Blastocystis hominis treatment

The treatment cases below are for general guidance only and are listed to show resistance of this parasite to various drugs, especially to metronidazole (Flagyl).

Contact me for drug treatments trialled in a clinical setting and shown to be effective for eradicating Bastocystis hominis.

Doctors who consider Blasto. a pathogen often regard it as easily treatable, one "easily fixed" by drugs such as Flagyl (metronidazole). The US Center for Disease Control website recommends Flagyl is not always effective.

The experiences on this site (below) are testament to Blasto's ability to survive a broad range of drug therapies.

Blastocystis hominis - a Super Bug?
The following two case histories, received in July 2003, shows how Blasto. can survive many and varied drug therapies (see also Flagyl).

Case no.1:

Case no. 2:

"M" from Ireland was diagnosed with Blastocystis hominis. She described her symptoms as "overwhelming fatigue & profound exhaustion, fuzzy head, a toxic ill feeling although night sweats and headaches & weight loss" . Unusually she had few bowel symptoms.

As well as liquid Berberine, she was prescribed a 21 day course of combined Rifaximin and Nitazoxinide, and reported that the treatment made a huge impact on her illness - "more of a difference than anything else I tried!".

Further testing revealed the parasite had survived, albeit in reduced numbers.

She was then prescribed a 6 week course of Ciproflaxin* (doses not provided). Further testing revealed Blasto. hominis was still present.
*lab tests have shown that Blastocystis hominis. is sensitive to Cipro. More on Cipro. here

Case No 3.:
During twelve months a male with Blastocystis hominis was prescribed:
Biaxin + Flagyl (10days)
Flagyl + Tetracycline (10days)
Doxycline 10days.
Flagyl + Bactrim 10 days.
Fasigyn + Bactrim 10 days.
Fasigyn + Bactrim + Yodoxin 10 days.

Stool samples positive for Blastocystis hominis after each treatment.
(2003)

Case 4
54 yo male treated three times over 12 months with a combination of Flagyl (750mg 3 x daily) and (Iodoquinol 650 3 x daily) for 10 days and 20 days.

During the third treatment Bactrim (800mg) was added. He tested positive for Blastocystis hominis after each treatment.

He finally recovered (clear stools and resolution of symptoms) after taking a combo. of Nitazoxinide and Rifaximin. Email me for details.

As at November 2003 five people (including the above) used a combo. of Rifaximin and NItazoxinide for Blasto. Three became symptom free, or experienced greatly reduced symptoms, followed by clear stool samples. One tested negative for Blasto. after treatment, the other positive, and both were still symptomatic after treatment.

Case 5:
J. from the UK combined Furazolidone, Iodoquinol and Bactrim (Septrin DS):
"My tests results have come back and, as I suspected, I am still very badly infected with Blasto. Although I guessed it was going to show that result it still made me feel very low for a while."
J is currently pursuing other treatment options. The outcome will be posted when available.
Jan 04

Case 6:
A. from Sweden was diagnosed with Dientamoeba fragilis and Blastocystis hominis. After taking 1,000mg of Nitazoxanide for ten days he added iodoquinol and tetracycline at the same time. On day 21 after finishing the Nitazoxinide he also took Metronidazole for ten days combined with Iodoquinol - the latter for a total of 30 days.

A. experienced no side effects during treatment. Some symptoms remained after finishing treatment, gradually becoming worse over a six week period. Stool testing revealed the presence of Blasto. hominis. There was no sign of D.fragilis.

Case 7
H. from Australia was diagnosed by stool testing with both Blasto. and D.fragilis.

His doctor prescribed:
Iodoqinol & doxycycline for 20 days together with Furazolidone & Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septrin DS, Septra) for 10 days.

Although H. felt queasy whilst on meds, he felt much better 3 days after finishing. His symptoms returned in full force a week later. Subsequent stool samples were positive for both Blastocystis hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis.

Case 8:
"I have been diagnosed with Blastocystis Hominis and I am looking for a cure. Please help me. I am desperate.

