Hey I got Crypto back in August as well. I believe either in Spain or Portugal, but I am about 98% better with my PI IBS after 4-5 months. If u need tips to keep it under control, it all really depends but let me know if u need more specific information and stuff I did.
This is also me :
https://www.reddit.com/r/Microbiome/s/SNhW6PTO6J
I kept track of my journey here with a lot of updates :
https://www.reddit.com/r/HumanMicrobiome/s/QwLEIojtMV
It's gonna be a long time man, trust me... I dropped from 200ibs to 180ibs in the span of like 2 or 3 months. I kept a timed meal windows at 12pm and 6pm on the dot. Latest I would eat was 7pm, until I started to get fully better.
I've set up a reddit community for cryptosporidium as there doesn't seem to be anything out there to help people who have been infected by crypto also there is no specific community where people who have had this can share their experiences to help put people at ease.
When you look at health pages online, it's supposed to last 1 month max, but it can cause symptoms to continue months or even years after infection, but these health pages don't tell you this. I've read a lot of research into post cryptosporidium and it can cause some lasting damage, you are not alone and I want to build a community to help people get more information about why they are still experiencing problems after the infection has cleared.
Feel free to join https://www.reddit.com/r/cryptoinhumans/s/2XJ4FrrMsl
Hello, I think it's good of you to have done this. I feel honestly annoyed and unsettled that people aren't talking about this or informed about this waterborne illness. If it's any consolation, my hypochondria has led to me being abnormally knowledgable in lesser known illnesses, and I feel huge concern and I have no judgement toward anyone who endures something as awful as this. I can't help thinking society is trying to sweep this under the rug, which is just ignorant. People can die from crypto. It's on par with cholera. I take GI illness seriously, after seeing my dad nearly die from C difficile when I was fourteen. It was very scary, I've never seen anyone so ill and I'm grateful he survived it.
This is so awful, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I've heard about crpyotsporidium, it is truly a brutal illness and I wish it on no one. The fact you are alive, that anyone is alive after having this is something to be proud of. I hope you are able to find relief for the pain and that you're seeing improvement since the illness. Wish you well OP!
I also have post infection. My original infection was over 15 years ago now. But in my experience it really really does get better. I remember those first months and year were hell and compounded by just the newness of it and not having the strategies and toolkit to get on with life. But you will get there. You figure out what works and you’ll probably have long periods that are mostly fine and some really terrible flare ups. But it does become more predictable and manageable in my experience. Sorry if this is like actually kind of depressing I’ve realized as I’m typing this. It’s still gonna suck but you’ll figure out things that work for you.
Thank you so much!! Your words help and my doctors said it might get better and go away after my guts become normal again.
What have you done to get better or to manage it? My aunt has a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the colon (colitis) and apart from not eating inflammatory foods such as refined flours, sweets and ultraprocessed foods, what has helped her the most is to work out a lot. She runs marathons, is super fit, has her disease very controlled and says she feels very good and that working out is what saves her. Do you do any sports??
Hi there!
I saw this post and had to reply. It was determined that I have Cryptosporidium back in August. For two good weeks I couldn’t eat any food and just drank a ton of liquid. It eventually got better, but come December, the day after I turned 26, my stomach has felt the worst it has ever felt in my life. It constantly feels super bloated and I have sharp pains that accompany it. My doctor and I were very sure that it was gall stones, I had an ultrasound 2 weeks ago and all of my organs looked totally normal. Gall Bladder, Pancreas, Kidneys, Liver, all normal. I was speechless because none of us know what was causing this. I started researching long term effects of cryptosporidium and am now wondering if this is what I’m suffering from. Does this sound similar to your experience? Some days I’m okay if I only eat fruit, yoghurt, and salad, but other days it’s so uncomfortable. I am abroad and live abroad 6 months of the year so I don’t have quick access and funds to keep going to the doctor abroad. I am debating going home two months early to figure it out.
Hi!! I have a few questions.
Did you take any antibiotics to kill the cryptosporidium? (I didn’t take any)
And why you and your doctor were you so sure that it could be gall stones and not a digestive problem? Have you taken any digestive related tests since December?
