Amoebic dysentery - What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of amoebic dysentery is diarrhoea. This means you get loose stools and you need to go the toilet more often than usual.

You may also get:[1] [2]

Diarrhoea with blood or mucus in it
Bleeding from your back passage (rectum)
Pain in your abdomen
Pain when going to the toilet
Fever.

You may lose your appetite and lose weight.

Diarrhoea can make your body lose too much water. This is sometimes called getting dehydrated. You need to make sure you drink plenty of water or soft drinks if you have diarrhoea.

Rarely, the amoebas can break out of your bowels (intestines) and get into your liver. This can cause you to:[2]

Have a dull pain or tenderness in your abdomen
Have a cough
Lose your appetite
Lose weight.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Amebiasis fact sheet. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/amebiasis (accessed on 8 November 2007).
Stanley SL. Amoebiasis. Lancet. 2003; 361: 1025-1034.

Glossary

diarrhoea: Diarrhoea is when you have loose, watery stools and you need to go to the toilet far more often than usual. Doctors say you have diarrhoea if you need to go to the toilet more than three times a day.
rectum: The rectum is the last 15 to 20 centimetres (six to eight inches) of the large intestine, ending with the anus (where you empty your bowels from).
liver: Your liver is on the right side of your body, just below your ribcage. Your liver does several things in your body, including processing and storing nutrients from food, and breaking down chemicals, such as alcohol.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.