...or I'm having continued trouble because I had to take antibiotics and it killed off all the good bacteria. I'll know by Monday, I think.

Fun times...

I was in the BW July 1-4. Symptoms started July 31. Anyone have giardia take that long to show up? Doc said totally possible...but I've always heard 10 days.

BTW, I used filtered water for everything, though rinsed my face in the lake shallows once.

UPDATE: I have c.diff. Not giardia. Pretty similar though, I think. Gah...

CDC says 1-3 weeks incubation. I don't think your timeframe sounds unreasonable.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/general-info.html

Did you go swimming? Bite fishing line? Breathe in spray from the bowman's paddle stroke? So many opportunities to get the beaver fever besides drinking water, as it sounds like you are unfortunately finding out.

Feel better soon.

Chipotle?

quote ZaraSp00k: "Chipotle?"

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Hope you get better soon Nola

Heh heh,... A pleasure to meet you, nojo! I'll get around to most of you, sooner or later!
Don't worry, I won't stay long! HAhaha.
-- Skippy the Giardia Cyst

Little jerk, using my signon again!
Sorry all, I didn't think he'd follow me over here from CCBB.

quote HowardSprague: "Heh heh,... A pleasure to meet you, nojo! I'll get around to most of you, sooner or later!
Don't worry, I won't stay long! HAhaha.
-- Skippy the Giardia Cyst


"

Thanks, Skippy! I've been looking for a Giardia avatar for forever! Mind if I borrow your image?

Mike

Yep, my daughter got it from my fish tank when she was a baby. She had one episode, then had another one a month later. They build up in your system to a certain concentration until your body has enough and flushes them out. Untreated, it happens again in about a month. Believe me, I had it once too and your body flushes them out. Worst stomach cramps I ever had.

Sorry to hear.
This to shall pass...

Hope it goes away real fast!

Sorry to hear, Nojo - it is definitely not fun.

yuck... good luck w/ the recovery

Had it once. Ugly, ugly, ugly. I would get tested asap and get the correct antibiotic asap. I waited way, way too long. Hence the ugly.
On the other hand what you have could be any number of things, some caused by sanitation issues while canoeing and others caused by things in your normal at home everyday life.
Regardless, good luck.

Never had the pleasure. My brother got it from drinking out of a garden hose years ago.

My wife got it by drinking unfiltered BW water intentionally. She was sick for 2-3 months. Needless to say, she filters everything now.

Good luck.

I had it twice,once in the BWCA at Island river and once the Pine river going into the Whitefish chain north of Brainerd. I think my incubation time was in the 1 week area.

The local hospital(Brainerd) identified it real easy in the lab. It is not a a bacteria or virus it is a infection created by flagellated protozoan Giardia intestinalis.

Medicine(get the right stuff) will knock it out fairly fast-it took a few days at least. was maybe like 7-10 days or so total,including before I got the medicine. To completely get rid of it. Each time I lost about 10 Pounds. You got to watch it so you don't get dehydrated. At its worse you better stay close to a toilet.

Like I mentioned earlier your hospital lab should be able to identify it in hours.

The Island river time I used iodine pills but they were old,I didn't know they had a shelf life. After that for that area I bought a filter and sometimes also do the iodine for a double safety.

Pine river I just had water splashed water on my lips and that was enough. There can be huge numbers in a little water.

Which lake?

Also the little fellas can build up by shore if you are where the waves are blowing in.

Hope you get better it is no fun.

quote mr.barley: "Never had the pleasure. My brother got it from drinking out of a garden hose years ago."

some wells are polluted and have giardia.

First off, Nojobro, I'm sorry for your infliction and hope ycou feel better quickly. Secondly you just dashed my ideas of once again drinking straight from the lake ( the middle), at least for a while. First your dog struggles, and now you. Very sorry to hear this.

Get tested so you'll see what illness you're dealing with. Sounds like it could also be something like C-diff if you just finished up with antibiotics?

Hopefully it goes away fast.

FISHONFISHOFF

Yup I've been "blessed with giardia twice in my life. The second time my brother-in-law and I both caught on the same fishing trip [none of the other 10 guys did]. I knew what it was right away so I went to the DR and got a 10 supply of antibodics and was almost as good as new in 2-3 days. Wayne messed around with it for 2 weeks and finally called everyone to see if anyone else was sick, when he got to me I told him the easy way to decide if it was giardia. I told him back up to a screen door, drop your pants, bend over, and let fly, if nothing sticks to the screen you probably have giardia. Hope you feel better really soon, as it's tough to be happy when you need to SEE the porcelien throne all the time. FRED

Having giardia...that is just crappy.

