# Being sick



## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

Hi everyone...just wondering if I am the only person who has moved here(from canada) who has gotten some intestinal sickness that cant seem to shake it. I have been taking 3 different meds just lately to rule out parasites, and intestinal monsters..lol. Since I moved here my belly is sore and bloated ...I try and do all the right things such as only eat at reputable restaurants and cook at home and only drink bottled water..we ha e a filter system for tap water just for when we shower and brush our teeth. Even though i have taken all the right meds the dr gave me i still feel as bad as i did the first week here. Also when I went back to visit canada most of the weird symptoms dissapeared? Im perplexed and just wondered if anyone else has had any experience like mine? Maybe just sensitive to the food here?


Thanks Michelle


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

What has the physician you've visited said about this?


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Did the doctor give you all the usual broad-spectrum drugs (“just in case it’s X, Y, or Z”) or did s/he send you for tests to diagnose what you actually have. I’d say it’s time for the latter if you haven’t already.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

You definitely want a doctor who tells you to get a stool sample analyzed at a lab to find our what bug got you.
If he/she doesn't do that, find another doc.
Otherwise...........this is not unusual, and some bellies are just more sensitive to the local bugs than others.
My sympathies.


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

maesonna said:


> Did the doctor give you all the usual broad-spectrum drugs (“just in case it’s X, Y, or Z”) or did s/he send you for tests to diagnose what you actually have. I’d say it’s time for the latter if you haven’t already.


Yes I had the broad spectrum and the extra 2 meds were for in case I had intestinal thing such as ecoli etc. I was hoping that maybe it was just a intolerance to maybe something that I might be intolerant to in maybe foods or something but your right maybe its time to look further into it...hopefully its fixable


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

lagoloo said:


> You definitely want a doctor who tells you to get a stool sample analyzed at a lab to find our what bug got you.
> If he/she doesn't do that, find another doc.
> Otherwise...........this is not unusual, and some bellies are just more sensitive to the local bugs than others.
> My sympathies.


Thank you and yes I found it odd the first thing they didn't ask for would be stool sample to zone in on the exact bug to detect early what it was...finding it hard to find a dr who speaks English that's kind of why I went with him as he could explain to me what was wrong...thanks again


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You mentioned going to _a doctor_, when what you probably need is a gastroenterologist. Here is what Google finds for Medicos gastroenterologos en Puerto Vallarta (Google each MD by name for a map location):

DR DANIEL IBARRA DELGADILLO
BASILIO BADILLO 377, EMILIANAO ZAPATA, PUERTO VALLARTA, C.P 48380, JAL
TEL: (322)223-2025

MI GASTROENTEROLOGO (*this one appears to be a full service diagnostic clinic*)
FRANCIA 186, VERSALLES, PUERTO VALLARTA, C.P 48310, JAL
TEL: (322)224-4101

DR. MARIO PEÑA ESPARZA
LAGO VICTORIA 207, FLUVIAL VALLARTA, PUERTO VALLARTA, C.P 48312, JAL
TEL: (322)224-0500

DR SERGIO DEL HOYO GALVAN
LOS TULES 160 LOC-9, DIAZ ORDAZ, PUERTO VALLARTA, C.P 48310, JAL
TEL: (322)223-5521

DR. ARMANDO JOYA
FRANCISCO MEDINA ASCENCIO 3970 3 PISO, MARINA VALLARTA, PUERTO VALLARTA, C.P 48335, JAL
TEL: (322)293-4628


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

RVGRINGO said:


> You mentioned going to _a doctor_, when what you probably need is a gastroenterologist. Here is what Google finds for Medicos gastroenterologos en Puerto Vallarta (Google each MD by name for a map location):
> 
> DR DANIEL IBARRA DELGADILLO
> BASILIO BADILLO 377, EMILIANAO ZAPATA, PUERTO VALLARTA, C.P 48380, JAL
> ...










Thank you for the helpi appreciate it


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

E. coli we all have, the problem comes when we have it in a rather high population

You are on your way to see a Dr. but one other thing you could think about is the food you are eating. Many times we blame it on bugs and we forget that we change our ingredients.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Gary is correct and I am sure that you have adjusted your diet to determine if it is bloating from cabbage, onions, etc. However, I had similar chronic bloating and discomfort early this year, which culminated in total intestinal blockage. Since I also have an aneurism on my abdominal aorta, I am not a candidate for laparoscopic intervention and now have a scar from sternum to pubis and a large abdominal mesh from two surgeries to repair the blockage, by removing most of my colon, and a subsequent hernia repair. Not fun, but I am still alive and relatively comfortable eating almost anything.
So, I suggest a complete exam by a gastroenterologo, rather than a GP. Instead of the shotgun approach, you will get blood work and maybe an MRI. If nothing is found, your mind will rest at ease and you will probably be given some dietary advice and/or anti-flatulents, etc.


