16th march and anti malarials

hi! thanks for reading.

i have just booked a very maybe rash, trip to goa arriving 16th march. haopyn with the silly last minute decision, visa arriving day before etc, just concerned with vaccination.. i wil make enquiries asap on monday, but just incase anyione had any insight before then? i have dfone mammouth web searches and seems to be the malorone etc type route..again, will ask medical type people on monday, but roim previous experience, inknow one is a week before and one i had a suspician worked a day before. have i got this wrong? i took larium in south america and never again!!!!!also i am going solo for 2 weeks and want to get the most out of it, obviously, buty conhfess to not knowing anything of significance, but really want to get out to some non resort stuff. any experience is warmlyu welcombed. i have replied to candys post of 16th and it would be great to catch up with any other explorers.

16th march and anti malarials

Due to the posts on this site, I had the information needed to ask the pharmacist and doctor about what to do. The official stance on malaria tablets is that they ARE necessary for travel to Goa. Chloroquin is under revision but it is still a reccomended tablet. I have opted for malarone which is available with a private prescription but my pharmacist says that tablets nowadays shouldn%26#39;t have the sane side effects are larium did. Try chloroquine and proguanil which is available from any pharmacy. I%26#39;m not sure for your time restrictions. Malarone only needs to be started 2 days before you go but it%26#39;s pricey. My advice - get to doctor asap on monday or nhs direct tomorrow

16th march and anti malarials

Proguanil/chloroquine in combination come in seven week packs - you need to take them a week before you go and four weeks afterwards. They%26#39;re much cheaper than Malarone, and still the recommended drugs of first resort, but do check with your health centre. I generally take them and have never had any problems with them (other than remembering to take them for the four weeks post-holiday!).

There are many forums on anti malaria I have responded to. We have been to Goa 11 times in the last six years. The first time was going to be British bought Anti malaria tablets, they made me feel constantly sick and really upset my stomach. then we got chatting to a nurse on the beach who advised who advised me to stop taking them and go to the local chemist and buy the ';Goan'; tablets. (They are readily available at any chemist as are most of the medication you would normally pay a fortune for here. anti histimine paracetmol imodium etc). These you take once per week as opposed to once per day (much better)and only cost a few rupees. We now bring enough back for the next trip. My advise is if you are traveling with a companion just buy enough here to get you over the first 2 weeks prior to travel and then switch to the local ones same effect less cost and only once per week.

p.s.

if you love Goa as much as we do dont forget to bring some back for the next trip.

There are many forums on anti malaria I have responded to. We have been to Goa 11 times in the last six years. The first time was going to be the last hated it !! British bought Anti malaria tablets, they made me feel constantly sick and really upset my stomach. then we got chatting to a nurse on the beach who advised who advised me to stop taking them and go to the local chemist and buy the ';Goan'; tablets. (They are readily available at any chemist as are most of the medication you would normally pay a fortune for here. anti histimine paracetmol imodium etc). These you take once per week as opposed to once per day (much better)and only cost a few rupees. We now bring enough back for the next trip. My advise is if you are traveling with a companion just buy enough here to get you over the first 2 weeks prior to travel and then switch to the local ones same effect less cost and only once per week.

p.s.

if you love Goa as much as we do dont forget to bring some back for the next trip.

The one a week tablets are NOT effective against the strain of malaria present in Goa. Please take medical advice before you decide to do this. Many people unintentionally mis-lead fellow travellers with this type of information so be careful. As far as I am aware the only one a week tablet you can take is Larium which is extremely dodgy. The Goan chemists reccommend all sorts of things that will not work. Be careful ! Speak to your doctor and take his advice, you will have to see him for your jabs anyway. if all else fails I have some lucky charms that are very effective that I can let you have at a reasonable price.

This subject comes up all the time on this forum and we%26#39;ve heard of everything from gin and tonic to marmite sandwiches as anti malarial treatment.

I would like to think that if there was an effective treatment that could be taken once a week then the medical profession would know about it.

BC

I am travelling myself on 29th Mar so have just looked into this. Both my doctor and chemist advised to ring the school of tropical medicine approx 10 days before travelling and they will give you the most up to date advice on what to take. You will need a prescription for Malarone but most other anti-malarials can be bought over the counter.

Have a good trip.

just wanted to say thank you so much for the detailed and considerd advice. thanks you.

For what it is worth, I do not take any medication when I go to India. I did on my first trip and now, just une sprays on my clothes and caution. My shots are up to date. The most important is rabies IMO as they are way too many stray dogs in India. One for tetanos is prudent too.

Dont take any anti malarials. It is quite unnecessary. Use topical cream Odomos cheaply and easily available in Goa and all over India. It does not aggravate the skin, and is very effective.

oily skin