If you've spent the last two weeks living near a bathroom and wondering when you'll feel like yourself again, this one's for you.
Cyclospora has been in the news all month, and most of the coverage answers the food-safety question. Is the lettuce in my fridge okay? What should I be washing? Fair questions, and we'll get to them.
But there's a second question, and it's the one almost nothing online bothers to answer: I'm through the worst of it. How do I get my energy and my stomach back?
Most people will never catch this. If you already did, though, that recovery question is the whole reason for this post. Here's where the outbreak stands, and what getting back to normal actually looks like.
What's going on
The Cyclospora numbers this summer are unusual. In its July 13 update, the CDC counted 1,645 lab-confirmed infections across 34 states since May 1, with 141 hospitalizations, and more than 5,100 additional specimens still waiting on analysis. That puts the real total somewhere close to 7,000.
State health departments, who count differently and faster, are reporting much higher numbers. Michigan has been hit hardest by far: 6,571 cases since June 22 as of the state's July 21 update, with 102 hospitalizations and no deaths. Northwest Ohio has logged around 2,000.
A separate five-state cluster (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia) was linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations. On July 17, the Mexican arm of Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, and Taco Bell pulled it from restaurants nationwide.
The honest part: investigators still haven't nailed down the source. One lab result implicating the recalled lettuce was later withdrawn as a false positive, though the FDA is still focused on it. Several separate outbreaks are under investigation at once, and they may not all trace back to the same thing.
Where the cases actually are
This outbreak is lopsided, which is the useful thing to know. Michigan and northwest Ohio account for most of it, and the five-state cluster runs through Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. If you live in that band, you have the most reason to pay attention to recalls and to your own symptoms.
Outside it, the numbers fall off quickly. Wisconsin, where our stores are, logged 61 cases between May 1 and July 15 with a single hospitalization, and most of those were picked up during international travel rather than from anything bought locally. State health officials say Wisconsin is not in an active outbreak.
One thing that holds no matter where you live: Cyclospora is not new. It turns up most summers, generally between May and September. What is unusual this year is the scale in the Midwest, not the parasite itself.
What this infection actually does to you
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that sets up shop in your small intestine. You get it by swallowing it, usually on fresh produce that met contaminated water somewhere along the way. It doesn't spread person to person, which surprises people. The parasite has to sit outside a body for one to two weeks before it becomes infectious at all, so you can't catch it from a sick family member the way you'd catch norovirus.
Symptoms usually start about a week after exposure, though it can run anywhere from two days to two weeks. The signature is watery diarrhea, often frequent and sudden. Alongside it: stomach cramps, nausea, gas, low-grade fever, and the two that stick around longest, appetite loss and real fatigue. Weight loss is common, because you're eating less while absorbing less.
The thing that makes Cyclospora different from a two-day stomach bug is the timeline. Untreated, it can run from several days to a month or more. And it relapses. A lot of people feel better, think they're done, then get knocked down again a week later. That pattern can stretch over one to two months.
This is why recovery deserves its own conversation. By the time you're on the mend, your body has been running a deficit for weeks.
One practical note before we get to that part. Cyclospora has a specific prescription treatment, an antibiotic combination called trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole that you may know as Bactrim or Septra, and it needs its own stool test that standard panels can miss. So if you've had watery diarrhea for more than a few days this summer, call your doctor and say the word out loud. Go sooner if you can't keep fluids down, you're getting dehydrated, you have a high fever or blood in your stool, or you got better and then got worse again.
Now the part you came for: recovering
Once the parasite is handled, you're left with the aftermath. What helps:
Rehydrate with more than water. Two weeks of diarrhea costs you more than fluid. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium go with it. Drinking plain water on a big deficit can leave you sloshy and still depleted. Sip steadily through the day rather than chugging, and get some minerals in there.
The first few days back to eating are the plain ones: broth, rice, water. Ginger if your stomach is still unsure.
Eat small, eat gentle, and eat back. Appetite is usually the last thing to return. Don't wait for hunger to show up before eating, because it may not for a while. Start with small, frequent, plain meals: broth, rice, bananas, toast, eggs, cooked vegetables. Go easy on greasy and very sweet foods for a bit.
