How to tell if you have parasites

Drug Therapies

Your doctor will choose the drug that is most effective against your intestinal parasite. You may need one dose, or you may have to take the medication for several weeks. Be careful to take the medicine exactly as it is prescribed, or it may not work.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Conventional medical treatments can get rid parasites more quickly and with fewer side effects than most alternative treatments. Alternative treatments may be helpful along with conventional medications. However, your doctor must find out what kind of organism is causing your problems before you start treatment. The following nutritional guidelines may help keep parasites from growing.

Reading: How to tell if you have parasites

Nutrition and Supplements

• Avoid simple carbohydrates, such as those found in refined foods, fruits, juices, dairy products, and all sugars, except honey.
• Eat more raw garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, beets, and carrots, all of which have been used traditionally to kill parasites. In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects. Drink a lot of water to help flush out your system.
• Eat more fiber, which may help get rid of worms.
• Probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacilus plantarum, Saccharomyces boulardii, and bifidobacteria). Help keep your digestive tract healthy. Probiotics may not be appropriate in some severely immune compromised patients. Talk to your doctor.
• Digestive enzymes will help restore your intestinal tract to its normal state, which makes it inhospitable to parasites. Papain is an enzyme from the papaya plant that may help kill worms when taken 30 minutes before or after meals. Papain may increase bleeding in people with clotting disorders, or in those taking blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin) among others.
• Vitamin C. Supports the immune system. Lower the dose if diarrhea develops.
• Zinc. Supports the immune system. Zinc may interact with certain medications, particularly some antibiotics, and it may not be appropriate for people with HIV/AIDS. Talk to your doctor.

Herbs

Herbs are a way to strengthen and tone the body’s systems. As with any therapy, you should work with your doctor to diagnose your problem before starting treatment. You may use herbs as dried extracts (capsules, powders, or teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). People with a history of alcoholism should not take tinctures.

Also Read: When can puppies eat hard food

Many of the herbs used to treat intestinal parasites have toxic side effects or interfere with other medications. Use them only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. Your health care provider should treat you with the most gentle herb that is effective for the type of parasite you have. A few of the herbs that your provider might consider include:

• Garlic (Allium sativum)
• Barberry (Berberis vulgaris)
• Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
• Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium)
• Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
• Wormwood ((Artemisia annua))
• Curled mint (Mentha crispa)
• Black walnuts (Juglans nigra)

Homeopathy

As with other treatments, your health care provider must first diagnose the kind of parasite you have. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person’s constitutional type, includes your physical, emotional, and intellectual makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors, as well as any current symptoms, when determining the most appropriate remedy for a particular individual. The following remedies may be used:

Also Read: Hydroxyzine hcl 25 mg tablet for anxiety reviews

• Cina
• Cuprum oxidatum nigrum
• Indigo
• Teucrium
• Podophyllum
• Spigelia
• Sabadilla
• Stanum