Crohn's plus acute gastroenteritis (food poisoning). Delhi Belly is ubiquitous in India and can get pretty gnarly: my wife got dysentery on her first visit, and I'm not sure what would have happened without prompt diagnosis and antibiotics.
I've never heard of receiving antibiotics for dysentery?
I've been to India numerous times, and have had dysentery a few times. Once was pretty bad, essentially rendering me bed (and toilet) - ridden for a couple of days. Never once would I have considered seeking medical attention for it. Unless you're vulnerable for some reason, I'm not sure anything can really be done about it.
Antibiotics for the treatment of travelers diarrhea is very common. When I first had it in Chennai (and was scheduled to fly home the next day), a quick chat with a doctor and a home delivery from the pharmacy cleared it right up.
Many travelers in remote locations carry the antibiotics with them, just in case. I'm writing this from remote Thailand; in the bottom of my first-aid kit is a small bag with Ofloxacin, Imodium, and oral-rehydration salts - just in case.
> in the bottom of my first-aid kit is a small bag with Ofloxacin, Imodium, and oral-rehydration salts - just in case
Imodium I get, but I've honestly never heard of carring antibiotics around while travelling, and I've travelled a good portion of the world. Antibiotics are controlled in many (most?) countries too, so here in the UK I couldn't do this even if I wanted to (I don't)
> so here in the UK I couldn't do this even if I wanted to
Mmm, I think the originating country of the traveller has a lot to do with it. From the US, I wouldn't guess it's particularly common, but it's not unheard of [1].
Can certainly understand your hesitancy. I hope to return with them unopened and unused. Resistance aside, the risk of C. difficile among others is a serious trade off.
In my case, I have enough known antibiotic allergies that a remote Dr might have problems prescribing around them.
The most common cause of traveler’s diarrhea is E.Coli, and antibiotics are quite helpful. Many doctors will Rx them if you’re a frequent traveler to areas with known outbreaks and sketchy quality control on their pharmaceuticals.
Bacillary dysentery is common in India, and her case was extreme. Basically, the infection reached the stage where her intestinal lining was visibly sloughing off, and she told me later it was more painful than unanesthesized childbirth.
In any case, she was prescribed a single dose of a large pill for treating both amoebic and bacillary dysentery, so we're still not sure which one it was, but she was back up on her feet less than a day later.
