Malaria meds...

Lakshmi Bhabi · Nov 29th, 2005, 08:11

....Is everyone taking them? What about those who stay for long periods of time? If we can still get malaria while taking them, ummm....why am I taking them again? Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

iwanttogoback · Nov 29th, 2005, 09:13

lakshmi

if you do a search for malaria on this forum you will find more information than you need on malaria. seems everyone has an opinion and is more than willing to share

cheers - enjoy the trip

seventies'hippy · Nov 29th, 2005, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakshmi Bhabi

..... If we can still get malaria while taking them, ummm....why am I taking them again...........

Because hopefully if you are unfortunate enough to catch it it will be not so sever,treatable & you won't die,,,,,,,,,

But as iwanttogoback says, there a million words written on this subject,,,,,,,,,,,

Lightdancer · Dec 10th, 2005, 09:50

Hi Everyone!
I too am debating the whole malaria drug thing before heading to India in February. I don't do well with drugs at all so...

Good sources tell me that one great way to avoid taking malaria pills is....by taking something called...Artemisinin which is considered an anti-malarial....also known as Sweet Wormwood. It has been researched extensively and proven to work in a high percentage of people who take it.

There's lots of info on the Internet about it and the studies...just do a search for
1)Artemisinin
2)Sweet Wormwood
3)Qinghao (Chinese version)

I know at least two people who have tried this and it worked for them just fine without the awful side effects, etc...

Anyone else know about it?

cyberhippie · Dec 10th, 2005, 12:02

Artemisinin is considered a cure NOT a preventative, so your friends just got lucky!!

edwardseco · Dec 10th, 2005, 12:35

Its also fair to say that most people don't get it at all. What ever I did worked for me until I got unlucky..

jeamland · Dec 10th, 2005, 13:37

I'm sure the tablets I'm taking are interupting my sleep - I wake up 4/5 times a night and I feel quite anxious after taking them ..... or maybe its the sound of trains/chanting/armies of dogs waking me up(?)

iwanttogoback · Dec 10th, 2005, 15:49

Quote:

I'm sure the tablets I'm taking are interupting my sleep - I wake up 4/5 times a night and I feel quite anxious after taking them ..... or maybe its the sound of trains/chanting/armies of dogs waking me up(?)

what are you taking?

soki · Dec 10th, 2005, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightdancer

Hi Everyone!
I too am debating the whole malaria drug thing before heading to India in February. I don't do well with drugs at all so...

Good sources tell me that one great way to avoid taking malaria pills is....by taking something called...Artemisinin which is considered an anti-malarial....also known as Sweet Wormwood. It has been researched extensively and proven to work in a high percentage of people who take it.

There's lots of info on the Internet about it and the studies...just do a search for
1)Artemisinin
2)Sweet Wormwood
3)Qinghao (Chinese version)

I know at least two people who have tried this and it worked for them just fine without the awful side effects, etc...

Anyone else know about it?

After taking Lariam ( Mefloquine ) I did feel so sick. i was looking for an alternative which is not based on , or contains or derivate from, chloroquin. Regarding Artemisinin ...I have my doubts about using it as prevention.It looks very good for treatment, but I remember some studies said is not for prevention. Maybe it worked for your friends or maybe they didn't got the parasite at all.
Also it looks like the malaria vaccine program pop out some good results.
By the way...they are looking for volunteers

.

jgv · Dec 10th, 2005, 17:33

I took them on my last trip to India. Wouldn't take them again. THey only have a 50% chance of working anyway so I don't think it's worth it. Having said that 2 of my friends have malaria from years ago and still get symptoms to this day.

I had bad anxiety for the first time after taking them. So either India freaked me out or the tablets did. Maybe both.

Definately didn't make me feel well. Our friends that we travelled with were just really careful, mosquito nets etc

In the end we did that as well and were fine.

We used to a thorough clean out of each new room. We would light the mosquito coils and incense and work out way thru every inch of the windows and room and had a towel ready to squat any of them. Not very buddhist of me but I didn't want malaria.

cyberhippie · Dec 10th, 2005, 17:42

Quote:

THey only have a 50% chance of working anyway so I don't think it's worth it.

Anti malarials have a around 97-98 success rate in protecting you against the parasite!!

jgv · Dec 10th, 2005, 17:51

I don't deny you could be right. I am only going off verbals from my doctor. But it still wasn't worth panic attacks as a side effect.

cyberhippie · Dec 10th, 2005, 18:07

Yep Larium sure gets a bad rap........Looking at boards like this one I'm starting to think the incidence rate of these side effects is more wide spread than the drug companies are letting on!

jgv · Dec 10th, 2005, 19:51

Well I actually took mefloquine and proguanil and that was supposed to be the mild antimalarials.

