stool cultures. You may want to do a more complex stool panel. Most Western Med Doctors do not offer this though unfortunately. They only check for the standard parasites...
 
Location
NY
Danny had tried a medication called Alinia ... which is typically used for parasites but he also explained it can help for other properties. At first I did not think it helped any, but soon after he started to improve.
Good luck with your testing.
 
The laboratory company Genova, which recently merged with Metametrix does a comprehensive GI panel that is a DNA Chain polymerase analysis, very sensitive for parasites and other opportunistic or pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Also shows levels of all normal resident anaerobic bacteria as well as lactobacillus and bifidis. It's a kit where you collect your poop at home and mail in special overnite fed ex lab pack. Best thing I've found to uncover parasites that don't show in standard O&P microscopic tests. The DNA testing is still not covered by insurance, ugh, but worth it if your problem is serious. Can run 200-600$. Can probably look on Genova website to find dr in your area. Usually integrative MDs, NDs or DCs. But if doing procedure, yes, I'd ask for the knock out, haha.
 
I have used metametrix labs as well. The one thing I was Not to happy about with them is that I had my stool checked and it said that I had a parasite as well as a yeast found but it would not say what type it was, it only said
"taxonomy unknown". This sent up red flags for me. But one good thing this comprehensive stool panel did do was it does check your stool to see where your flora is and if you have an overgrowth of any bad ones.. I found out I have H-pylori through this stool panel...







The laboratory company Genova, which recently merged with Metametrix does a comprehensive GI panel that is a DNA Chain polymerase analysis, very sensitive for parasites and other opportunistic or pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Also shows levels of all normal resident anaerobic bacteria as well as lactobacillus and bifidis. It's a kit where you collect your poop at home and mail in special overnite fed ex lab pack. Best thing I've found to uncover parasites that don't show in standard O&P microscopic tests. The DNA testing is still not covered by insurance, ugh, but worth it if your problem is serious. Can run 200-600$. Can probably look on Genova website to find dr in your area. Usually integrative MDs, NDs or DCs. But if doing procedure, yes, I'd ask for the knock out, haha.
 
Yes, "taxonomy unavailable" is often found, but I have also seen many different named parasites on different people's tests, some confirmed by microscopic exam, some not. Alinia helps knock out some, but they also do sensitivity testing and show what agents knock out what you've got. And like you said, h. Pylori, E. coli, c. Diff all very sensitive to this-- since it's the DNA imprint, alive or not. But yes, if the only thing that comes back is a taxonomy unavailable (they have probes for about the 10 most common parasites, the rest fall under TU), that can be frustrating.
 
Thank you all so much for your feedback! I actually did do a stool test through Genova, but while it showed a yeast overgrowth, very little good bacteria and too much bad bacteria, it was not definitive about a parasite. My doctor told me that the bowel scrape is the next step to figure out what kind of parasite I might have. I am definitely going to ask to be sedated, but it seems like I may only be having an anoscope, which is shorter than a sigmoidoscopy and doesn't require gas, as far as I know. My appointment is tomorrow morning, so we'll see what happens!
 
Hi everyone,

Thanks again for all of your input and support. I had the scope done, which was uncomfortable and a little painful but manageable, and much shorter than a sigmoidoscope. The dr found a parasite called e hystolytica, and I have been on meds for about 6 days now. I am taking Paromomycin and Doxycycline, and will be following that with Tindamax. I am really hoping that the parasite was causing all of my symptoms, and that we can clear it all up relatively quickly. I am still a little worried that there is something more going on, like colitis as a result of the parasite, but we'll just have to wait and see. Does anyone have experience with this parasite or these meds?
 
For every one have parasites either detected by traditional method(microscope) or by
advanced method like stool culture or PCR method :
GI and infectious diseases doctor in US have no experiences with theses parasites nor
how to treated . the best treatment found in Australia clinics and Europe clinics (Netherland and Germany ). you can performing tests and getting treatment drugs
by online.
 
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