In Reply to: A guide to treat Bali Belly posted by merrilau on Wednesday, 14. February 2007 at 12:05 Bali Time:
We both came down with a bacterial infection of the gut on our last trip to Bali and the doctor we saw told us that what we had was not Bali Belly, which he described as the milder condition.
According to him Bali Belly is the commoner condition that will usually treat itself after two or three days with the necessary precautions about what you eat and drink. Anything that lasts longer than 2 or 3 days may be a form of gastroenteritis, caused by a bacterial infection which is what he diagnosed. The treatment was a course of antibiotics, something for "stomach gas" (he explained the technicalities at the time but I can't recall them) and electrolyte drinks, which worked.
To be sure we consulted our GP on return to Australia and showed her the medical certificate prepared by the doctor in Bali. She confirmed his diagnosis and said his treatment was totally appropriate.
I guess it doesn't really matter what labels you use, it's correct diagnosis and treatment that's important.