Skip to Content

Being a Bad Host: Treating Parasites and Amoebas

Are you concerned about parasites and amoebas? When we first moved, we were too. And since then we’ve been sick many times. But don’t worry – it wasn’t as bad as it sounds.

We have used a number of different concoctions – including some super strong anti-parasite meds. They were brutally strong; we were exhausted for a full week. And it felt like our mouth was lined with tin foil.

antiparasite-medication

On the recommendation of our good friend, who is also a medical doctor, we regularly take some softer meds every six months – whether we are feeling sick or not.

Large Print Disclaimer

Before you go any further, you need to acknowledge this: I am not a doctor (not even close) and I don’t really know what I am talking about. All I am sharing is my personal experience and some hearsay mixed with a bit of gossip. For real advice, go see a doctor.

Great, with that out of the way, lets proceed.

Here is the kind that we use every six months:

Pazidol 1/2 Tratamiento Antiparasitario Completo 

  • Vermilife 400mg / 1 pill (albendazol)
  • Pazidol 1 g / 2 pills (secnidazol)

The Pazidol (Complete Anti-Parasite Treatment) comes in a package with three pills – each clearly noted. Each package costs $3.39.

  1. Day 1: Vermilife (400mg) is clearly noted by a large yellow arrow indicating to take it on the primer día (first day).
  2. Day 2: Pazidol (1g) is noted by the large orange arrow and the text: segundo día (second day). There are two pills.

We like this treatment because of how simple it is. The large arrows make it pretty hard to mess up. Oh – and it works too.

The package warnings (see image below) note not to take this if you are pregnant. You also can’t drink alcohol while taking this. Children under 12 year of age need another type of medication – it came in liquid form for Drew.

Best to see a doctor about this.

pazidol-1-2-life

Risks of Taking Them In the Wrong Order

Our doctor explained that if the medication is taken in the wrong order it can make things a lot worse. The amoeba medication won’t kill parasites – but it does affect them. Apparently, there is a risk of driving them deeper into your organs, causing more damage and making them harder to treat.

Pazidol is available at most pharmacies in Ecuador. Some chains don’t sell this brand and they will offer an alternative. We keep looking until we find this brand – because we are sure that there will be no mix-ups.

complete-antiparasite-treatment

Symptoms of Amoebas

While images of parasitic worms bursting out of the skin on your arms is pretty exciting, the symptoms we have had were much less spectacular.

We’ve learned that drooling at night and trouble sleeping are common symptoms of having amoebas. As are a lack of energy and stomach/digestive problems. When we had parasites we had severe stomach problems and noticeable weight loss. Although the strong parasite medication was brutal, it did fix the problem.

When we were planning our move to Ecuador we took a full set of vaccinations. While these vaccinations don’t address typical stomach bugs (aside from the typhoid vaccine) they do give peace of mind in other areas.

7 Best Travel Water Filters + Portable Purifiers (8 Differences, How to Choose) • GudGear

Wednesday 5th of April 2023

[…] and viruses harmful to humans. Those surprise little nasties in the water are the main reason travelers get sick each year, especially in countries without clean drinking water or the infrastructure to treat […]

Jillian

Wednesday 1st of June 2022

Such helpful info...we are traveling with kids 8-14years old and getting them vaccinated as needed. Any advice/thoughts on this. We normally space out vaccines, but due to travel in less than four weeks we will have a one go.

Kelly Clover

Tuesday 15th of February 2022

I recently learned thru a dental office that I have huge numbers of amoebas in my gums. The dentist office prescribed metronidazole. A report from the Mayo Clinic regarding the dangerous side effects convinced me I should not take it. I hope that isn't the only answer.

Tory

Sunday 29th of August 2021

Are you aware of this will help with skin parasites as well?

Bryan Haines

Monday 30th of August 2021

I don't think so, these medicines are for internal use. It would be worth checking with a doctor before taking an anti-parasite medication.

ViolineGo

Sunday 18th of August 2019

You are doing amazing work! Thanks for sharing your wonderful posts.I had some problems with parasites. 😮 It is often a waste of time to try and find eggs in stools as they are extremely difficult to detect. Best is just to treat with Albendazole or Mebendazole (Vermox) (got it from “VERM2GET” ❤️, you can search on Google) This helped me a lot! Albendazole and mebendazole (vermox) are broad spectrum antihelmintics and most likely to be effective.