Semalu Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 32 minutes ago, bmh said: This is BS that you get immune if you are Mexican...Right now I have 3 friends all indigenous with H and O ..I nursed another one a month ago with the same thing one month ago and several people in Amatenango have strange fevers they cannot get rid off and 2 have died in the last month after being sick for 4 months and not going to the doctor... Looks like Portimom and I agree on getting the blood tests. Might not hurt to get it done as a just in case. Especially if you have ever had a symptom that you treated yourself and now, after reading this, are wondering about. BMH, yes, that doctor was an a$$, but he cured me so not a total loss. So sorry to hear about your friends. Being a stoic does not always make sense but it is not only that. Unfortunately for many indigenous communities medical care can be largely absent, or is too expensive, or is very poorly served. Combine that with local lore and traditional beliefs or superstitions and what you describe becomes almost inevitable. This is not an illness to trifle with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 I cannot imagine lasting 4 months with these symptoms. What a horrid way to die. To anyone who has not had this, I'd rather have the worst flu and labor (child birth), than this. It is a nightmare. Really if you are feeling off... test it. I cannot believe that the other person had it longer and a worse strain, and never felt it. But ah... that makes you a carrier, and those you pass it onto most likely wont be that lucky... or may be a infant or a older person. It is just a matter of responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semalu Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Yes Dr. Rodriguez is a nice guy and can get you patched up and on your way, but watch out for his network of specialists who tend to dramatically over charge! Many posters on others topics have had similar misadventures to report about Integrity, but then Typhoid and Salmonella is a tough bugger to diagnose without the blood tests. It can have lots of weird symptoms. Still, I don't know why so many doctors everywhere misdiagnose it, perhaps they just get calloused from seeing so many complaints every day, or perhaps are bored by their routines so they get sloppy? I am hearing much better reports about Quality Care in the same complex as Integrity, located where the old special client Bancomer used to be, on the Tio Sam side. By my last bout with it I was feeling off just before a trip to Canada to my brother in laws funeral, so I went. To err on the safe side, the day after arriving I went to a doctor up there and told him my symptoms, and what I thought it was and why . He tut tutted me, informing me he was the doctor and would do the diagnosis. He prescribed aspirin and no tests. Luckily I was only there for a couple of days and went to my own doctor immediately on my return - who ordered the tests and started a course of cipro immediately. And doctors wonder why we don't trust them... My sister, bless her, took great pleasure in going to see that doctor to give him a piece of her mind. I understand it was a large piece...Lol. Sorry you had to go through that. I hope you are now mended or are well on your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 16 minutes ago, Semalu said: Yes Dr. Rodriguez is a nice guy and can get you patched up and on your way, but watch out for his network of specialists who tend to dramatically over charge! Many posters on others topics have had similar misadventures to report about Integrity, but then Typhoid and Salmonella is a tough bugger to diagnose without the blood tests. It can have lots of weird symptoms. Still, I don't know why so many doctors everywhere misdiagnose it, perhaps they just get calloused from seeing so many complaints every day, or perhaps are bored by their routines so they get sloppy? I am hearing much better reports about Quality Care in the same complex as Integrity, located where the old special client Bancomer used to be, on the Tio Sam side. By my last bout with it I was feeling off just before a trip to Canada to my brother in laws funeral, so I went. To err on the safe side, the day after arriving I went to a doctor up there and told him my symptoms, and what I thought it was and why . He tut tutted me, informing me he was the doctor and would do the diagnosis. He prescribed aspirin and no tests. Luckily I was only there for a couple of days and went to my own doctor immediately on my return - who ordered the tests and started a course of cipro immediately. And doctors wonder why we don't trust them... My sister, bless her, took great pleasure in going to see that doctor to give him a piece of her mind. I understand it was a large piece...Lol. Sorry you had to go through that. I hope you are now mended or are well on your way. It's a pleasure here to just walk into a lab and request a test. I believe you do not even need a doctor's script. Back in the US , that request is like pulling teeth, and gold teeth at that ($$$)! Again people all ya have to do is walk in the lab and request the test yourself... cheap and simple! There is no excuse to be Typhoid Mary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 One of the reason I posted, was out of curiosity to see if what the doctor said was so... That this is so common during this hotter month... and how many people would step forward, if only to say... yup I have had it! Maybe if I had seen a post with people checking in, my brain would have filed it away. I probably would have gone to test after five days of what I believed was heat fatigue. If all you do is say Yup... I had this. (and nothing more) at least others may register that it is a very real thing that many of us have contracted, and we will be on alert. No need for it to have ended up like it did with me. This could make others aware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saturn Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 6 hours ago, bmh said: oh please it can happen anywhere and it is very difficult to point out which place it could be, you have to remember where you ate and wwhat you ate everyday for several days to narrow it down so that restaurant, if it is popular could very well be ok , just something that people had in common.. None of the people I know