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What Causes Diarrhea, Vomiting, Dizziness And Blood In Stool?
Question: Just returned from Mexico vacation. 24 hours after there I got severe diaheria and vomiting. That lasted 6 hours and then it took 3 more days to get appetite back and strength. Been home 48 hours, 1st night I got real dizzy at bedtime and fell asleep. Now 48 hours home had very bloody stool. I also do have minor hemoride issues. Not over weight, decent health and do take daily 81 mg aspirin at bedtime.
Any thought?
Any thought?
Brief Answer:
Traveler's Diarrhea:
Detailed Answer:
Hello -
Sorry you are sick. What you are describing is Traveler's Diarrhea and it is not uncommon in people who have been to Mexico. While infectious diarrheal illnesses in the US are usually caused by viruses, those picked up while traveling are usually bacterial and sometimes protozoal. For these, treatment is an antibiotic. Antidiarrheal medicines to slow down the number of stools can be used in addition.
You should go to an urgent care clinic today (or ER if no immediate care clinics are open) to be seen and get an antibiotic.
Bacterial and viral TD show themselves with the sudden onset of symptoms that can include loose stools, cramps, fever, sometimes vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Protozoal diarrhea, such as that caused by Giardia or Entomeba histolytica, generally has a more gradual onset of low-grade symptoms, with 2–5 loose stools per day.
The incubation period (length of time from picking up the bug in your system to the start of symptoms) can be a clue to the cause of TD:
Bacterial and viral infections have an incubation period of 6–72 hours.
Protozoal infections generally have an incubation period of 1–2 weeks and rarely start showing symptoms in the first few weeks of travel.
So I am guessing the cause of your problems is from a bacterial infection.
Untreated bacterial diarrhea lasts 3–7 days.
Viral diarrhea generally lasts 2–3 days.
Protozoal diarrhea can persist for weeks to months without treatment.
Single-dose or 1-day therapy for TD with Cipro or Levafloxacin usually does the trick in treating this. Azithromycin, 500 mg per day for 1–3 days can also be prescribed instead.
To decrease the diarrhea, the antidiarrheal drug Loperamide (Imodium) can help slow things down but is best used in conjunction with an antibiotic. Imodium can be bought at a drug store.
Be sure to maintain your hydration as you can lose a lot with traveler's diarrhea. Water and rehydration fluids are good for this.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.
Traveler's Diarrhea:
Detailed Answer:
Hello -
Sorry you are sick. What you are describing is Traveler's Diarrhea and it is not uncommon in people who have been to Mexico. While infectious diarrheal illnesses in the US are usually caused by viruses, those picked up while traveling are usually bacterial and sometimes protozoal. For these, treatment is an antibiotic. Antidiarrheal medicines to slow down the number of stools can be used in addition.
You should go to an urgent care clinic today (or ER if no immediate care clinics are open) to be seen and get an antibiotic.
Bacterial and viral TD show themselves with the sudden onset of symptoms that can include loose stools, cramps, fever, sometimes vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Protozoal diarrhea, such as that caused by Giardia or Entomeba histolytica, generally has a more gradual onset of low-grade symptoms, with 2–5 loose stools per day.
The incubation period (length of time from picking up the bug in your system to the start of symptoms) can be a clue to the cause of TD:
Bacterial and viral infections have an incubation period of 6–72 hours.
Protozoal infections generally have an incubation period of 1–2 weeks and rarely start showing symptoms in the first few weeks of travel.
So I am guessing the cause of your problems is from a bacterial infection.
Untreated bacterial diarrhea lasts 3–7 days.
Viral diarrhea generally lasts 2–3 days.
Protozoal diarrhea can persist for weeks to months without treatment.
Single-dose or 1-day therapy for TD with Cipro or Levafloxacin usually does the trick in treating this. Azithromycin, 500 mg per day for 1–3 days can also be prescribed instead.
To decrease the diarrhea, the antidiarrheal drug Loperamide (Imodium) can help slow things down but is best used in conjunction with an antibiotic. Imodium can be bought at a drug store.
Be sure to maintain your hydration as you can lose a lot with traveler's diarrhea. Water and rehydration fluids are good for this.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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