Not Again!

[makavelli]

Hi everyone, I know this topic will have been covered several times but I would just like some help and advice about it if possible.

Everytime I visit Thailand I am ok for the 1st week or so then I suddenly get a bad stomach and the feeling like my body is totally run down. I just feel terrible. Always needing the toilet for a number 2, no energy, sweating. Last year one time when I went to the toilet for a number 2 I was wipping my arse after the duty was done I seen blood in my crap, well I was really worried, couple more wipes but no-more blood, I put it down to a clot of blood in my crap!

It really gets me down and spoils the rest of my trip. Last year a took electrolite power every morning when I woke up and another before I went out but I still got sick. The only thing I can put it down to is sometimes when I go to places such a KFC, pizza hut etc etc I drink ice-chiiled water from the container that is on the side, not realizing that the ice will have been made up for their local tap water, this correct?

Another thing is that when I have had a few beers sometimes I buy some meat products from the guys pushing the vending carts, could this be a cause?

My trip is 3 months away and I have been racking my brain of what I can do so this trip is not spoiled. I have read that I can take a spoon full of pepto-bismol every morning may help me not get the stomach bug, true??

Has anyone else got any ideas that may help me out because I would be very greatful!

Thanks everyone.

[zxray]

Hi everyone, I know this topic will have been covered several times but I would just like some help and advice about it if possible.

Everytime I visit Thailand I am ok for the 1st week or so then I suddenly get a bad stomach and the feeling like my body is totally run down. I just feel terrible. Always needing the toilet for a number 2, no energy, sweating. Last year one time when I went to the toilet for a number 2 I was wipping my arse after the duty was done I seen blood in my crap, well I was really worried, couple more wipes but no-more blood, I put it down to a clot of blood in my crap!

It really gets me down and spoils the rest of my trip. Last year a took electrolite power every morning when I woke up and another before I went out but I still got sick. The only thing I can put it down to is sometimes when I go to places such a KFC, pizza hut etc etc I drink ice-chiiled water from the container that is on the side, not realizing that the ice will have been made up for their local tap water, this correct?

Another thing is that when I have had a few beers sometimes I buy some meat products from the guys pushing the vending carts, could this be a cause?

My trip is 3 months away and I have been racking my brain of what I can do so this trip is not spoiled. I have read that I can take a spoon full of pepto-bismol every morning may help me not get the stomach bug, true??

Has anyone else got any ideas that may help me out because I would be very greatful!

Thanks everyone.

[zxray]

I have had the same problem, in fact I dropped a stool sample off at the hospital, last thursday. I should know if it is a bacteria or worms, sometime this week.

I think that the next trip, I will take some antibiotics, and a worm pill with me.

I like to add ice to my beer, when in the LOS, perhaps this is whetre I am getting it, my

smptoms seem to be the same as yours, about a week into the trip, and I come down with a case of the screaming shites!

Good Luck

Ray

[Dakhar]

http://www.nbc4.tv/newslinks/1773988/detail.html

Check the link. My theory is escolar is in the fish sauce. Fish sauce is usually made froma a plethora of fish, they don't care what kind of fish... just as long as it was a fish (at one time)

Any how, if you have an escolar in that batch of fish being used to make fish sauce.... Hold on for dear life becuase things can get reallllllly ugly.

I try my best to stay away from the fish sauce... and things seem to be better.

[donna]

my theory is that its the amount of beer that many people drink when they come over here. chang seems to go straight through me. i think its just paint stripper in a beer bottle personally.

[ThaiPauly]

you are right about the Chang Donna!

I was hospitalised for a week a couple of years ago with awful stomach problems. They ran tests and said it was seafood poisoning.

I am very wary of eating seafood now!

[Tolley]

I dunno but I have been to Thailand at least 60 times over the last 20 years and the worst i have ever had was the runs a couple of times.

Generally i would avoid the food on the roadside but sometimes if i see something really good i can't help myself.

