I am a non-secretor O, and when i read the question from september 3rd, my antennae shot up! the laboratory diagnosis, "blastocystis hominis" could be very important for this woman to heed. i was diagnosed with this parasite in june, 2002 --- and i was sicker than i have ever been in my life, for over two months. i was spiraling downward for many months before that. my doctor was not much help, as she had only encountered it once before. my boss, who is a practicing internist, had never heard of this parasite. my longtime friend in washington, d.c., who is a family practitioner, had heard of it but never encountered it in her medical practice.

the data on blastocystis hominis is contradictory, controversial, and scant. i had to move forward with it on the energy of my family practitioner friend, who said, "if the data is sparse or contradictory, why side with the naysayers? treat it!" so i did, with the standard treatment -- high doses of flagyl. since the woman who wrote you can not take antibiotics, she would need a naturopath to prescribe for her a different treatment for this parasite, but she should treat it! she may have had this parasite in her weakened gut for 6 years or longer. (she wrote that the laboratory diagnosis of it came 6 years ago.)

i was much better after starting the antibiotics, and continued getting better within the course of the 10-day treatment. but i was still very sick and recovered very slowly, i presume because of the parasite's damaging my intestinal tissue. food choices that worked for me: homemade chicken broth for weeks. no solid foods. water and diluted pineapple juice. later food choices that worked: plain, well-cooked meats. i was especially drawn to plain chicken. also some banana (first cooked puree, then frozen, then regular). continued with water and diluted pineapple juice.

i did try rice and blueberry juice. while i tolerated both, they did not seem to help me, and in fact the rice seemed to just sit in my stomach for a bit. on the other hand, the homemade chicken broth instantly felt like elixir (and i believe kept me alive), and i actually began to get energy from the meats, when i added them in later. i craved the plain, cooked chicken! my theory on this is that the tissue damage required animal protein to get it on the mend. and as a non-secretor O, rice is ok but did not feel truly helpful.

i wish this woman the best. blastocystis hominis has the ability to make one very, very sick. it is possible that in addition to seeing a naturopath, she could also benefit from speaking with an infectious disease specialist who has treated it successfully. hope this helps someone. melissa

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Melissa!! Thank you so much for offering your experience and advice on this condition ~~ I deeply appreciate it, and I am sure there are others out there who will benefit from your generosity!

Dear Readers: If you see a topic here on which you have information to relay, please be encouraged to do so! My gratitude goes out to all of you, the seekers and the guides on the BTD path!!