I was doing fine on my trip until I had some beer at a brewpub in Bangalore. Beer, no problem, you say? True, however, the bartender rinses the glass before pouring the draft. Only after my 2nd beer did the warning light go off in my head wondering if that was unfiltered water. Too late.
This was the evening before my 31 hour return trip! OMG. Quick google search, found that Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is the nuclear option that kills everything in your GI. Not to be taken lightly, this drug can have SERIOUS side effects. But the measure seemed appropriate given my circumstances. Sure enough, 12-16 hours later I was ready for the return. Hotel staff got me the med for something like $2 USD. No prescription needed in India.