I recommend eating lots of papaya....be it fresh or in som tam....good for the gut plus i would eat yogurt or yakult or take an acidopholous tablet. That should help your gut.

[leisurely]

Poor old you. Lay off the Chang maybe ? I doubt you had a blood clot in your poo, more likely to be a haemarhoid - although you would get pain with that or you wiped your ring so vigorously you broke the surface . Blood that is bright red is frank or fresh. Older blood is black and has a very distinctive smell. I wouldn't take a precautionary dose of pepto bismol or antibiotics. Stomach acid is there for a reason and PB neutralises it I belive. As for AB's. in the future should you need one of the more common ones you will be up the creek without a paddle as more and more bacteria become resistant. If you eat street food, stick to stuff that is freshly or recently cooked at high tempertures.

Enjoy your holiday/

[merck]

I have had exactly the same problem when visiting Thailand despite taking every precaution possible with food hygiene and water. After a few days, I get diarrhoea and feel really weak and awful. Initially I thought it was just a matter of getting building up resistance to the different bacteria in their food but I found that trying to ride it out just meant the diarrhoea got worse and I eventually got blood in my stool. The only thing that worked was a course of antibiotics which clears things up within hours but after about 10 days or so of finishing the antibiotics, the diarrhoea gradually returns and I am back to square one. This was a repeating cycle.

My theory (for what it's worth) is that there's some bacteria in Thailand that colonises your gut and some westerners have difficulty coping with. A likely candidate is Escherichia coli which the Thais are are largely immune to having been exposed to it from birth, but westerners with their stricter food hygiene standards are not exposed to.

I recently read about a traveller's diarrrhoea medicine called Dukoral which claims to offer some resistance to Escherichia coli, and I intend to try next time I visit LOS. Whether it works remains to be seen.

Would be nice if it did.

[Jockstar]

I believe no matter how careful you are. You will still get the squirts. Best to ride it out. The blood in your stool is probably a pile. Usually on the inside that you cant see.There are 2 types. Internal and external. Generally both are ok. I think yours is the first one. Nothing to worry about. But if it bleeds for more than 2 weeks then go and see a doctor.

[h90]

describe the things you eat, everything, don't forget anything and maybe we find something, what may cause it....

By the way blood gets dangerous for me something went broken and a lot blood came out....

I looked like half a liter, but in the toilet of course it looks a lot more than it might be really.

beside real medicaments there is something called "animal coal" it might be different in english, I just strait translate from german. Big black tabletts made from coal. You can use them without worry (not long time/every day as they might filter some vitamis as well), as they cannot harm you.

I found in an old book an emergency solution for tropical areas (confirmed from a specialist).

In case of problems.

a) No food anymore, as you don't want to feed them (if bakteria)

plain water and first 10-15 tablets, than all 15 min. a few of the tabletts say for 3-4 hours, drink a lot of water, so you not dehydrate and you can swap it out.

c) than reduce try some coke for example and try to get mineral drinks.

Many people tell avoid sugar, but not true, sugar is good as you need it does not help bacteria to much because your body takes it fast inside

d) if not OK after say 2 days, you need a good doctor/hospital.

It might be some virus, you win after a few days, but there are a few bacteria arround which can kill you.

But write what do you eat exactly and where and I am pretty sure we find the weak point.

One more IMPORTANT thing. If in unsure areas, before and after anything you eat drink a strong coffee (no milk) and/or a big wiskey. No beer before/after eating This increase acid in your stomach.

Hi everyone, I know this topic will have been covered several times but I would just like some help and advice about it if possible.

Everytime I visit Thailand I am ok for the 1st week or so then I suddenly get a bad stomach and the feeling like my body is totally run down. I just feel terrible. Always needing the toilet for a number 2, no energy, sweating. Last year one time when I went to the toilet for a number 2 I was wipping my arse after the duty was done I seen blood in my crap, well I was really worried, couple more wipes but no-more blood, I put it down to a clot of blood in my crap!