Chronology of Health-

August 2001- Health got mysteriously bad.
2001-2003 Tried various things. Nothing seemed to help.
Spring 2003 Diagnosed with food allergies to milk, wheat, egg, and potato. At times over the past two years, if I do two many meds I become allergic to just about everything.
August 2003 Health got a lot worse. Life was complete misery.
September 2003 Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Biggest problem was candida. Took a lot of Diflucan which worked moderately well. Tried Nystatin but it made my food allergies horrible. Health was still very poor.
January 2004 Found that I had Blastocystis Hominis from a stool test from Great Smokies Lab. Said I had moderate amount. Tried Iodoquinol 30 for 10 days and followed by Bactrim (I think you call it Septrin) 20 for 10 days.
-Felt Moderately Better. Started taking crushed raw garlic and it messed my health up again.
-Stool test form Great Smokies said I had many Blastocystis Hominis.
April 2004 Went on a round of Amphotericin-B 200mg a day, Tinidazole 1000mg a day, and Furazolidone. This was followed by ten days of Bactrim and Iodoquinol together at the above doses.
Took some garlic. Felt a little worse again. Did five days more of Bactrim.
-Felt moderately good for one to two months. Stool test came back with many Blastocystis Hominis
July 2004 - Went on Amphotericin-B, Tinidazole, and Furazolidone at above dosage for two weeks. -Didn't feel much if any improvement
August 2004 Went on Amphtericin-B, Bactrim, Iodoquinol, and Paramyocin (Humatin) for about two weeks. I do not have the exact numbers.Felt Moderately better
-Stool test came back still with many blastocystis hominis.
-Told doctor I thought that the Bactrim was what was helping. He though I had a low grade infection.
September 2004 Went on Bactrim for 6 weeks. Felt the best I have but my food allergies were horrible.
End of November 2004 My symptoms started to creep back. Did a week of Bactrim.
-Helped some, but not as much as before."

Case 9
A. from Sweden has been battling digestive problems for 5 years:

My biggest problems started after a trip to Asia five years ago, and I got the diagnosis, celiachy (celiac disease). However a gluten free diet did not seem to make me any better.

After having taken a comprehensive digestive stool analysis a year ago with the GSDL, it showed that my digestive system was not ok and it also showed me having many blasto and moderate dfragilis.

My first medication the recommended doses of flagyl for ten days and I got a little better and then worse again. Next test I did was one from a Swedish laboratory and they found that I still had both blasto and dfragilis. The next medication was some months later when I took Nitazoxinide + Iodoquionol (30 days) + Tetracycline, but I also included flagyl (10 days). The last week I was extremely weak, but some weeks after the treatment I was stronger and felt better than ever – and my system got worse when introducing carbs. I took yet another test with the same laboratory here in Sweden and this time they could only find that I had Blasto.

In the past eight months I have been extremely weak, and I don’t seem to get any better. All of this time, I have kept a candida diet, tried most natural medicines and also two different kinds of medicines against fungus – but nothing has worked.
(2004)

Below is a small selection of correspondence received at this site from people who failed treatment with Flagyl.

Despite it's high failure rate, evidenced both anecdotally and in medical literature, Flagyl (metronidazole) is the most commonly prescribed treatment for B.hominis infections. It is considered by many physicians to be the "gold standard" treatment for most bowel infections.

M, from the USA, was prescribed Flagyl (dosage not specified) for one month. Stool testing after treatment revealed low levels of Blasto.
(M also tried various herbal treatments without success. Click here for details)
Feb 2004

" Lab. results show I still have Blasto. and D.fragilis after taking Flagyl 800 mg three times daily for ten days.
A. from Sweden
2 Jan 2004

"I took 1500mg of metronidazole per day for two weeks in June for Dientamoeba fragilis. Stool tests I did four weeks following that treatment revealed that I have Blastocystis hominis. I obviously had it all along but the tests didn't reveal it. So for me, the Flagyl didn't work at all in fact, overall it has made me feel worse. I now have chronic fatigue, my energy is very limited, and my abdomen is always distended (before the metro. it wasn't as bad)".
Piria. 2002
Piria wrote that she's feeling "fantastic" after treatment in early 2003 with a combination of Tinidazole/Furazilodone and Bactrim. There have been cases where Blasto. has survived this treatment.
Update: October 2003. Unfortunately some of Piria's symptoms have returned. Stool testing has so far been negative for Blasto.

"I have been diagnosed as having this infection after successful identification by laboratory testing in Melbourne of two stool samples. These were taken AFTER(*) full treatment for 7 consecutive days by Flagyl. "
D. 19 December 02
*Flagyl reduces bowel bacteria, which in turn enables Blasto. to colonise more of the bowel. Testing positive after Flagyl, where previous tests were negative, is commonly reported to this site.

