Chennai Malaria Tablets

TomAL

Hi,
Thanks to the people on this forum, I have my flights sorted within India... great... so next on the list is medication...

I have had my injections and have been prescribed Mefloquine, which I am going to change to Doxycycline (a few friends have taken Mefloquine and had bad experiences). I am now thinking that I will just wait until I am in Chennai to buy these pills, does anyone know if there are chemists in Chennai that I can buy doxycycline from? I also want to leave buying my sun cream, mosquito net and mosquito repellent until I arrive (due to the price), is this a good idea?

The only bad thing that I can think of is that I will not be taking the malaria tablets for the 2 days before arriving, is this a big problem? (I have heard of people not even bothering taking the tablets) I also only have one afternoon in Chennai and then I am off to Port Blair so I need to know that I can find a chemist to buy them from.

Thanks,

Tom.

icetea

I'm sure that you can spare some change to buy a few doxycycline tablets at home and start taking them before your arrival! This is not a malaria-specific medicine, it's a most common antibiotic, I'm sure it's not expensive. And then you can buy the rest here, at any medical stall (you'll see plenty).

As about the other items, it would be better if you knew in advance a sure place to find them, otherwise it will be difficult for you to run around for them from day 1, in a foreign place. I myself don't know where to find a mosquito net in this town, I've never seen one (but I'm sure someone will suggest some place).

Nick-H

One of the general stores in Luz.

Or Jacobs at Parry's --- who also sell net by the metre if you want to have it stitched.

You can get Odomos at any medical shop or general shop. But it is only 12% DEET. If that is good enough for you, then fine, but it is not enough, eg, to protect you all night.

Sunblock... I'd recommend you bring one with you so that you know it suits your skin and that you can live with the smell. But you can buy it here --- just don't expect the high SPFs and vast array of choice that you'll see in Boots. Bear in mind that it something that local people don't buy.

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SteamBuff

Most Doctors prescribe Mefloquine for 3 weeks before you go + the time away + 4 weeks after.

So I would start early to see if you suffer any bad effects, say 4 weeks before you go. (You can always get a couple more when you return)

My sister always takes Mefloquine and she has never suffered any side effects.

If you want to switch to Doxy, they get a prescription from your Doctor before you go for either the full amount for for a few to tide you over till you get there .... remember thay Doxy has side effects as well!

Your Doctor knows you so he/she will know if Doxy is suitable for you ... it might not be !!! Don't take any drugs without consulting your Doctor.

camelgirl

I've taken mefloquine many times with no problems. Steambuff is right, you only start malaria meds BEFORE you go to see if you can tolerate it and here in the U.S. they recommend one week before you leave.

About Sunscreen: There are a couple of hard-to-find brands here in the US of Sunscreen together with deet which I like to use during the day. Apparently, you can't just slop them both on together because they it makes the ingredients not work right. Don't have any idea how the combined one's do, but according to testing, they combine them so each one does what it's supposed to.

the opoponax

camelgirl, are you serious?

so deet OR sunscreen, but not both? unless i stock up on the combo version in the states before i leave? i was pretty much planning on packing both of these things from the US, but wow. good thing i stumbled across that tidbit because i will definitely be needing both...

SteamBuff

I've always slapped both on .... Sun-screen first then Mosi-Guard. (I can't use DEET)

I've had no problems yet!


I've just spotted this on the CDC Web-Site (West Nile Virus area) -

"CDC does not recommend using products that combine DEET with sunscreen."
Q. Can I use an insect repellent containing DEET and sunscreen at the same time?
A. Yes. People can and should use both sunscreen and DEET when they are outdoors to protect their health. Follow the instructions on the package for proper application of each product. Apply sunscreen first, followed by a bug repellant, Remember you will need to reapply sunscreen after swimming but not DEET.

camelgirl

Wow, very confusing. I had read not to use them together, except when in one product that contains both together (which I did). Sorry Opoponax....

I guess you can just follow the instructions of putting on the Sunscreen FIRST. I know there is something weird about making them less effective by using them together....but I'd go with what the CDC says.

Now I wonder about the kind of deet I use together with sunscreen. I get the kind that is slow release, so I can use a lower amount of deet that's just as effective as a high amount. Sawyer makes it and so does a very expensive kind put out by 3M.

And how about Picaridin mosie repellant, newly approved by the CDC, instead of Deet. I just got some but haven't tried it yet. And how will it work with sunscreen.........my brain is hurting from this, I think I won't think about it