Cryptosporidium - any experiences?

[WoeIsMee]

Anyone had this?
DC has recently been diagnosed after being hospitalised. Now they’re on the mend, but tonight I’ve been feeling a bit ugh and terrified I’ve caught it :(

What were your symptoms if you had it as an adult?

Thanks

I think it was this one I had a few years ago. Stubborn watery diarrhea, felt like I had flu with a tender aching body and exhausted. I basically spent days in bed and only got out to take the kids to school and pick them out, trudging slowly, not my usual brisk walk! I avoided the kitchen to avoid spreading and the rest of the family stayed clear.

It didn't flush itself through in days and immodium did nothing so I ended up having a phone consultation with the GP and a sample that was tested, and ended up with a PHE questionnaire to track possible sources of infection.

I had it about 20 yrs ago. No idea where I got it from. Acute D&V for about 4 days which needed hospital admission for rehydration. Continued to vomit on and off for a couple of weeks with diarrhoea. Really quite poorly.

Yes. Started with some queasiness then turned brutal. Awful D&V, very weak, couldn’t keep food in me. Survived on bread soaked in stock cubes and sips of water. Lasted at least a week and a half and I was very weakened — lost a lot of weight very quickly and was quite frail from it. Got banned from all swimming pools in my city until two weeks after symptoms ended.

Sounds awful :(
DC was quite bad but has bounced back v quickly. I have a v bad phobia of being sick - I was hoping it just caused diarrhoea but looks like that’s wrong?
Glad you’re recovered now!

My son was diagnosed with it 15 years ago after a holiday abroad. It’s a notifiable disease caused by animal faeces infecting water. Environmental health came to us after a positive stool sample and the source was traced back to hotel swimming pool.

DH had it about 8 years ago, caught in a swimming pool in a country villa in Spain. He had days of very watery diarrhoea but no vomiting as I recall. When he got so dehydrated he fainted i made him consult the GP, stool sample confirmed cryptosporidium but by the time the result came back it was over 48 hours and he was feeling better and back to work - PHE had to call him at work and send him back home to isolate. None of us caught it, nor anyone else at his work. I don't think it's as contagious as norovirus.

Come to think of it, I might not have had much vomiting. It was 15 years ago and I was travelling for work at the time so I think I’ve probably blocked out much of the trauma! It was horrible. Glad your DS has recovered and I hope you’ve escaped it.

I had it a couple of years ago. Been to the Middle East, fine for a day or so on return. Middle of the night I woke and had an overwhelming urge to poo. Only just made it.

Over the next 24 hours I had severe diarrhoea about 40 times. Anything I ate/drank literally came out quickly. By the second day I would have gladly been admitted to hospital. Dr prescribed salty food (crisps) and coke and copious amounts of Imodium and if that didn’t work go to hospital because I was dehydrated. Did a poo sample and results showed crypto.

It continued like that for another two weeks although I didn’t feel as poorly due to not being dehydrated as I had been.

I’ve never been as poorly, lost almost a stone in two weeks. Took weeks to feel myself again. Never ever want to feel like that.

In my experience if you have it, you’ll know about it!

No vomming here either. Just very watery diarrhoea, with cramps that came on very suddenly and frequently. I remember running for the loo for weeks, I had mere seconds to make it almost every time. Apart from the intense first 4 days (living by the loo), it was the ongoing sporadic loo runs that made it horrible. Very insecure feeling!

Got it twenty years ago from local water supply. Was very ill, d and v and also needed dehydration.

(Rehydration)!

Thank you very much!
I’m actually wondering if I’ve had it too ten years ago....massive stomach cramps and shat water for days, not tested as I lived alone and couldn’t leave the loo long enough to go to the GP, but dr said it ‘sounded like c.........’ but it was a long unfamiliar name I couldn’t remember.

It was grim!

My kids and niece caught it about this time of year two years ago. My dad had taken them to a private farm (not a play farm) belonging to a friend of his to see new lambs being born
They obviously hadn't washed their hands very well before eating their picnic. Two of them were in hospital for a couple of days and had to stay away from nursery /school for a while.

DH had it a few years ago. He wasn’t ever that unwell, it was just persistent. He caught it from swimming in a lake. I swam too and didn’t catch it.