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

GARYJ65 said:


> E. coli we all have, the problem comes when we have it in a rather high population
> 
> You are on your way to see a Dr. but one other thing you could think about is the food you are eating. Many times we blame it on bugs and we forget that we change our ingredients.


Yes I agree in fact when I first starting getting sick I tried as much as possible to try and keep to the foods I was used to ..no experimenting with new ingredients or spices...I have racked my brain trying to figure out what was different..2 weeks ago I broke out in hives all over....not a thing had changed and im not a sickly person or sensitive to changes but something is not right ..its like putting a puzzle together but missing a few pieces..lol Guess I will have to perservere get more testing done and if that's fine start back at square one...


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> E. coli we all have, the problem comes when we have it in a rather high population
> 
> You are on your way to see a Dr. but one other thing you could think about is the food you are eating. Many times we blame it on bugs and we forget that we change our ingredients.


Good point. Also, about a year ago I started drinking a small daily glass of kefir, made by one of the folks at our local farmers' market and it reduced the number of gut problems dramatically.

The last bug turned out to be an aggressive amoeba raising a family in my gut. Two weeks on Flagl killed it off, but that's nasty stuff. You really do need that lab test to be sure who's in there.

Some people take an over the counter pill called Vermox every six months just on general principles.
Works for some. I'd hesitate to suggest it until you talk to the doc.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

There are also amoebas. I was diagnosed with one from a stool sample during a routine series of lab tests last year, when I didn't even know I had an intestinal problem. When I asked my doctor (an internist) about it, he said "it's the one everybody has here in Mexico". First attempt to get rid of it with a one-hit pill didn't work, so he prescribed a second med that I had to take for three days, and it did the trick. Follow up exam found no critters.

Ooops, cross-posted with lagoloo. I think the med that worked for my amoebas was Daxon. But they had to be diagnosed first.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

dragonlady said:


> Yes I agree in fact when I first starting getting sick I tried as much as possible to try and keep to the foods I was used to ..no experimenting with new ingredients or spices...I have racked my brain trying to figure out what was different..2 weeks ago I broke out in hives all over....


If you broke out in hives, you might consult an allergist to see if you've recently developed an allergy to something or other.


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

makaloco said:


> There are also amoebas. I was diagnosed with one from a stool sample during a routine series of lab tests last year, when I didn't even know I had an intestinal problem. When I asked my doctor (an internist) about it, he said "it's the one everybody has in Mexico". First attempt to get rid of it with a one-hit pill didn't work, so he prescribed a second med that I had to take for three days, and it did the trick.


Wow i had no clue..being from Canada this is all foreign to me and like you said if your not presented with any real symptoms you may have had that in your system for who knows how long....i will definitely ask about this as well at my next apt all the info i have gotten today is god so i can present and ask all the right questions..i appreciate your help..thank you


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

dragonlady said:


> Wow i had no clue..being from Canada this is all foreign to me and like you said if your not presented with any real symptoms you may have had that in your system for who knows how long....i will definitely ask about this as well at my next apt all the info i have gotten today is god so i can present and ask all the right questions..i appreciate your help..thank you


I would presume a GP Dr. would know about the common infection in gastric tracks and prescribe Daxon when your symptoms sound so much like this infection but usually accompanied by diarrhea every 2 or 3 days for more than a week in most people, sometimes for several weeks. It works for myself and my wife.

Also some local foods contain large amounts of lard or oil and it is hard on your system if you do not eat it regualrly, even in fairly good restaurants.

If your are having stomach pains after eating it could be gastritis and high amounts of spices, oils and lard will react badly and cause bloating also and there is an over the counter medicine that works very well if you take it daily for about 2 or 3 weeks and is long lasting called Omeprazol. Remember intestinal pain is very low and is included in upper regions as well and stomach pain is not much higher.


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

RVGRINGO said:


> Gary is correct and I am sure that you have adjusted your diet to determine if it is bloating from cabbage, onions, etc. However, I had similar chronic bloating and discomfort early this year, which culminated in total intestinal blockage. Since I also have an aneurism on my abdominal aorta, I am not a candidate for laparoscopic intervention and now have a scar from sternum to pubis and a large abdominal mesh from two surgeries to repair the blockage, by removing most of my colon, and a subsequent hernia repair. Not fun, but I am still alive and relatively comfortable eating almost anything.
> So, I suggest a complete exam by a gastroenterologo, rather than a GP. Instead of the shotgun approach, you will get blood work and maybe an MRI. If nothing is found, your mind will rest at ease and you will probably be given some dietary advice and/or anti-flatulents, etc.


