With thousands suffering from an explosive diarrhea parasite, it's not been the best time for produce lovers. But for those like myself who enjoy a salad, here's what you can look forward to if you actually contract the parasite.
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Taking to social media, several complained about "living" on the toilet before seeking help.
"It's bad. Literally just pure water coming out of you," one user, Brixie02, wrote on a New Jersey Reddit forum. "Not like regular diarrhea. You feel super weak."
They weren't alone in their discomfort. Another user, LeadingCommon2239, complained that they had to get antibiotics but the symptoms remained. "The cramps are still there and the gas IS INSANE," they wrote. "I feel so uneasy every day. Like gas gets trapped in places I've never had issues before and it is scary because it is painful."
Parasite Affects Thousands
Another user said that their sickness came in waves with the parasite.
"It's not always severe and 'explosive,'" they said. "For him, the diarrhea was on and off but for like 10+ days in a row, plus bloat, weight loss, etc. and when he did have a bout, it was very watery."
The thing with the parasite is that you need antibiotics to treat for the symptoms. One user tested positive for cyclospora and two strains of E. coli. The parasite can incubate for weeks before beginning to show symptoms. To diagnose, doctors have to perform stool sample tests.
As you can imagine, you can rack up quite the medical bill trying to get diagnosed and treated.
"I had explosive diarrhea, fatigue, lots of gas, cramping before needing to go and some faint lingering aches, feeling like I didn't empty enough, it wasn't watery but it was like mush," one user said. "It seemed to get better and then it came back. I've been having half solid half diarrhea now. I've been considering getting tested, but I'm trying to save money."
Meanwhile, another person complained that insurance won't cover a test for the parasite.
They wrote, "Cases are for sure very underreported because of this. It's maddening. I'm looking into how to report it officially now because this is insane."
