Do Not Eat At The Rainbow Cafe In Antigua, Guatemala
So I had a wonderful trip to Guatemala overall. I learned a ton of Spanish, saw some great sights, and all.
But then the very last 5 days of my trip, spent in Antigua, Guatemala, were terrible.
(Warning, graphic description ahead.)
After eating a salad (I know, I know, I should have known better) in Antigua (very touristy, and I assumed that meant safe), I was puking. The next day I spent in bed rehydrating. The next day I felt a bit better. The next day I had overwhelming nausea, only controlled by around-the-clock dramamine (an antihistamine). Then finally the next day I went home.
I continued to feel sick for the next 5 or so days after I was home. About two days ago I got an appetite back and finally feel better.
I finished a 3-day course of Cipro, took an albendazole to de-worm, and a 4-dose course of tinidazole (anti-microbe, anti-amoeba). Apparently tinidazole isn’t approved in the US, as a compound similar to it causes cancer in rats. Whoops.
But I feel better. Finally. After 10 days of hell. And I’m 13 pounds lighter, down to 139, the lightest I’ve weighed since I was 19. (Eternal optimist that I am, I now get to eat whatever the hell I want to try to gain weight. Yum.)
Also: take any American who thinks this country is a terrible place (I was not one of them, I’m just sayin’), send them to a developing country for a month, and they will come back the biggest Patriot.
Sounds like a great experience (minus the puking).
Something I’m curious about as I tweak my own fourth year schedule: did this count as an elective for you, or was it just for fun?
It didn’t for me, but it could’ve if I wanted it to. And it counted as an elective for a bunch of the other 4th year med students.
omg did you actually have worms!!!
Big Opps! I had to take a total of 7 courses of tinidazole over my two years in the Peace Corps- but at least it works and is super cheap ;-) . I could get in it my village for about 40 cents a pop!
[...] Do Not Eat At The Rainbow Cafe In Antigua, GuatemalaSo I had a wonderful trip to Guatemala overall. I learned a ton of Spanish, saw some great sights, and all. But then the very last 5 days of my trip, spent in Antigua, Guatemala, were terrible. (Warning, graphic description ahead.) … [...]
[...] Do Not Eat At The Rainbow Cafe In Antigua, GuatemalaSo I had a wonderful trip to Guatemala overall. I learned a ton of Spanish, saw some great sights, and all. But then the very last 5 days of my trip, spent in Antigua, Guatemala, were terrible. (Warning, graphic description ahead.) … [...]
I think the doses of tinidazole u guys took should be harmless. A lifetime exposure would be worrisome though. Graham, give yourself a month or so before u body bounces back…Im just recovering as ell.
Tinidazole was approved by the FDA in the US in 2004 for the treatment of Trichomonas.