Has anyone had giardiasis parasite?

[Helpimill]

I've picked up this parasite from a farm despite sanitizing my hands. I am so ill. This is day 11 of not holding any food or water. I was discharged from hospital yesterday with antibiotics and sent on my way. I feel absolutely dreadful.

Please, has anyone else has this horrible parasite? How long did it take to get better? I've lost so much weight. I feel so sick and weak.

Yes, a while back. I feel your pain!!

A daily probiotic and psyllium husks help me manage it.

You know it leaves you lactose intolerant?

You will get better I promise

Yeah took a while of extreme unpleasantness but it does pass

Ooh nasty, poor you - it's a horrible thing. It was never confirmed with testing (as it doesn't shed in stool 100% of the time), but I had a suspected parasitic bowel infection, "query giardiasis", a few years ago. I wasn't vomiting but everything I ate went straight through me, for 9 weeks in total. It was grim and felt pretty ropey all that time, although not as bad as you for sure.

Stool samples were inconclusive but I eventually had a sigmoidoscopy, which showed a very red bowel that was starting to recover from infection - and sure enough, just after that investigation and being prescribed some serious antibiotics for giardia, it cleared up in its own.

I never took the antibiotics (metra-something, I believe they can make you feel dreadful anyway) so I was fortunate.

I can't help, but offer you a sympathetic shoulder pat! Rest up, keeping sipping fluids and I hope you start feeling better soon.

Yes and just when I thought it had gone it came back.
Horrid makes you feel so poorly.Hope you feel better soon.

That sounds awful, I'm sorry

Oh yes, steer clear of dairy for a few weeks even after you start feeling better. I gave it a good 3 months then started trying dairy again, managed to slowly get back to normal.

Omg i cant go on like this for 9 weeks 😭 there will be nothing left of me. I'm down to 8 stone something.
The doctors were not helpful. They just told me it would pass and booted me out. I have 2 small children and my husband works away monday to Friday. I dont know what to do 😪
Did any of you take the antibiotics? Did they work?

Yes I had it early last year. I was so unwell with it and once I was diagnosed I got a visit from Public Health! I don't know where I got it from but it did clear up after taking antibiotics. My bowels have never fully recovered and I've been left with IBS after previously having guts of steel!
I hope you feel better soon.

An ex had it. Took him a long time to stop complaining of stomach pain, but his was only diagnosed after about 18 months - by somebody looking at his gastroscopy and deciding to do an additional test that hadn't been requested on the biopsy sample.

I wasn't impressed about having to take the antibiotics in case I'd caught it from him (as I was on immune affecting medication), as they made me feel very sick for ten days. But not as sick as he was when he had the smart idea of having a sneaky drink, as the ones they usually prescribe are the type where you must never, ever consume any alcohol with them.

I had it and was prescribed medicine I think they were antibiotics I know it's a parasite not a bacteria but they seemed to help me heal up quite quickly after weeks of pain. Dont be fobbed off by docs they can offer treatments. They made me feel a lot better. Its grim. I also got letter from public health about it! I lost so much weight.

I was ill for 3 or 4 weeks. The antibiotics cleared it up but I suffered for a week or so before seeking help. Never had diarrhoea like it. I lost weight as couldn't eat anything without vomiting or exploding out the other end!

Oh dear, I do recall heading home (again, after shitting myself inside out for an hour in the work toilets) on the train, calling the surgery and begging them to do some tests or help me because I couldn't carry on - and that was only 4 weeks in. They said they couldn't fit me in for 9 days and I cried.

Is there anything you can eat which doesn't make you feel nauseous? I ate very small amounts of white or beige food - white toast, mashed potato (no butter or milk), plain chicken, oat biscuits or ginger biscuits made without milk powder and so on. That at least slowed the endless toilet trips down - they were still no fun but it stopped being hourly/daily and the weight stopped falling off.

I also drank herbal teas only - fennel is good for easing that uncomfortable bowel sensation, peppermint or ginger good for the nausea.

Don't despair. You will get through it - if you've got the antibiotics, do take them because it will ensure it kills it all off and you'll be over it much faster. I took a risk not taking them, but I was already on the mend by the time I got mine and I haven't had a repeat appearance yet - it's been 4 years.

I don't even know for sure it was that, but the specialist seemed to think it highly likely!

It's so awful, as soon as I eat something its straight out again. Thank you all so much for responding. I dont know anyone who has had this. I'm praying the antibiotics kick in asap and it doesnt reoccur. I'm never going near another animal again!! Should my kids and husband be treated even though they are showing no symptoms?
They have all been banned from the en suite and I am scrubbing my hands after every bathroom visit.

Yes...got it when travelling age 18. It was bad enough when young and fit...plus i had terrible wind for months afterwards. It does get better though.

My husband got it as well the kids who were about 10 &7 at the time never got it.Mind you I am talking about 13 years ago I am sure the treatment is much better now.

Ugh yes, it's bringing it all back (pardon the pun) - I was feeling better one day and decided to have a small amount of coconut porridge. Honestly, the sound of it hitting my small intestine and gathering momentum towards the exit was like a drain emptying. I loathe that dreadful sensation!

I don't recall being told to religiously protect the rest of the household, and nobody else got it - but I was fastidious about hygiene, used bleach and made sure we didn't share towels, utensils etc.

I'll never know how (or if) I got it, I always thought it was more common abroad but apparently it is alive and well in UK rivers and waterways.

I feel your pain, but it will get better!!

I’ve had it several times in India, and had no long term repercussions.
I hope you feel better soon

I managed to catch it in deep darkest Suffolk.

I haven't, but a friend of mine did. She, her husband and two children, probably caught from a petting zoo. They were ill for weeks on end. I remember her moaning that she wasn't allowed to take imodium.
Hope you feel better soon.

Does anyone know exactly how they got it? I had a vague idea about how it might have happened but will never know for sure.

It’s nickname is Beaver fever ,when the lovely people I work with found that out they took the piss unmercifully.

Ours was from water where we were staying it hadn’t been used for a while and I don’t think we let the tap run for long enough.

I caught it in India as well - it was horrible but no long term problems.

I think it's from bottle feeding calves at a farm. I am so strict on handwashing/ sanitizing and it never made a bloody difference.

I listened to a podcast about it and it sounded absolutely horrendous.

You poor thing - I really hope you’re on the mend soon.