It really gets me down and spoils the rest of my trip. Last year a took electrolite power every morning when I woke up and another before I went out but I still got sick. The only thing I can put it down to is sometimes when I go to places such a KFC, pizza hut etc etc I drink ice-chiiled water from the container that is on the side, not realizing that the ice will have been made up for their local tap water, this correct?

Another thing is that when I have had a few beers sometimes I buy some meat products from the guys pushing the vending carts, could this be a cause?

My trip is 3 months away and I have been racking my brain of what I can do so this trip is not spoiled. I have read that I can take a spoon full of pepto-bismol every morning may help me not get the stomach bug, true??

Has anyone else got any ideas that may help me out because I would be very greatful!

Thanks everyone.

[makavelli]

thanks everyone for all their replies. I have been searching on the internet and cant seem to be able to buy Dukoral anywhere in the UK. Has anyone else got hold of this vaccine?

When I am in Thailand me eating habits really are'nt too bad. I normally have a english breakfast in the morning, sandwhich or some rice and chicken in afternoon and me and my wife go out somewhere for a nice meal on the night.

If I take a spoon full Pepto-bismol everyday, will this be affective towards my stomach troubles?

[lovethailandlongtime]

my theory is that its the amount of beer that many people drink when they come over here. chang seems to go straight through me. i think its just paint stripper in a beer bottle personally.

I was talking to a finish guy last time I was in LOS..He works for a large brewery in Europe and claims the brewing technique in thailand is completly different to that of the west..

Apparently the thai way of brewing consists of adding some sort of acid to the hops to allow for a much quicker brew time , where as in Europe , they wait for it to brew more naturally(slowly)..

I always feel alot more hungover after a drinking session when I've been drinking the thai stuff..

I heard somewhere that carlsberg was going to be reintroduced into thailand..I think my liver would appreciate it if this where true

[game4shame]

I just feel terrible. Always needing the toilet for a number 2, no energy, sweating.

sorry if it offends you but I was pissing myself at the graphic explanation of your problem!!

I usually have a similar problem although I cant recall blood, but unless the blood's substantial, probably just your ring's screaming from all the arse wiping .

I put it down to:

thai beer - Chang particularly

holiday diet

local water - ice, cleaning teeth

[Rj 81]

I would put it down to the beer, definatley. Stick to heineken and you'll be right

Edited April 3, 2006 by Rj 81

[leisurely]

Been pondering this (I really should get out more). As soon as the runs start, collect a sample (old jar or similar) and take it to a reputable hospital for analysis. If anything shows up - e.coli, h.amaebiasis etc you can be treated. if it comes back clear, you must never ever again come to Thailand

[h90]

water when cleaning theets?

From the bottle?

thanks everyone for all their replies. I have been searching on the internet and cant seem to be able to buy Dukoral anywhere in the UK. Has anyone else got hold of this vaccine?

When I am in Thailand me eating habits really are'nt too bad. I normally have a english breakfast in the morning, sandwhich or some rice and chicken in afternoon and me and my wife go out somewhere for a nice meal on the night.

If I take a spoon full Pepto-bismol everyday, will this be affective towards my stomach troubles?

[makavelli]

Sometimes when I clean my teeth I wet my toothbrush using the water from the tap, is this incorrect?

I dont drink chang or Singa. When I am out I drink Heiniken or Tiger.

I think I am going to give trying those yoghurt drinks a week before I go to LOS and continue using them every morning when I wake up and see if they can help my stomach get rid of the nasty bacteria. Thoughts

[h90]

if you are very sensitiv maybe thats the reason.

I would use instead of the yoghurt a strong coffee or wiskey, the yoghurt can not help anything....

Sometimes when I clean my teeth I wet my toothbrush using the water from the tap, is this incorrect?

I dont drink chang or Singa. When I am out I drink Heiniken or Tiger.

I think I am going to give trying those yoghurt drinks a week before I go to LOS and continue using them every morning when I wake up and see if they can help my stomach get rid of the nasty bacteria. Thoughts

[Tolley]

if you are very sensitiv maybe thats the reason.

