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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How likely is Bactrim to clear my Blastocystis H infection?

    I have Blasto H. and had 6 weeks of gassy bloating feelings and occasional urgent movements since having a brief bout of diarrhoea in Europe over Christmas. I was prescribed a 7-day flagyl (metronidazole) course (3x400mg a day). It started out OK, I noticed my stool getting marginally softer (it had been fairly hard for the 6 weeks before). However 4 days into it I got massive stomach cramps late at night and ended up having a huge loose bowel movement, and since then felt tired and bloated. I barely got to the end of the course but by the last tablet I was getting tingling sensations in my neck, aches and cramps in my gut. Had constipation for 3 days after the diarrhoea episode and now my stools feel acidic and painful to pass. They're not overly soft. My doctor wants me to wait a few days in case the diarrhoea is in response to the drugs, and then get me onto a 5-day course of Bactrim but I am pretty sure that I still have the parasite. How effective is Bactrim at treating this bug?
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    Thanks

    My research interests include immunology and the mechanisms of amyloid formation. The latter has implications for people who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease … View Profile

    I discussed this with one of my clinical associates.

    Her comment was that both Flagyl and Bactrim can be effective in dealing with a Blastocytis hominis infection though this can vary from person to person.

    She recommended this site as a source of more information which you might find helpful when talking with your prescribing doctor:

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/blastocystis-hominis/basics/definition/con-20026572

     

     

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