i started noticing symptoms of abdominal pain and headaches along with pain in the back of my neck about a year ago that -only {normally} present symptoms at night- it progressed to some severe night sweats and signs of meningitis {severe swelling in the brain} [headaches last for days as a dull pain in the back of the neck and are stronger at night when the swelling increases , reduces with 600 + mg of ibu otc] i have had green stool on and off loose to liquid and it feels like at times my bowls stop completely , its common at night to hear my stomach gurgle across the room its that loud , i went in and got spinal taped to check for meningitis and they said there was major swelling but the spinal fluid was clear and showed no signs of bacterial meningitis , they had said by elimination it was most likely viral , its been a year now since and viral meningitis would not explain the continuing symptoms , i recently went in for a blood test and everything came back perfect h pylori count etc ive had a 3 part stool test for parasites and nothing , now to boot its infected 4 of 5 people in my household and everyone is showing parallel signs of this is there anyone thats come across anything like this? its got my doctors baffled and i can find nothing that even closely matches symptoms also i should add at night its pretty normal for me to vomit when my stomach feels like this and my head swells , its the same in my roommates case

Answered by: Maria/MDHealthForum.com Team

Green stools, abdominal pain and headache are among the symptoms of salmonella infection. Patients with salmonellosis may also experience muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, rumblings in the bowels, chills, fever, nausea and dehydration. A person can also be an asymptomatic carrier of salmonella. Humans may get Salmonella infection from domestic and wild animals, including poultry, cattle, pigs and pets. Drinking unpasteurized milk and eating undercooked eggs and poultry may increase the risk of Salmonella infections. People who are carriers of salmonella may also spread the disease to others through the fecal-oral route. The bacteria can enter any organ system in the body through the blood stream and it will eventually cause diseases. Other infections which can be caused by Salmonella include: bone infections, meningitis, pericarditis. Salmonella can be identified by stool culture, you mentioned that you have been tested for parasites but have you been tested for salmonella?

Salmonella may cause a rare form of meningitis which occurs predominantly in newborn babies, but adults who are in immunocompromised state- vulnerable to opportunistic infections due to weakened immune system, may also acquire this disease. I have read from case studies that lumbar puncture, blood culture, stool culture and microscopy are the common tests to diagnose salmonella meningitis. This form of meningitis may cause seizures, altered state of consciousness, altered cognition or personality- the symptoms that characterize salmonella encephalopathy.

Vomiting may cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. It would be helpful to ask your doctor whether you need to take medicines to relieve discomfort. The other people in your household also need medical attention to find out whether they have bacterial food infection like salmonellosis.