Wow that is crazy lm glad you are alright...scary you went from bloating all the way to intestinal blockage. I will look into gastro dr as I have never had gut in my life and all of a sudden in past yr its getting bigger and all the gas bloating stuff to go with it...I eat very well and excercise everday and my gut feels like its getting bigger instaed of going away....I have taken my atibiotics and still nothing so I suppose next step is an expert...thanks for sharing your story I appreciate it


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## JoanneR2 (Apr 18, 2012)

dragonlady said:


> Wow that is crazy lm glad you are alright...scary you went from bloating all the way to intestinal blockage. I will look into gastro dr as I have never had gut in my life and all of a sudden in past yr its getting bigger and all the gas bloating stuff to go with it...I eat very well and excercise everday and my gut feels like its getting bigger instaed of going away....I have taken my atibiotics and still nothing so I suppose next step is an expert...thanks for sharing your story I appreciate it


You should definitely get this checked out. Not just for infections or amoeba but also a thorough pelvic examination just in case it is related to something else, especially as treatments so far haven't made any difference. Hope you get it sorted out soon.


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

Hi Joanne,

I agree 100% and luckily I have just been in the last 2 weekk for a once over to rule out woman issues as there definitely could be a link with the symptoms plus being a women...thank you for the msg and your concern.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

get a thorough check up. I have a cousin who got giardia last August and fought it until December, she got checked and the giardia was gone but the bloody stools light diarea and bloating coninued, she went for a colonoscopy and has advanced colon cancer. One symptom can hide another so if it is unuausl for you to be sick this way get a good check up by a good doctor.
It is normal to get amoebas or bugs when you first get here and maybe you are eating something you ar allergic too, when everything is a little different it is sometimes difficult to figure out what is going on but do not ignore it.


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## JoanneR2 (Apr 18, 2012)

dragonlady said:


> Hi Joanne, I agree 100% and luckily I have just been in the last 2 weekk for a once over to rule out woman issues as there definitely could be a link with the symptoms plus being a women...thank you for the msg and your concern.


So pleased to hear that. Take care. J


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

Ty


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

lagoloo said:


> Good point. Also, about a year ago I started drinking a small daily glass of kefir, made by one of the folks at our local farmers' market and it reduced the number of gut problems dramatically.
> 
> The last bug turned out to be an aggressive amoeba raising a family in my gut. Two weeks on Flagl killed it off, but that's nasty stuff. You really do need that lab test to be sure who's in there.
> 
> ...


Sounds like good preventative measures after I have been given the ok


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

AlanMexicali said:


> I would presume a GP Dr. would know about the common infection in gastric tracks and prescribe Daxon when your symptoms sound so much like this infection but usually accompanied by diarrhea every 2 or 3 days for more than a week in most people, sometimes for several weeks. It works for myself and my wife.
> 
> Also some local foods contain large amounts of lard or oil and it is hard on your system if you do not eat it regualrly, even in fairly good restaurants.
> 
> If your are having stomach pains after eating it could be gastritis and high amounts of spices, oils and lard will react badly and cause bloating also and there is an over the counter medicine that works very well if you take it daily for about 2 or 3 weeks and is long lasting called Omeprazol. Remember intestinal pain is very low and is included in upper regions as well and stomach pain is not much higher.


Hmm that's interesting food facts didn't think about the oil factor...and yes the pains are low and I feel like a balloon that will burst open some days...sucks to feel like this when im not the whiny get sick kind of person but ive learned some interesting and helpful stuff by sucking it up and posting on this forum..lots of good smart helpful ppl out there Thank you!


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

Longford said:


> What has the physician you've visited said about this?


I told him I think I may have parasite...he gave me a parasite pill and 2 different antibiotics to treat the bloat and colon distention..said there may be bug in intestines and therefore thats why he gave me antibiotics...still feel bloating after eating and gut looks fat to me and I have never had belly except when pregnant..im kinda at a loss


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

dragonlady said:


> I told him I think I may have parasite...he gave me a parasite pill and 2 different antibiotics to treat the bloat and colon distention..said there may be bug in intestines and therefore thats why he gave me antibiotics...still feel bloating after eating and gut looks fat to me and I have never had belly except when pregnant..im kinda at a loss


Did he give you the pill and antibiotics before doing any tests?