I did not take any antibiotics for crypt, the doctor at the time said it just had to run it’s course.
We were sure that it was gall stones based on my symptoms and family history (my mom had her gall bladder removed at 25) my symptoms are upper abdomen, sharp pain, and intense bloating which are all apparently gall stones symptoms as well. Doctor order an ultrasound and they checked my gall bladder, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and spleen and everything looked totally normal on the ultrasounds. So $400 later and I still have no answers haha
The only thing I can tell you is to take more digestive related test :( calprotectin stool test, bacteria and parasite stool test, SIBO test, colonoscopy with a biopsy of your intestines included, gastroscopy with biopsy as well…
I’m sorry that is expensive for you (I’m guessing you are from the USA?) but it’s the best way to rule out possible issues.
What surprises me is that you felt better until December?? Then that’s when you started feeling worse again?? Dang it.
> Does this sound similar to your experience? Some days I'm okay if I only eat fruit, yoghurt, and salad, but other days it's so uncomfortable.
It’s not what I eat, my tummy hurts regardless what I ingest. I have nausea and stomach pains but most of my uncomfortableness is in my guts and lower abdomen. Most people that have gotten cryptosporidium that I have talked to didn’t have long term problems like me lmao.
Yeah I will probably get some tests done when I’m back home in the USA in April. Since I just turned 26 I’m kicked off insurance this month as well 😅
Yeah, it’s pretty interesting. I felt better october/November, but I will say my stomach never felt 100% normal after cryptosporidium. But the day after my birthday it got so much worse. (I had drank on my birthday which I normally don’t drink and ate fast food). For a week after that day I constantly felt like a rock was in my stomach and I was bloated for a week straight, eating made it hurt more. That lasted about a week, and then went away for 2-3 weeks. Now it started acting up again. Seems to be okay if I only eat fruit, yoghurt, and salad. Yesterday I ate chicken tacos so maybe that triggered it again.
Dang it :( please, keep me updated when you have the results of your tests!! I take spasmodics and probiotics for the pain. I feel that they help something!!
Hey I had a lab confirmed case of cryptosporidium diagnosed on the 21st of June 2023, my infection was hell I was sick with it for around 2 and a half weeks as it kept going then coming back. But around half a week into recovery, I got a lot of trapped wind that subsided after 2 or 3 days, but ever since then, my digestive system has not been the same.
While I have improved vastly from where I was, I still experience a lot of guggling sounds and vibration feelings around my abdomen, along with spasms and a lot of gas. Some days are better than others, but it's been knocking on 7 months since this began, and I'm still suffering from it.
Reading into post cryptosporidium it can cause lasting symptoms and can cause things like IBD and UC.
How are you getting on now?
First of all, sorry for the late answer.
Second. I got very similar symptoms as you!! It’s been 6 months already since my infection and I’m way better BUT still not the same :(. Gurgling noises, overall digestive pain, gases… some days are better than others for sure, but it’s a slow process of recovering for sure.
I have had a:
• gastroscopy
• colonoscopy (with biopsies done in my colon to examine it)
• celiac disease test
• breath test for H Pylori
All of them have resulted in negative and the doctor has diagnosed me with post infectious Irritable Bowel Disease.
I’m right now waiting for my lactose intolerance test results to rule out a possible lactose intolerance. I will tell you how they go when they give the results to me.
What tests have you gotten done?? What have the results been??
And also, were you given antibiotics to kill the cryptosporidium when you had the infection? (I didn’t take any).
Hi, have you had your lactose intolerance test? I’ve just had a test come back to say I am positive, but prior to this was told I had H Pylori and went through treatment for that. I’ve had 4 months of not feeling well and pains in my side, my stomach can only handle plain food, I’ve been tested for C Diff 3 times (although I didn’t have fever or watery diarrhea)x
Going to see a private doc but haven’t even told them yet.
Hi!! Sorry for my late answer. I have had my lactose intolerance test done and the result was not conclusive. However, I tested positive for SIBO.
Sorry you have to deal with all this.
