I got giardia on the PCT

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I recently hiked from Whitewater preserve to Agua Dulce. I estimate, based on onset of symptoms and places I know I definitely drank untreated water, that I may have been infected by the spring at Mission Trail camp or the little spring next to the trail just north of Arrastre Trail camp or a small creek before Holcomb creek (where I scooped up a little upstream to rehydrate some mashed potatoes). I may have drunk other untreated water, but I can’t remember for sure, but those I do remember drinking untreated.

I was tested by a lab and had to make a report with the public health department so it’s a true diagnosis.

Giardia sucks. The symptoms I had were nausea, stomach pain and exhaustion and gross poo, but not diarrhea. The medication sucks, too. Leaves me tired and feeling clumsy. I can’t seem to walk straight. I’ll be glad when this is over.

I’ve drunk untreated spring water all my life in So Cal and this is the first time I’ve ever been infected. I won’t be doing that anymore, at least not on the PCT. I’m just posting this warning in case you’re planning to hike in this area. I realize this admission opens me up to criticism, but I know a lot of people like me who drink untreated water, so this PSA is for you.

[David Thomas]

Thanks for posting the warning to others.

Which medication did they put you on?

Knowing what I know about bacteria in the subsurface, I’m always much more suspicious of surface waters (creeks and rivers) than springs, if it truly is welling up out of the ground right there, and especially if it is productive enough to have runoff (i.e. is flushing itself of anything that fell in).

I don’t think any criticism is warranted.  It’s a calculated risk, and it’s tough to separate hikers’ reports of what may have been hand-to-mouth self contamination from actual giardia except in confirmed cases like yours.  I’ve gone from always treating to sometimes treating, but I know I’m rolling the dice.

[Jerry Adams]

Thanks for the info

I’m a little lax on treating water and have so far escaped any problems.  It weighs so little and requires so little effort it really doesn’t make much sense not to treat.

[BlackHatGuy]

Thanks for the post Piper. I agree with David, no criticism warranted, only thanks for the warning.

[MJ H]

I always treat water, but I just ate Romaine lettuce so I too live on the edge.

Hope you feel better soon.

[DAN-Y]

Hoping for your speedy recovery :-)

[David Thomas]

MJH:

[MJ H]

It wasn’t chocolate-good, but it was a very good salad.

[Kenneth Keating]

Thanks for posting.  Growing up in the Sierras in the 60’s and 70’s, we never treated water, never even thought about it.   Posts like yours is a wake up call and makes us realize that’s no longer the case anymore, no matter where we are.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I took flagyl. I took the last dose last night. Let’s hope it got the little buggers.

[Don A.]

Sorry to hear that Piper.  I’ve always considered spring water sources safe. For that matter I think most water sources I encounter on the trail are safe.  Bleach is my treatment method if I have any concerns.  So far so good but every time I hear a story like yours I go through a reevaluation process.

A few years ago I got a dose of Tinidazole that I carry just in case, especially on multi week trips.  It’s a one dose treatment and hopefully a quick cure. I haven’t had to test it so far but my thinking is I wouldn’t be knocked off the trail for an extended recovery from giardia.

[BlackHatGuy]

“I took flagyl.”

Flagyl, ugh. I just finished a 10-day treatment cycle of flagyl and cipro both. Not fun.

[Jerry Adams]

Did you have Giardia?  Where did you get it?

[Valerie E]

I’ve had the dubious pleasure of taking (at separate times) Flagyl and Tinidazole.

I’ve seen two Infectious Disease specialists, and one insisted that the one-dose 2k mg treatment with Tinidazole was “less reliable” (his words) for giardia than 10-days of Flagyl.  If true, it’s a shame, because the 1-dose Tinidazole had me feeling GREAT (at least for a while) with no side effects, while the Flagyl made me feel crappy for the full 10 days (but did ultimately fix the problem, so I *forgive* it!).

[Cameron M]

I got giardia one year when my filter froze and busted. The few times I drank unfiltered water, I was reasonably careful to draw water from very high sources, above the treeline. My major symptom was a crushing tiredness, but one dose of something (Tinidazole?) knocked it all out and I was completely back in the game in two days.

[MJ H]

My major symptom was a crushing tiredness

I think I need to start filtering the water at my office.

[Jeff McWilliams]

I hope you have a quick recovery and are back on the trail in no time.

Not to worry you, but I’ve recently read a blog post from a thru-hiker who got Giardia and then went on Flagyl.  The strong antibiotics wiped our her gut flora, causing what I guess you could describe as secondary complications until she got a fecal transplant.

This seems to happen rarely, otherwise you’d think we’d hear more about complications like this, but I figured I’d mention it so that you’re aware.

 

[Brad P]

I hope you’re recovering quickly.

HYOH, but for me, there’s no way it’s worth the risk to me unless your water purification method fails.

[BlackHatGuy]

fecal transplant – Someone from the north who moves to the south…..

[Doug Coe]

Doug—Them’s fightin’ words!

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I still feel a sort of crushing tiredness, but I don’t know if it was the Giardia or that I’m going on 2 years of hot flashes and I feel that every day of this that goes by, I’m falling apart a little bit more. At least hot flashes makes it much easier to get up to pee in the middle of a cold night.

[Jeff McWilliams]

You should read Carrot Quinn’s blog. She had the same enduring fatigue after Giardia before finally going the fecal transplant route.

 

https://carrotquinn.com/2017/07/09/how-diy-fecal-transplant-has-so-far-cured-my-ibs-and-chronic-fatigue-with-monthly-updates/

 

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I read that when it came out. Sounds really gross. I don’t know if I have *any* friends close enough to do something like that with.

[Jeff McWilliams]

The conversation would be horrifying, wouldn’t it?

*Pours a third glass of wine and takes a big gulp*

“So, listen.  I have this PROBLEM, and it sounds like the only way for me to get better is if  I have someone else’s poop.  Can I have some of your poop?”

“Wait, what? You want WHAT??”

 

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

Having to scoop my own poop for the stool sample was really super gross.

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