Is amoebic dysentry a self-limiting condition?

[Anders W. Bonde]

A person dear to me claims to have been 'cured' of amoebic dysentry, which she contracted in India. She claims that evidence-based medicine (EBM) did not help, so she went to her favourite quack, who she claims 'cured' it with homeopathy/isopathy/whatever sCAM nonsense.

As amoebic dysentry seems very common in countries such as India, and not everyone there recieves treatment, yet many survive, it seems without any medicinal or antibiotic treatment, I suspect that the ailment may often be self-limiting.

Methinks that it is either self-limiting, or her affliction was misdiagnosed (it happens), or the EBM actually eventually did its job, at about the time she eventually resorted to the useless sCAM placebo. She is now, sadly, a closed-minded (IMO) follower of the sCAM cult, which puts a severe strain on our relationship. Sigh.

Thoughts, anyone?

[The SkepDoc]

Amoebic dysentery, like any other disease, can sometimes resolve without treatment. The diagnosis could be in error. Another good possibility is that EBM cured the amoebiasis but that she continued to have symptoms due to depletion of normal bowel flora and other reasons. Such residual symptoms are not uncommon. They tend to gradually subside on their own. Sometimes people use probiotics to help re-establish normal intestinal function.

[BenBurch]

I'd replace sometimes with "usually".

[fls]

A person dear to me claims to have been 'cured' of amoebic dysentry, which she contracted in India. She claims that evidence-based medicine (EBM) did not help, so she went to her favourite quack, who she claims 'cured' it with homeopathy/isopathy/whatever sCAM nonsense.

As amoebic dysentry seems very common in countries such as India, and not everyone there recieves treatment, yet many survive, it seems without any medicinal or antibiotic treatment, I suspect that the ailment may often be self-limiting.

Methinks that it is either self-limiting, or her affliction was misdiagnosed (it happens), or the EBM actually eventually did its job, at about the time she eventually resorted to the useless sCAM placebo. She is now, sadly, a closed-minded (IMO) follower of the sCAM cult, which puts a severe strain on our relationship. Sigh.

Thoughts, anyone?

Infection can be self-limiting - most are asymptomatic. Some people with dysentery will recover without treatment. Some will go on to more severe disease - risk factors are chronic corticosteroid use, malnutrition, pregnancy.

All of your suggestions are plausible. It can take a while for the bowel mucosa to recover from an acute infection, even when the infectious agent has been eradicated.

Linda

[Deetee]

Many people have amebic dysentery and resolve spontaneously, or have a milder illness.
Was the diagnosis confirmed? What was the conventional treatment your friend had? Usually an anti-amebic antibiotic (metronidazole in the UK) is used.
However, relapses may occur, or invasive disease, sometimes many years later so this is something your friend should remain aware of.

[Big Les]

If no-one recovered from dysentary without medical treatment, there wouldn't have been anyone left to fight the Napoleonic (among others) wars.