malaria tablets necassary in the North?

PeakXV

I was sick to my stomach for a day - which is highly unusual for me - so my dilemma was do I want to risk death by malnutrition or malaria .... I chose malaria!

jit_doc

Till date there's no prophylactic treatment for malaria....other learned friends have spelled LARIAGO, DOXYCYCLINE, ETC, ETC....but no such theory exists in Standard Medical Text Books.....if there had been then no one would have suffered from malaria in India !!!!!!......as stated by other's too.....there are various forms of malaria....so go by the old proverb...PRECAUTION IS BETTER..... .
And the places you will be visiting has definately much much lesser incidence of Malaria than the east and the north-east.
If you are staying in standard hotels you don't need to worry, but if you are a trekker...do use a mosquito net at night and some of those mosquito repellent creams.....and....hope for the best..... .
Please note : I think answers to such threads should be given by peoples qualified to do so...please don't mind.

TREKorDIE

Sorry, I disagree with you.
Prophylaxis is advised for foreigners..................no t for Indians who live in the endemic zone!!!
However, in my opinion DOXYCYCLINE is the best............no side effect except photosensitivity,which is rare in prophylactic doses.

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jit_doc

True.....but do we or WHO have any data base stating Incidence of Malaria amongst foreigners on Prophylactic Treatment verses Only Precautionary Measures ?....and against which type of malaria ???
Still, I would say.....PRECAUTION IS THE BEST FORM....alongwith a Professional Advice from the lady's physician...

canyoncamper

Without prolonging the argument I do think it's worth noting that doxycycline is a preventative treatment for visitors to India. For a more comprehensive review of the subject check out the website for the Center for Disease Control (cdc.gov). Follow the link on traveler's health (top left) to destinations to south asia, scroll down to malaria risk by country and just below it to prevention. This isn't the last word on the subject; however, we have found cdc's recommendations to work for us.

ruins_explorer

Good to hear that I'm not the only one. I started taking it today (2 days before we arrive). I'm sick as a dog - actually had to run out of a CVS (pharmacy/drugstore in the US) to be sick. If this is how I feel on Malarone, I probably won't notice a bout of food poisoning or two.

seventies'hippy

Thats correct, You can still get malaria whatever preventive meds you take, the difference is by taking some preventive meds if you do get malaria it won't be quite as serious, & will be treatable & the chances are you won't die.

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sirensongs

Whatever you do, don't take LARIAM.

Malarone was okay for me, with no side effects. After three month's time I had to stop, though - it's not meant for longterm use. So far, so good.

The truism that mosquitoes seem to have radar for foreign newcomers (much like touts and rickshaw drivers) appears to be true. I got the hell bitten out of me the first few weeks. After a while, they really did leave me alone.

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duck_shoot

Having contracted maleria as a child in the Sudan I don't think that this is particularly wise advise.

Always better to be safe than sorry- yes you can still contract maleria but you will much less harder hit if you are taking the correct medication

ndhillon

My doctor prescribed Lariam for me and my family. It is supposed to be well tolerated. Why are you suggesting not to take LARIAM?

Lotus-Flower

Its better prevent then to cure..
better take a pile of AUTAN lotions&spray to disstract those creatures!!

smida02

Maladrone made me have very weird dreams and troubled sleep. Other brands have been known to induce suicidal tendencies & depression. I wear long sleeves and use bug spray now. As pointed out, you still get bit taking the pills!

edwardseco

Lariam (Mefloquine) is often, so often mixed up with Malarone. It has a fair % of mental problems so I am not a fan. Still, many people tolerate it. Like all others there is a moderate degree of drawbacks and you have to be an informed consumer. Malarone has the least side effects but I am convinced it has some and its expensive. I use Doxy by default and have to adjust (a week or so) to sun senitivity. Knowing the alternative I'll bet on some degree of preventive..

Autan hasn't done too well in testing that I have come across. Such a pity..

PeakXV

There are plenty of unhappy stories that are attributed to Lariam. Mostly mild discomfort but there are some horror stories from hair loss to suicide .... review the links for yourself and ultimately decide for yourself:

http://www.lariaminfo.org/information/tvradio.shtml

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

wolverhampton

my wife and I and a friend took larium on a trip to kenya--all of us suffered from servere anxiety attacks and dpression--all went away after stopping the drug.At serena lodge in masai mara in kenya a guy stabbed himself after taking larium the week before we stayed.Stick to Doxcycicline as effective and no side effects.Also cheap to buy in India.