S. was diagnosed with Blasto:
"I have been on at least four courses of metronidazole (Flagyl), as well as a course of iodoquinol. Nothing has worked, and a recent stool test says my levels are high as ever. "
Feb 2003

After I have seen for several doctors and mimdiagnosed with IBS, one test from Great Smokies Lab found that I was infected by Blastocystos Hominis, Candida Albicans, and two other bacterias more. I was medicated with flagyl, yodooxin, etc. However, all the symtoms came again. I feel weak, bloating, with bain fog. Please, somebody can say me where is possible to get a consious M.D that he know about this problem. Please, I'm desperate!!!!!!!!
N. 21 July 02

"I took metronidazole, tinidazole, secnidazole in high dosages. None of them worked".
E. 19 March 03

"I was diagnosed with and treated (metronadizole) for DF about a year and a half ago. At the same time I was also diagnosed with blasto, but my doctor told me that it did not cause problems with the GI tract. I have recently (past month) had diarreah again, and tested for blasto. hom. once again. The doctor has prescribed metronadizole once again, and I've seen some improvement, although I'm afraid that once I'm finished with the medication, the diarreah will start again"
B. Dec 01

Hi Jackie, contacted you back in May 2001 with Blasto. I took 1 course Flagyl for 10 days with success whilst on the treatment then symptoms came back a little for about 1 week. Went back to Travel Dr (specialist in overseas parasites) told me to go away and pretend I never had it!! Still had like nervous stomach, fatigue, constant colds/flu weight loss of about 8 kilos.
posted on message board by Kirsty, July 4 02

I�ve been diagnosed with Blasto and was prescribed Flagyl. After I finished the course, stool�s result still came positive for Blasto, and DF was found as well.
A. 20 April 02

"I've recently been diagnosed as having blasto and was prescribed 7 days of flagyl. After I got over the side effects of the flagyl, I felt terrific for about 2 days, then back into the pits.
I have previously (in the last couple of years) been treated for what has probably always been blasto (but was presumed to be giardia) with two lots of Fasigyn and two lots of flagyl. The former had a very radical effect on my body."
Posted by Mel on message board
March 4 01

"I've suffered from chronic digestive problems since 1980. I can barely eat and I've lost a lot of weight. Except for one test just after I became sick it was only in 1996 that my doctor had me retested and Blasto. was found. I've been treated with Flagyl and Fasigyn heaps of times, all with some success, but the symptoms always comes back."
J. Dec '99

"I have had blastocystis for about 8 years and have tried everything possible to be free of it.
I have tried flagyl,oregano oil, kerosine, other antibiotics that i cant remember the name of, all types of herb combinations, but it always comes back. "
11 March 03

It was recently confirmed that I have the above (B.hominis). I went through the flagyl treatment and the results were that I was very ill on the medication and of course the symptoms returned. I had a stool test to confirm that there was still a slight colony present.
A. 25 May 02

"I just completed my third treatment for a variety of intestinal parasites. I gave another stool sample after treatment only to learn that I was not able to rid myself of the Blastocystis Hominis. So far I have taken Flagyl all three times. The first treatment included Flagyl only. The second treatment included a combination of Flaygyl and Yodoxin. I was prescribed
Flagyl and Paramomycin (sp?) this last time. It has been only three weeks since I completed that treatment. I received my results from the stool sample today and my Doctor has prescribed the combination of Yodoxin and Paramomycin since Flagyl doesn't seem to be working on the Blasto. "
M. 11 March 03

I have taken 400mg of Flagyl four times a day for fourteen days in the past on two different occassions. What a waste of time that was, all I got from it was being so very sick to my stomach, it did nothing to get rid of the Bh. My symptoms are bloating/flatulence/irritable bowel/nausea/now a back ache from ther bloated feeling.
M. 7 June 02

S. tested positive to B.hominis. She wrote:
"My doctor and I have a good understanding. Her comment was that while many people have the Blasto parasite �very few ever show symptoms�. Considering that I was having symptoms without any other potential cause she treated me for the Blasto with a course of Metronidazole. After a ten day run after which I felt quite a bit better but not 100 per cent I was retested and still showed positive for Blasto but in reduced numbers.
S. 4 July 02

"My son, 17 yrs old, was found to have blastocystis hominis in August of 2002, by Great Smokies Lab. The DO we were seeing put him on Parex, an herbal formlation, for abt 6 weeks. Subsequent stool test showed parasite still there but weaker. Symptoms of bloating, excessive gas, stomach pain/acid continued came back as strong as before. Then we went to an MD who put him on Flagyl, but the subsequent stool sample showed he still had it.
E. 13 March 03

Septrin combined with Tinidazole or metronidazole (Flagyl)

Blasto. ability to survive this treatment has been shown in a clinical setting. It is more likely to fail if flagyl has been previously prescribed because of Blasto's known resistance to the drugs Tinidazole and Flagyl. If you've been previously prescribed either of these drugs your chance of recovery is much lower.
Email me for treatment details..

