Beaver Fever!!

[Big Al]

Yes, most of my male friends, and maybe even one or two of my female friends would admit to having it.
But,

Giradia Lamblia Cyst

is a bit different. I was diagnosed with it yesterday after losing over 8 lbs this past week. Doctor calls and asks "You've been camping recently?" Nope, only paddling the LY and Cheat over the past 3 weeks.

For the gruesome detail and pictures, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardia_lamblia

Curious as to others'experience, especially of Canadians, where there are many BEAVERS (duh), and of those who paddle in the South where the water must have lots parasitic creepy crawlies.


Cheers!
(A bit smaller) Big Al

[Sir Adam]

Don't blame the poor innocent beaver- carriers. It's your fellow humans at fault usually.

Believe it or not there is a far greater risk of getting giardia, or at least a raging stomach bug, from a fellow AT hiker than drinking random spring water along the way (yes, they did a study...).

Careful with the Flagyl (assuming that's what they put you on). Sometimes that stuff does more harm to your system long term than the giardia.

[fleckbass]

Jut curious on how you think you got it, swallow water, water in mouth, swim??? Do you think it was Yough or Cheat?

[jim gross]

Yep, The acid in the Cheat would most likely kill bacteria. I would have to say it came from the efluence in the Yough.

Jim

[gumpy]

i was on the yough all that weekend-nothing. maybe you need to drink more golden monkey at the take out!

hey it could have been the barbeque too...

[edg]

You have my deepest sympathy. So there I was, on the South Fork American, in my Groove squirt boat, waiting for the flow to come up. The water was pretty stagnant, there were ALOT of birds flying, and crapping overhead. While squirt/flopping around, I swallowed a big mouthful of water, and actually thought about putting a finger down my throat with the idea that Giardia was likely. I didn't, and about a week later came down with the classic explosive frothy, swamp smelling, diarhea. For about 2 weeks I couldn't keep anything down except a mix of ginger ale and Gaterade. I don't know how you'd deal with this on an expedition, because the weight was just pouring off me. To add insult to injury, I turned out to be allergic to Flagyl, which is/was the only US approved medication for Giardia. Dizzyness and huge migrating patches of hives. The good news is that even though I only got about 4 pills into a 50 pill course of medication, it knocked the infestation down. My advice - medication, if you tolerate it, and lots of tonic water, with or without the gin. I seem to recall that quinine has anti Giardia properties. That may be why I sold the squirt boat, and try to keep my ahead above water these days. Good luck on a speedy recovery...edg

[Big Al]

Thanks, edg.

I was prescribed a 10 day course of Metronidazol. No side effects, yet, that I'm aware of.


In terms of whether it was the LY or Cheat, I'd bet on the LY....especially with all those POOPY yakkers going over the Falls 2 weeks ago



L'il Al

[PAC]

Couldn't have been that stuff you've been drink'n at the Falls Pub could it?

Or maybe if ya listened to me tell ya "Al get into your boat.. get into your boat!!"! You would not been chugged the Cheat!

Hope your feel'n better soon. Paddling this weekend?

[golder]

i had it a few years back. not much fun at all.


i recommend lots of yogurt or kefir after your done w/ your meds (or during for that matter). it will help put the healthy little bugs back into your stomach after the medication knocks out everthing in sight.


good luck.

[Jim]

The title to the thread had me excited- I thought there might be some canoes joining me on NY's Beaver River (http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... l/id/2612/).

I cannot make it tomorrow, but hope to be up there Sept. 26-27. I hope to see some canoers there.

[gumpy]

al i hope you feel better by next week, i still owe you a beer or twelve...

[kenneth]

If you've been around other people it can be difficult to tell where you get giardia from. It often comes from handshakes and shared food rather than a water source. Some folks are also naturally more susceptible to it so while a dozen people might be ingesting the little bugger, only one or two people might show symptoms. This is why you get some people hiking the AT claiming they never treated their water and they never got giardia - while some folks always treated it and yet somehow still came down with it. Was it because there was a tiny drop of untreated water still on their bottle? Was it a handshake or shared food?

I second the yogurt/kefir suggestion. Hang in their Al!