Strange Health Conditions

[roddavis]

Have you or your family has/had strange illness's such as skin conditions, upset stomachs, virus in the blood requiring antibiotics?

I had a strange abscess on my neck that grew to the size of a half apple on the neck. No insect bite, no perforations of the skin. Even the doctors

were puzzled. Had to go to hospital for 4 days to drain, scrape out abscess, antibiotic drip. Started to investigate around to find the source. We drink

only bottled water, but house water comes from the local district. The water source is n artesian source near the mountains. Since we take showers

with that water. I did a test and found a high bacterial count in the water. Don't know if the problem is with the water or in the pipes. They use steel

pipe at the house. I noticed a black mold in the toilet growing. Pulled off the shower head and it also had a black mold/algae on the inside. I suspect all 

the pipes have this mold/algae inside.

Started pricing of a whole house filter that might contain mold/algue. Found at Ace, have large sand tank that filters out most objects with automatic 

back wash. That is connected to an external tube that contains  large tube UV that kills bacteria. The whole setup will run over $1000. Anybody

else using a water treatment for the whole house?

[Queenie O.]

Wow Rod--that situation really sucks. Haven't heard of anything similar here, or that filter system, so can't help you.  Mold in general is a tough thing to eliminate, especially with the buildup that you're talking about. If you own the house, the filter might be your only/best option. If you rent, you might have to move to an area with a different water source. Have you spoken to any of your neighbors to see if they share your issues?  Maybe the local water district could look into it in case there is some sewerage leak going into or near that deep well.  Do you use an antibacterial soap or dish soap when bathing or washing dishes? That might help some in the meantime until you figure out your best options. Sorry that you have to deal with that troubling issue.  I don't think any of us expats ever take water for granted, but the ability to have safe water is a must.

[roddavis]

Thanks for the reply Queenie. Haven't heard if any locals, having problems, maybe they are acclimated to this bacteria. Like those in Mexico, can drink the water, but foreigners can't. Wife going over to the water district to see if any problems. Good idea for antibacterial soap, will see if we can find. Thanks

[Jack Peterson]

1 hour ago, roddavis said:

Pulled off the shower head and it also had a black mold/algae on the inside. I suspect all Don't know if the problem is with the water or in the pipes. They use steel

Rod, this may sound strange but I presume you have talked to your House water Supplying District about this. Could it possibly be that the problem is with them at Source, We here in Dumaguete are not now allowed to use metal Pipes, it is delivered to the House by reinforced 1/2 inch Rubber Pipe and then spread about the House in the Blue anti Mold water pipes, it just could be a reaction of the water on metal that is the problem. In fact did you get your water tested by the District to confirm your own Test?

 Just trying to help with all the Angles of the Scenario my friend. 

Edit;

 AH OK I have just seen Queenies reply so I guess you are going to do as I posted about.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Jack Peterson
added a little

[scott h]

7 minutes ago, roddavis said:

Haven't heard if any locals

IMO that's the gist of the situation. Remember we were evolved for snow covered tundra, not swampy, humid, bug infested jungle . Not to mention polluted to some degree.

Almost every time we return from a vacation, we get coughs and rashes to some degree.

I just insure that I used distilled water for every internal need, including brushing teeth. 

[Queenie O.]

16 minutes ago, roddavis said:

Thanks for the reply Queenie. Haven't heard if any locals, having problems, maybe they are acclimated to this bacteria. Like those in Mexico, can drink the water, but foreigners can't. Wife going over to the water district to see if any problems. Good idea for antibacterial soap, will see if we can find. Thanks

Just a baseline-- Safeguard brand should help Rod..

[Jack Peterson]

19 minutes ago, roddavis said:

Wife going over to the water district to see if any problems.

[Jollygoodfellow]

I think if you could somehow pump bleach into your pipes to kill off the mould might help but of course if the problem is the water comming in is contaminated it will continue. 

[Jack Peterson]

1 hour ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

if the problem is the water comming in is contaminated it will continue. 

Obviously not Chlorinated or treated some other way!

[Dave Hounddriver]

On 12/10/2017 at 7:51 AM, roddavis said:

I did a test and found a high bacterial count in the water. Don't know if the problem is with the water or in the pipes. They use steel

pipe at the house. I noticed a black mold in the toilet growing. Pulled off the shower head and it also had a black mold/algae on the inside. I suspect all 

the pipes have this mold/algae inside.

Yes, I had a similar problem.  The bacteria in the water cause Staphylococcus Infection and the infections took some serious antibiotics to clear them up, and eventually the infection came back in a different area of my body.  I only solved the problem by moving away but I did do some "analyzing" as you seem to be doing.

First, no one else in the house was taking hot showers except me.   Perhaps the shower heater was warmer and the bacteria was breeding there.  I bleached the hell out of it, inside and out but the infections eventually came back.  No local doctor had a clue.  I went to 7 of them.  The best one gave me a great antibiotic that cleared it up quickly but the others, especially one ENT who was a high priced foreign doc in Chong Hua did nothing that solved the problem.

There was one doc who explained that this type of bacteria enters though breaks in the skin so I noticed that the infections would start in areas that I had shaved.  No one else in the house shaved so another reason why it only affected me and it was hard to convince others that the water was the source.

That black mold is all but impossible to kill.  I tried everything I could think of but it always came back.

So in my opinion, if its in the water source you're screwed.  NOTE that other foreigners lived in the area and used the same water so it is possible that some have more natural immunity to the bacteria.  I would say it was the pipes in the house but other foreigners lived in that house before me and after me without getting those symptoms.

IF you like to take hot showers at least once a day then that would confirm my suspicion that it was somehow linked to the hot shower.  Other foreigners who lived in that house never used a "hot water on demand" hot water heater.  Most were used to the warm/tepid water from the pipes and the occasional one would heat up water on the stove for a wash.