Re: [at-l] flagyl

[Orange Bug <orangebug74@yahoo.com>]

For some reason, I got bumped yesterday and got no AT-L mail. Hence I
was not simply ignoring you all.

Jim is correct. Flagyl (Metronidazole) is an antibiotic/protozoal drug
that often helps with a variety of nasties. It is one of the 3
antibiotics I would take on a hike, and the first I'd use in diarhea.
http://www.infomed.org/100drugs/index.html is a good general drug
information list that includes Metronidazole.

The treatment of diarrhea is more complicated. Using an antidiarrheal
drug may actually injure you. These often decrease the spasms and stool
production, while the gut continues to create liquid stool or a nasty
environment that the nasties love. The better idea is to leave the
trail, even if only to camp and dig catholes in an area for a day,
maintain hydration and electrolyte balance (Gatorade is definitly
needed here), and conserve energy. PeptoBismol helps with spasm without
acting as a cork, and is mildly antibiotic, itself. It and TUMS are the
only GI drugs I would carry. 

As Jim says, not all that squirts is Giardia. Flagyl can complicate
other medications, and can be spectacularly bad with alcohol. Staying
sick in the woods is a bad way to gamble. 

Bill.....

--- Jim Mayer <jmayer@rochester.rr.com> wrote:
> Leslie,
> 
> I'm no doctor, but I think that you'll find that Flagyl is an
> antibiotic and
> that Imodium does something to shut down the bowels and stop diarea. 
> In
> particular, Imodium does nothing to actually treat giardia.
> 
> For myself, if I had a bout of diarea that didn't go away by itself
> fairly
> quickly I'd get off the trail and find a doctor.  My current
> understanding
> (someone tell me if I'm wrong) is that:
> 
> (1) Lots of things besides giardia cause diarea.
> (2) Flagyl only works for some things.
> (3) Flagyl has potentially serious side effects.
> (4) Taking Immodium can mask some serious conditions.
> 


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