Post: #1

To a lot of you guys who travel and don't do resorts, a lot of these countries have bacteria in their water that the inhabitants are used to. But for us (well, myself) used to drinking well treated water, the water or the food cooked in that water will give me the bubblies (the runs) and I have to cupcake a toilet or risk major social embarrassment.

When I was in DR, I ventured for an hour off of the resort with a cat that worked there to see some real Dominican tail.

I ate some chicken and plantain and drank a Presidente at some ramshack club.
The next day my stomach went to town on me.

Do any of you travelers experience that in the Latin and Caribbean countries or do you just soldier through with a pack of Imodium?

Post: #2

Yes.

I will find out the exact name of the over-the-counter (in DR) drug that we use to "clear out the bacteria". I just looked at the empty wrapper and I cannot make out the name. My boy knows because he got us to start taking them. All I know is that before we leave DR, we goto the pharmacy and buy something similar to an antibiotic which you can get over-the-counter in DR. Supposedly, it helps remove/reduce any bacteria that you may encountered.

I have went through EXACTLY what you went through and Immodium only quells it for a few hours. As hard as I try, I always seem to drink something in the Dominican Republic with ice and my stomach ends up torched. Those tablets helped greatly.

Give me a day, I will find out the name of the over-the-counter drug.

Post: #3

It's part and parcel of travel. I go away for months at a time and I'll get doses of the shits a few times, think worst was in Vietnam, stomach was literally fucked for a week.

Post: #4

i was in Costa Rica for a week and drank the water and paid the price for a couple days. drink bottled water. heck, where I was in Costa Rica even the locals drank bottled water.

Post: #5

I was in Brazil for 12 days or so many years ago, and I managed to avoid the shiznits until day 11 (and it was only a slight case at that). I was careful about consuming the water, and didn't eat from anyplace strange or off the street. Generally, if something is cooked in the water, anything in it is killed. You need to be careful of anything with ice in it. Sometimes if bottled water is taken out of a bucket of ice, you can get enough of the bad water in you from putting your lips to the outside of the bottle.

What I'm wondering is...how long would it take the average person to become immune to the bacteria? If I intended on staying in a place for months, you could drink some water on day one and just hold up in your apartment until it ran it's course, then be okay for the rest of your stay. I'm not sure the body develops immunity that quickly...

Post: #6

It is pretty hard to avoid no doubt.

But I also find being paranoid about it accomplishes nothing. A man has to eat and the general poor hygiene of a place will have the immune system working overtime.

Things like strong liquor and pickled ginger are good for killing bacteria in the gut (or so I am told)

Quote:What I'm wondering is...how long would it take the average person to become immune to the bacteria?

I have wondered this as well. Maybe never? By the looks of some of the toilets in Latin America and Asia, 95% of the locals have the runs as well.

Post: #7

I agree, worrying about it and trying to avoid street food & ice, only using bottled water to brush your teeth etc is overkill. You may as well just take things as they are and hope for the best.

Post: #8

(12-06-2011 03:47 PM)KingofScotland Wrote:  I agree, worrying about it and trying to avoid street food & ice, only using bottled water to brush your teeth etc is overkill. You may as well just take things as they are and hope for the best.

If you are going for a limited time period, having the shyts can really fcuk with plans. I don't care how much game some of you guys are, can you score repeatedly while you suffer from the shyts? Get her to toss your salad while you got the runs.
She can smell and hear your bowels moving constantly.
She tosses your salad and you shyt her face and the bed.
What are your chances of a return bang?

Post: #9

(12-06-2011 03:53 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(12-06-2011 03:47 PM)KingofScotland Wrote:  I agree, worrying about it and trying to avoid street food & ice, only using bottled water to brush your teeth etc is overkill. You may as well just take things as they are and hope for the best.

If you are going for a limited time period, having the shyts can really fcuk with plans. I don't care how much game some of you guys are, can you score repeatedly while you suffer from the shyts? Get her to toss your salad while you got the runs.
She can smell and hear your bowels moving constantly.
She tosses your salad and you shyt her face and the bed.
What are your chances of a return bang?

I had the runs in Peru all the time, i picked up a girl in cusco brought her to my room and had take a giant long shit in the bathroom next door. Thats why i never prefer to have a bathroom in my hotel room. I rather share a toilet with a few others than embarrass myself in front of a girl.

If i have a hotel room with bathroom, i politely ask the girl to leave the room. I usually make a joke of it and say to her that i have to do business in the "office". Sometimes i sneak out of the room and take a dump somewhere else.

