Anti-diarrhoeal medicine - question for the Aussies!

Fresa81

Hi everyone,

I was talking to my doctor the other day about some type of medicine (tabs) that is available to preven diarrhoea in the first place.

She mentioned that there is an ad for the product in the little information booklet that is now provided with every Australian passport issued, but she couldn't remember the name of it. It comes in the little sleeve, next to your passport.

Only problem is that I threw away the booklet after reading it, its basically commonsense stuff and info that you can get from the DFAT website. I know, I know, silly girl for throwing away important info!

ANYWAY - my question is, do any Aussies either:
(a) have your passport handy (??!) and can look up the full page ad and tell me what the stuff is called; or
(b) know what the medicine is called, off the top of your head?

I might take some just in case, depending on the price etc.

Cheers guys

F.

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guerik

I don't think it's wise to take something to prevent diahorrea - some people are effected by Indian food/water/whatever in the opposite way anyway, and then the medication might get in the way of whatever else you need to take.

I also think that if you've got it in the first place, there's probably something your body's got to get rid of - may as well let it.
If you've got to catch a bus or train you could always take an immodium to make the journey a little more pleasant?

thaneb

I think it might be Dukoral which seems to be highly recommended here in Canada and costs about $70 for the two required doses. It is a thing that you drink 14 days and seven days before departure. I have used it once before for the Carribean and it didn't seem to have any negative effects. I take the second dose for this trip on Thursday and while they advertise it as rasberry flavoured it is actually quite foul. It has to be mixed with water and soem fizzy stuff and I suggest using the bare minimum of water as then there is less to drink. Also it has to be refrigerated.

Fresa81

thaneb, that stuff sounds horrible and a lot of money!

But I'm not sure if that's the stuff - I'm pretty sure it starts with an 'L'.
Doesn't really matter anyway, guerik's 100% right, I'd rather go with the flow ( !!) and let whatever happens, err happen!

But I'm definitely taking Imodium for train trips etc

edwardseco

I am guessing Lomatil. Its symptomatic only and can be risky. I would never casually recommend it. If you are out in a village and may croak before you reach a town..

Aussie 5

Hi Fresa81

My doctor has recommended that I take with me 1 Ciproflaxacin 500mg tablet in case I get struck down with the trots and need to travel. I understand that it does not treat the problem, but gets you off the toilet!!

dzibead

Hm-m-m. I don't think this is correct. Cipro is an antibiotic, so it does treat the problem, assuming the diarrhea is bacterial in origin. Other types of anti-diarrheal medicines like Kaopectate (a stool thickener) or Immodium (an anti-spasmodic) don't treat the underlying cause of the diarrhea, but they do get you "off the toilet" because they treat they symptoms.

Aussie 5

Hi Dzibead
Happy to be corrected on Ciproflaxacin. Good to know that it will be tackling the problem if it is bacterial. Would you suggest that I also have some Immodium or Kaopectate. Nothing worse than being stuck on a toilet for days during a three week holiday with plenty of places to see and things to do!

Fresa81

I had considered taking some cipro with me but on reading that other thread about it this morning, I've decided not to! Sounds a bit nasty and unnecessary to me I think.
Also because of its interaction with the contraceptive pill - that's a biggie for us girls

I think its a fine balance between taking just enough medicines to prevent major dramas during travelling, and going overboard and taking a mini-pharmacy in your backpack! I'm trying to err on the side of the former I think.

F.

dzibead

I took Immodium with me and was glad to have it, although I've been lucky (and careful, I guess) because I've only had diarrhea once in India and it was pretty mild, fortunately. Yeah, the last thing you want is being stuck on a long bus ride with the runs! There used to be a pretty funny ad for Immodium on TV here, showing a very worried looking guy setting out on a donkey ride down into the Grand Canyon, with some kind of voiceover about his little "stomach" problem, then followed by a shot of the same guy looking all cheerful, after he'd taken his Immodium. I could "relate"!

guerik

I took a mini-pharmacy with me last time, just went to the travel doctor (http://www.tmvc.com.au/) and got their "gastro kit" - I think it cost about $50 but had enough stuff for me to attempt to self-treat myself if I got sick and didn't have access to a doctor. It comes with a little book describing all of the symptoms and maladies so that you could attempt to self-diagnose, so you can more or less make sure that you're taking the right things.

I was happy to only have used a couple of immodium and the rehydration drink thingies over the whole six months, but it was a nice medical security blanket

kiwi_razz

Another one is Norfloxicin. This is available in India for around 49Rs per strip of 10.

(I believe Ciproflaxacin and Norfloxicin are mentioned in the LP)

aadil

You can easily buy Immodium from India for much cheaper than you would get it anywhere else and it is available over the counter at any chemist or pharmacy shop in small packs of four capsules each and they are really effective when you are travelling with a stomach problem but the doctors don't really reccomend it as it does not cure the disease but just stops the motions. An antibiotic like ciproflaxacin is best for a proper dosage of three or four days to actually cure the problem. Also buy a small packet of Electral or Electrobion (Rehydration salts) to help keep you rehydrated when you lose a lot of salts and water at such times. Hope this helps and you don't need any of these when you are travelling in India. Take care and enjoy your travels here!!!

Cheers,
Aadil.

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HelloSing

Hi Fresa88,

The booklet you are talking about has a lot of glossy ads, but the one I think your after is Travelan.
Under my magnifying glass, I can barely make out the active constituent as ???ovine Colostrum???? Powder. Something like that. Perhaps other IMers can help decipher it. But it sounds like the Australian version of Dukarol as mentioned by thaneb in Canada.

There is also an ad for Imodeum for the relief off...

guerik

Although as above posters have mentioned these medicines are readily available and cheaper in India, if you're actually struck down with one of these bugs finding a pharmacy will be the last thing you want to do.
If you're planning to buy them in India perhaps bring a list of the medicines you want (not the brand names) and stock up when you first arrive - save some embarrassment down the track