I knew about side effects before I took them but I just didn't think I would get any. I had a panic attack about a week into taking them (didn't realise what it was at the time) but felt really weird and out of it and knew something was wrong and then a few more after that.

If you look at the stats - see I am looking at proper statistics now

the odds of having psychiatric problems after taking them aren't that high but they are there. But I seem to have heard of a few people who had similar experiences. I wish I had read a bit more before I took them but can't turn back the clock.

Even when I was boarding the plane home this girl in the queue starts telling me how she felt weird after taking them so she stopped.

I ended up having to go on an SSRI to get rid of the panic attacks. All gone now.

I do seem to read on forums that other people have had problems too. Seems a bit more than the usual like you said doesn't it?

Next time I will just have to Odomos more heavily!

cyberhippie · Dec 10th, 2005, 19:56

Thats an extremely odd combination, or do you mean you used both but at different times??

Nov 29th, 2005, 08:11	#1
Lakshmi Bhabi Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 199	Malaria meds... ....Is everyone taking them? What about those who stay for long periods of time? If we can still get malaria while taking them, ummm....why am I taking them again? Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

Dec 10th, 2005, 09:50	#4
Lightdancer Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 28	Anti-malaria herbs for us holistic types? Hi Everyone! I too am debating the whole malaria drug thing before heading to India in February. I don't do well with drugs at all so... Good sources tell me that one great way to avoid taking malaria pills is....by taking something called...Artemisinin which is considered an anti-malarial....also known as Sweet Wormwood. It has been researched extensively and proven to work in a high percentage of people who take it. There's lots of info on the Internet about it and the studies...just do a search for 1)Artemisinin 2)Sweet Wormwood 3)Qinghao (Chinese version) I know at least two people who have tried this and it worked for them just fine without the awful side effects, etc... Anyone else know about it?

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Nov 29th, 2005, 09:13	#2
iwanttogoback is sorry Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: perth Posts: 1,588	lakshmi if you do a search for malaria on this forum you will find more information than you need on malaria. seems everyone has an opinion and is more than willing to share cheers - enjoy the trip

Dec 10th, 2005, 12:02	#5
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	Artemisinin is considered a cure NOT a preventative, so your friends just got lucky!!

Dec 10th, 2005, 12:35	#6
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 4,142	Its also fair to say that most people don't get it at all. What ever I did worked for me until I got unlucky..

Dec 10th, 2005, 13:37	#7
jeamland Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: UK, Midlands Posts: 41	I'm sure the tablets I'm taking are interupting my sleep - I wake up 4/5 times a night and I feel quite anxious after taking them ..... or maybe its the sound of trains/chanting/armies of dogs waking me up(?)

Dec 10th, 2005, 17:33	#10
jgv Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 95	I took them on my last trip to India. Wouldn't take them again. THey only have a 50% chance of working anyway so I don't think it's worth it. Having said that 2 of my friends have malaria from years ago and still get symptoms to this day. I had bad anxiety for the first time after taking them. So either India freaked me out or the tablets did. Maybe both. Definately didn't make me feel well. Our friends that we travelled with were just really careful, mosquito nets etc In the end we did that as well and were fine. We used to a thorough clean out of each new room. We would light the mosquito coils and incense and work out way thru every inch of the windows and room and had a towel ready to squat any of them. Not very buddhist of me but I didn't want malaria.

Dec 10th, 2005, 17:51	#12
jgv Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 95	I don't deny you could be right. I am only going off verbals from my doctor. But it still wasn't worth panic attacks as a side effect.

Dec 10th, 2005, 18:07	#13
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	Yep Larium sure gets a bad rap........Looking at boards like this one I'm starting to think the incidence rate of these side effects is more wide spread than the drug companies are letting on!

Dec 10th, 2005, 19:51	#14
jgv Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 95	Well I actually took mefloquine and proguanil and that was supposed to be the mild antimalarials. I knew about side effects before I took them but I just didn't think I would get any. I had a panic attack about a week into taking them (didn't realise what it was at the time) but felt really weird and out of it and knew something was wrong and then a few more after that. If you look at the stats - see I am looking at proper statistics now the odds of having psychiatric problems after taking them aren't that high but they are there. But I seem to have heard of a few people who had similar experiences. I wish I had read a bit more before I took them but can't turn back the clock. Even when I was boarding the plane home this girl in the queue starts telling me how she felt weird after taking them so she stopped. I ended up having to go on an SSRI to get rid of the panic attacks. All gone now. I do seem to read on forums that other people have had problems too. Seems a bit more than the usual like you said doesn't it? Next time I will just have to Odomos more heavily!

Dec 10th, 2005, 19:56	#15
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	Thats an extremely odd combination, or do you mean you used both but at different times??

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