rilian

I had a parasite infection misdiagnosed as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) for 17 years. I had many Giardia, E. Coli, Culture, H. Pylori, Ova and Parasite tests which all returned negative. I had a sigmoidoscopy which showed no anomalies. Yet I had a raging parasite infection that must have been huge given that it had gone on for so long. Current tests don't cover the full spread of parasites humans can get. This article lists the parasites that commonly cause infection (tapeworms, flukes, hookworms, pinworms, and trichinosis) and possible symptoms. 

How do humans get parasites? From drinking water, from uncooked foods including salads, from food preparers who don't wash their hands properly, from pets, from rivers and oceans, and from touching contaminated surfaces.

The symptoms I had were:

- One day I was fine and the next day I couldn't digest anything anymore. It's like someone flipped a switch.

- Acute abdominal pain 24/7 every day. The only break I had was when I was asleep. I had trouble standing up straight because of the pain (bending slightly forward reduced pain). It felt like I ate shards of glass and maybe some forks on fire.

- Diarrhea every single day, multiple times a day

- Massive fatigue. I felt like I was 120 years old. Getting out of bed in the morning was a struggle.

- Low immune system. I would get every flu that was circulating at work.

- Food allergies and pollen allergies

- Loss of weight

- Always felt cold, especially extremities

I tried everything -- traditional MDs, alternative MDs, acupuncture, Chinese medicine (herbs), Reiki and naturopathy. It was a naturopath who identified the problem. He prescribed Pure Encapsulations MicroDefense which reduced the pain, diarrhea, and fatigue substantially (~85%). MicroDefense contains olive extract (leaf), sweet wormwood, clove, grapefruit extract, and berberine sulfate. There are other products with similar ingredients. Wormwood is often paired with clove, black walnut or grapefruit extract. This combination kills off parasites and breaks the parasite life cycle. It's also known to kill several bacterial strains. Dr. Axe has a good article on this herb. 

A few caveats:

(1) It's important to first take medical tests to rule out other possible causes like cancer, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and other digestive disorders. (2) I took wormwood under the guidance of a doctor. Wormwood shouldn’t be taken under certain circumstances (pregnancy, if you suffer from seizures, etc.) so be careful with this herb. (3) If you take MicroDefense or similar products, expect side effects for the first 3 days or so -- you will detox.

While MicroDefense had life-changing results, it didn't completely rid the problem. I still have similar symptoms but to a much lesser degree. I took a Hydrogen & Methane Breath Test which revealed I had hydrogen SIBO (Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). So it's not able to kill this bacteria whatever it is. 

I hope in the near future the medical community will have tests that can identify all parasites and bacteria and provide treatments for them. It would liberate a lot of people. SIBO/IBS is definitely a chain and ball.