Remember if you get metronidazole to avoid any alcohol...even things like cough syrup and mouth wash.

Dang! Sure hope you feel better soon!

I never heard of the waves of giardia that can pass through you. I thought once you started to feel bad you would remain feeling bad until treated. Can they diagnose with a sample no matter whether you are experiencing symptoms or not? One teenager that was along with me for a trip to Alaska in July drank from a stream and started having symptoms about a week later. The doctors have not tested for giardia even though the stream drink has been reported, but he has a high fever/nausea as well and they've been looking for everything (even meningitis) with no luck so far.

I got it from brushing my teeth with untreated lake water. I remember thinking at the time, uhh... This probably isn't a good idea, but it was too late by then. The effect is something you don't soon forget. Mine kicked in right about ten days after a BW trip. I went to the doctor, got four huge pills that I took all at once, and it was gone within a couple days. Go to the doctor and get the pills and kill it. Good luck.

quote FOG51: "Yup I've been "blessed with giardia twice in my life. The second time my brother-in-law and I both caught on the same fishing trip [none of the other 10 guys did]. I knew what it was right away so I went to the DR and got a 10 supply of antibodics and was almost as good as new in 2-3 days. Wayne messed around with it for 2 weeks and finally called everyone to see if anyone else was sick, when he got to me I told him the easy way to decide if it was giardia. I told him back up to a screen door, drop your pants, bend over, and let fly, if nothing sticks to the screen you probably have giardia. Hope you feel better really soon, as it's tough to be happy when you need to SEE the porcelien throne all the time. FRED"

Yep, great test. Shooting water out of your butt, you have it.

I'm ok as long as I don't eat. But I eat anyway. Sigh. Been sick two weeks now. I'm being tested for both c.diff. and giardia.

Saw a doc I've never seen before. He's a wilderness canoe tripper! Been to BW, quetico, wabikimi...

Gotta "go"...

quote drnatus: "Having giardia...that is just crappy.


Remember if you get metronidazole to avoid any alcohol...even things like cough syrup and mouth wash.



"

How do you avoid giardia and alcohol at the same time? Crap!

Dave

quote nojobro: "I'm ok as long as I don't eat. But I eat anyway. Sigh. Been sick two weeks now. I'm being tested for both c.diff. and giardia.


Saw a doc I've never seen before. He's a wilderness canoe tripper! Been to BW, quetico, wabikimi...


Gotta "go"..."

Hope you feel better soon Nola. That's no fun.

When I had giardia and had it checked it only took hours at most to get the result from test.

I don't think I have filtered water in about 8 years. I take my water mid lake and generally only trip in June and have never had a problem.

Update in original post above but in case you missed that....I don't have giardia. I have c.diff. overgrowth. Glad it's not giardia because I thought I'd been careful.

Good way to catch up on some reading

quote nojobro: "Update in original post above but in case you missed that....I don't have giardia. I have c.diff. overgrowth. Glad it's not giardia because I thought I'd been careful. "

C-dif sucks also. That one is no 'phun!'

Aww... You missed out on the giardia experience. I'll never forget the night it ked in. We had just got a big Mexican take out meal. Steak fajitas, beans, rice, peppers, the whole deal. That was one of the longest nights of my life. I will spare the details. After that, anytime I ate anything, within thirty minutes it was Katy don't bar the door. My word I used for that whole ordeal was 'horrendous', and always will be.
Now, the question is, what is C-Diff? I have never heard of that. I hope it's not something bad as that.

quote scat: "Aww... You missed out on the giardia experience. I'll never forget the night it ked in. We had just got a big Mexican take out meal. Steak fajitas, beans, rice, peppers, the whole deal. That was one of the longest nights of my life. I will spare the details. After that, anytime I ate anything, within thirty minutes it was Katy don't bar the door. My word I used for that whole ordeal was 'horrendous', and always will be.
Now, the question is, what is C-Diff? I have never heard of that. I hope it's not something bad as that."

