In December of 2012, I had a severe attack of pains in my lower torso and a complete loss of appetite. I had it checked out by my primary physician who diagnosed it as IBS. I recovered after two to three weeks, but during those weeks I ate so little that I lost 30 pounds. The pains came and went over the next three years.

Then, in the summer of 2014, I started getting sharp stinging pains in my left thigh. My new psychiatrist at the time thought this was because I had Lyme disease, and prescribed Minocycline. I stopped taking the Minocycline in November of 2014 and started taking Lamotrigine. The dosage of Lamotrigine was quickly increased, and by December, I was having difficulty sleeping, and my entire head broke out in a rash with pimples. I started decreasing it in early January, and found myself suffering from extreme malaise, tension headaches, and a general inability to comprehend my surroundings.

After visiting an eye doctor in May of 2015, I found that I had the vision in my right eye had gone down 30%. I went to Dr. Cameron, a Lyme disease specialist in Mount Kisco in July of 2015, but he confirmed the test results making Lyme an unlikely suspect. Regardless, he gave me a prescription for Ceftin, but after two months taking it, it was obvious that it wasn’t doing any good. Finally, I gave up and went on an extended leave of absence from my job. In October I went to see a holistic M.D., Dr. Michael Gurevich, who has diagnosed me as having an intestinal parasite, as well as sinusitis. I went on a month long medication dosage of pyrantal pomoate, alinia, and ivermectin, but as bad as my reaction to alinia was, combined with Tinidazole, I was having extremely negative side effects.

Then in February I went to see a Dr. Kevin Cahill, at Dr. Gurevich's suggestion. Sure enough, I tested positive for Whipworm and E. Histolytica. He gave me a two week regimen, 10 days of paromomycin, and 3 days of Albenza. I went back and re-tested after having finished the regimen 4 days prior, and I tested negative. Dr. Gurevich also says the parasite is gone. But me? I still feel terrible. My head feels...clogged, my eyes constantly ache, I can't think straight and I still don't have an improved appetite.

Dr. Cahill says the symptoms of parasites can stick around for 2 to 3 months even after the parasite has been eliminated. Dr. Gurevich says it's all in my head, and my parents believe him.

But I know how I feel, and I'm just not sure what to do. Are either doctor right? Is there any chance the parasite is still there, or could come back? Or maybe I'm just crazy? I don't know, and I'm sick of trying to find out.