Even though i spend a lot of times in hostels and guesthouses i always avoid taking a dump when others are around.

The worst travel sickness i had in India. I hadn't been sick in like 12 years and was strong as fuck before i went to India. There i lost 12 kilos of body weight in just a few weeks. i was shitting all fucking day. like 30 times a day. i was sick for weeks and after returning home my stomach was very weak for months. I even missed my grandfathers funeral right after i returned to Holland because i couldn't leave the house or even my bed.

Post: #10

(12-06-2011 11:49 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

(12-06-2011 03:53 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(12-06-2011 03:47 PM)KingofScotland Wrote:  I agree, worrying about it and trying to avoid street food & ice, only using bottled water to brush your teeth etc is overkill. You may as well just take things as they are and hope for the best.

If you are going for a limited time period, having the shyts can really fcuk with plans. I don't care how much game some of you guys are, can you score repeatedly while you suffer from the shyts? Get her to toss your salad while you got the runs.
She can smell and hear your bowels moving constantly.
She tosses your salad and you shyt her face and the bed.
What are your chances of a return bang?

I had the runs in Peru all the time, i picked up a girl in cusco brought her to my room and had take a giant long shit in the bathroom next door. Thats why i never prefer to have a bathroom in my hotel room. I rather share a toilet with a few others than embarrass myself in front of a girl.

If i have a hotel room with bathroom, i politely ask the girl to leave the room. I usually make a joke of it and say to her that i have to do business in the "office". Sometimes i sneak out of the room and take a dump somewhere else.

Even though i spend a lot of times in hostels and guesthouses i always avoid taking a dump when others are around.

The worst travel sickness i had in India. I hadn't been sick in like 12 years and was strong as fuck before i went to India. There i lost 12 kilos of body weight in just a few weeks. i was shitting all fucking day. like 30 times a day. i was sick for weeks and after returning home my stomach was very weak for months. I even missed my grandfathers funeral right after i returned to Holland because i couldn't leave the house or even my bed.

What did you eat or drink in India? As a general rule you should stick to filtered water, and if thats not available drink bottled water. Never eat fresh fruits that are openly exposed(especially on the street). Avoid street stalls too.

The last two times I went to India I was pretty much fine(I think I had one or two days with diarhea, but nothing severe).

Post: #11

(12-07-2011 12:07 AM)torontokid Wrote:  

(12-06-2011 11:49 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

(12-06-2011 03:53 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(12-06-2011 03:47 PM)KingofScotland Wrote:  I agree, worrying about it and trying to avoid street food & ice, only using bottled water to brush your teeth etc is overkill. You may as well just take things as they are and hope for the best.

If you are going for a limited time period, having the shyts can really fcuk with plans. I don't care how much game some of you guys are, can you score repeatedly while you suffer from the shyts? Get her to toss your salad while you got the runs.
She can smell and hear your bowels moving constantly.
She tosses your salad and you shyt her face and the bed.
What are your chances of a return bang?

I had the runs in Peru all the time, i picked up a girl in cusco brought her to my room and had take a giant long shit in the bathroom next door. Thats why i never prefer to have a bathroom in my hotel room. I rather share a toilet with a few others than embarrass myself in front of a girl.

If i have a hotel room with bathroom, i politely ask the girl to leave the room. I usually make a joke of it and say to her that i have to do business in the "office". Sometimes i sneak out of the room and take a dump somewhere else.

Even though i spend a lot of times in hostels and guesthouses i always avoid taking a dump when others are around.

The worst travel sickness i had in India. I hadn't been sick in like 12 years and was strong as fuck before i went to India. There i lost 12 kilos of body weight in just a few weeks. i was shitting all fucking day. like 30 times a day. i was sick for weeks and after returning home my stomach was very weak for months. I even missed my grandfathers funeral right after i returned to Holland because i couldn't leave the house or even my bed.

What did you eat or drink in India? As a general rule you should stick to filtered water, and if thats not available drink bottled water. Never eat fresh fruits that are openly exposed(especially on the street). Avoid street stalls too.

The last two times I went to India I was pretty much fine(I think I had one or two days with diarhea, but nothing severe).

