Diarrhea

[male]

So every time I arrive in Thailand, I get diarrhea within few days and it lasts as long as I'm here... Should I pay doctor a visit or try some pills (which ones)?

Thank you

[wxpwzrd]

So every time I arrive in Thailand, I get diarrhea within few days and it lasts as long as I'm here... Should I pay doctor a visit or try some pills (which ones)?

Thank you

I always keep Imodium or an equivelant with Lopremide handy. I have been here a while and still get it from bad roadside restaurants or people that have not learned what cleanliness is.

[phaethon]

To coin a phrase "Sh*t happens". I bring Immodium instants from the UK and take one/two at the first sign - usuallly okay after that (if it's just a minor episode). If you have a serious bout, go to a pharmacy and they will probably give you the antibiotic-du-jour. Also consider some rehydration packs - sachets of flavoured salts that you mix into water and drink to replace your losses.

Oh, and carry spare underwear...

[Daffy D]

"Loperamide" - tiny little pills sold at all pharmacies under several brand names.

Take a couple when necessary and repeat as required but not more than a day or so.

[tim armstrong]

"Loperamide" - tiny little pills sold at all pharmacies under several brand names.

Take a couple when necessary and repeat as required but not more than a day or so.

Good choice. Immodium acts like a shovel of quick setting concrete up your bum, so use it as a last resort. There have been previous threads on this subject. But some general points. Water is a big issue. Not in the bottle, either the cheap one or the name brands, but as ICE. If you're sensitive, avoid it. Get a taste for Pepsi, for a few weeks, and bananas, both are good to calm your stomach. Eat steamed food for a while, until you are conditioned, and the change of diet is OK. Avoid too much chilli. Eat at japanese restaurants and similar places - the attention to hygiene is a bit better. Roadside stalls are OK - where the food is cooked in front of you, and has not been stting there fo a few hours. Travel to rural thailand - the food is better and far cheaper.

[teacup]

I travel back and forth ......and never have any major problem

-Imodium or an equivelant works well

-always drink plenty of water, at all time - dehydration is one of the major causes of diarrhea

-use bacteria deinfected wipe before eating/touching any foods

-eat mostly fried, and throughly hot/cooked foods - esp from the street stalls

-I try to avoid eating seafoods....esp shrimps and clams

Edited April 24, 2009 by teacup

[maxjay]

Along with Immodium, I always keep Ultracarbon tabs manufactured by Merck around. The Ultracarbon (charcoal) soaks up the toxins in your digestive system.

[tlock]

I had the same problem. In my experience, I usually buy some prunes at carrefour. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but eating a few prunes at night seems to help me take a nice solid in the morning instead of dripping all day.

[digdug]

stop eatin the chillis they mess ur ass up

[T_Dog]

male, you might want to look at your practices while you are here. Do you buy foods prepared by hand on the street? If you do, you are relying on the woman slicing your mango to have washed her hands after using the bathroom. One of my biggest errors was thinking that I could rinse my mouth out with tap water after brushing my teeth. It took a doctor to convince me that if there is bacteria in the water, it gets inside you even with a simple quick rinse. And if you have sediment in your water, you have bacteria. (I had sediment galore.) If you eat raw foods like the spicy raw shrimp, that might also be a problem. Things are different here and you need to be very careful. After two years here I think I finally have things under control, but initially, things had me on the run! (sorry... could not resist!)

[geriatrickid]

If the OP is consuming large quantities of alcohol, this may explain the situation. If the OP abstains but is eating lots of fruit, e/g/ watermelon and drinking lots of water, soda and/or juice, he will have diarhea. Too many variables here. Is the diet the same as back home or is someone loading up on fast food ?

I am a germaphobe and long avoided the food stalls. Well 2 months ago I started dining with my friends at their regular stall places. Although the cuisine was not to my liking, I suffered no ill effects. I even started eating the cold leftovers that Thai friends seem to always be jamming into my chubby cheeks. The key was moderation. Only a little bit here and there.

The message to avoid leaking bowels is moderation and good hygiene. Same line your granny used to give you when you were a kid.

[pumpuiman]

I take Pepto Bismal caplets as a precaution when traveling to questionable destinations. Take them before trouble starts....they don't bind you up, but keep things running normally. I wean off after a week or so, and seem to acclimate.

Yogurt is great too.

[gregchambers]

I second using ultracarbon as it sucks the toxins out of your system - basically charcoal and there are cheaper local brands. Sometimes you will find that local food has been cooked in poor quality water - luckily, I can suss this from the first taste of things like rice and spit it out if it is not to my liking, much to other people's amusement!

[degilbo]

So every time I arrive in Thailand, I get diarrhea within few days and it lasts as long as I'm here... Should I pay doctor a visit or try some pills (which ones)?

Thank you

Suggest you try Sticky Rice. 555555

Member in this thread suggests that it has a binding effect.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Sticky-Rice-t260164.html

[katana]

I take Pepto Bismal caplets as a precaution when traveling to questionable destinations. Take them before trouble starts....they don't bind you up, but keep things running normally. I wean off after a week or so, and seem to acclimate.