I would use instead of the yoghurt a strong coffee or wiskey, the yoghurt can not help anything....

Sometimes when I clean my teeth I wet my toothbrush using the water from the tap, is this incorrect?

I dont drink chang or Singa. When I am out I drink Heiniken or Tiger.

I think I am going to give trying those yoghurt drinks a week before I go to LOS and continue using them every morning when I wake up and see if they can help my stomach get rid of the nasty bacteria. Thoughts

I don't know where you get your medical advice but yogurt is well known for replacing the friendly bacteria in the gut.

Coffee or whiskey....no good as both will further dehydrate the body.

[makavelli]

I was going to start drinking a product called Yakult about 10 days before my trip and when I am in LOS continue with a bottle of it everyday for the remainder of my trip.

Dou people think this will help?

[h90]

if you are very sensitiv maybe thats the reason.

I would use instead of the yoghurt a strong coffee or wiskey, the yoghurt can not help anything....

Sometimes when I clean my teeth I wet my toothbrush using the water from the tap, is this incorrect?

I dont drink chang or Singa. When I am out I drink Heiniken or Tiger.

I think I am going to give trying those yoghurt drinks a week before I go to LOS and continue using them every morning when I wake up and see if they can help my stomach get rid of the nasty bacteria. Thoughts

I don't know where you get your medical advice but yogurt is well known for replacing the friendly bacteria in the gut.

Coffee or whiskey....no good as both will further dehydrate the body.

mate yes yoghurt is good for the body, no question. coffee or whiskey before you get sick.

I take my knowlege from my masterdegree in food-and biotechnologie.

the yoghurt hype is made from the factories which produce it, the tablet recommendation from the pharma companies. The rest is made from some strange studies from someone who want to come in the news.

Forget all about it.......

Yoghurt is for sure healty

coffee and whiskey make the stomach more sauer, that kills a lot of harmfull things but not all, that is for sure also a fact.

If you are already very sick and take a lot of whiskey+coffee you might die, thats also right

[Tolley]

if you are very sensitiv maybe thats the reason.

I would use instead of the yoghurt a strong coffee or wiskey, the yoghurt can not help anything....

Sometimes when I clean my teeth I wet my toothbrush using the water from the tap, is this incorrect?

I dont drink chang or Singa. When I am out I drink Heiniken or Tiger.

I think I am going to give trying those yoghurt drinks a week before I go to LOS and continue using them every morning when I wake up and see if they can help my stomach get rid of the nasty bacteria. Thoughts

I don't know where you get your medical advice but yogurt is well known for replacing the friendly bacteria in the gut.

Coffee or whiskey....no good as both will further dehydrate the body.

mate yes yoghurt is good for the body, no question. coffee or whiskey before you get sick.

I take my knowlege from my masterdegree in food-and biotechnologie.

the yoghurt hype is made from the factories which produce it, the tablet recommendation from the pharma companies. The rest is made from some strange studies from someone who want to come in the news.

Forget all about it.......

Yoghurt is for sure healty

coffee and whiskey make the stomach more sauer, that kills a lot of harmfull things but not all, that is for sure also a fact.

If you are already very sick and take a lot of whiskey+coffee you might die, thats also right

What are you saying?

Did you get your masters degree out of a cornflakes packet?

Fact: Yogurt which contains acidophilous and/or bifids helps replace friendly bacteria in the gut which could help with stomach problems.

Fact: If you have the runs whiskey and coffee will only further dehydrate you and do nothing to alleviate the condition.

[Dragonman]

My feeling is that it is water or ice that causes most of the gut problems in Thailand. Recent surveys showed 70% of bottled water, and a similar level of ice was contaminated. Even in the States a survey recently found that water from restaurant toilet pans had less bacteria than the ice supplied.

[libya 115]

I used to have the same problems, unexplained diarrhea that came and went and bad stomach etc.

