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Dear John,
 
I read your post with great interest. I also have been fighting
Blastocystis Hominis for many years. At least two but I suspect five or
more years.
 
I was diagnosed for BH in early August of last year. With me it was fats
that I could not tolerate. I lost 25 lbs in two months. I took FLAGYL for 7
days at 1000mg and 7 more days at 1500mg. I felt tremendously better but
did still not feel 100% right. I went gluten free and that helped alot. I
took blood tests and antiglobulin tests for malabsorbtion and celiac. The
tests did not indicate celiac.
 
In the meatime, I had clued my parents and siblings in about gluten. My
mother reported a tremendous improvement in her health and some of the
others did to some degree after eliminating gluten from their diets.
 
Sue Goldstein suggested that I take a bone density test for Calcium loss. I
did and it was positive which would suggest malabsorption. I also started
taking calcium vitamin pills. I noticed a tremendous difference in the way
I felt.
 
Blastocystis or Celiac? The Lady or the Tiger? I still don't know.
 
I began feeling worse in December and learned by a fluke that Blastocystis
Hominis is hard to kill and one has to go back for another round of FLAGYL
sometimes. I'm doing that now and its working. I have decided to stay
gluten free, however. I feel better and my mom others do. There is a reason
that I got Blastocystis Hominis and others didn't - its possible that
gluten weakened my intestinal immune system. I don't think I'll ever know
exactly what happened but the main thing is that I've decided what to do.
 
I don't know what the point of my rambling is other than to say that I
would be very interested in similarities or differences to my case. Please
let me know off line. I also need to say that my experience was not as
positive as yours regarding the medical system. I had to fight Managed Care
for many of my tests. There is tremendous incentive built in to drop a case
like mine. It's just too expensive for them. I agree with your comment
about finding someone who has an intuitive sense.
 
Thanks for letting me bend your ear and I hope to hear from you.
 
Alec Maines
Washington, DC