Been in India three weeks now...

My boyfriend of ten years and I have just been in India (Delhi) for about three weeks now. About a week ago we got food poisoning from some undercooked chicken. I only had one bite and my bf just at the other pieces of the Tandoori chicken that were cooked well. I was violently I'll, vomited about 10-15 times the next day, felt crappy for a couple days after that, then I was ok, but then my bf started feeling sick. He didn't vomit, though. A few days later I woke up feeling very achy, stiff, and sick again, but I didn't vomit. I had a high fever, probably 102*F with chills and cold sweats, diarrhea, but I could only get a little out at a time, I was going to the toilet every 20 seconds to10 minutes at its worst. That was yesterday. Today I still have diarrhea, still can't get much out at a time, but I'm not having to go as frequently. Also I've been taking ibuprofen which seems to stave off the fever. I've also got pain around the (my) right abdomen area kind of under my lungs and stomach, but mostly on the right side. I thought it might be pain from straining to use the toilet a lot yesterday or maybe just gas pains. I'd love any information that anyone could give me about how to deal with being sick in India. I had travel vaccines for typhoid, polio, hep a & b, Japanese encephalitis, and mayne another one or two I can't remember right off hand now.

About me: I'm 32yo Caucasian male, gay, traveling with my boyfriend of almost ten years, we're on an 18 month tour of Asia. We've already been to Indonesia, Singapore, China (for a very short layover, but we did use our multi entry visas as requested by the airline when flying rough Kunming), Nepal, & now Delhi, India. We haven't seen a whole lot of Delhi yet as we've been feeling crappy. Hopefully I'll feel well enough to go do the bus tour this week.
Our next countries will be Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, China, South Korea, & Japan. If we can, we will try to fit in Taiwan &/or the Philippines.
I just joined IM today. Thanks.

I think that eating meat in India is not a good idea...chicken got me twice before I smartened up

Issoky,
First off, I am no doctor, but this sounds serious.
Please go to a doctor.

Ibuprophen is likely not going to cure this.

In the mean time, with diarrhea and vomiting, be sure you stay hydrated.
Make yourself some Oral Rehydration Mix, if you didn't bring any with you.

1 liter of purified water (filtered and treated, boiled etc)
½ level teaspoon of salt
8 level teaspoons of sugar. The sugar can be whatever you have available, white, brown, raw, molasses, even honey.
optional: ½ cup of fruit juice or crushed banana

Take care and please report back on how you are doing.

distaff

By the way, Welcome to IndiaMike.

I was in India for a month in December & became ill as well, not as bad as you are tho. Still, my friend took me to a local doctor. I was told I probably had food poisoning & was dehydrated & was also given an injection that made my stomach feel better almost instantaneously. I was also told to go to a hospital ... where I stayed for one overnight for fluids.

You should really find a doctor & go soon. Best wishes.

This really sounds bad. I feel with you Issoky. It also sounds potentially serious, I would advice you see a doctor as soon as possible.
Prehaps there are people here who can advice a good doctor or hospital for you? Or call your embassy. My travel guide suggests the Apollo Hospital, Mathura Road. There are very good doctors around, dont worry, and it does not cost a lot. Dont suffer any longer, get yourself treatment.
I hope you will be better soon.

Firstly, I hope you are feeling better Issoky!

Second, thank you hfot2 for posting a recipe for this! I bought some oral rehydration salts earlier this year but I'm still not used to the change of medicine since my latest relocation..and I just couldn't stomach it at all , it just made me feel much more ill. So it's really nice to have a homemade recipe to use here and in future travels! Thanks!

Here's are slightly different recipes for you also from rehydrate.org:

The "Simple Solution" - Home made Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) Recipe

Preparing 1 (one) Litre solution using Salt, Sugar and Water at Home
Mix an oral rehydration solution using the following recipe.

Ingredients:

Six (6) level teaspoons of Sugar
Half (1/2) level teaspoon of Salt
One Litre of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled - 5 cupfuls (each cup about 200 ml.)