However now I never get it; here are some tips;

1. Don't use ice, even from 7-11 or use ice in bars.

2. Don't buy ANY Thai food from the street stores. If you like Thai food make your own with your own ingredients. My Mrs. makes all my favourite dishes in the kitchen.

3. Wash your hands regularly in Thailand. Bacteria is invisible and is easy to transfer. For example wash your hands before you eat and after making toilet.

4. Drink LOTS of clean bottled water. Check the bottled water seal is not broken.

5. Drink electrolyte drinks every day. Eat bananas. Eat Peanuts from a packet (bought from 7-11) when you drink beer.

6. Avoid eating water melon, even from supermarkets.

7. To protect your stomach from indigestion and acid and the shock of Thailand consider taking OMEPRAZOLE 20mg one per day in the morning.

8. Avoid Chang and Thai liquor and Laokhaew

I hope you enjoy your holiday, if you get sick, nil food and much fluid for 24 hours. If you have a fever or blood or mucus in your stools; seek medical help quickly.

[h90]

if you are very sensitiv maybe thats the reason.

I would use instead of the yoghurt a strong coffee or wiskey, the yoghurt can not help anything....

Sometimes when I clean my teeth I wet my toothbrush using the water from the tap, is this incorrect?

I dont drink chang or Singa. When I am out I drink Heiniken or Tiger.

I think I am going to give trying those yoghurt drinks a week before I go to LOS and continue using them every morning when I wake up and see if they can help my stomach get rid of the nasty bacteria. Thoughts

I don't know where you get your medical advice but yogurt is well known for replacing the friendly bacteria in the gut.

Coffee or whiskey....no good as both will further dehydrate the body.

mate yes yoghurt is good for the body, no question. coffee or whiskey before you get sick.

I take my knowlege from my masterdegree in food-and biotechnologie.

the yoghurt hype is made from the factories which produce it, the tablet recommendation from the pharma companies. The rest is made from some strange studies from someone who want to come in the news.

Forget all about it.......

Yoghurt is for sure healty

coffee and whiskey make the stomach more sauer, that kills a lot of harmfull things but not all, that is for sure also a fact.

If you are already very sick and take a lot of whiskey+coffee you might die, thats also right

What are you saying?

Did you get your masters degree out of a cornflakes packet?

Fact: Yogurt which contains acidophilous and/or bifids helps replace friendly bacteria in the gut which could help with stomach problems.

Fact: If you have the runs whiskey and coffee will only further dehydrate you and do nothing to alleviate the condition.

"acidophilous and/or bifids"

if you find a yoghurt with bifids, actually in the bifidus yoghurt you can not find any, it is well tested and there are none. If there would be some, they would not survive your stomach, you would easily kill them.

Maybe you can fill them into your gut from the other side, maybe thats possible.....

One hint, but keep it secret: these amazing writings on these new age products are made from the marketing department and not from doctors (maybe dr. in marketing). Than people like me are doing some technologie steps, to make it not a total lie what is written on the promotion.

Else, of course it is an advantage if someone can read "BEFORE YOU GET SICK" means BEFORE, BEFORE you will not "further dehydrate" because BEFORE YOU GET SICK you are not dehydrate.

"Did you get your masters degree out of a cornflakes packet?"

yes of course, at least I have one

[Orion76]

Fact: Yogurt which contains acidophilous and/or bifids helps replace friendly bacteria in the gut which could help with stomach problems.

Eating yogurt that contains live acidophilis cultures regularly could help maintain a healthy intestinal flora but eating yogurt is probably not going to provide much immediate relief when you have an upset stomach. Here in Thailand some pharmacies sell capsules called "Infloran Berna" which contains both acidophilis and bifido, these would be a more reliable source than yogurt. I usually take them for a while after a course of anti biotics.

When I have an upset stomach I take 10 charcoal capsules, like someone suggested earlier in this thread, and drink lots of water.

Self medicating with anti biotics to treat stomach problems is not smart IMO, if you take the wrong one your problems can get a whole lot worse. See a doctor if you feel your stomach problem requires treatment with anti biotics.