Another fitting post from "scat" !!

quote scat: "Now, the question is, what is C-Diff? I have never heard of that. I hope it's not something bad as that."!$/i
It's a gut bacteria that is usually present but is usually kept well in check by other gut bacteria. But my good gut bacteria were kicked down by an antibiotic I took for a sinus infection. So I have an overgrowth of it. It is not quite as bad as reports I've read of giardia....But still not good. Sometimes I feel perfectly fine, then 30 minutes later I'm completely wretched. Mostly I just feel icky and can't make decisions for some reason.

quote drnatus: "Having giardia...that is just crappy.


Remember if you get metronidazole to avoid any alcohol...even things like cough syrup and mouth wash.



"

This is what I've been prescribed. They told me this, too, but good to hear it more than once. :)

Eat a lot of kimchi and yogurt, or . . . take a probiotic. Hang in there.

Bottomtothetop - trust me, once you've had the big G, you'll always have a little scat in your soul. Get better nojo!

zuba, zaba, zuba, zaba, ziba, zahiya
zaba, zuba, zaba, ziba, zuba, zahiya

Do not know what c diff is, but I guess it's good that you do not have beaver fever!

Oooooo....Clostridium Dificile. Usually comes on because of normal flora of the gut has been reduced due to antibiotics. Be sure to wash your hands with soapy water. Like the previous posters, eat yogurt and probiotics to promote "good" bacteria growth in the gut. Good luck, dude....the docs will know how to get ya on the right track. Eat really healthy, because you are not "absorbing" nutrients as efficiently as it could.

Well c-diff is no cake walk either form what I am told, hope ya have a speedy recovery.

T

quote timatkn: "Well c-diff is no cake walk either form what I am told, hope ya have a speedy recovery.


T"

Learn something everyday,I had to look it up and see what it was.

damn-nojo-hope you feel well soon!

as timatkn pointed out cdiff is no cake walk! sure giardia sucks but in my hospital medicine practice I have never admitted anyone to the hospital for it. cdiff on the other hand-I have admitted dozens of patients!

Look at a Purell bottle "Kills 99.99% of germs", right? Well what is one of that 0.01%.....clostridium dificile! Wash your hands with soap and water when you know you are around or have c. diff!

Not saying the alcohol sanitizers are bad, I use them myself. Just know that they don't tackle everything.

quote tg: "damn-nojo-hope you feel well soon!


as timatkn pointed out cdiff is no cake walk! sure giardia sucks but in my hospital medicine practice I have never admitted anyone to the hospital for it. cdiff on the other hand-I have admitted dozens of patients! "

Oh gosh no, thankfully not nearly that bad for me. The new medicine is definitely working, too. Too bad it tastes horrible and makes my stomach hurt. But I'm better than before I started it. Right now I'm mostly tired of not feeling myself. And wondering why I'm awake at 4am...

quote nojobro: "

quote tg: "damn-nojo-hope you feel well soon!



as timatkn pointed out cdiff is no cake walk! sure giardia sucks but in my hospital medicine practice I have never admitted anyone to the hospital for it. cdiff on the other hand-I have admitted dozens of patients! "

Oh gosh no, thankfully not nearly that bad for me. The new medicine is definitely working, too. Too bad it tastes horrible and makes my stomach hurt. But I'm better than before I started it. Right now I'm mostly tired of not feeling myself. And wondering why I'm awake at 4am..."

Hope you're feeling better, Nola. A couple years ago, I came home from a 2-week solo in Quetico. Had a steak the second night back, the next morning my wife took me to the ER due to severe stomach pain, so bad I couldn't even see straight. Stomach was hard as a rock. Admitted and put on morphine for 3 straight days. C-diff came back positive. Took about 3 weeks to feel normal after that. Never had giardia, but imagine they both feel awful.

Yikes, PineKnot...I should stop whining because clearly it could have been a LOT worse than what I had!!

In 2008 we camped on malberg lake. I never saw so many beavers everywhere as there. WE used aquamura double strength.... What worried me was the boys were in the water a lot because it was so hot and humid those day. No one got sick though....lucky or good or a bit of both. However I know one guy doing his PHD thing in Denver Co who came down with Giardia...he had no clue how he picked it up...city water, not camping etc.

dr bob

As a nurse I have seen so many people come down with c-diff after a lengthy use of antibiotics.

So sorry you are battling this now. And the irony...to cure you they treat you with more antibiotics:-)

fecal transplant is another treatment option;)

quote tg: "fecal transplant is another treatment option;)

"

I think I'd rather die.