Yogurt is great too.

Hi,

How long is it safe to take Pepto-Bismol for? Is weeks ok?

[Lickey]

I went to the doctors yesterday and told him i had hereditary diarhea, he said there is no such thing!! i said, well, its in my genes!! [jeans] ..

But really, just be carefull what you eat, ive been here 3 years now and still cant eat issan food, sticky rice,battered salted fish and hydroponic salads i can cope with, but do keep yourself hydrated, fruit smoothies are good, food and liquid, again, if you can make your own, then cleanliness is assured, fruit isnt bad for a wattery bum, its better than dairy products..

[bish3con]

A very good treatment are "Disento Tabs" which kill the bugs. Can get at most Pharmacies at about 6 Bt for yellow pack of 4 tablets. I neaver travel without them in my kit.

This is much better than Imodium as it is only a plug.

[thaimate]

get "erfuzide" from any chemist ,i have used it off and on for 19 years ,always works costs 45 baht the ingredient is called nifurozide 0.218 g this will settle your stomach without binding you up

[kennkate]

Only ever had one very bad dose of Food Poision Last April

I have had food from street vendors and Railway Platform sellers No Problems

99% sure I got the bug from Black Cannyon Pork and Noodles

Must have been the pork that was Contaminated. Maybe in and out of the Freezer

Street Food is most likely to be Fresh, If it's Cooked well no worrys

Put me off them sort of places It was very unplesant for a few days.

Wife took me to Docs got Pills and rehydration salts 300 Baht

[insideleft]

Perhaps your arse doesn't like travelling.

I've had minor bouts of the runs. I'm very careful with water and food. I only use bottled water; washing teeth (included rinsing tooth brush), no ice ever; I always eat at the food stalls in the street cause I can see the condition of: the food before its cooked, the utensils and the cook (I consider good personal hygiene on the cook an imperative). If a particular food stall works for me, I become a regular.

On my first visits to Thailand, when the runs happened, I thought I'd only eat in restaurants because I didn't trust the food stall sellers, a friend asked me what the state of the kitchens in the restaurants was like - I don't eat in em any more - It's not about the Thai's, I hope, its about the heat and how the heat affects food if preparation areas are not looked after.

I don't know about chillis causing angry <deleted>...but the older I am getting, there are an increasing list of foods I can't eat because they affect my belly.

What about a butt-plug...it'd need to be a good fit though...

[ChangMaiSausage]

"Loperamide" - tiny little pills sold at all pharmacies under several brand names.

Take a couple when necessary and repeat as required but not more than a day or so.

Good choice. Immodium acts like a shovel of quick setting concrete up your bum, so use it as a last resort. There have been previous threads on this subject. But some general points. Water is a big issue. Not in the bottle, either the cheap one or the name brands, but as ICE. If you're sensitive, avoid it. Get a taste for Pepsi, for a few weeks, and bananas, both are good to calm your stomach. Eat steamed food for a while, until you are conditioned, and the change of diet is OK. Avoid too much chilli. Eat at japanese restaurants and similar places - the attention to hygiene is a bit better. Roadside stalls are OK - where the food is cooked in front of you, and has not been stting there fo a few hours. Travel to rural thailand - the food is better and far cheaper.

Ha just returned from vacation (Bali) we ate at a very nice Japanese restaurant, within two hours of finishing our food the missus and I had to rotate the use of the toilet both ends!

[kannon99]

When asking for rehydration salts at the pharmacy, how should I ask for them? Brand name or other?

[Sheryl]

Common brand names in Thailand for rehdration packets:

ORS (this is the generic GPO prep and thus probably the least expensive)

Lona

D-Lyte

Minera R.O.

Oreda R.O.

Oris

Osra R.O.

SEA Powder

S-Port Reka

Green coconut water has many of the same same ingrediant and tastes a whole lot better IMO.

In terms of quantity be guided by the amount and color of your urine -- drink enough that your urine is very light in color.

With the fluid+electrolyte replacement take zinc ("Zinc Tab T-Man" or other brand) 10-20 mg daily for 10-14 days, will not only help end the diarrhea but also prevent future episodes.

And as several posters have suggested, people having recurrent diarrhea when travelling to Thailand should try to identify the foods/drinks that may be triggering it.

Some people simply do not tolerate chilis. Others have problems with the water, this can be true even when it is boiled/filtered or bottled as it may reflect a different mineral content rather than just contamination. If that is the case, avoid water (including ice) drinking juices, sodas etc instead

Oh and a lot of people have this reaction to Thai beers....

[DMasut]

So every time I arrive in Thailand, I get diarrhea within few days and it lasts as long as I'm here... Should I pay doctor a visit or try some pills (which ones)?

Thank you

Most common problem for people coming to the Kingdom is dehydration...which funny enough can cause some severe diarrhea.

Common sense tells us if we are in need of water and fluids our body is dry...however heat exhaustion, heat stroke and just a touch of a quick climate change can cause our body to cramp, headaches, flu like symptoms and diahrrea.

