Bangkok Library Digital library and information center for Bangkok, Thailand

Just over two months ago I had a serious case of food poisoning and diarrhea whilst traveling in Cambodia, and found myself seeking emergency medical treatment at a small and poorly resourced medical clinic in Sihanoukville. Dehydration and an imbalance of bodily fluids resulted in excruciatingly painful muscle cramps and a near-death experience which I will never forget. My treatment included intravenous medications including a saline drip and a broad-spectrum antibiotic. The clinic staff used drinking-water bottles filled with boiling water to warm my dangerously cold body, and I still have a scar on one foot where the boiling water blistered my skin (I could feel this happening at the time but considered it to be the least of my problems).

The acute food poisoning and diarrhea disappeared within less than 24 hours of treatment, but since then I have experienced irregular bowel movements characterized by two or three days of constipation, bloating, excess and malodorous gas, followed by one or two visits to the toilet with diarrhea-like symptoms. Although I feel part of the blame is my consumption of unhealthy Thai food (my symptoms almost disappeared during a visit to the UK) whilst staying in Thailand I must eat the local food.

Yesterday I visited a local Thai pharmacy and described my symptoms. I was impressed the pharmacist suggested antibiotics as the cause and not treatment of my problem – quite unlike many Thai doctors who will prescribe antibiotics for just about any ailment including viral infections. He suggested taking a food supplement or probiotic containing good bacteria to aid digestion. Within hours of taking the first capsule I felt much better, and now on the third capsule my symptoms have disappeared. I have just one capsule left which I will take later today.

The food supplement (sold as a blister pack with two capsules) is labeled as follows:

Combif AR (คอมบิฟ เออาร์)
More than 4 billion active B. longum for intestinal health
* Gastric acid resistance
* High content
* Healthy life

Each capsule contains:

* Bifidobacterium longum BB536 (53%) 165 mg
* Milk protein (23%) 72 mg

The supplement appears to be manufactured in Thailand on behalf of Medinova Switzerland (บริษัท เมดิโนวา จำกัด สวิสเซอร์แลนด์).

IMPORTANT: Please note that I do not have any medical training and do not endorse use of this product. I have no connection with Medinova Switzerland and cannot advise on the suitability of any medical treatment.