down south ate at restaurants so you an get it many different ways.. It is a total waste of time to put the blame on this restaurant or that other..just cut back your eating out during the warm season , wash your hands a lot, get vaccinated if that makes you feel better and hope for the best.. Thank you for taking the time to post this, and thank you to all that responded with their own stories and experiences. This is an important and serious message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Many indigenous do not go to the doctor although they could because many of them are registered with Sguro popular, they first step is to hope it will go away, if it does not they go to curanderos and many of them stop there. I urged my friends to go to a doctor and get tested, they went to Seguro Popular where one of them got a sonogram?? ( Her father had just died of cancer....) then nothing, I told them where to go to get tested they did and found they had various strains of salmonela tifi and one has brucellosis on top of it..the othe is complaining of backacjes and burning sensation in her back..I told her to get tested for chikungunya and they tell me there is no chkunkunya in town and that many people have the same problem,,,,,,in fact there is chikungunya in that area so they probably have it and do not know,, They also had a couple of parsites.. It seems that the light salmonella cases and intestinal illnesses that can be viral do not last as long with them than with me..but we all get sick for sure.. I cannot imagine not going to get help for salmonella for 4 months..a friend had it for a year, took some antibiotics felt better and stopped and now a year later she is very sick again..It is not something to fool around with allthough some strains will go away by itself if you have a good immune system. Get tested it is the only way you will know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frijoles Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 14 hours ago, PORTIMOM said: I think in this region that make sense. How many people feel tired and their doctor has no answer for them. They trudge along for weeks like I did... thinking... ok it's the heat (or its x, y or z) for the doctor didn't have answers. Here is what happened to me prior to the Ajijic Emergency Clinic night of hell and 2 IVs and more gruesome details than I would list here... I felt tired and even had some weird sensitivity in my mouth... I went to integrity clinic, Dr Lupeta, and asked for blood and throat culture. She ignored that request, and prescribed a antibiotic to me for what she thought was something in mouth. Miss diagnosis and one day later, sick as hell, still undiagnosed, could not stand on my own at one point of this hit, was driven to Ajijic clinic at 2 am in morning... horrors, more horrors, 2 IVs, ten hours later, diagnosis which should have come earlier (won't return to integrity-had to call several times to have Dr L phone back-more complications with that phone call I won't go into details of here) put on meds. Informed all others I have been in contact with. Sicker than ever from this. PS Dr Rodriguez from the Ajijic Clinic is wonderful (His hours 9-5 m-f) Would you mind explaining more about the weird sensitivity in your mouth? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 yes that is interesting, could it be related to something else you had as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 1 hour ago, Frijoles said: Would you mind explaining more about the weird sensitivity in your mouth? Thanks in advance. 27 minutes ago, bmh said: yes that is interesting, could it be related to something else you had as well? ok... My sensitivity felt like a sore throat with filmy coating that began in back of throat and spread forward, that occurred overnight. The sensitivity in the person who came up positive for H & O (more advanced case and more serious than my salmonella) was a sensitive sore tongue, which went away with cipro in one day. It's really really easy to misdiagnose this as heat exhaustion. The symptoms are very similar. I was more concerned at my bodies response to the heat, which had not been an issue prior. I never imagined salmonella. I suppose if I had to say what this mimicked, it would be heat fatigue. You go in a cool room and drink lots of fluids and yeah you feel better for a while, then do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Here is something additional I just found out today. I went to Dr. S. Hernandez as a follow up, to make sure I am on the right track. I don't take my health lightly. The information I received differs a bit on the follow up of this, specifically how do you know this is out of your body after your round of cipro? I was told to wait two weeks, then retest. The numbers on the blood workup will indicate if this is resolved. If the number have gone up, then you have to do another round of cipro. If the numbers go down, you are fine. If you do not do this testing, because you were told this is not required or you just could not be bothered, and you still are infected: You could have a relapse or become a carrier. This is not just bad for others, it can affect your health as well. This is the preventive steps we will take to ensure that we have truly wiped this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 same for amoebas or any nasty parasite.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 8 minutes ago, bmh said: same for amoebas or any nasty parasite.. That makes sense... retest... it's not over till the test proves it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 But then you can get it again and again..I am a walking exemple of that.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semalu Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 2 minutes ago, bmh said: But then you can get it again and again..I am a walking exemple of that.. Sad but true, anyone can and everyone does. I hope this inspires a few to get tested more often. That sore throat you described Portimom is one of the myriad of symptoms of Salmonella. It sort of feels like you spent the night snoring really loudly! There s also the vice grip around your temples.