Preparation Method:

Stir the mixture till the salt and sugar dissolve.

Effective homemade remedy for watery diarrhea (this is specifically for children on the website)
An efficient and effective homemade remedy to be used when watery diarrhea strikes and is a good substitute for oral rehydration salts:

Ingredients:

1/2 to 1 cup precooked baby rice cereal or 1½ tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions:
Mix well the rice cereal (or sugar), water, and salt together until the mixture thickens but is not too thick to drink.

Continue giving the mixture with the goal of replacing the fluid lost: one cup lost, give a cup. Even if the child is vomiting, the mixture can be offered in small amounts (2-1 tsp.) every few minutes or so.

Banana or other non-sweetened mashed fruit can help provide potassium.

Please go to a pharmacy and by Oral Rehydration Therapy and mix it exactly (the last one I had was one packet to one litre of water) as per the instructions. The ratio matters.

Drink this revolting mixture until it starts coming out of your ears --- which must, for a start, indicate that it has stopped coming out of the other end

and/or

Go see a doctor. No need to make a big deal of this: just look for a sign saying "doctor!"

If you are really really dehydrated (as per doctor's assessment) then relaxing for an hour while they drip the right fluids into your vein will make a new man of you.

I'm going to repeat my original comment - Please go to a doctor.

As far as Oral Rehydration Solution is concerned, Nick is right - ratios do matter especially as you are dealing with a possible electrolyte imbalance.

Mind you, I have never used the above recipes, but figured in a pinch you, Issokym, needed something to get you rehydrated quickly and salt and sugar should be readily available in hotel restaurants.

I always carry with us packets of ORS mix made by Ceralyte Oral Rehydration Mix for just such an emergency.

And can be added to the bottled water that is also available from your hotel.

This does avoid having to leave the hotel door, which, in the circumstances, might be quite daunting, but, if you can get out there, a pharmacy probably won't be far away. You might even be able to send your helpful room boy out for a few packs of the real stuff.

It used to be part of my emergency pack from home, too. Among the many other things that were, frankly, daft to carry around with me, it got used a few times.

Perhaps daft, but we had to resort to our ORS packets too.

Sugar and salt may be available in little packets at some hotel restaurants (or take some the next time you are in a restaurant with them on the table) and you can make your own emergency kit.

I believe in India, a Pharmacy (should be grammatically Pharmacist) is called Chemist (one should add Store). Hangover from the days of the British rule .

I remember the well know Boots Chemists & Drug Store (if my memory is correct).

Cheers

Nattusbs

Welcome to IndiaMike, Issoky. I'm so sorry to hear that you are so sick!

For what it's worth, the last time I was in India, my travel partner became really sick. The hotel called a doctor for him, and the doctor made a house call. I have no idea what that costs, but it might be an idea for you.

I also agree that you need to see a doctor, but the rehydration salts would be a good idea until you can see one.

errr... "among the many other things!" Post now edited for clarity. I was certainly glad to have the rehydration mixture in my bag on two or three occasions. I used to bring my favourite backside-cork mixture with me too, as it is not available here.


Probably regional differences. Here, I'd say medical shop or pharmacy and I'd get pointed in the right direction. Chemist would not. You will, though, be able to use that one when you go to UK, even though Boots is no longer Boots the chemist, and now based in Lichtenstein rather than Nottingham, to evade British taxes.

By the way... I've been spending today in-and-out of the loo too, so special sympathy from me --- but nothing like as bad as poor Issoky.

Hi, sorry to hear you've not been well.

I would echo the advice of others and suggest you get yourself to a doctor or pharmacy. It does sound as if you've come down with something like an infection, though obviously a medical professional would be able to give a clearer picture. It may be that it needs drugs to help clear it up and I'm sure you'll want to be feeling better so you can make the most of your trip. I had a bad infection in Varanasi around 8 months ago and it did take some fairly strong antibiotics to shift. In the meantime, definitely grab yourself some rehydration salts.

I hope you manage to kick the bug and get on enjoying India soon