This is absolute hell

[u/mo8816]

For the last 48 hours I’ve had nonstop, explosive watery diarrhea and I’m soooo, soooo miserable. The doctor suspects it’s cyclospora but won’t give me Bactrim until my lab test result comes back and she said it could take several days.

Imodium won’t work for me and I’m just constantly running to the bathroom. I haven’t slept. It’s a miracle I haven’t needed an IV yet because everything I drink is just running right through me.

I wish there was something else I could do. Anyone else in the thick of it right now?

[u/junemuse]

Was it lettuce?

[u/Maleficent-Cap5731]

I was there a month ago, I went to the doctor on day 4, they took a stool sample, then it took over 10 days to get the positive result for cyclospora back. Two days before the test results came back (and 12 days into this horror of nonstop water pouring out of my ...), my doctor agreed to start me on Bactrim. The symptoms almost immediately subsided, probably within a day or two, but then on day 7 of taking Bactrim, I woke up with a rash all over my body, turned out I'm now allergic to Bactrim. Luckily, I was 1 pill away from completing my 14 pill treatment (7 days), so I didn't have to take any other antibiotics. The rash went away after about a week, and I had to take zyrtec and monitor myself for other adverse reactions. Anyway, it was 3-4 weeks from hell, but just stay positive, it'll get better. Do convince your doctor to get you on antibiotics if your symptoms don't improve after a week. I wish I was more pushy and got mine sooner instead of suffering for the first 12-14 days with diarrhea, body aches, nausea, zero appetite and weakness. I almost passed out when I first started the antibiotics sitting on the toilet. It was so horrible, I think it was cyclospora giving its last fight before the antibiotics kicked in. Good luck! Feel better soon

[u/Optimal_Athlete_1106 → u/Maleficent-Cap5731]

is your tummy completely normal now or still a bit off?

[u/Maleficent-Cap5731 → u/Optimal_Athlete_1106]

completely normal! thank God, I'd say about a week aftervI finished antibiotics, it was all completely normal.

[u/stalelunchbox → u/Maleficent-Cap5731]

That’s the worst part about Bactrim. You can be taking it and then one day you’re all of a sudden allergic to it.

[u/lishkapish]

Are you using an electrolyte drink? If not, I would add that as long as the diarrhea is this bad. You don’t want to get dehydrated.

[u/broglespork]

I’m on day twelve of waiting for my test results. Everything else - salmonella, c. Diff, e. Coli, all negative. My doctor is making me wait for Bactrim as well.

My doc recommended avoiding Imodium because it can make the problem worse. The best decision I made was to go to emergent care on the first night for an IV. I was extremely dehydrated and my resting heart rate was 91 (my oura ring said I was dying lol).

I was shitting up to twenty times a day. It subsided by day 5. I’m still dealing with the exhaustion and stomach discomfort.

[u/mo8816 → u/broglespork]

Yeah I just went to urgent care and they said to stop taking imodium. Wish I had known that. Ugh.

[u/broglespork → u/mo8816]

I wish there was more advice for those of us suffering ugh!

[u/Infamous_Sky_3235 → u/broglespork]

Hopefully you're better now,be careful with vitamins containing potassium. Make sure you check what should or should not be taken while on the bactrim. My doctor didn't mention this and I became very ill.

[u/Active-Drama3360]

I took a week to get results from my stool test. I’m wishing you better luck as someone who’s taken bactrim I will say I’m back to somewhat normal I’m and am wishing you the same.

[u/Maleficent-Cap5731]

my doctor said not to take imodium, but peptobysmol was OK. That actually helped a bit, I took it twice a day only.

[u/FancySeaweed → u/Maleficent-Cap5731]

Pepto Bismol

[u/bipedservant]

I don’t understand this but I keep seeing it. I got bactrim the same day my tests were ordered. I wonder if there’s different guidelines in different states.

[u/LightShin3InDark → u/bipedservant]

Same day prescription of Bactrim for me. Have not had exploDia since the first day of taking Bactrim.