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 oh boy a bunch of the village women were complaining of sore throats and had a fever, I hope that was not salmonella as well.. Jesus half of the town has it and the other half is complaining of burning..and fever as well..I better stay away for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 This is the test you require. Very simple. I believe it cost 100.00 pesos roughly, at the Ajijic Clinic. Cannot imagine it being much more expensive than that at a lab. Think of what they would charge us in the US. test.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 yes that is the test and my friends tested positive on all of it.. I guess that keeps it simple-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 3 hours ago, bmh said: yes that is the test and my friends tested positive on all of it.. I guess that keeps it simple-- Good they tested for it. Very inexpensive test. Shame that more don't. You see people complaining of fatigue/sore throat, and they don't want to believe it could possibly be this. I hope this thread does get others to go to the lab for this simple blood test. It is amazing how we expats are in a new environment, do not want to acknowledge the risks of that environment. We have our heads in the sands of Chapala, the minute anything other than paradise is presented. Yet, it is such a simple thing to rule out, and when others like this other person who was asymptomatic with H & O, it can be a life saver. When I showed that persons test results to the Dr, his eyes opened wide. He said he was indeed fortunate that someone encouraged him to test! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bowie Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 The sad part is that many of us come from a place where we never had any of these things, nor did our friends. We are not aware that "Paradise" has many things that can present serious illness and death to us, that we have to be careful of and monitor. So many people that have lived here for a time say to us how safe and clean everything is and much more so than where we are coming from. That is not the real truth and those people do not do the rest of us favors by stating that. I just don't understand why they cannot be honest about the threats that are present here that we have never experienced in our lives before. This thread has been so helpful and I appreciate people trying to inform and help others. We are all in this together. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 It is the same story every time someone leaves their familiar surroundings for others places.We had Mexican workers who ended in the hospital when they decided to burn the poison ivy they were clearing out..and millions of people died of small pox when the Spaniards arrive....There is not perfect place not even paradise I suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 38 minutes ago, Jim Bowie said: The sad part is that many of us come from a place where we never had any of these things, nor did our friends. We are not aware that "Paradise" has many things that can present serious illness and death to us, that we have to be careful of and monitor. So many people that have lived here for a time say to us how safe and clean everything is and much more so than where we are coming from. That is not the real truth and those people do not do the rest of us favors by stating that. I just don't understand why they cannot be honest about the threats that are present here that we have never experienced in our lives before. This thread has been so helpful and I appreciate people trying to inform and help others. We are all in this together. Thank you. You are welcome. You are so correct. Many put on rose colored glasses, ignore the risks, and create their own truth. I would rather take off those glasses and be educated. Paradise is a state of mind. For some, anywhere they are if they are retired and without emotional stress is paradise. The facts do not negate that paradise, but rather safeguard us in that state of mind. Let's be aware and educate our fellow seekers of paradise. Only then can we fully enjoy what we have found here. Roses come with a few thorns. As long as we know they are there we can enjoy the beauty. We TRULY are all in this together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semalu Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 ....And while you are testing for "reacciones febriles", ask for parasiticos too, bringing that embarrassing little sample with you to the clinic. Make sure to use a sterile container, you can even buy them at most pharmacies to have a stock on hand. After all, Vermox Plus does not cure all the parasites to be picked up around here. Once you have your results in hand, if you are positive, PLEASE do not self medicate. That is why these bugs are becoming resistant to treatment. Take the results to your doctor for his recommended course of treatment. Then follow it! Thanks all. This was a great thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 1 hour ago, Semalu said: ....And while you are testing for "reacciones febriles", ask for parasiticos too, bringing that embarrassing little sample with you to the clinic. Make sure to use a sterile container, you can even buy them at most pharmacies to have a stock on hand. After all, Vermox Plus does not cure all the parasites to be picked up around here. Once you have your results in hand, if you are positive, PLEASE do not self medicate. That is why these bugs are becoming resistant to treatment. Take the results to your doctor for his recommended course of treatment. Then follow it! Thanks all. This was a great thread. Excellent advice... Hopefully a few more of us are aware of this very real risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PORTIMOM Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Another symptom that was not noted (besides tongue soreness) : The other person who has contracted this in the form of O & H strains, who was "asymptomatic" in hindsight, is noting more than the mouth issue. He states that he has joint soreness in one arm and neck. He thought he had just strained himself. Turns out, there is a condition is termed Reactive Arthritis, can persist for years. All the more reason to diagnose this earlier, rather than later. Reactive arthritis is a potentially debilitating group of symptoms that can follow Salmonella,Campylobacter, and other food borne illnesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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