Montezuma's Revenge..Cure's & Tips

My method is as follows.....

 

1. Eat food from dirty street carts

2. Lots of tacos with lots of salsa

3. Have no fear when eating or drinking. I eat everything that looks good.

4. Plenty of bottled water to keep hydrated

 

I have not gotten sick at all since I started doing this.

 

Most people get sick from dehydration, too much drinking, too much sun and screwing up their daily routine.

This is great info. I will def be putting it in the OOT bags. Thanks a bunch!

My FH got food poisoning from Milestones in Whistler BC. He had non-stop vomiting and diarrhea for 24 hours and was so weak I had to practically carry him to the cab to go to the hospital. At the hospital they put him on an IV for fluids (everytime he would drink he would puke, so he was extremely dehydrated) which helped a lot.

 

Here is the advice we were given:

 

Drink gatorate and eat only starchy foods for 2 days: white bread with nothing on it, soup crackers, white rice

 

Slowly start to introduce soup broth, applesauce, diluted apple juice, and canned fruits.

 

Slowly start to introduce other normal foods (like day 3-4) but not meats. Wait a good several days (4-5) before eating any meat at all.

 

He kinda rushed this schedule my eating spaghetti with meat sause 3 days later and felt like hell for 2 days after that. When we went to see another doctor about the fact that it had been 6 days and he was still feeling crappy, the doctor said he re-introduced normal foods too quickly.

 

After being seriously ill, your stomach remains very sensitive for the following week, so re-introducing normal foods too quickly will upset your stomach and the diarrhea and vomiting will start all over again.

 

We were really worried about him in the initial 24 hours since it was non-stop (litterally, like he was throwing up every 15 minute and diarrhea in between), but when we called the nurse's help line for info they said to just sit tight, that the human body can withstand a lot of puking/diarrhea and you won't die or anything. They said your body can withstand it for about 2 days as long as you are drinking even just a little bit to try to have a bit of hydration (the more you can drink the better, although in his case it just made him throw-up).

 

They said not to take immodium to stop the diarrhea, your body needs to get the bad stuff out. Only use immodium if, for example, you have to be somewhere where no washroom will be available (I think your wedding ceremony would also be a reasonable reason!).

LOL when I saw this thread I had to respond!! I've had Montezuma's Revenge TWICE while traveling to developing countries (i.e., Peru and the Philippines). Trust me, once you've had it, you will do anything possible to not get it again!

 

My best advice is to visit the Center of Disease Control website. They have good tips on what to avoid eating when traveling to developing countries. My own top two recommendations are:

 

1). avoid eating food from street vendors. I'm a pretty adventurous eater, but I did this once and got laid out for 3 days.

 

2). avoid eating fruits/vegetables that you are not sure were washed with filtered water. The only time I will eat fruits/vegetables in a developing country are when I wash the food myself.

 

When my FI and I went to Peru last year, we got prescriptions for "traveler's diarrhea" (ciprofloxacin HCl--i think it's the cipro everyone else on this forum is talking about) I didn't use it (I'm a believer of just letting this pass their course) because I got sick at the end of my trip, but I wouldn't think twice about using it if it interfered with my wedding day!!!!

Thats my thought too. It is a serious antibiotic, but it does help!!!

But I have another question. Can this set in a week after one returns from Mexico? I ask because I came back on Wednesday, feeling great. Then the following Monday night (2 days ago) I got violently ill, the worst vomiting and <ahem> other symptoms of my life. I am still dealing with it on Thursday! I am not happy. I had to miss a day of work!!!!!!!!!!

this is great! thanks for sharing

Good call...also remember when taking birth control some antibiotics can interfere with the bc's effectiveness. So beware if you don't want to get preggers on your honeymoon!

thanks! always love the natural home remedies over medicines and prescriptions!

Make sure to get a prescription for Ciprofloxacin filled before you arrive in Mexico! But only take it if your symptoms persist for >48 hrs or you have an associated fever.  Cipro will not affect the birth control pill, so no need to worry.  And like others have mentioned, Imodium is a last resort only!

Montezuma's revenge is not just for trips to and from Mexico, it can happen in any place you are not familiar with. ;-(