Expect dairy to be weird for a while. Damage to the intestinal lining can leave you temporarily unable to handle lactose, even if you never had trouble with it before. Back off, then reintroduce slowly. It usually sorts itself out.
Rebuild your gut bacteria. You've had a parasite in your intestine and then a course of antibiotics through it. Both take a toll on your microbiome. Fermented foods (yogurt with live cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, miso) are a good place to start, and this is where a probiotic earns its spot.
Rest more than feels reasonable. Fatigue is the symptom people underestimate. Weeks of poor absorption on top of fighting an infection leaves you genuinely depleted, and that doesn't resolve the day the diarrhea stops. Give it more runway than you think you need.
Be patient with the tail end. Digestion stays unpredictable for weeks after the infection itself is gone. That's normal. If it isn't slowly improving, though, bring it up at your follow-up.
Where supplements fit in
Once you're eating and drinking again, this is where the right nutrients earn their place. They support the systems that took the hit: hydration, your gut lining, your microbiome, and getting nutrition in while your appetite is still on strike.*
Two we reach for most during recovery: an electrolyte mix for rehydrating, and Saccharomyces boulardii for gut support while you're on an antibiotic.*
What our wellness team reaches for:
- Electrolytes. The single most useful category during and after a bout like this. They help replace the minerals you lose through fluid loss and support healthy hydration.* Redmond Re-Lyte packets travel well in a bag or a car, and Trace Minerals Electrolyte Stamina Power Pak is an easy one to stir into a glass on the counter.
- Saccharomyces boulardii. A beneficial yeast rather than a bacteria, which is why it's the one people commonly reach for while they're taking an antibiotic. It supports normal digestive function and healthy gut flora.* We stock Jarrow Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS and Pure Encapsulations Saccharomyces Boulardii.
- A multi-strain probiotic. For rebuilding over the following weeks, once you're eating normally again. Ancient Nutrition Gut Restore SBO Probiotic is a solid daily option that supports a healthy gut microbiome.*
- L-glutamine. An amino acid your intestinal cells use as fuel, and a longtime favorite for supporting the health of the gut lining.* Pure Encapsulations L-Glutamine Powder mixes into water without much taste, which helps when nothing sounds good.
- Bone broth protein. Useful when you've lost weight and can't face a meal. Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth Protein Powder goes into warm water like a savory broth, so it's easier to get down than a sweet shake.
- Ginger. Traditionally used to settle a queasy stomach, and gentle enough for the stage where you're easing back into food.* Nature's Way Ginger Root is the simple version.
- Slippery elm. A demulcent herb with long traditional use for soothing and coating the digestive tract.* Oregon's Wild Harvest Slippery Elm is the one we carry.
- Digestive enzymes. For later in recovery, if meals still feel heavy once you're eating normally. They support the breakdown of food and comfortable digestion.* Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra is our standby.
You can browse the full Electrolytes, Probiotics, and Digestion collections online. If you're recovering and not sure where to start, come see us. It's a much better conversation in person, and we'd rather point you to two things that help than eight that don't. One note: if you're immunocompromised or taking prescription medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding probiotics or anything new.
Lowering your risk from here
Cyclospora is stubborn in ways that make the usual advice only partly true, so here is the straight version.
Washing produce helps, but it doesn't reliably remove this parasite. It clings to surfaces, and there's no evidence that vinegar soaks or commercial veggie washes finish the job. Chlorine-based sanitizers don't kill it either. What does work is heat: cooking produce is the most reliable way to make it safe.
That's not an argument for giving up on salad. A food safety researcher at the University of Minnesota warned that broad "stop eating fresh produce" advice probably does more harm than good, and he's right: the vegetables are not the enemy here. A reasonable middle ground:
- Rinse produce well under running water and scrub firm items like melons
- Skip anything under active recall, and check FDA notices before you toss your whole crisper drawer
- Keep produce away from raw meat, and refrigerate cut fruits and vegetables promptly
- Cook it when cooking makes sense, especially if someone in your house is immunocompromised, pregnant, very young, or elderly
Give yourself some grace
Most people recover from this completely. But it takes longer than a stomach bug, the relapses are demoralizing, and the fatigue outlasts everything else. Get the test, take the prescription, drink your electrolytes, eat small and often, and give yourself a few weeks of grace.
Feel better. We're here if you need us.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