[libya 115]

Far from being a con, live yoghurt drinks have been shown to have several possible health effects. Further research is needed to elucidate further the mechanisms of the reported benefits and see how enhancement of the immune system translates into clinical effects.

For the bacteria in the drink to exert any health effects, they would first have to survive their journey through the gastrointestinal tract. This journey exposes them to the acidic conditions of the stomach, and then to the hydrolytic enzymes and bile salts of the small intestine.

A small number of bacteria do survive the journey (approximately 0.01-2%) and are found in the faeces. The minimum amount of live yoghurt drink (containing Bifidobacterium species) that had measurable therapeutic effects in humans was 400-500g a week, at a concentration of 1.0 x 106 CFU/g.

Several compatible and complementary theories exist as to how the ingestion of live yoghurt can have these health effects. Bacteria from the live yoghurt that survive their passage through the gastrointestinal tract have been shown to bind to epithelial cells and the luminal surface of M-cells in the wall of the gut. By attaching to epithelial cells, it is postulated that the yoghurt derived bacteria inhibit the binding of enteric pathogens to the epithelial cells. This process is referred to as "competitive exclusion."

Binding by the bacteria to gut associated lymphoid tissue(GALT) has been shown in animal models to result in enhanced production of cytokines and IgA, as well as increased mitogenic activity of Peyer's patch cells and splenocytes.

The bacterial genera cultured in live yoghurt drinks have also been shown to produce lactic acid and antimicrobial peptides referred to as bacterocins, which may inhibit the growth of enteric pathogens. This could be the explanation for the finding that increased amounts of lactobacilli in the human gut inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

The possible anticancer effects of live yoghurt drinks may be due to several mechanisms. Inhibition of bacteria that convert procarcinogens to carcinogens and enhanced activation of the host's immune system by the mechanisms described above may play a part.

There is also evidence that some live yoghurt bacteria can themselves inhibit the formation and breakdown of carcinogens. For instance, some of the bacterial genera have been shown to have nitrate reductase activity, an enzyme that breaks down nitrates into nitrites and then further into nitrogen or ammonia. Nitrites are an important intermediary in the formation of highly carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, and so by reducing the concentration of nitrites in the bowel, these bacteria may protect in part against bowel cancer.

[h90]

Attention these live cultures, can be harmfull if you in very bad conditions, you should wait till you are already on the way to feel better....

there are special antibiotica for such problems which don't get inside the rest of the body.

my doc told most of the infections are viruses (which get good on its own in most cases), in that case the antibiotica do not help, but he still recommend antibiotica in bad cases because there are also some rare but very nasty bacteria. It might even get good again but the bacteria went into your body and make problems with your liver which than ends letal.

Rare but possible....

Fact: Yogurt which contains acidophilous and/or bifids helps replace friendly bacteria in the gut which could help with stomach problems.

Eating yogurt that contains live acidophilis cultures regularly could help maintain a healthy intestinal flora but eating yogurt is probably not going to provide much immediate relief when you have an upset stomach. Here in Thailand some pharmacies sell capsules called "Infloran Berna" which contains both acidophilis and bifido, these would be a more reliable source than yogurt. I usually take them for a while after a course of anti biotics.

When I have an upset stomach I take 10 charcoal capsules, like someone suggested earlier in this thread, and drink lots of water.

Self medicating with anti biotics to treat stomach problems is not smart IMO, if you take the wrong one your problems can get a whole lot worse. See a doctor if you feel your stomach problem requires treatment with anti biotics.

[Orion76]

Another thing is that when I have had a few beers sometimes I buy some meat products from the guys pushing the vending carts, could this be a cause?

Like barbequed chicken?

If you come strolling by at midnight the vendor may have been standing there with his chicken in the sun unrefrigerated since noon. I would most certainly avoid street vendor food if you have a sensitive stomach!

Also some tourists like to stick their tongue into certain private areas that contain lot's of nasties. I'd avoid that too if you have a sensitive stomach