Have had cramps and the runs for three days now. Have been drinking water, eating white rice and a bland diet. Still about the same. Just saw on TV that the cryptosporidium is in most drinking water and no cure other than being healthy and fighting it off. Any comments?
Reply:
Your question was only recently forwarded to the ofcn.digestive.clinic board and I apologize for the delay in this system's response; some of the clinics are staffed differently than others and this affects how quickly messages are answered. Look for major changes in how your questions are answered in coming months. The availability of text *and* graphic on a WWW server is planned. This should make the process more informative and enjoyable for the folks at both ends of the question-answer process.
Most diarrhea type illnesses are self-limited and require nothing in the areas of diagnostic or therapeutic effort. Diarrhea persist- ing for more than say three days should begin to prompt a call to a physician since there may be tests or treatments needed to more rapidly resolve the illness. The diarrhea may be a symptom of an underlying disease process either primary to the gastrointestinal tract or the G.I. symptoms may be a secondary phenomenon (for example, in hyperthyroid patients).
Cryptosporidium can cause a self-limited diarrheal illness in immunocompetent individuals which can nevertheless last for one to two weeks. In immunocompromised individuals the illness can be persisting. The symptoms may abate with treatment of the underlying immune disorder.
Stool analysis for hidden blood, white blood cells, bacterial or parasitic agents, or for certain bacterial toxins may be of critical value in the evaluation of persisting diarrhea after the patient has had his/her medical history recorded and undergone a physical examination appropriate to the specific patient's symptoms.
Simple non-prescription "over-the-counter" remedies are certainly appropriate for the vast majority of diarrheal illnesses but can actually worsen other conditions which is why these products are usually labelled to discourage chronic use or continued use in the face of a worsening illness which then needs the professional input of a physician or appropriate primary health-care provider.
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Bruce Sckolnick, M.D.
NOTICE: OFCN is not engaged in the rendering of professional medical services. The information contained on this system or any other OFCN system should not supplant individual professional consultation. It is offered exclusively as a community education service. Advice on individual problems must be obtained directly from a professional.
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