Giardia

[hcla79]

Has anyone been treated for giardia and had an improvement to IBS symptoms? I've not been diagnosed but my gastroenterologist has prescribed antibiotics as thinks it's possible I have it

[Salti]

I would have thought the gastro should have done a test to confirm if you have it or not.

[tiredmum]

My son had been travelling in India and Nepal, and was going to the toilet over 20 times a day. He lost over a stone and a half in weight in a week or two.

He had to send a stool sample off and was told he had cryptosporidium which you can do nothing about.

Two weeks later he was still just as bad, so had another stool test, where they found he had giardia as well. He was given a course of antibiotics for a week, but there was no change in the amount of diarrhea so has been given another 2 week course of antibiotics which are still making no difference.

I have read that it can take upto 2 months for intestines to heal after giardia.

I would ask for a test first as you don't want to be taking antibiotics needlessly, you might not even have the parasite.

[hcla79]

Thanks for your replies. I hope your son is on the mend very soon. What has he been prescribed? I am just having 2 single doses of tinodazole. I trust my gastro and having suffered daily symptoms for over a year, I am willing to give the treatment a try.

[tiredmum in reply to hcla79]

Metronidazole 500mg 3 times a day.

I hope your treatment makes a difference to you

[Chocolate41]

Yes I had Gardia after 2wks in Greece.I lost a stone in weight and had terrible diarrhoea .I had to have two courses of Metronidazole to get rid of it.

[hcla79]

Thanks for your reply. Did it take long to recover after your courses of antibiotics and did you feel worse for a while on medication before getting better? Thank you