Bacteria, Virus, and Yeast Die-Off, Oh My!

click on photos to enlarge

Source: 3-year old SPD boy.

Style: Diarrhea.

Notes: Child had strep throat (bacteria) two weeks ago and was on antibiotic. Toward the end of the antibiotic course, the child contracted Coxsackie virus (herpangina; mouth/throat blisters). Boy was given a 24-hour antibiotic shot in each leg (not knowing at the time that it was a virus) and the next day started augmentin (another antibiotic). Because throat was so painful, boy's diet while sick consisted of easy-to-eat things like GFCFSF ice cream, and lemon-lime soda. After about 6-7 days on the antibiotic, child started showing strong signs of yeast overgrowth. Dad (mistakenly) gave 15 drops of GSE one day. Next day had 5 drops; next day 3. Antibiotics were stopped at Day 8 because child complained of pain in tummy and was very resistant to the administration of the antibiotics. Probiotics were resumed, and biotin dosage was increased. Child started complaining of pain when pooping and would have explosive poops in the shower while trying to avoid toilet at all costs (most likely due to pain associated with toilet). This morning, child passed lots of soft, but semi-formed, stool. A couple of hours later, teachers at summer camp report he was going to the bathroom a lot and had two poop accidents. Child also had loose stool twice and was sent home. At home, mom served 1/2 cap of activated charcoal to help absorb die-off. About an hour or two later, child woke up from nap with very dark, runny diarrhea. More pain and more dark diarrhea came a couple of hours later with black flecks. Tonight before bed, photos were taken. Child still complained of pain immediately before passing stool, as well as when pooping.

This poop is liquidy diarrhea, but there are chunks -- more like blobs -- in there as well. Some of the blobs are like amoebas with "hairy" tenticles. There also is an oilyness to the stool, and lots of bubbles/gas. There is mucous as well, and black flecks and specks.

Click on the photo to enlarge, and see some wacky stuff. First, you can see all the bubbles. Second, look at about 10:00 or so on the poop, at the outer perimeter. You'll see white strings. These were totally strange -- not long strings but like a little "mop" of strings or like a white spider. Finally, look at about 1:00 in this picture and see a couple very odd white chunks. Ew!

Look at how a "sludge" was left on the side of the potty. I had to wipe this out with toilet paper -- it didn't just pour out. This reminded me of getting my Turkish coffee grounds read in Istanbul.

There's that freaky white chunk again.

I expertly isolated this part so you could see the mucous.

This is what the potty seat bowl looked like after I had poured every last bit of the diarrhea into the toilet. You'll see there's a good bit left in there that was not coming out of the potty seat easily. You'll also see some "tracks" through the middle where it looks like I ran a finger or something. That was actually from some of those "mop-like amoebas" that I spoke of earlier.