I have had a case of asymptomatic(distended gut, smelly gas, fatigue) Blastocystis Hominis for almost five years now. It was diagnosed a year ago and I was treated with metrazonadole for 7 days. I requested 7 further days and it seemed to be gone but it came back about 3 months later. I went through another round of metrazonadole for 30 days and it seemed to be gone and now its back.
My question is this: I obviously need a doctor who will stick with the process and be thorough enough to do a stool lab test AFTER the antibiotics to make sure its gone.
My body is tired from all the antibiotics and I want to make sure I go to the right kind of doctor who is thorough and knowledgeable and will do the followup lab test. Insurance is not an obstacle. I will pay for it myself but I really don't want to go trapsing accross the countryside investigating doctors before I find the right one.
I live in Washington, DC which is the home of many fine medical establishments. Can you tell me how to get the right kind of treatment? Thanks in advance.
REPLY:------------------
Although you describe your infection as asymptomatic it seems as if you believe that you are in fact having symptoms from this organism. It is not really clear whether individuals in whom this organism is found in the stool get sick from it. The presence of microorganisms in the stool is not always associated with that person having ill effects. One medical textbook suggests that other diseases be searched for before symptoms are attributed to this particular organism.
While you could contact a physician specializing in infectious disease at a medical school in the Washington, D.C. area I would seriously consider taking a larger view of your situation. Perhaps a thorough physical exam with blood and stool tests (and testing for more than the presence of this one microorganism) by a general internist is your next step. Depending on those results the internist could then refer you to an infectious disease sub-specialist with whom you could discuss your preferences regarding treatment options and post-treatment testing.
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Bruce Sckolnick, M.D.
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