malaria

[ilsonchick]

going abroad to live in one month now and im scared to take my malaria tablets as i dont want nasty side effects of sickness and squits on the 26 hour journey! what shall i do? wait till i get there? do they really give you that bad side effects? also i read in my mag that you get bitten to hell by mossies and that when you shave your legs all the heads on the bites get ripped off and get infected? i will need to shave every day since ill be working on the beach!! and one more thing what are the chances of getting malaria? im going to thailand so ive been told its a high risk and can i die from malaria? xx

[Octavius]

This should help answer all your questions.

http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/malaria.htm

[banjosister]

choice is yours - take them now and suffer side effects.

Dont take them and catch malaria.

Not much of a choice I wouldnt have thought

Bb xx

[Jenga]

I took some malaria tablets once and I am sure I had to start them a few days before I went on holiday. I never felt sick until at least one or two days before I went home and I was there for 16 nights. I wasn't too unwell just a tiny bit.

There are different types of malaria tablets. The worst one is Larium. I never took that one but some other one. Sorry cannot remember the name of mine.

[Gmcd01]

There are more than one type of malaria treatment widely available, from Mefloquine to the newer Malarone, which only requires you to take tablets 3 days after you return. Costs vary, but you should have been advised to start a course of prophylaxis early, so any side effects can be monitored and the medication changed if needs be. Have a chat to a pharmacist, or your GP. If not, organise this NOW.
I've spent 5 weeks working out in Tanzania, which has a 'serious risk' of malarial illness. You CANNOT wait until you are in Thailand as you must build up an immunity. The stories you hear are probably 'mates tales'- I've certainly never seen such things happen. There are mosquito repellants widely available- they actually block the smells the mosquitos sense you with to effectively make yourself invisible. Stores such as Blacks and Millets also offer anti mosquito lights and the like; there's a huge range of products widely available and I'd strongly advise you check them out. Buying a mossie net to sleep under may also be needed, but I don't know where you plan on sleeping. Only wear skin baring clothing when necessary!
If you follow travel advice and act prudently, there's a relatively small risk to you, but you cannot afford to be complacent. I always carried a small amount of Quinine just in case, but after 5 weeks in a country with the second highest infection rate, I was fine, so enjoy your holiday!
Hospital for Tropical Diseases:
http://www.thehtd.org/travel/destination.asp?D ocID=181

[ilsonchick]

Banjosister obviously im not THICK i know i dont want malaria BUT i dont want to be in a total god damn mess on a plane for 20 hours!!! i would rather leave it till i arrive in Thailand. The ones i have been prescribed are doxycycline monohydrate 1 a day does anyone know anything about them? and Gmcd01 i was going to buy some DEET ive heard it works a treat ?
x

[beso]

I spent time in Ecuador including malaria affected areas.

I didn't take the pills, religiously used heavy insecticide and kept covered up. I didn't get malaria.

It is a gamble.

[ilsonchick]

Heya again god its hot today how i will cope in thailand i will never know! i have read up on the pills now thanks to the posting traveldoc link and it says no reports serious side effects so iam going to take them the minute i arrive at my destination to to be sure... i cant really cover up as it will be 40 degrees and i will be on the beach all day so i will cover my skin in Deet and take the pills sensibly xxx

[natalie_1982]

I spent some time in the Gambia last year where malaria is the biggest killer, I think I used Larium - I had to take one tablet a week for 2 weeks before we left, then once a week whilst we were there and for six weeks when we got back. I didn't suffer any side effects, which was a disappointment because I was a bit looking forward to the hallucinations (joke).

I really wouldn't leave it until you land though, I would prefer to chance it on the plnane and probably not get side effects than take the chance and get malaria.

Also, although I haven't tried this, my friend says that mozzies hate anything citrussy and so leaves cut up lemons around her room and would wipe them over her legs before bed and she didn't get bit. I think some people are more prone though, I used the strongest DEET Boots did and I wa covered in bites; my hubby didn't use it atall and wasn't bitten once. Obviously I am just tasty ;-)

[ilsonchick]

haha its so true aint it u spend all this money trying to prevent getting bit and then get bit! i think i will take them before i go then just dont wanna vom my guts up for 20 hours i would end up killin myself ! lol xx