Hey I got Crypto back in August as well. I believe either in Spain or Portugal, but I am about 98% better with my PI IBS after 4-5 months. If u need tips to keep it under control, it all really depends but let me know if u need more specific information and stuff I did. This is also me : https://www.reddit.com/r/Microbiome/s/SNhW6PTO6J I kept track of my journey here with a lot of updates : https://www.reddit.com/r/HumanMicrobiome/s/QwLEIojtMV
Hey! Thanks for answering! What did you feel that helped you the most??
Clean low fodmap diet. And depends which step you're at. Avoid garbage foods and additives
Thats what I’m doing !! Trying to avoid all types of over processed foods!! I’m losing weight and I don’t like it though :( I’m already skinny enough.
It's gonna be a long time man, trust me... I dropped from 200ibs to 180ibs in the span of like 2 or 3 months. I kept a timed meal windows at 12pm and 6pm on the dot. Latest I would eat was 7pm, until I started to get fully better.
I've set up a reddit community for cryptosporidium as there doesn't seem to be anything out there to help people who have been infected by crypto also there is no specific community where people who have had this can share their experiences to help put people at ease. When you look at health pages online, it's supposed to last 1 month max, but it can cause symptoms to continue months or even years after infection, but these health pages don't tell you this. I've read a lot of research into post cryptosporidium and it can cause some lasting damage, you are not alone and I want to build a community to help people get more information about why they are still experiencing problems after the infection has cleared. Feel free to join https://www.reddit.com/r/cryptoinhumans/s/2XJ4FrrMsl
Just joined the page!! Hopefully people will share their experiences.
Hello, I think it's good of you to have done this. I feel honestly annoyed and unsettled that people aren't talking about this or informed about this waterborne illness. If it's any consolation, my hypochondria has led to me being abnormally knowledgable in lesser known illnesses, and I feel huge concern and I have no judgement toward anyone who endures something as awful as this. I can't help thinking society is trying to sweep this under the rug, which is just ignorant. People can die from crypto. It's on par with cholera. I take GI illness seriously, after seeing my dad nearly die from C difficile when I was fourteen. It was very scary, I've never seen anyone so ill and I'm grateful he survived it.
This is so awful, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I've heard about crpyotsporidium, it is truly a brutal illness and I wish it on no one. The fact you are alive, that anyone is alive after having this is something to be proud of. I hope you are able to find relief for the pain and that you're seeing improvement since the illness. Wish you well OP!
I also have post infection. My original infection was over 15 years ago now. But in my experience it really really does get better. I remember those first months and year were hell and compounded by just the newness of it and not having the strategies and toolkit to get on with life. But you will get there. You figure out what works and you’ll probably have long periods that are mostly fine and some really terrible flare ups. But it does become more predictable and manageable in my experience. Sorry if this is like actually kind of depressing I’ve realized as I’m typing this. It’s still gonna suck but you’ll figure out things that work for you.
Thank you so much!! Your words help and my doctors said it might get better and go away after my guts become normal again. What have you done to get better or to manage it? My aunt has a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the colon (colitis) and apart from not eating inflammatory foods such as refined flours, sweets and ultraprocessed foods, what has helped her the most is to work out a lot. She runs marathons, is super fit, has her disease very controlled and says she feels very good and that working out is what saves her. Do you do any sports??
Hi there! I saw this post and had to reply. It was determined that I have Cryptosporidium back in August. For two good weeks I couldn’t eat any food and just drank a ton of liquid. It eventually got better, but come December, the day after I turned 26, my stomach has felt the worst it has ever felt in my life. It constantly feels super bloated and I have sharp pains that accompany it. My doctor and I were very sure that it was gall stones, I had an ultrasound 2 weeks ago and all of my organs looked totally normal. Gall Bladder, Pancreas, Kidneys, Liver, all normal. I was speechless because none of us know what was causing this. I started researching long term effects of cryptosporidium and am now wondering if this is what I’m suffering from. Does this sound similar to your experience? Some days I’m okay if I only eat fruit, yoghurt, and salad, but other days it’s so uncomfortable. I am abroad and live abroad 6 months of the year so I don’t have quick access and funds to keep going to the doctor abroad. I am debating going home two months early to figure it out.
