Malaria Pills

[Mitsu3000gt]

I am going to an all inclusive resort in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic over Christmas and am hearing some very mixed things about Malria pills. It is an eco-resort, and slightly more imersed in the wildlife/jungle than other resorts. They do spray for bugs daily, but I can't rely on that. Obviously it would be better to be protected against the disease, but I have heard that:

1) The chances of getting malaria are very low, although all it takes is one misquito bite
2) The pills can make you very sick and have a bad time
3) You shouldn't drink alcohol when on the pills

I would be very interested in other people's experiences with Malaria pills, or if they opted not to take them, and why.

I have also heard that there are malaria pills that have reduced side effects.

My family doctor wants me to get them, but there are 4 other people going with us and so far the other doctors are saying don't worry about it. I have an appointment with the travel clinic next week, but it is likely in their best interest to recommend the pills to everyone regardless.

So far my plan is as follows:

Go get the pills (assuming you can drink alcohol with them), and since you have to take them a week before you leave anyways, I will know if they are going to make me sick or not. If they make me sick, I won't take them and if they don't make me sick, I will take them. Regardless I am going to take some bug spray.

Any input would be appreciated.

[R-Audi]

I took them when I went to S.Africa... there are a few different kinds, I went with the once a weeks. I didnt notice any side affects, and you could drink on them. Some of my family members did have vivid dreams... but they werent all that bad..

[adam c]

my gf had to take some when she went to vietnam...

start 3 days prior to flying, 1 per day and then continue for 7 days when she returned.. although she stopped taking them half way through her trip... tsk tsk

[buh_buh]

I took them when I went to South America. I had the once a day's, but not the ones that gave you suicidal thoughts
I took them for a few days, didn't really like the way they made me feel and I got lazy, so I just stopped taking them altogether, and didn't end up with malaria. But I did drink while on them, and no ill side effects. Just got me drunk a little faster. If you want, you can just have mine. I probably still have like 30 or 40 left over since I didn't end up taking them. They're about 6 months old.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by buh_buh
I took them when I went to South America. I had the once a day's, but not the ones that gave you suicidal thoughts
I took them for a few days, didn't really like the way they made me feel and I got lazy, so I just stopped taking them altogether, and didn't end up with malaria. But I did drink while on them, and no ill side effects. Just got me drunk a little faster. If you want, you can just have mine. I probably still have like 30 or 40 left over since I didn't end up taking them. They're about 6 months old.

Haha I appreciate the offer, but there are different strains of malaria and that is why you need to pay to consult a travel doctor to find out exactly which pills you need for where you going.

Thanks for the input so far guys.

[badatusrnames]

If you want to drink and gain resistance to malaria at the same time, just drink gin and tonics on your trip.

Tonic contains quinine, an antimalarial extract from the bark of the cinchona tree. Tonic water containing quinine was formulated for British troops to drink overseas in the 19th century and played a large part in enabling the colonization of Africa and India. Since the stuff tastes so bad (the bitterness in tonic is due to the quinine) the troops mixed it with gin to make it tolerable, and the gin and tonic was born.

If you look at the list of ingredients on the bottle of tonic, you'll notice that quinine is among them. Also, the next time you're at the bar and order a gin and tonic, put it under a black light and you'll notice that it fluoresces, while the glass of water beside it doesn't - this is from the quinine in the tonic.

[D'z Nutz]

I was prescribed Novo-Chloroquine for my trip to Punta Cana. Except for the fact the pills taste like shit, I had no ill side effects. Take them 1 week before you leave, each week you're there, and 4 weeks after.

Even though we were in a resort, some of us got chewed up by mosquitoes pretty bad. One of the girls with us counted about 40 bites during our week there. Hopefully she's okay, cause she didn't take the pills

When in doubt, check out the Travel Reports & Warnings for any reports of outbreaks:
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/ctry/reportpage-en.asp

[D. Dub]

We always take chloroquine with us. We also take strong antibiotics and a suture kit. Then again my wife's an MD.

Don't forget your Hep A+B vaccinations and tetanus.

[RASPY]

malaria pills are not a big deal at all. Had to take them when i was in cambodia. and i drank a lot hahaha they are super cheap so i would just take them just to be safe. thats just my 2 cents have a good trip bro!

[trieuth]

I took them when i went to vietnam, i had some fucked up dreams. I have a phobia of snakes, and i woke up sweating a few times, due to vivid dreams.

[suen_boi]

Chloroquine is generally the one travel doctors will prescribe.. the generic novo are these huge white tablets that are freaking hard to swallow, taste terrible and don't seem to do much.

But then again, it's probably safest to prevent malaria altogether than to contract it and suffer.

[LilaInc]

I took the once a week pills when I went to east africa. Didn't notice any side effects at all but i have to tell you some of the malaria pills taste really bad so make sure you have like a chocolate bar beside you. Its better to be safe then sorry.

[dennisaur]

i had to take malarone when i went to cambodia, man did that ever suck. i read the 'possible side effects' on the sheet that came with the pills and i've managed to contract a good chunk of them

[michael_tseng_]

Went to India during the summer, but I had no side effects with the pills

[.civictyper.]

Took them for the first day... but stopped taking them due to the intense amount of alcohol i was consuming, I didnt feel to great after taking them as well, No one in my group got sick....