Back in 2008 and beta days i went to India and Nepal with a Dutch group tour. The first 5 days were ok and i ate local food but on day 6 i ate at Mac Donalds and trouble started. It sucked even more because i was constantly hanging out with 5 chicks all day. I had the runs, fever,illness and almost a heart attack due to low blood sugar and high altitudes when in Nepal a few weeks later. I seriously thought i was dying climbing back to the mountain hotel. I couldnt breathe and it felt like there was a truck parked on my chest. The rest of the group was having fun and drinking beers on the outside patio, i never felt worse laying on the hotel bed and seeing the rest of the group having fun. The guy i shared a room with suggested me to eat chocolate. I ate some of his candy and felt better within minutes. Since than i never undertake heavy (climbing) activities without some candy in my pocket but it was probably because i had barely eaten in the 5 days before i went on that mountain walk.

Low blood sugar at high altitudes is no joke.
hmm, i need to type up that story for my site someday.

Post: #12

I travel a lot (30 countries so far this year) and I deal with it by drinking a lot of beer. Alcohol kills off a lot of bad bacteria.

I rememeber in Vietnam gradually feeling more and more sick as the hours went by after I ate something bad and knowing that I was going to hurl in the next hour or two unless I did something about it.

Pounded back 3 large Tsing Tao (great beer) and all was good.

Btw alcohol kills off a lot of good bacteria too so balance things out with some pro-biotic drinks when you can find them

Post: #13

Ciprofloxacin is the antibiotic you want. It's prescription only (at least in the US), but any doctor will give it to you if you're traveling. It's supposed to only be used after loperamide (immodium) has failed. I've only had to take it a couple of times, and it was like an a-bomb for a nasty gut. Cleared it right up. I never travel without it.

Post: #14

I'd never have though beer would be a good solution to a dose of the shits.

Post: #15

If beer is good, wouldn't something like 100-Proof vodka be better? Not that much alcohol relatively in beer.

Post: #16

(12-07-2011 03:18 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  If beer is good, wouldn't something like 100-Proof vodka be better? Not that much alcohol relatively in beer.

That's what I was thinking. I don't think the alcohol works that well because doesn't the body absorb it into the liver?

When I was in the DR, I was perpetually drunk from 7am to 3am and the day I had the runs, I had been drinking all day (as usual).

Post: #17

(12-07-2011 03:18 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  If beer is good, wouldn't something like 100-Proof vodka be better? Not that much alcohol relatively in beer.

It probably isn't the alcohol in beer that fights the virus, but other ingredients. Kind of like how you need a base to neutralize acid, something in beer probably works the same in principle against the virus.

Post: #18

Interesting about the beer helping because it typically upsets the stomach and causes diarrhea in people because of the grains and yeast.

Post: #19

(12-07-2011 10:19 PM)Smitty Wrote:  Interesting about the beer helping because it typically upsets the stomach and causes diarrhea in people because of the grains and yeast.

I was thinking the same.

Post: #20

I remember in college going out for a couple of beers when I had a sore throat, and after a couple of Budweisers it was gone the next day.

Post: #21

(12-07-2011 11:06 PM)Timoteo Wrote:  I remember in college going out for a couple of beers when I had a sore throat, and after a couple of Budweisers it was gone the next day.

It's hardly conclusive proof though.

Post: #22

Just like certain drugs don't work the same for everyone, other "remedies" may not be helpful to everyone.

Post: #23

I've had the mild shits for 5 days now. No fever or chills just cramps, some bloating, and liquid shit. I just started drinking ACV so hopefully that works. I prefer not to waste my time going to the doctors or pills so any advice?

Oh yeh. It may have been from the water or eating street tacos in Mexico.

Post: #24

(04-30-2014 07:06 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  I've had the mild shits for 5 days now. No fever or chills just cramps, some bloating, and liquid shit. I just started drinking ACV so hopefully that works. I prefer not to waste my time going to the doctors or pills so any advice?

Oh yeh. It may have been from the water or eating street tacos in Mexico.

Try getting activated charcoal which can be found in Mexico as carbotural, I had the same issues as you when I ate some passion fruit in Africa. They may have it at a pharmacy. ACV may help as well.

http://www.earthclinic.com/mobile/CURES/diarrhea.html
http://www.earthclinic.com/mobile/CURES/...-cure.html

Post: #25

do you guys know a good map of the world where you can see in which regions its most likely for a "Westerner" to get your stomach fucked up?
because I have never had problems in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay.. but for example in Ecuador (Quito) I got terribly sick and felt close to die just for eating a fucking pizza.. but in cities like Medellin and Buenos Aires I lived there for an extended time and I always drank tap water and ate anything..