Hi there Peg, and thank you for sharing your question with HCM.
I am sorry that you have had such a bad bout with
giardiasis and that even after seeing 4 specialists, you are still unwell. I would like to suggest some pointers which I hope will put you on the road to wellness.
1. Firstly, I would like to rule out any lesion in the gut - have the specialists offered you
colonoscopy to make sure that there is no other problem besides the infestation? Have they done blood panels for you?
2. When was your last stool test?
Besides checking to make sure that the parasite is completely gone, we need to look at normal intestinal flora (healthy bacteria) - are they present and if so, are they in adequate amounts? We must also consider looking for Candida (fungus) that can often take foot after treatment to clear the gut of Giardia - You must have been put on medication since the diagnosis 3 years ago to clear out the parasite. Very often, medication like this can wipe out the healthy bacteria that are essential to bowel health and well being.
If this has not been done, I would recommend that you get a Comprehensive Digestive Stool test done which will also look at your nutrition besides the presence of healthy flora in your gut. Proper nutrition is essential to allow full recovery from an infestation like giardia. If possible do see a nutritional medicine doctor who can guide you with regard to proper investigations, diet and supplementation.
Meanwhile, you could put yourself on
prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes and a good
multivitamin to build up your energy. Coconut oil is sometimes used on a daily basis to rid the gut of fungal infestation. Anti-fungals are only used if stool tests prove that there is a significant fungal presence. If you are on any long term medication such as painkillers,
proton pump inhibitors - these need to be stopped, but with the advice of a nutritional medicine doctor. Where nutrition is concerned, I'd recommend a gluten-free Paleo diet with perhaps 4 to 6 small meals a day to start with. You may also have to cut back on dairy products at first because these can also cause you to "hit the wall'.
Do stay away from any food or beverage that contains stimulants and preservatives - these irritate the gut. Also, please do not indulge in moderate or vigorous cardio workouts which will catabolize (eat up) your body's protein, thereby slowing down your recovery. Weight and resistance training is great, but in small doses at first to start with.
There are many good
IBS forums on the internet which can help you plan your diet and nutrition. I really hope that there is an experienced holistic or nutrition medicine doctor near you to guide you back to wellness.
I hope this advice helps you. Good luck and take care.
Dr Shabnam