Prevention of gastrointestinal infections in India

J to the G

Me too. I keep joking that I am a natural medicine cabinet.

I also tend to have a sensitive immune system, not that I am sickly by any means. I just want to stay as healthy as possible and I know a lot of things are preventable if the right precautions are taken. Everyone says you'll get sick in India. Although I've met a few who didn't. I just don't want to get that sick. Is my anxiety obvious? I'm mostly worried about taking the Malarone, that stuff scares me just as much as mosquitoes. I am just going through a minor shake here, I can't keep this worry up for long Or else it'll be the pits. Who wants that.

Nick-H

Hmmm... I have a theory that there is only one thing that truly weakens the immune system: anxiety.

I think this whole thread covers very well (both for the allopaths and the naturopaths) what can sensibly be done, including, top of the list, good hygiene.

I don't think anything will protect you from a dose of salmonella such as hit a visiting fellow moderator recently, just as nothing would save you from it if you picked it up at home.

So, if you have a favourite set of health-preserving natural remedies, I'd just stick with them.

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Bombay_Bill

Not that I've noticed.

I took the anti-Malaria pills once, and it made me so sleepy that I might as well have stayed in Europe in bed, so I gave up on it and have decent anti insect discipline where I sleep instead.

As for an upset tummy, everyone gets them in India including the locals.

For a bad one I take Imodium and a homeopathic pill called 'Break' and drink a locally available rehydration mixture called Electral, but it's the same stuff you can buy in the West at any good chemist. If it hasn't cleared up in 36 hours it's time to find a doctor...

As my dear (Indian) wife says 'If you eat trash on the road you spend the next day in the toilet'

Nick-H

So many different anti-malarials, so many different side-effects!

And, just now I think I may have malaria. Hey ho!

machadinha

Interesting case that came to light in The Netherlands recently btw, it then slipped my mind again. It's about probiotics research going, er, awkwardly awry one might say: 24 clinical trial deaths in the Netherlands. You can search Google News for +probiotics +utrecht (the city in question) or somesuch to find more on it.

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agatap

ouch ... a mortality of 8% ... thats worse than smoking, alcohol and skin cancer

atala

I do not know if this was mentioned already: Diarrhea in India can also arise from eating

- food that is too spicey (to hot with chillies)
- too many Indian milk sweets all at once
- unripe mango
- several ripe mangos without taking milk along (to absorb acidity)
- and from too much jaggery/gur (raw sugar)

Hope this helps, yet does not deter.

Cardamom

Good points, Atala!

I managed to get through my first trip to India (2 weeks approx) without any major stomach problems. However, I did eat too many sweets and got a bit queasy. They're just so delicious, I couldn't stop eating them!

Lots of great advice on this thread though!!!

C

kristinm

Well we were there 5 weeks and I had one day vomiting and runs - felt pretty wretched for a few hours, took an immodium and antibiotic as soon as I could hold it down then slept on the bus and at the new hotel - couldn't stay awake! Next day Lassis all day then fine. Oscar had one day, took an antibiotic I bought over the counter ... 3 hours later back to normal and couldn't stop him eating a full meal in the evening.. JP not sick at all!!!!

The worst thing was they both got chest infections - more antibiotics.

My revised position is completely the reverse to how I am here, I would never take antibiotics unless I were dying.. but in India, I'd say go straight for them.... worked for us!

camelgirl

Malarone has the least side effects. I've taken it. No problem. You won't even think about this stuff once you're there! Really, you'll be too busy having an exciting adventure!

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wonderwomanusa

Oh no! Hope you do not have it ... what does your doctor say?

Nick-H

I didn't have it, but the treatment (which the doc was perfectly right to prescribe in case of suspicion) made me even more ill .

Better now

Ruttts

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for your advice about the pro biotics. Having read your entry we bought Dr Ohiras pro biotics and started taking them 3 weeks before we flew to Delhi and continued throughout our trip.
To cut a long story short, we felt indestructible and ate everything on the menu with no side effects or, as the Indians like to say, 'Lose motions!'
It could have been the Pro Biotics or it could have been luck - eitherway, next time we go back I'll be doing the same.

Thanks again

J to the G

I can't remember what I said. But I am happy that they worked for you. Did you take grapeseed extract as well? That rocks that you guys didn't get sick! Way to go!

drzog

yes thats true, they were patients with acute pancreatitis, which means some really bad stuff happening in the gut in the first place.Having said that i have prescribed probiotics to a patient with pancreatitis after the attack resolved with great effect. Her pancreatitis was probably caused in part by large doeses of antibiotics.

Clearly that is a long way off the average traveller's situation.

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