Food and Waterborne Illness

This might not be the hottest topic on the board at the moment but I think it deserves some consideration, especially for those who haven't experienced it.

I followed the advice of my MD when I came to Thailand. i.e. drink only bottled water, avoid anything washed in tap water like salads, eat well cooked meats, etc.

I just finished a 10 day treatment on some nasty antibiotic that made me feel only semi-psychotic after four days not to mention the other undesirable side effects. I remember a similar trip to Acapulco at the turn of the millennium that net the same result, stomach parasites and treatment with the same antibiotic, Metronidizole, which I was told has the least bothersome side effects.

I kind of suspected that something was up, but my MD assured me I had some virus that would go away. After five months, I decided to get a second opinion from another Dr. who actually took the extra 10 seconds to write up a lab request and sent me off for some tests. A week later I was told I has some tropical amoeba living in my stomach which I probably picked up from contaminated food/water or maybe even that boy who sat on my face. :love8:

The type I had there are two strains, one that mostly inhabits the digestive tract, the second more invasive and serious, spreads to other organs and penetrates the tissue wall.

In your experiences, what is safe to consume and what is not?

Is there a definitive guide somewhere on what's safe, what to avoid and what's borderline?

I recall reading that the tap water in Bangkok had improved but not to drink it. If I happened get some in my mouth while showering or accidentally forgot and rinsed with it after brushing, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Street food stalls?

Ice cubes (Pattaya Bar) - (stupid but was drunk and had a couple drinks at a Thai bar one night)

I walked down a side street around MBK and noticed that a few people had their carports converted into giant freezers and make and crush on the spot for restaurants and bars. Now that I recall seeing that, it can't be a very controlled and sanitary environment.

Most of the time I ate in restaurants, and actually come to thing of it I had ice tea/ice coffee a few times at the Bug and Bee?

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In your experiences, what is safe to consume and what is not?

I have a water filter on the kitchen tap, and drink water from that and use it to clean my teeth. Elsewhere if I want water I buy bottled. I'd have thought the act of making the ice might destroy most bugs; I've certainly never had a problem drinking anything with ice in it. As for the rest, you're at the mercy of the hygiene standards of whoever's doing the cooking, and that's no different in Bangkok than anywhere else. I eat on the street, I buy pineapple and melon and watermelon from the street vendors, all cut up in front of me, in those little plastic bags. If I get dysentery I'll take some Imodium - usually only one is necessary - and it self-corrects

[rincondog]

It is possible that what you contracted was in fact due to the type of sexual activity you engaged in with the boy.

[netrix]

plentiful ignestion of alchohol kills most bugs

here, here. :cheers:

It is possible that what you contracted was in fact due to the type of sexual activity you engaged in with the boy.

If I didn't think it had any relevance I wouldn't have mentioned it. It's like Russian Roulette, except not fatal.

It's an activity I engage periodically and only with a specific body type, (big muscles, bubble butt and masculine) that I'll do it. It was something I did with my last four ex's and never had a problem, common sense would dictate that there are no guarantee it'll always be safe.

http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/SFCITYCLINIC/drk/oralsex5.asp

I know I'm not the only man in the whole wide world who indulges in this activity, but next time I'll think twice before loosing face.

I have a water filter on the kitchen tap, and drink water from that and use it to clean my teeth. Elsewhere if I want water I buy bottled. I'd have thought the act of making the ice might destroy most bugs; I've certainly never had a problem drinking anything with ice in it. As for the rest, you're at the mercy of the hygiene standards of whoever's doing the cooking, and that's no different in Bangkok than anywhere else. I eat on the street, I buy pineapple and melon and watermelon from the street vendors, all cut up in front of me, in those little plastic bags. If I get dysentery I'll take some Imodium - usually only one is necessary - and it self-corrects

I've heard that sometimes that's all it takes is a little Imodium, 24-48 hours and the body will take care of itself.

You seem like a seasoned veteran when it comes to Thailand. It's good to know that perhaps my first time was perhaps just an unfortunate happenstance and not the norm.

I know I'm not the only man in the whole wide world who indulges in this activity, but next time I'll think twice before loosing face.

As the whole Board knows, getting a boy to sit on my face is one of my preferences. I've only ever once got sick from it, and a shot of penicillin soon fixed that! Oh, and I live in Bangkok

I've only ever once got sick from it, and a shot of penicillin soon fixed that! Oh, and I live in Bangkok

Is that something the local hospital could treat if one was to be so unfortunate?

I've only ever once got sick from it, and a shot of penicillin soon fixed that! Oh, and I live in Bangkok

Is that something the local hospital could treat if one was to be so unfortunate?

Well ... I didn't have to fly myself to Singapore!

[fedssocr]

I think a lot of it comes down to luck. I have managed to get sick on both of my trips to Thailand. The first time was a very nasty case of food poisoning that led to a night in the Bangkok Pattaya hospital. The second time was another stomach bug of some sort that I got on basically the first day of my trip. Not sure where I picked that up. Might have been the food on the plane, could have been my breakfast or lunch but by late afternoon I was not well. I also had gone for a massage at Adonis that day where I had a glass of water to drink while selecting my masseur. So it could have been that or the shower in the room there also had a ton of black mold in it so my problem could have been a bad reaction to that.

My doctor gave me a 7 days' supply of Cipro just in case I have any problems this year. If you really do have any sort of food poisoning you don't really want to do too much immodium to stop everything up.That just allows the bug to keep on doing its thing in your GI tract. Taking an antibiotic should kill pretty much all of the bacteria in your system and you want to keep everything moving through.