A bit of Giardia with a Chlorine Dioxide chaser

"So, my question is this: when the treated water enters my stomach would it also have the ability to treat the infected water, killing the bacteria I had earlier ingested?"

What bacteria are you asking about? I thought that you were asking about Giardia Lamblia, which is a parasite.

Drinking good water after bad probably has no effect on the Giardia that have already set up housekeeping in your small intestine.

–B.G.–

Tabs are calibrated to contain enough chemical to treat a certain volume of water, so no.

Chlorine dioxide will react with your body and stomach contents and be instantly worthless. So no, you can't treat that way effectively

The trick is that Chlorine Dioxide works on raw water to kill the Giardia cysts. In your gut, they might already be at trophozoan stage, in which case it probably won't work.

There is probably a way that you could consume sufficient Chlorine Dioxide to kill all of the little critters in your gut. However, that should halfway poison you, so that isn't recommended.

If the little parasites have already set up housekeeping in your gut, you can get prescription medication that will kill them. It is better to kill them early rather than kill them late.

–B.G.–

it takes a while for chlorine to kill bugs

in the time it takes to kill them, your stomach will probably neutralize it

Clo2 kills viruses and bacteria. It does not kill Guardia. Neither does a steripen.

They affect the DNA so that the parasite cannot reproduce. In effect, they are birth control.

"It does not kill Guardia."

None of those allowed here.

Giardia Lamblia is devitalized by a sufficient concentration of Chlorine Dioxide, so effectively it can't hurt you.

The UV light from a steripen disrupts the DNA.

–B.G.–

Did you get sick?

I agree with those that say that Chlorine Dioxide treated water would have little or no effect on pathogens you've already swallowed.

FYI I think most experts would say that rather than 13-14 days for giardiasis symptoms to appear, the incubation period is anywhere from 1-45 days or more with 7-10 days most common.

No, I did not get sick.

I was just wondering if it would have any effect on any such PARASITE like giardia when it goes down the gullet.

"Tabs are calibrated to contain enough chemical to treat a certain volume of water, so no."

I remember reading that you can half the dosage and double the contact time or double the dosage and half the contact time and still be safe.

Anyone know if that's true?

Within limits, yes, for some bugs.
But chemicals are marginal for Giardia anyhow.

Cheers

"But chemicals are marginal for Giardia anyhow."

You can always double the concentration and double the contact time.

–B.G.–

I'll have what he's having.

I'd think stomach pH and then the other chemical happenings in the small intestine would alter ingested chlorine dioxide.

While I don't have any in depth knowledge on the why/how, I hear that chlorine dioxide taken orally is used as a pretty controversial "treatment" for a variety of ailments. I can't find anything to suggest that the compound is broken down by stomach ph, but there does seem to be a consensus that taking it in sufficient concentration to kill things in your gut can make you pretty darn miserable.

I'd chase it with flagyl. Or whiskey.

If chlorine dioxide did survive the gut, then it would also impair the normal intestinal flora, .., I'd just go with the instructions personally (and some double IPA if allowed / if miserable, at least be a little blasted is my philosophy). Note I'm not a physician…