The following are Septrin (Bactrim) & metronidazole or tinidazole success stories:

"I have Blasto, and have had the classic range of symptoms for several years. I've had one course of Flagyl in summer 2000 which made me feel great for short period, and another course of another antibiotic (don't have the name in front of me) this March. I'd like to recommend your program to my doc.
Thanks"
May 02

"This plan worked like a champ and I am symptom free! My big symptom was lethargy/fatigue (plus GI issues - greatly varying stools) and it's such a pleasure to have that gone.
Your website and advice are a real asset to the world. Thanks"
JC, Boulder, USA
Oct 02

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A. from Denmark became sick after a trip to the Phillipines in March 2002. Several tests were negative for parasites, but eventually Blasto. was found. He suffered "weight loss (8 kg), stomach pain, swollen stomach, diarrhoea (now and then)". His doctor advised him there is no cure. He contact the site asking for treatment info and in June 2002 he reported the good news:

Dear Jackie!
Things are fine here! I have completely recovered. After 3 days of treatment I already felt much better! I finished the treatment after ten days as ordered by you. I have a little problem with air in my stomach but it seems that this declining as well.
So thanks again!
Kind Regards A.
19 June 2002
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Sue, from New Zealand, began to experience symptoms of "nausea, tiredness, constant gnawing feelings in my stomach, and bouts of diarrhoea. I also had lots of aches and pains and my head always felt like I was in a fog....tremors, shakes, nausealike sea-sickness, feeling cold, light headedness on the verge of blacking out".

She lost a lot of weight and suffered fatigue so severe she "could hardly walk across a room".

During one particularly bad attack her symptoms were alarming enough for her family doc. to send her to hospital for tests. Blood, heart & sugar tests were negative. She was diagnosed with stress and sent home. A specialist gastroenterologist performed a gastroscopy which was negative.

Finally a gp decided stool testing may reveal the problem — sure enough high levels of Blasto. were found.

Click here to read the outcome.

Update: 26th September 2003: Two years after treatment Sue is again symptomatic. Despite no recent evidence of Blasto. in her stool samples Sue's doctor is going to repeat the Flagyl and Septrin treatment.
Final update: 9 December 2004: Sue recovered after another round of Flagyl and Septrin.

Read how this person's Blasto. is appears to be resistant to Bactrim
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L. wrote:
"Recently diagnosed with Blasto (3 of 4 level). I did a parasitology report looking for Candida (for which I have been treating myself) only to discover a 0 on Candida and high levels of Blasto. I know nothing of this protozoa and can use any help in links, treatments, etc."
March 02

I sent L the medication dosages and received this email in Sept. 02:
"Jackie - The meds worked exceptionally well with no side effects. THANK YOU!"
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Blasto. infections. J., who contacted me in July after being diagnosed with Blasto, also listed among his symptoms:
"Anxiety, panic, overwhelmed w/ fear but of nothing in particular, couldn�t catch my breath, chest tight, stomach in knots, out of control, disoriented, scared, depressed, thoughts of suicide & extreme dizziness"
J. gave me permission to include a diary he sent me during his Blasto. infection. Click here to read.

Flagyl failed to relieve his symptoms. After contacting this site he took the drug combination with the following result:
"After the meds my symptoms seemed to change. I had much worse diarrhea (many more times a day and more watery). The nausea was also there but different (not as extreme).
After I'd been off the meds for about a week and had these "different" but similar symtoms I did another stool sample. They told me I had Clostridium difficile (aka. cdiff) at that time. Then they prescribed Flagyl to get rid of the cdiff. That took another 10 days or so. Then I got better. "
September 2002
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H had been diagnosed with both B.hominis & D.fragilis:
" I have been unsuccesfully treated with Tetraciclina (Tetracycline) 500 mg three times a day X 10 days for an infection with hominis and fragillis. I noticed in the web your combination drug treatment and told my doctor. He agrees with the treatment but is a little bit concern about what he says "a powerfull cocktail". Please send me the recommended doses."
26 July 2002

On the 25th September H. recontacted with the news "my stomach still feels a little bit upset. Needs a bit more time.But definitely the old symptoms are gone. Thank you very much for your help and wish you well in your magnific campaign".

Note: Whilst this treatment is very effective providing there has been no pre-treatment with Flagyl or Tinidazole - failures have occurred and Blasto. has been found in stool samples post treatment.
...............................................

