Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Giardia advice please

Was loading up 37 bales of straw yesterday and felt weak. Watering hole at my Yukon place (spring creek) got tinted from heavy rains. I've had giardia MANY times because I drink creek n river water often. This time around, I'm older and overworked. Shes hitting me hard. I have so much sht to do and a run down the Taylor Highway, now closed (no road maint). Can't be weak like this. Can only eat saltines and plain water.

Any otc meds available or do I have do see a fkn doctor for a perscription? I have NO TIME! I gotta hit that taylor with truck chained up and with actual energy in case I get snowed in and adandon my truck till spring and have to run my dog team to eagle.

Can't "naturally" fight this with stupid granola home remedies, too long and I'll miss my window to travel. Then insane air cargo fees.

Metronidazole RX and just keep pushing the fluids and electrolytes until you get the RX.

Go to the clinic and get a prescription. I know you are short on time, but will be much farther ahead in the long run.

I had it 22 years ago. Courtesy of an Alaska hunt. It kicked my butt.

I had it twice, both times I got it from the Adirondacks, New York State. Second time I had it put me in the damn hospital. Worst stomach pain, abdominal, I’ve ever experienced in my life. Don’t want to go through that [bleep] again. I don’t know how the hell you functioning. Get to the doctor and get some meds.

If I was up your way I'd give you a hand. I'm sorry you're in a bind.
That being said, I agree with CRS, if you can't kick it by yourself then taking the time to get a prescription might make things go faster overall.

Antibiotics is about all they can give you, I've never had Giardia hang on very long after the first time I got it.

It took a week to 10 days to clear that first time with no treatment, really tuff days.


Hindsight is 20/20 but it's a good idea to keep a fresh script of antibiotics around for various needs, same with pain meds.

I knew a guy in his upper 60s that was as tough as they come.
We were on a remote job and he didn't show up for work one morning. I'd known the guy for years, he had to be dead or near it not to show.

I went and seen him after a couple hours and he was flat on his back, no strength to even get outta bed, it appeared to be a bad case of a flu bug or the sorts, I gave him my antibiotic stash.

Took him a couple days to start showing up on the job again.
He flew out and went to a doctor after 3 weeks of feeling better but not right.

Doc said he had pneumonia and if he hadn't had those antibiotics he'd of likely laid there and died in that remote Alaskan camp.

Don't know how much truth there was to that but it's what was said.

Flagyl. Script.

I think there is a cheaper generic now.

More here if it helps.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/giardia-infection/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372790

This...

A couple hours spent at the clinic isn't going to be the difference if you make it back up the Taylor. You'll looose more time pulling over to shiitt if you dont get he meds. Good thing is you feel better pretty quick

Lots of other causes for GI symptoms besides Giardia. Most of the others will resolve in a few days. A clear liquid diet will usually help the symptoms and prevent dehydration. See a Dr if symptoms are very severe or if they persist. I’d think a telemedicine visit would be possible for this. They’re available 24/7 here. Of course you’d still have to get to a pharmacy. And stop drinking unfiltered creek water. In this day & age, that’s just not smart.

In the meantime, I agree: you’ve got a lot of sht to do.😳

Make time now to see a doc and get a script. Or your body will make you make the time. And stop playing giardia roulette.

Lifestraw

Whether you have time or not, get your ass to the doc. An acquaintance of mine caught it and lost 11% of his body weight in 17 hours. He'd have died minus IV fluids he got in the hospital. Not going to the doc is akin to playing Russian Roulette with a single shot and praying for a misfire. IMHO.

Get to the doctor. Don't screw around. After 3 days, I ended up on IV and emergency room, along with morphine and antibiotics for 1 day before they released me. This is after only drinking filtered water- my bad: I had not boiled the creek water long enough before making my meals. It only hit me about 5 days after getting out of the bush.

He has Giardia. He knows.

Go to a walk-in clinic- Tok should have one. The drive time to a clinic/pharmcy might be his major concern.

In and out in a few minutes, usually. Call ahead if possible. Only time I had it, I knew what it as from probable cause, 3 days before. 30 minutes there, 10 minutes at the pharmacy.

If the doc will give you a prescription for a take-along into the Bush stash, that be good. Mine gives me muscle cramp "take as needed" script. Every 3 or 4 years, I run out, and renew....



People have sh*t themselves to death (dehydration) , including one President ("dysentary").

It's nothing to fool around with.

Stand by

Sitka Deer is still Googling all the answers and will be here shortly to let everyone know that he knows the most about everything

LOLZ


Sorry about the beaver fever, grew up off grid with a lake as a water source that had a bunch of beavers in it but nobody ever got sick, also drank water from just about every creek in South Central AK when hunting and so far haven't got the shytes

Thanks all. Got an early start. Loosing time, but can't do anything anyways, extremely sick/weak.

Eagerly waiting on that metronidazole. Timing wise, should be functional in morning

We think the wife had a case once. The cure was cheaper than the diagnosis.

Went from 220 lbs to 205. There are different strains of the bug. Was worth the visit and the fluids.

Some folks can become more resistant. But others, can become even sicker the next time around. Not every human is the same. Don't count on the second or 3rd time around fighting giardia getting easier.

A whopping $25 for the generic Flagyl (metronidazole). Can even get a refill, to save for future trips.

Thanks again all. Some well experienced folks on here.

👍

Stop drinking water that is untreated or filtered.

Stop drinking water where Swamplord has been....