How Is Endolimax Nana Treated?
Doses of metronidazole, nitazoxanide and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole have been shown to treat infections of Edolimax nana that cause gastrointestinal distress, such as acute diarrhea, according to Case Reports in Gastroenterology. Most humans carry E. nana without complications, but sometimes the tiny parasite combines with Blastocystis hominis to cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
In the case of one 24-year-old male with a properly working immune system, he complained of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Doctors discovered he had a co-infection of B. hominis and E. nana that was eliminated with metronidazole, and the patient returned to normal after the parasites were destroyed, notes Case Reports in Gastroenterology. The point of the 2012 paper was to demonstrate these two parasites may not be completely harmless as the Centers for Disease Control reports.
E. nana is classified as an intestinal protozoa, according to the CDC. As of December 2014, there are no treatment recommendations for E. nana and other intestinal parasites because they are harmless to the body and do not cause illnesses. The CDC recommends doctors find another cause of gastrointestinal problems aside from these single-celled organisms, even when these tiny creatures appear in stool samples. However, doctors should use professional judgment when treating cases of E. nana.
Intestinal infections of parasites are collectively called amebiasis. The most serious cases of these infections can cause dysentery, notes The Merck Manual. Medications such as antibiotics, antacids, enemas, contrast dyes and anti-diarrheal medicines should not be administered until a stool sample is examined for parasitic infections.