FAILURE:
D.contacted in March 03. She reported suffering gastrointestinal complaints for a number of years and symptoms of general weakness and fatigue. She was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and also mild Chrohns disease (inflammation detected during colonoscopy). Stool testing by Great Smokies Diagnostics in 2003 revealed infection with Blasto. hominis. She believes she may have become infected on a trip to India in 1999.

She tested positive to Blasto. after taking Tinidazole and Septrin (dosages).

She had not been pre-treated with Flagyl (pre-treatment reduces the effectiveness of this combo. because Blasto. builds resistance to this drug).

Nitazoxanide (Alinia):

Since mid 2001, shortly after this drug became more widely available, there have been no reports to this site of recovery (negative samples and symptom free) after taking Nitaz. for 3, 7, 10 days @ 500, 1,000 or 2,000mg twice daily (examples below)).

Longer treatments using 1,000mg twice daily have been the most successful with the majority reporting negative samples and greatly reduced or disappearance of symptoms after treatment.
Contact me for exact details of this treatment.

How to obtain:

Manufacturer - USA: Romark Labs.
Nitazoxanide (Alinia) is available in Mexico over-the-counter at pharmacies.

HAVE YOU BEEN TREATED SUCCESSFULLY WITH THIS DRUG?
YOUR STORY MAY HELP OTHERS SUFFERING FROM A BLASTO. INFECTION
Contact me.

Nitazoxanide daily 2 x 500 mg) for 10 days didn�t help me to get rid of the Blastos. This morning the lab found the parasite still present ("2 x campo", translated 2 per sample).
received from a Dutch woman living in Mexico, 6 Nov 2002

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"I took Nitazoxanide for 10 days. Again, I felt better for a bit, but am now back to feeling shit. Once again, the follow-up stool test has come back showing that B Hominis is thriving inside me."
J. 25 Nov. 2002
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"I took 500 mg NTZ for ten days or so, however I tested positive for Blasto. h. after taking it"
Canada, 2005
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73 yo male still positive for Blastocystis hominis after taking Secnidazole 2gr for 3 days.
(Symptoms: "bloating, difficulty with evacuation, slow dygestion, dizziness, and nervousness".)
Feb 2004
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"My illness began in late January 2003. I felt bloated, slightly nauseated and developed a mild but persistent diarrhea. I was first treated with lomotil and then, after stool samples revealed the presence of Blasto, with Flagyl. The Flagyl had little effect on the the blasto or my symptoms, in fact I felt much worse during and immediately after the 10 day course of 750mgs three times a day

I took the course of Alina (Nitazoxinide) May 24,25,26. The retest took place on June 16. I am scheduled for a another stool test next week and will let you know the results. If they indicate further testing I will keep you informed" (see update below)
D. (USA) June 2003

"The last test was positive and I was given another round of Alinia, although my doctor is convinced that the B. hominis will eventually disappear of it's own accord."
D (USA) July 2003
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S. was diagnosed with Bh:
In June 2003 she took Nitazoxinide for 5 days (no dose supplied)
Subsequent Parascope test: Bh still present
Received August 2003
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P. from Melbourne, Australia tested positive after taking Nitaz. Exact dosage and length of treatment not supplied.
received August 03

Rifaximin:

Rifaximin was successful in eradicating B.hominis in the following study:

The drug can be obtained from the following international German pharmacy:
Please note: Requires: A doctor's prescription and authorisation from your department of health to import this drug.

Metropolitan Pharmacy
Flughafen, Zentralbereich
85356 Muenchen
Tel: ++49-89-97592954
Fax: ++49-89-97592956
email: info@metpharmacy.de

Rifaximin & Nitazoxinide combined:

A combination of Rifax and Nitaz. cured a 4 year Blasto. infection, misdiagnosed for the first 2 years as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Unfortunately for a UK woman this treatment failed to eradicate her Blasto. infection. Info. here

Up to November 2003 there has been 1 failure and 2 successes with this treatment: ie greatly improved or complete disappearance of symptoms accompanied by clear stool samples.

Ciproflaxin:
If you are considering taking Cipro (Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride) read the info. on these sites first:
US Food & Drug Administration Centre for Research includes comprehensive info. on Cipro:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/cipro/cipro_faq.htm

Wall Street Journal article contains important info. about the dangers of this drug.
http://www.drugawareness.org/Archives/4thQtr_2001/record0041.html

The following are examples of people who have been helped by this drug.
More examples will be added as they become available.

"Dear Jackie,
Your site was helpful to my battle with B Hominis. Thanks for all the effort you put into this site. I'm almost back to 100% after a 10 month battle.