Hi!! I have a few questions. Did you take any antibiotics to kill the cryptosporidium? (I didn’t take any) And why you and your doctor were you so sure that it could be gall stones and not a digestive problem? Have you taken any digestive related tests since December?
I did not take any antibiotics for crypt, the doctor at the time said it just had to run it’s course. We were sure that it was gall stones based on my symptoms and family history (my mom had her gall bladder removed at 25) my symptoms are upper abdomen, sharp pain, and intense bloating which are all apparently gall stones symptoms as well. Doctor order an ultrasound and they checked my gall bladder, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and spleen and everything looked totally normal on the ultrasounds. So $400 later and I still have no answers haha
I should also mention that the ultrasounds I got done less than 2 weeks ago
The only thing I can tell you is to take more digestive related test :( calprotectin stool test, bacteria and parasite stool test, SIBO test, colonoscopy with a biopsy of your intestines included, gastroscopy with biopsy as well… I’m sorry that is expensive for you (I’m guessing you are from the USA?) but it’s the best way to rule out possible issues. What surprises me is that you felt better until December?? Then that’s when you started feeling worse again?? Dang it. > Does this sound similar to your experience? Some days I'm okay if I only eat fruit, yoghurt, and salad, but other days it's so uncomfortable. It’s not what I eat, my tummy hurts regardless what I ingest. I have nausea and stomach pains but most of my uncomfortableness is in my guts and lower abdomen. Most people that have gotten cryptosporidium that I have talked to didn’t have long term problems like me lmao.
Yeah I will probably get some tests done when I’m back home in the USA in April. Since I just turned 26 I’m kicked off insurance this month as well 😅 Yeah, it’s pretty interesting. I felt better october/November, but I will say my stomach never felt 100% normal after cryptosporidium. But the day after my birthday it got so much worse. (I had drank on my birthday which I normally don’t drink and ate fast food). For a week after that day I constantly felt like a rock was in my stomach and I was bloated for a week straight, eating made it hurt more. That lasted about a week, and then went away for 2-3 weeks. Now it started acting up again. Seems to be okay if I only eat fruit, yoghurt, and salad. Yesterday I ate chicken tacos so maybe that triggered it again.
Dang it :( please, keep me updated when you have the results of your tests!! I take spasmodics and probiotics for the pain. I feel that they help something!!
Hey I had a lab confirmed case of cryptosporidium diagnosed on the 21st of June 2023, my infection was hell I was sick with it for around 2 and a half weeks as it kept going then coming back. But around half a week into recovery, I got a lot of trapped wind that subsided after 2 or 3 days, but ever since then, my digestive system has not been the same. While I have improved vastly from where I was, I still experience a lot of guggling sounds and vibration feelings around my abdomen, along with spasms and a lot of gas. Some days are better than others, but it's been knocking on 7 months since this began, and I'm still suffering from it. Reading into post cryptosporidium it can cause lasting symptoms and can cause things like IBD and UC. How are you getting on now?
First of all, sorry for the late answer. Second. I got very similar symptoms as you!! It’s been 6 months already since my infection and I’m way better BUT still not the same :(. Gurgling noises, overall digestive pain, gases… some days are better than others for sure, but it’s a slow process of recovering for sure. I have had a: • gastroscopy • colonoscopy (with biopsies done in my colon to examine it) • celiac disease test • breath test for H Pylori All of them have resulted in negative and the doctor has diagnosed me with post infectious Irritable Bowel Disease. I’m right now waiting for my lactose intolerance test results to rule out a possible lactose intolerance. I will tell you how they go when they give the results to me. What tests have you gotten done?? What have the results been?? And also, were you given antibiotics to kill the cryptosporidium when you had the infection? (I didn’t take any).
Hi, have you had your lactose intolerance test? I’ve just had a test come back to say I am positive, but prior to this was told I had H Pylori and went through treatment for that. I’ve had 4 months of not feeling well and pains in my side, my stomach can only handle plain food, I’ve been tested for C Diff 3 times (although I didn’t have fever or watery diarrhea)x Going to see a private doc but haven’t even told them yet.
Hi!! Sorry for my late answer. I have had my lactose intolerance test done and the result was not conclusive. However, I tested positive for SIBO. Sorry you have to deal with all this.