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

yes unfortunately he did I was hoping he would have asked for testing to be done first..I took the worm pills and my diareaha stopped and I did feel quite a bit better so decided not to take antibiotics but after two days it returned and decided that maybe the antibiotics might help anything else I might be breeding in my intestines..LOL Im not a pill fanatic but sometimes I guess u kind of know that it might be better to try....I am yet to find an actual family dr here in Juriquilla and have been using a local dr who can speak a bit of English..hard to have a dr if you cant understand fully what they are explaining to you..LOL


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

JoanneR2 said:


> You should definitely get this checked out. Not just for infections or amoeba but also a thorough pelvic examination just in case it is related to something else, especially as treatments so far haven't made any difference. Hope you get it sorted out soon.


Like others have said, you need to have investigations: Stool tests (there are generally 2 types of bottles for collecting the samples - one for Parasites including amoebas, and a different one for bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter), and given your bloating, an abdominal and pelvic ultrasound would be helpful to rule out some of the more serious concerns. If all that is normal but you still have symptoms, Citlali's suggestion of a colonoscopy may be warranted. 

Also remember that antibiotic cocktail you've already been on would have wiped out the friendly along with the unfriendly intestinal critters, so taking probiotics for several weeks or longer can help restore the healthy flora in your gut. Lagoloo's suggestion of kefir is great, but you might also want to take probiotic supplements. The problem is that not all probiotic brands have the same bacteria or adequate LIVE bacteria to be effective. In Canada there is a clinical guide which provides the scientific evidence to date for different brands. If you are going to travel to Canada, 2 brands with good evidence of efficacy are Florastor and BioGaia. (I have no conflict of interest here - not plugging anything, just quoting from the clinical guidelines.) I don't have any information on probiotic supplement brands in Mexico, though. 

Good luck with looking further into this. Bloating and abdominal symptoms are not uncommon, especially with a change of country, food and water, and in the majority of cases it turns out to be nothing more serious. However, you don't want to miss something by putting it down to amoebas or a change in diet and not getting proper investigations to rule out other causes. My brother and sister-in-law were living in India and she had symptoms that really seemed like amoebas, but when she didn't respond to the normal treatment she got more investigations and a more serious problem was discovered.

Good luck!


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## dragonlady (Oct 29, 2013)

Excellent advice(you seem vey knowledgeable which is good because right now I am not  ...I do trvel to cda quite often and could definitely find these probiotics..I agree I don't want to be a worrier or a hypochondriac but better safe than sorry to check it out and stay on the safe side of stuff if all is well...thanks again for your input on my belly issue


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

makaloco said:


> There are also amoebas. I was diagnosed with one from a stool sample during a routine series of lab tests last year, when I didn't even know I had an intestinal problem. When I asked my doctor (an internist) about it, he said "it's the one everybody has here in Mexico". First attempt to get rid of it with a one-hit pill didn't work, so he prescribed a second med that I had to take for three days, and it did the trick. Follow up exam found no critters.
> 
> Ooops, cross-posted with lagoloo. I think the med that worked for my amoebas was Daxon. But they had to be diagnosed first.


The one pill treatment Vermox is used by many every 6 months but sometimes Daxon the 3 pill one works better to kill anoebas so Dr.s have been prescribing it and seems to be the stonger of the two. Also they have yogurt they drink after taking strong antibiotics to cultivate intestinal bacteria called Yakult. It is a probiotic yogurt drink. The good bacteria comes back by itself but might take awhile. 

Most people wash their fruit and vegetables with an antibacterial solution called Microdyn, where a few drops of it in a bowl of wáter desinfects lettuce etc. Some farms have been caught pumping black wáter [sewer wáter] to irrigate their fields here.

Note: These are very common "home" remedies and are very well thought of but I have to be the first to tell you I was skeptical at first but over time I feel they are on to sometihing foreign to NOB people. As Gary stated things we eat here are not the same as NOB in more ways than meets the eye. The extra lard in food is one that I still avoid as my stomach cannot handle this type of diet anymore and makes me feel lousy for a couple of hours everytime I eat food laced with lard by mistake.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

I'm like Alan. My stomach cannot take _manteca_ (lard), although many of my Mexican and Central American friends will say that food tastes better with it, and it can be lurking in places you're not expecting it, like tamales or rice and beans. 