Just in case you want more data, I'll give you a brief summary of my history.
11/05
I returned from a trip to rural Africa. I began having upper GI problems by the middle of Nov. Mostly acid reflux and the feeling that my stomach lining was inflamed, thus creating a tender bloating that is different from a more typical gassy bloating. At first I thought it was from my Lariam RX (malaria ).
Restricted diet -- no alcohol, fat, caffeine, spicy food. Ate mostly bread & rice. Pepcid AC & antacids little help. Constant symptoms.
12/01
Dx -- giardia and treated with 250 mg flagyl 3xday
1/02
Giardia gone, stool sample normal, but symptoms remain. Prevacid and bland diet keep symptoms from being overwhelming. Prevacid was a definite help. Chinese herbal medicne no help.
2-3/02
All the standard upper & lower GI scans, x-rays etc,. negative
4-6/02
B Hominis test positive in 1 of 3 stool samples. Got standard advice that B hominis is not the problem. Got scoped from top & bottom and all was negative.
7/02
B Hom treated with flagyl 750mg 3xday & cipro 500mg 2xday for 3 weeks. Started feeling a little better after 2 weeks of treatment. No side effects from the drugs.
8/02
Slow improvement. Stopped the Preavid. Started to expand diet, and by end of the month was back to a near normal diet.

Thanks again for your work It gave me a great perspective on my situation and helped me manage the medical community."
S. 27 September 02"
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Trevor was also diagnosed with Blasto. and despite the reluctance of his dr's to treat this organism he was prescribed Fasigyn (similar to Flagyl) for 4 days.
"Many doctors here in Zurich told me not to treat the Blasto, rather to leave it go away by itself"
The treatment made no difference to his symptoms (weight loss, fatigue and digestive complaints). He was eventually treated with: Cyprofloxacin 2 x 500mg a day for for 6 weeks and at the same time took good quality probiotics during and after the treatment. He wrote:
"After 6 weeks, all the weight I had lost returned, muscle built up around my joints again...I feel much better now and my stool is completely normal, no flatulence, no odour.".

He emailed the information because "I know how bad this bloody BH can make a person feel.........if what I have learned can help others please share it."
March 2003

IODOQUINOL...alone and with other drugs
(Important info. about Iod. on the manufacturer's site here)

This woman's Blasto. symptoms disappeared after taking a combination of Flagyl and Iodoquinol:

" I am cured! But the drugs were awful. I had Yodoxin and Metronidazole (Flagyl) at the same time. I was throwing up on the 10th day of treatment. Then my tongue turned green and I had to take something for thrush. Luckily, I have a wonderful doctor who keeps up with the current therapeutic options. Anyway the whole ordeal was worth it because I am now fine and have been fine for several months. The other thing that I did was to take healthy intestinal bacteria three times a day that I found at the health food store. "

In the following case Flagyl was prescribed 3 times without success, initially alone and then in combo. with Iodoquinol (Yodoxin) & the drug Humatin (Paromomycin):
"I just completed my third treatment for a variety of intestinal parasites. I gave another stool sample after treatment only to learn that I was not able to rid myself of the Blastocystis Hominis. So far I have taken Flagyl all three times. The first treatment included Flagyl only. The second treatment included a combination of Flaygyl and Yodoxin. I was prescribed Flagyl and Paramomycin (sp?) this last time. It has been only three weeks since I completed that treatment."
M. March 2003

This woman was treated successfully with a combination of Iodoquinol and Flagyl:
I was happy to find your webpage. My husband and I have had blastocystis hominis since last November. My worst symptom was a nasty flatulence while my husband had runny bowels. I am on 3 x 210mg Yodoxin 3 times a day (20 days) and 3 x 250 metronidozole 3 times a day (10 days). This cure is worse than the disease. I am so sick from these medications (nausea, loose stools, dizziness, lethargy) that I can barely get through the day. But I am on the 7th day of treatment and encouraged because my evil flatulence is gone. I am keeping my fingers crossed."