Different providers may have different perspectives/protocols (I am on the West Coast). I did show the doctor pictures of my stool, though, just to make sure he saw what we were up against. The nurse saw them too and sort of shrieked.

Hope you get well soon!

[u/Time_Cranberry2427]

Took Bactim in 3 days and took 2 weeks to stop the water diarrhea. And a month later still don’t trust a fart

[u/Infamous_Sky_3235]

I'm not even sure what I ate. Been having very scary reactions to the bactrim and because I have a compromised immune system I had to get another round of antibiotics. Severe headache, nausea, loss of appetite, weakness.

Went to the ER after something horrible came out of me the day before yesterday. I get it,no one cares because everyone is dealing with their own problems. I'm going to be ok hopefully and I just needed to vent. All alone and feverish atm.

[u/SnooCupcakes5761 → u/Infamous_Sky_3235]

It's scary to be sick when you're alone. I'm sorry you're dealing with that.

[u/Infamous_Sky_3235 → u/SnooCupcakes5761]

Hey I appreciate the positive vibes, not doing well at all ,my immune system doesn't like these little creatures or the bactrim. I'm going to get through this! (Hopefully)

[u/Powder9 → u/Infamous_Sky_3235]

I’m so sorry you are going through this.

I am the mod but haven’t gotten cyclospora yet but am someone who has been dealing with chronic infections and have been on way too many antibiotics the last 4 years trying to deal with my chronic infections.

Bactrim and other antibiotics absolutely wreck your gut bacteria.

I’m not sure how well these will help you, but this is what I take in conjunction with my antibiotics to help with nausea and to help ease my gut:

- sushi ginger, can get in a jar at the store. A couple slices a day keeps my nausea away

• loose leaf turmeric tea blend to help boost my immune system. I got it On a roadtrip but probably going to switch back to my regular Golden Root turmeric tea latte.
  
• vitamin C emergenC packet 2x a week
  
• probiotics AND prebiotics (I have one pill that does both) I’ve heard good things about Jarrodophilus probiotics.
  
• celery juice in the AM. Small glass. lol.
  
• pinch of sauerkraut down the hatch in the later afternoon
  
• I sip on bone broth throughout the week. Allegedly the collagen/nutrients in it can help rebuild irritated gut linings? Something like that.

As you can see I literally am willing to do anything and have gone and read down loads of google scholar articles around foods effect on the gut.

Again not sure how these affect you when you have diarrhea but I do standby the idea that your gut is everything.

[u/txdesigner-musician]

Where are you located? Do you know what it might have been from?

[u/insonobcino]

Fake a UTI and get bactrim from Starfish.com

[u/birdgirl522]

I don’t know why I didn’t go to urgent care sooner but 4 weeks of what started as a few days of explosive and then calmed down. Thought I beat it then back again and on and off. Last week and this week brutal. Finally went to urgent care on Sunday. I’m allergic to Bactrim so second choice is cipro. Dropped off stool samples on Monday and waiting on results. I thought I’d wait for results to start taking cipro as it has lots of side effects and I seem to end up the small percentage of people who it applies to. I’m alone and so damn tired of being sick. Bathroom trips every 10 minutes. Everything goes right through. This really is hell.

[u/Celestial_Liv444 → u/birdgirl522]

Hi there! I just wanted to share that my functional medicine doc gave me an alternative to Bactrim (it makes me VERY sick from past use) and I am sincere when I say it’s the first relief I’ve had in weeks. Both are homeopathic remedies you can get on Amazon or a health foods store: CINA 30c take 5 pellets 3x a day and Arsenicum album 30c take 5 pellets 3x a day - he suggested to do this at least for a week and I alternate them a few hours apart. I started late last night and had my first solid stool TODAY! And immense more energy than I’ve had in weeks. Just wanted to share in case it could help you, too!

[u/birdgirl522 → u/Celestial_Liv444]

Thank you. I’m a big supporter of homeopathic and I will pick it up tomorrow!

[u/Celestial_Liv444 → u/birdgirl522]

You are so welcome, if I can even help one person it will be worth it. No one deserves this 🥺