So if you want to make sure something doesn't have lard, ask if it was made with _manteca_.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> I'm like Alan. My stomach cannot take _manteca_ (lard), although many of my Mexican and Central American friends will say that food tastes better with it, and it can be lurking in places you're not expecting it, like tamales or rice and beans.
> 
> So if you want to make sure something doesn't have lard, ask if it was made with _manteca_.


I have gotten to the point that regular cut up chicken baked or grilled is too much for me and we buy boneles skinless chicken breasts now. They are not that popular here and cost a fortune so Tyson´s flavored frozen filetes de pechuga de pollo are looking very economical.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

lurking in tamales?? the recipe is 2 kg masa 1 kilo lard..it is more than lurking. I love them but cannot eat more than a small one. 
We eat tosadas in a restaurant tat makes them with pure lard..there are so much better than any others,,


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

AlanMexicali said:


> … boneless skinless chicken breasts now. They are not that popular here and cost a fortune so Tyson´s flavored frozen filetes de pechuga de pollo are looking very economical.


Here (DF), all our local chicken sellers will prepare the chicken exactly as you want it while you wait – they will debone it, skin it, and slice it, cube it, or carefully slice it into _milanesas_ and pound them flat – all at no extra charge.

As for lard in tamales, at home we now make them with oil, and when we order them from our custom tamale chef, we ask for them to be made with oil, too. I’ve also seen articles about a few tamal sellers in this city who have started to use oil and feature this to their customers as a selling point.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

dragonlady said:


> ...I do trvel to cda quite often and could definitely find these probiotics


Costco sells a probiotic, it probably wouldn’t hurt to try it once your antibiotic treatment is finished if you haven’t been able to get the ones from Canada in the meantime.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

SINUBERASE works beautifully to restore intestinal flora and improves digestion


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

maesonna said:


> Here (DF), all our local chicken sellers will prepare the chicken exactly as you want it while you wait – they will debone it, skin it, and slice it, cube it, or carefully slice it into _milanesas_ and pound them flat – all at no extra charge.
> 
> As for lard in tamales, at home we now make them with oil, and when we order them from our custom tamale chef, we ask for them to be made with oil, too. I’ve also seen articles about a few tamal sellers in this city who have started to use oil and feature this to their customers as a selling point.


I will check out buying whole chickens at $36.00 pesos per kilo here instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts at $100.00 to $120.00 pesos per kilo and see if they could debone and deskin the whole thing and freeze the packets. I haven´t noticed them working a chicken that way anywhere but really never stopped to look or ask them. I do see pounded chicken for milanesa de pollo at all places and it is about $100.00 pesos per kilo, I think.

I have never heard of tamales made with vegetable oil.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

citlali said:


> lurking in tamales?? the recipe is 2 kg masa 1 kilo lard..it is more than lurking. I love them but cannot eat more than a small one.
> We eat tosadas in a restaurant tat makes them with pure lard..there are so much better than any others,,


So much lard? Wow, I had no idea it was so much. No wonder they taste so good!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I did not know either until I asked my friend from Oaxaca to teach me how to make them. I had some Oaxaca mole and banana leaves from the tree I was going to cut down so we made tamales. I just about fell off my chair when I saw how much lard was going into them . 
They sure were good ..


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

When we make tamales we generally use margarine, but my husband always takes some of the masa to put a bit of manteca in. Those are reserved for him. I know they are tasty, but my normally iron stomach just can't handle manteca, or much pork in general. I always say I like it, but it doesn't like me,


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> When we make tamales we generally use margarine, but my husband always takes some of the masa to put a bit of manteca in. Those are reserved for him. I know they are tasty, but my normally iron stomach just can't handle manteca, or much pork in general. I always say I like it, but it doesn't like me,


Pork in any quanity over about 5 oz always gives me bad indigestion now and at a wedding or event where it is served I have to be careful. We haven´t bought any to cook for years. I do miss bacon! I feel it is like lard and chiles and even hard liquor in that if you regularly digest it no problem but if rarely then my stomach doesn´t react well.


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## travelinhobo (Sep 17, 2010)

ha ha I was immediately thought of and was going to say, Let me guess... You got a prescription which included 3 meds and only one is the anti-biotic. Did you go to a real doc or a doc in the box. Well, doesn't matter, you still have the problem. An idea... perhaps your water filter isn't attached correctly or isn't working. 

Strangely, 7 years ago when I biked E. Canada for 6 weeks, I came back with an irritable stomach. I waited a few days before calling the health district. The doc told me that I wasn't going enough to have diarrehea and I should wait. Of course, within a day of calling him I was back to normal. It was the only country that gave me something for many days!


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