"Just to follow up, I took 10 days of the metronidozole and the yodoxin and kept getting sicker and sicker (excessive dizziness and lightheadedness, difficulty concentrating, nausea) and by the night after my 10th day (last Sunday) I was up for a few hours dry heave vomiting. Since I was done with the metro anyway my doctor told me to discontinue the yodoxin because of my reaction. Although I am not sure if one drug was more responsible than the other for my reaction. By the way did I tell you that my tongue is slimy greenish looking (seriously, is this a yeast infection?). Also I have a sore back where I think my kidneys are, maybe they got stressed out a little. Or maybe I am overreacting."
J 6 July 01

and the final result:

Here is what I took for Blast. hominos: Metronidazole 750 mg three times each day for 10 days Yodoxin 630 mg three times each day prescribed for 20 days but I was throwing up by the 10th day and the doctor wanted me to stop taking it. Anyway it worked and I seem to be fine! Best wishes to you (by the way I had a course of metronidazole a few months before the above regime and apparently that alone did not work)
J – 3 Nov 01

Tinizadole (chemically similar to Flagyl):

Tinidazole is chemically similar to metronidazole (Flagyl)
Two days of Tinidazole failed to clear the Blasto. this woman's stool samples:
I have Blastocistis Hominus and Dientamoeba Fragilis. My doctor first gave me two doses of Tinidazole. (2 days worth) This made me feel better for about ten days then I got sick again and have both bugs still present.
K. March 02

Anti-Yeast Meds:
B.hominis was reclassified from an intestinal yeast to a protozoa for a number of reasons. One was because Blasto. doesn't respond to anti-yeast medication (ie. amphotericin, nystatin, Diflucan, Sporanox, and Nizoral.). (reference can be supplied)

HERBS:

How effective are herbs to treat Dientamoeba fragilis or Blastocystis hominis? Not very - according to feedback to this site. Thousands of people have reported that herbs either failed to relieve their symptoms, or after treatment has ended the symptoms returned. During eight years this site has heard from only a handful of people who have recovered using anti-parasitic herbal medications, despite the majority having resorted to using them.

A herbal treatment's contribution to symptom relief is difficult to assess. Many alternative medical practitioners often recommend a restricted diet during treatment. Such diets will also reduce the number of parasites. Evidence for nutritional depletion reducing the parasite colony was presented in a study in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene in 1977. A low carbohydrates/high protein diet resulted in less excretion of the parasite Dientamoeba fragilis. Conversely more parasites were excreted when subjects were placed on a diet consisting mainly of high carbohydrate foods. (More information about diet and parasites here

Popular herbal treatments are Wormwood (artemesia), Cloves and Black Walnut Tincture. A search on the internet will reveal a great many sites selling these products for treating parasitic infections. Due to fierce competition, many boast a stronger potency than their opposition to entice potential customers to buy their products.

Such treatments often lack supporting evidence and highly priced, resulting in further unnecessary expense for sufferers of these parasites.

A further cost burden arises when parasite herbal treatments are only available on prescription. Metagenics is an Australian nutritional supplements company catering to "practitioners only". Anyone wishing to buy their products is required to consult an alternative practitioner for a script to buy their herbs. This approach adds unnecessary cost, an expense many can ill afford if considerable amounts of money have already been spent on allopathic and alternative treatments without success.

Metagenics is not the only company who favour this approach. In 1997, whilst researching herbal treatments to rid myself of a Blastocystis hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis infection, I discovered two Indian herbs considered useful for treating parasites. I tracked down a small Australian distributor, who advised that the herbs were available only through a qualified pracitioner, and recommended an Ayurvedic practitioner in Sydney. At this stage I had been chronically unwell for just over three years, weighed 41 kilos and felt constantly ill.

The practitioner refused to prescribe the herbs, preferring his own method of treatment. I was advised to meditate twice daily, take daily oil baths followed by skin brushing, accompanied by a special diet. If, after four weeks, I was no better after this regimen he would write the script for the herbs. Despite serious reservations, I had no choice but to comply. I had tried just about everything else, including Blackwalnut, Cloves and home grown, practitioner prescribed and over-the-counter Artemesia, without success. I was charged $150.00 and left feeling thoroughly miserable. Four weeks later, with no sign of improvement, I returned. He wrote the prescription, but two bottles of the herbs made no difference to my symptoms.

This example highlights the high cost of treating a parasitic infection. I was recently contacted by a Sydney woman who told me she had spent $10,000 on alternative treatments trying to rid herself of her Blasto. and D.fragilis.

Perhaps in some cases herbs do work, but this site aims to warn people that herbs often do not work, and to be wary of the many claims, both by pracitioners and on the internet, that they do.

Have you been treated with successfully with herbs. I would love to hear from you: click on the "contact me" signs on this site and tell me your story.

Below are a few of the many examples of failed herbal treatments.

"Obviously the cure Dr M (homeopath/naturopath) gave me in Ottawa where I flew to didn't work. It was a homeopathic charged water alternated with walnut and clove extracts."
tested positive to Blasto. before and after this treatment and after 3 weeks of Iodoquinol.