Quickest way bay is to really push fluids with a little bit of water and salt... GATORADE is excellent for this as well as bringing your electrolytes back into balance. Doing this, resting a little more and avoiding excess alcohol should bring you back to normal withing 24-48 hours.

If this doesn't work within 2-3 days, you might have a stomache bug from something you ate.

Street food in Thailand is much safer than many other places in the world... but watch the ice in your drink that may have been also used to keep the meat (pork, chicken and fish) cool you ate with your meal. Very common form of food cross contamination poisoning.

Drink directly from bottles, cans if possible or get your drinks from vendors at night markets that sell only fruit drinks where no other types of food are prepared.

Good Luck

[dale8]

Hello, I too have some digestive problems at times in Thailand due to bacteria. A good pharmacist can get you some antibacterial pills as well as the imodium to slow the process a bit. Some people use an adult diaper with baggy pants because it is difficult to run with cramps, and it is wise to carry a small bag with extra toilet paper and baby wipes because some public toilets in Thailand will not have paper in the stalls. Some one was telling me that they use a cork with a string attached so they do not lose the cork, and they tie it to their leg. If you use the cork in this manner be sure to use safety glasses due to the back pressure, and make the string short as it is all fun until some one loses an eye. As always keep your mouth closed since the backspray is not a tasty experience for most people, and good luck with the restaurants. You can build up the good bacteria in your stomach with yoghurt and milk products, and the papayas have many good enzymes for digestion.

Cheers

[mommysboy]

So every time I arrive in Thailand, I get diarrhea within few days and it lasts as long as I'm here... Should I pay doctor a visit or try some pills (which ones)?

Thank you

It's quite usual and probably reflects a change of water, food, lifestyle, eg, perhaps living life in the fast lane.

But common causes of infection are contaminated water, shellfish, and fruit kept in dirty water.

Try to keep to a western diet if you are over here temporarily, with things well cooked.

[loong]

OP, you say that this lasts the whole of your stay, but you dont actually say how long.

Anything longer than a few days is quite dangerous.

There are more deaths in Thailand from diarrhoeal diseases in Thailand than Malaria. Everybody knows that the death toll on Thailand's roads is tragic so it may surprise you to know that for every 4 people that die on Thailand's roads, 1 person dies from a diarrhoeal disease.

Most Thai people have little or no respect for hygiene. Very few wash their hands after using the toilet and if you look in some of the kitchens, you'd be shocked. Work surfaces are dirty, flies crawling over prepared food, dishes and cutlery washed in dirty cold water etc etc.

When you eat western food, you're not necessarily going to be safer. That nice side salad looks good, but maybe it's been washed in dirty water and been sliced on the same board, with the same knife that have been used to cut raw meat.

If you think that the cook is likely to wash his/her hands between handling raw meat and prepared food, think again.

You should be very careful as you are obviously more susceptible to a stomach bug.

[BigSnake]

A little Aum Milk or some chewable Antacil tablet could help a bit. Be careful what you eat when you arrive, years ago I had a passion for a fruit, I call, a Jackfruit, very tasty, very available on the local fruit stand, but gave this old cowboy Diarrhea BIG TIME!!

[ChangMaiSausage]

Hello, I too have some digestive problems at times in Thailand due to bacteria. A good pharmacist can get you some antibacterial pills as well as the imodium to slow the process a bit. Some people use an adult diaper with baggy pants because it is difficult to run with cramps, and it is wise to carry a small bag with extra toilet paper and baby wipes because some public toilets in Thailand will not have paper in the stalls. Some one was telling me that they use a cork with a string attached so they do not lose the cork, and they tie it to their leg. If you use the cork in this manner be sure to use safety glasses due to the back pressure, and make the string short as it is all fun until some one loses an eye. As always keep your mouth closed since the backspray is not a tasty experience for most people, and good luck with the restaurants. You can build up the good bacteria in your stomach with yoghurt and milk products, and the papayas have many good enzymes for digestion.

Cheers

Haha I prefer a screw top lid, hope thsi is not serious.

[mommysboy]

Hello, I too have some digestive problems at times in Thailand due to bacteria. A good pharmacist can get you some antibacterial pills as well as the imodium to slow the process a bit. Some people use an adult diaper with baggy pants because it is difficult to run with cramps, and it is wise to carry a small bag with extra toilet paper and baby wipes because some public toilets in Thailand will not have paper in the stalls. Some one was telling me that they use a cork with a string attached so they do not lose the cork, and they tie it to their leg. If you use the cork in this manner be sure to use safety glasses due to the back pressure, and make the string short as it is all fun until some one loses an eye. As always keep your mouth closed since the backspray is not a tasty experience for most people, and good luck with the restaurants. You can build up the good bacteria in your stomach with yoghurt and milk products, and the papayas have many good enzymes for digestion.

Cheers

Haha I prefer a screw top lid, hope thsi is not serious.

Yep, sounds like we've had a visit from Mr Anally Retarded . Still you gotta laugh.