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I went to a travel doctor and was prescribed Chloroquine, which is the standard drung for the Dominican. I need to take 2 tablets (500mg total) once per week. This includes one week before, the week during the vacation, and 4 weeks after. This is because malaria can incubate in your liver for a while afterwards. I was told I can drink in moderation on the malaria pills, and that side effects are rare and minimal. I was also told the malaria pills are also safe for girls on the pill, if anyone is wondering.

I was also prescribed antibiotics (just in case) specifically suited to gastro-intestional bugs, such as travellers diarrehia. I am only to take them if I have issues.

The doctor also said that Europeans aren't prescribed malaria pills for the Dominican republic as they don't believe it's necessary, however he also told us about a very recent article he read about a German tourist getting Malaria from the dominican.

Malaria is apparently much more common if you are there for an extended period of time, or if your in rural areas/villages rather than resorts, but the risk is definitely everywhere. The malaria mosquito is most active from dusk until dawn.

For the Dominican, the clinic wanted me to have:

Hep A vaccination
Hep B vaccination
Malaria pills
Tetnas shot (if needed)
Bug spray with around 26% DEET


Also a little warning about DEET, it will take the finish/labels off of things such as cameras, so be careful. Also if your going to spreay DEET on any fabrics, make sure their natural fabrics.

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
For the Dominican, the clinic wanted me to have:

Hep A vaccination
Hep B vaccination
Malaria pills
Tetnas shot (if needed)
Bug spray with around 26% DEET

If I'm not mistaken (I may have A and B mixed up), you need to take the Hep B atleast one month before you leave for your trip. Taking it sooner will have little to no effect on immunization. So if you're gonna be there over Christmas, you're about 2 weeks too late. I think you'll still be okay with Hep A though.

Ideally, you should be taking 3 separate shots for the Hep A/B (Twinrix) vaccinations: 6 months, 5 months, and 1 month before you go. If you only have time for one shot, you do it the month before.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz


If I'm not mistaken (I may have A and B mixed up), you need to take the Hep B atleast one month before you leave for your trip. Taking it sooner will have little to no effect on immunization. So if you're gonna be there over Christmas, you're about 2 weeks too late. I think you'll still be okay with Hep A though.

Ideally, you should be taking 3 separate shots for the Hep A/B (Twinrix) vaccinations: 6 months, 5 months, and 1 month before you go. If you only have time for one shot, you do it the month before.

I have all of the above vaccinations, and Hep A was the only one I did a week ago. They just checked that I indeed had everything on that list. Perhaps it was unclear but that list was what you should have, not what I personally needed to get. I am not sure either about the time you need to get the shot before the trip, but I had my Hep B shots through the school system a long time ago so I am good to go.

Hep A apparently is ok to get on short notice, and a few weeks before the trip is ok. The Hep A shot comes in two "legs" where the first leg gives you immunity for the short term, and almost complete immunity for life, but the second leg seals the deal. You are recommended to get the second leg of the shot 6 months to a year later, but the travel doctor said you can pretty much get it any time after 6 months and it will be equally as effective. Most people get total immunity after the first leg of the shot apparently. He also said that the Hep A vaccine is especially good, and your body quickly develops basically complete immunity to the disease after receiving the shot.

Even though it was a travel inquiry, health care still covered my Hep A shot. You do have to pay for consultations for anything travel related though, even if it is from your family doctor. For many people it is probably just easier to get everything done at a travel clinic. The nice thing about the travel clinics, (other than having a travel-specific doctor) even though you have to pay, is that they have every vaccination right there ready to go, so you find out what you need and then you get it right after. The Hep A vaccination was $70, a tetnas shot is $30, and malaria pills, although I haven't filled my prescription yet, are supposed to be dirt cheap.

[bulaian]

I just got back from Cambodia a week ago and got most of the vaccinations as you.

Hep A was $60 at my family doctor
tetenus
typhoid fever
Hep B i didn't need because I had it done in high school(I took a blood test to check my immunity levels for Hep a and B and it turned out I never got a Hep A shot in high school)

I took Malarone like dennisaur above.. and ended up with a bunch of side effects too... but it wasn't cheap. for 2 weeks.. plus the week after, total of 24 pills it was $128

[davidI]

After traveling to all sorts of 3rd world countries, I've decided not to take anti-malarials on extended trips.

I spent a week in the Dominican and took Cloroquine without side effect (other than crazy dreams). I also spent 5 weeks in Africa and took enough Malarone for that period but only used it for the period I was to be in Mozambique.

It's not good for you to be on anti-malarials for an extended amount of time and Malarone isn't only for prevention, but can also be used as a treatment. If you're smart and throw on the DEET at night and use a mosquito net at night then you shouldn't have any issues. If the effects start coming on then you just double the dose of Malarone and see a Dr. when you can. A lot of people have some nasty side effects on Malarone and it's not worth ruining your vacation over. The best prevention is to not get bit by Mosquitos because depending on where you're headed you could also catch Dengue, Yellow Fever, Japanese Enciphilitis (sp?) etc.

I'm headed to Cambodia / Vietnam in January and will just carry a week's worth of Malarone in case I have problems.

Oh, and if you get the squirts it's best to drink lots of salt, sugar & water to re-hydrate, ease on to the breads/pastas/rice and avoid drinking booze. I know that drinking is the best part of vacationing in the Dominican but it will just make things worse. I've been living in the 3rd world (Yemen) for 16 months and have definitely learned my lessons. Don't eat the salads, make sure you've got the good ice (usually with a hole through it) and wash your hands constantly. If eating at local places I'll often opt for the fried stuff...not healthy but usually more sanitary than anything baked.


Have a good trip!