M, from the UK, had lived and worked in India. He experienced stomach upsets, loose stools and gas, which failed to settle down after returning to the UK. A naturopath prescribed artemesia (wormwood) and various other herbs, supplements and pro-biotics. "After a couple of months of taking this I did eventually have a parasite stool test at the London School of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene where all three stool samples showed blastocystis hominis. In once sense I was happy that I finally had proof of something that could be causing me harm, but in another sense I was dismayed that the artemesia wasn't working."
(Jan 2005)

N. from the USA tested positive to Dientamoeba fragilis after using an expensive anti-parasite treatment bought over the internet:

"I have spent $600.00 trying to cure my now diagnostic d. fragilis. I do not have health insurance so I pay for all my medical myself. Before going to a traditional G.I. specialist, I came accross debrasimon.com. I ordered her products which came to $400.00 ( all natural remedies). There was definitely improvement even to the point that I thought it was gone, but it would return after 2 weeks of feeling normal. I can't believe this has happened to me. How did I get this? The best answer I have found is bad shrimp I had at a restaurant 5 months ago. I was fine until a week after I ate there. SInce the treatment I tried (debrasimon.com) I went to see a G.I. doctor. After 3 stool samples, I tested positive for d. fragilis."
(December 2004)

C. contacted in April 2004. Diagnosed with both D.fragilis and Blasto. hominis, she had lost weight, her stools were green & loose, joints & muscles aching, itching anus, and "In bed all day feeling dreadful, awake in night feeling sick". Between April and November 2004 she used the following therapies:
Thirty days of capsules containing coconut, cinnamon, oregano, clove, ginger, rosemary.
Allergy desensitisation: C. was advised by her therapists that her Blasto. would disappear with allergy sensitisation.
Two different types of probiotic treatments, one of which released anti parasitic oils into the gut, for a period of 6 months. C. wrote: "results show an improvement over the last six months in lactobacillus +2, should be +4) but my bifidobacter has gone , it's now 0, it was normal 6 months ago at 4+" (this is not an unusual result. Many people who contact this site have low or non existent types of beneficial flora after taking months of probiotics).
8 weeks of two different herbal anti parasitics plus Hulda Clarke's zapper.
A diet restricted of high carb foods and further herbal treatments.

In November 2004 C. wrote that stool tests indicated she was still positive for both Blasto. hominis and D. fragilis and was considering drug treatment.

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M. was still positive for Blasto. after being prescribed Flagyl for a month then being put on a
"low carb diet (for almost a year now) and the alternative medicine treatments of artemsia, dietumaceous earth, olive leaf extract, probiotics, and digestive enzymes and BHC."
Feb 2004 (USA)
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"I believe that I contracted Blasto 30 years ago when I first went to Mexico. This is because I have had mild symptoms all this time that could never be diagnosed and treated. After an operation in 1998 I felt chronically fatigued and still do. I believe that the operation lowered my immune system and the Blasto could then cause fatigue. Last year I had a stool test that indicated Blasto. Since that time I have gone through a complete herbal regime including Undecenoic Acid and general parasite cleanse with Ann Louise Gittleman's company Unikey. (last October) Guess What Came to Dinner is one of her books. More recently I took emulsified Oregano Oil recommended by Great Smokies Lab. Also I have used acupuncture, Chinese herbs, severe grain/fruit free diet (except for quinoa), energywork, craniosacral, chiropractic, therapy, "Terminator" zapper, Prill water, biofeedback....Fortunately I do not have candida that often accompanies Blasto. Nothing cleared the Blasto yet. "
e-mailed by Jane, 1 July 02
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"My son, 17 yrs old, was found to have blastocystis hominis in August of 2002, by Great Smokies Lab. The DO we were seeing put him on Parex, an herbal formlation, for abt 6 weeks. Subsequent stool test showed parasite still there but weaker. Symptoms of bloating, excessive gas, stomach pain/acid continued came back as strong as before."
E. 15 March 03
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Hulda Clarke, author of 'The Cure for All Cancers' recommends Black Walnut and other herbs to eliminate parasites. The following Blasto. infected woman used these herbs as well as a diet restricting foods high in carbohydrates:

"I have been suffering from Gastrointestinal complaints for a number of years now plus general weakness and fatigue. My doctor diagnosed me as having IBS and also mild Chrohns disease but I have recently found out that i am carrying the Blastocystis Hominis parasite in my system.

This was found through having a stool test done with Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory and i was told i may have picked it up on a trip to India in November 1999.