AustralianAdz

I am Australian and contracted Bilhazia when I was in Africa (Malawi) over 20 years ago. I was successfully diagnosed and treated within the Australian medical system for it with no fuss whatsoever.

I am not a medical professional by any means but I think your issues may lie elsewhere.

Can I ask where you were treated and how ?

The doctors I asked for praziquantel have said they can not get this drug in Australia .

My condition is severe . My other issue is I have a weakened immune system . No doubt years of this being in my body has broken down my barrier to fight off pathogens .

I have been to 27 independent doctors here in Australia .

All except one have misdiagnosed me .

Unfortunately , that doctor no longer works and is retired .

The process here in Australia has been very difficult to say the least .

I live in a remote part of Australia and quite far from major hospitals or specialists .

I can't be placed in a que here in Australia to be sent away without medication .

I have been to emergency 4 times in 2 years , to be sent away , with no help , no referrals except to mental health .

It's quite frustrating and I'm running out of options . The longer this goes on the more damage to my vital organs and the worse I feel .

If only one says its Bilharzia, what do the other 26 say it is?

The majority put it down to stress ! Stress related heat rash , exma or dermatitis . Or the most insulting , ' that it's all in my head ' and I have got countless referrals to mental health . Symptoms include the feeling of bugs crawling under your skin . Simply because there are worms in your bloodstream .

Just read an article about this the other day, and nothing's changed in treating Schistosomiasis (also known as bilharzia) in the 20 years since I was in Africa. The worm can grow upwards of 1.5+m in length. The worm exits the human body at the ankle to lay its abundance of eggs, other eggs are passed thru the urinary tract or intestine. If, as is the case with many Africans, no drug is available then it is at the ankle where the worm is captured by winding it around a thin pole. The worm is wound to extract it without breaking it, as the remaining portion may retreat and rot.

Safe and effective medication is available for treatment of both urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis. Praziquantel, a prescription medication, is taken for 1-2 days to treat infections caused by all Schistosoma species.( http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/treatment.html )

The non-drug scenario is not a sight for the squeamish. Schistosomiasis was the principle reason I declined invites to swim in rivers or the local ponds, alligators was the other. I also stay clear of swimming holes, pools and rivers in Asia.

Good Luck AussyAdz! Try obtaining Praziquantel in Australia.

Attached is a photo of what come out of my body after having a bath with apple cider vinegar .

Just for other people who may be reading and may be affected by this parasite .

I stood on a nail in Phillipenes whilst holidaying in boracay . I had a local doctor give me a tetanus shot and thought nothing of it .

I never went swimming in fresh water And tried my best to keep the wound clean . I have later learned that this infection can enter unbroken skin ! It could have come from contaminated tap water by having a shower, or by getting water in mouth . What's more unsettling is the use of the hand held washers attached to the toilets . This parasite can enter the body and migrate straight to the bladder , then throughout the body . It's a serious health concern for all travelers in south east Asia .

I did not develop symptoms until 4 years later when my immune system at an all time low .

Thankyou for the website links . I will look this up now .

I have been to 27 independent doctors here in Australia .

All except one have misdiagnosed me .

Unfortunately , that doctor no longer works and is retired .

The process here in Australia has been very difficult to say the least .

I live in a remote part of Australia and quite far from major hospitals or specialists .

I can't be placed in a que here in Australia to be sent away without medication .

I have been to emergency 4 times in 2 years , to be sent away , with no help , no referrals except to mental health .

It's quite frustrating and I'm running out of options . The longer this goes on the more damage to my vital organs and the worse I feel .

With the current unsettled government I have been hesitant to visit Thailand .

Is it still safe now ?

Thanks . I didn't realize I was in chiang Mai forum .

I am currently living in Australia , been too I'll to travel .

Probably need Meds sent to me to begin with and see how that goes ?

Thanks .

I have been traveling south east Asia for 15 years .

Phillipenes , Bali , Thailand Cambodia to name a few .

Recently I have been diagnosed with schitsosmasis or bilharzia .

I have been experiencing severe symptoms for three years now and have tried multiple medications .

I am currently in Australia and to be treated for this is nearly impossible and quite expensive .

Can anyone recommend a hospital in Bangkok where I can be treated .

Alternatively a reputable website where I can buy legit medication . " praziquantel " zentozide .

Also if anyone knows the exact dose to take and how long for ..

I have taken a small dose of this tablet with immediate results ..

Can someone please help .

Thanks in advance ..

You all might makes jokes, but I consider this real progress. You have to realise that fines in Thailand seem low, but that is just the real Thai economy (not the tourist economy).

This is the part I really like ...

“If Mr Danaichet is caught committing a crime during his probation, he faces a penalty of three months in prison,” the officer explained.

I agree . It is a good start .

I think the more positive feedback is needed on this website ..

No disrespect to anyone's opinions here or an other forum or post , but some days I read and shake my head at all the negative comments and put downs ....

Disgusting , that life has absolutely no value to some people .. Educating is the only answer . Removing violent tv programs and actual footage of murders from the local news may be a good start . It's painting a picture that violence , robbery , stabbings and murders from guns are a way of life .

We must not forget the poor victim here . Was he alone , with friends ? Did he die slowly or was he dead instantly ? Being stabbed and a victim of a violent assault is a harrowing experience , not only for the victim , but also their family and friends , especially ones who were present .. My thoughts go out to his friends and family , no matter who he is ..

Personally if it were my friend who were stabbed for such a petty jealous act I would do the following .

; find his coyote bar girl and take many provocative photos of her with multiple men flirting with her.

Possibly even worse . Then I would mail them to this week piece of shit , one photograph per week.

After tormenting him for some time , then I would pay someone to give him the same treatment .

The end .

Chiang Mai . Loco Elvis .. Best I have found in Thailand . Authentic . Real beef ( not buffalo ) high quality chicken and produce .

You could always just ask koschi ! Speculation is all you will get on the Ozzie dollar and how it will continue to fluctuate .. Personally , I'd wait it out if you are coming here in a few months ..

Only reason I'm bothering to reply to this l is that I am a well travelled and experienced one at that .. I know how to handle myself and have been a boxer on and off .. Now I'm staying in a guest house with little or no security .. So I decided to take my cash and passport out with me lat night , instead of leavi g it behind ..

Boy was that the wrong choice ..

I ended up in the e wrong bar , the wrong time of night .. No tourists around. And I was extorted ! 10 Thai , men and women punched me in the head and would not let me leave until I paid them . It started over a dispute on a bar tab which was not mine to begin with ... I paid the bar tab just to keep the peace .

They put there hands in my pockets and seen that I had cash and things escalated rapidly ! The took 200 aus dollar .. Lucky I had the per 1000 stashed indie a slip that they never seen ..

I know it costs money to keep your cash in the bank and they charge you $5 per transaction and a 3% fee on whatever you take out , but is it worst carrying 10k around you ?