Doxycyclene and general malaria stuff...

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I'm off again in a couple of months and wondering about malaria pills... first time i went i didn't really bother with the pills, as the ones i had (chloroquine and paludrin) made me feel a bit ill. Apart from in Rajastan, hardly anyone i met really bothered with the pills, even down in Goa and Karnatika. My doctor just told me to take doxycyclen this time, but i'm a little concerned about taking antibiotics for six months... surely this isn't too great for your immune system? I'll mainly be in Gujarat and Karnatika, so not sure how bad the malaria problem is here anyway.

When you're at home, everyone says that malaria is everywhere in India apart from the mountains, but when you're there people say there's no malaria in this place, there is in that place, etc. Just wondering what other folks do about it.

This question gets asked a lot, but i'd like to hear the opinions of people that actually go there, not just folks repeating what the doctor said (cause they're always so eager to prescribe antibiotics for anything!).

Ta
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KathSF

I had really bad problems a couple of years earlier (not India) with Larium (mefloquine), so I tried doxy for a couple of months in India. I'd definitely take it again.

Larium isn't just an antimalarial, it's also an antidiahrreal (sp?) and an antibiotic. In other words, you're taking it for malaria, but get some added benefits that might really help in India.

While I was taking doxy in Udaipur, just about everyone I talked to EXCEPT me got a severe case of Delhi Belly (not to say that you'll have problems in Udaipur -- it's a wonderful place, and, I'm sure, an isolated incident). But, just generally, I seemed to stay pretty healthy most of the time. Can't be sure that it was the "other" properties of doxy that did it for me, but I'd take it again, "just in case."

That said, doxy isn't without problems. Be sure to take it in the morning, on a full stomach. Nightime usage and empty stomachs can cause really bad acid reflux and/or stomach ulers. I had no problems with either, but have heard stories from people who took it willy-nilly and had some problems.

Also, wait until you get to India/Asia to buy it. It'll be MUCH cheaper, and you won't need a prescription. Just make sure that you check the expiration date on the bottle.

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Happy trails!

Alan D

We have taken the pills you took on one trip to India but gave them up because we were having stomach problems. Talking to travellers who had spent a fair amount of time in India we found that most didn't take anti-malarial medicine of any kind.

They used mosquito nets, covered up at dusk, burnt coils or used an anti mosquito cream.

We have done the same on recent visits and not got malaria.
Doxycycline is a useful anti-malarial and antibiotic but it depends how long you are going to be taking it for. Over a long period I imagine it could lower your natural resistance to bugs but the choice is yours.

Good travelling