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Suggest Treatment For Low Grade Fever, Muscle Pain And Diarrhea
Question: I've just returned from doing volunteer work in a poor area of the Dominion Repliblic and have been experiencing the following symptoms for the last 9 days: low grade fever, muscle and joint pain, headache, diarria (first 4 days)
Brief Answer:
May be viral infection or got infected while travelling
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for using HCM to post your health query.
I read carefully your question and I understand your concern.
What you are describing may be a usual viral gastrointestinal infection that everyone gets affected once in a while because these viruses are everywhere. In general it is self limited for 5-7 days. You will need to drink plenty of fluids (small amounts but often, more then 3 liters/day), and have a diet with Banana, apple, rice and toast to help the bowel recover faster. Probiotics may be helpful as well.
If not better in 7 days, if fever continues, if blood or mucus in the stool, then you should go to the emergency room at your local hospital, so you get tested about other possible infections that you may have got in Dominion Republic.
Are you up to date with all the vaccines necessary to travel there? The Typhoid vaccine and Hepatitis A & E are vaccines necessary for every traveler in that country. Also I assume you were careful against Malaria and were taking the recommended prophylaxis.
Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if you need more clarifications.
Regards,
Dr. Papaqako
May be viral infection or got infected while travelling
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for using HCM to post your health query.
I read carefully your question and I understand your concern.
What you are describing may be a usual viral gastrointestinal infection that everyone gets affected once in a while because these viruses are everywhere. In general it is self limited for 5-7 days. You will need to drink plenty of fluids (small amounts but often, more then 3 liters/day), and have a diet with Banana, apple, rice and toast to help the bowel recover faster. Probiotics may be helpful as well.
If not better in 7 days, if fever continues, if blood or mucus in the stool, then you should go to the emergency room at your local hospital, so you get tested about other possible infections that you may have got in Dominion Republic.
Are you up to date with all the vaccines necessary to travel there? The Typhoid vaccine and Hepatitis A & E are vaccines necessary for every traveler in that country. Also I assume you were careful against Malaria and were taking the recommended prophylaxis.
Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if you need more clarifications.
Regards,
Dr. Papaqako
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
I have been vacinnated for hepatitis A and B but not E (was this typo? As there is a vaccine approved for hepatitis E in some countries but E was not on the recommended list of vacines).
However i didnt get vacinated against typhoid and given my location working in a rural community i defintely should have done so. I also didn't take any medication for malaria but i did use precautions such as using a deet based repellent and usually sleep with mosquito nets (with the exception of a few nights where we stayed at a hotel that had lots of misquitoes buzzing around but no nets. However, despite the precautions there were a few occasions that i think that i may have been biten although i cant say for sure as i usually have little or no reaction to mosquito bites.
I also should have mentioned that i developed a very severe headache yesterday evening with a pain centered behind my eyes and into my temples. My diarria is also back again today. Thus l'm wandering if i may have started with gastrointestinal infection but maybe starting to feel the effects of a mosquitoborn illness?
However i didnt get vacinated against typhoid and given my location working in a rural community i defintely should have done so. I also didn't take any medication for malaria but i did use precautions such as using a deet based repellent and usually sleep with mosquito nets (with the exception of a few nights where we stayed at a hotel that had lots of misquitoes buzzing around but no nets. However, despite the precautions there were a few occasions that i think that i may have been biten although i cant say for sure as i usually have little or no reaction to mosquito bites.
I also should have mentioned that i developed a very severe headache yesterday evening with a pain centered behind my eyes and into my temples. My diarria is also back again today. Thus l'm wandering if i may have started with gastrointestinal infection but maybe starting to feel the effects of a mosquitoborn illness?
Brief Answer:
Either one or the other its possible
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear,
Your symptoms are very non specific.
I would say that considering your travelling history you should keep in mind either malaria or typhoid.
You can either go to a doctor as soon as possible, because they can surely do the needed checkups and give you priority, because they don't want these problems to be spread in your country.
Or you can wait and go to the local doctor if the diarrhea and these symptoms last more then 3 weeks. Meanwhile you can treat the symptoms like take painkiller for the headache, the recommendations above to prevent dehydration and keep diarrhea under control.
If the problem has started while you were traveling means that you have gotten something there which is either one or the other.
I hope this makes sense and that I have answered your question.
Let me know if you have other concerns.
Regards, Dr.Papaqako
Either one or the other its possible
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear,
Your symptoms are very non specific.
I would say that considering your travelling history you should keep in mind either malaria or typhoid.
You can either go to a doctor as soon as possible, because they can surely do the needed checkups and give you priority, because they don't want these problems to be spread in your country.
Or you can wait and go to the local doctor if the diarrhea and these symptoms last more then 3 weeks. Meanwhile you can treat the symptoms like take painkiller for the headache, the recommendations above to prevent dehydration and keep diarrhea under control.
If the problem has started while you were traveling means that you have gotten something there which is either one or the other.
I hope this makes sense and that I have answered your question.
Let me know if you have other concerns.
Regards, Dr.Papaqako
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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