Bobby

How long should I commence my course of malaria tablets before I leave for
Kenya?

Cheers.

Bobby

Liz

In message <[email protected]>
"Bobby" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > How long should I commence my course of malaria tablets before I leave for
    > Kenya?

It depends on what you're taking.
Your doctor/travel nurse surely told you?
(It's always written on every packet I've had.)

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

Bobby

I now know. Two weeks before leaving and continue for another six. One
tablet per week.

Do they have any side-effects?

Bobby

"Liz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > In message <[email protected]>
    > "Bobby" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> How long should I commence my course of malaria tablets before I leave
    >> for
    >> Kenya?
    > It depends on what you're taking.
    > Your doctor/travel nurse surely told you?
    > (It's always written on every packet I've had.)
    > Slainte
    > Liz
    > --
    > Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
    > Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
    > "I speak of Africa and golden joys"

Riverman

"Bobby" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    >I now know. Two weeks before leaving and continue for another six. One
    >tablet per week.
    > Do they have any side-effects?
    > Bobby

They all have side effects. Which one are you taking?

--riverman

Herb Miedema

"riverman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Bobby" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >>I now know. Two weeks before leaving and continue for another six. One
    >>tablet per week.
    >> Do they have any side-effects?
    >> Bobby
    > They all have side effects. Which one are you taking?
    > --riverman
Well, looking at the one tablet per week it should be Lariam. Then 4 weeks
continuation on return should be enough. But everybody says something
else....

Herb

Riverman

"Herb Miedema" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "riverman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> "Bobby" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >> news:[email protected]...
    >>>I now know. Two weeks before leaving and continue for another six. One
    >>>tablet per week.
    >>> Do they have any side-effects?
    >>> Bobby
    >> They all have side effects. Which one are you taking?
    >> --riverman
    > Well, looking at the one tablet per week it should be Lariam. Then 4 weeks
    > continuation on return should be enough. But everybody says something
    > else....

You're right that it must be Lariam (Mefloquine). AFAIK, that's the only
weekly med. But I can't find any resources that say to continue it for
another six weeks....everything I find says 3-4. Considering the price of
the pill (in the US, I believe its over $50 a pop), I'd go for 3 weeks
afterwards, and call it good. I'm not a doctor, but I can find several dozen
who would agree...

--riverman

Bobby: yeah, there can be side effects with Lariam. The major one is
psychotic episodes, but to my knowledge, the vast majority of folks have
either no effects at all, or just get some really great dreams. If you are
going to go psychotic, it happens with the first dose, so that gives you
time to return the rest of the meds and get something else. Also, last I
heard, the <most effective> med is still Doxycycline. It can be used a
preventative (prophylaxis) and as a treatment, but its a daily pill and can
make you nauseus if you don't eat something beforehand. And you NEED a
probotic with it, or else you will get thrush, and mouth sores.

--riverman

Dave Patterson

riverman wrote:

    > You're right that it must be Lariam (Mefloquine). Considering the price of
    > the pill (in the US, I believe its over $50 a pop)

Not that much. $9 - $11 per pill.
Many insurance policies will pay most of the cost.

Fred

riverman wrote:
    > Bobby: yeah, there can be side effects with Lariam. The major one is
    > psychotic episodes, but to my knowledge, the vast majority of folks have
    > either no effects at all, or just get some really great dreams. If you are
    > going to go psychotic, it happens with the first dose, so that gives you
    > time to return the rest of the meds and get something else.

Well, I got some of these nasty psych effects and they only started in
the middle of a month-long trip. Not as bad an effect as I've ever
heard, but still much unpleasant. On another (6 months-long) trip, my
girlfriend lost one third of her hair, plus other side effects.

Somebody would have to tell me solid arguments to convince me to take
this drug again.

--

Marc from Quebec

Odysseus

    >Not that much. $9 - $11 per pill.
    >Many insurance policies will pay most of the cost.

I will be taking some type of Malaria pills when I go to SA
and Zimbabwe. Fortunagely, I can afford the pills and won't
have to take them very long.

What do people living in Malaria area do? I doubt that most can
afford the cost of the pills. I doubt that the entire population
spends their entire life taking the pills. If Malaria ia the
threat that the western doctors say it is, there must be a lot
of people dying from it every day all over the world.

Liz

In message <%HRId.18889$P04.10325@attbi_s03>
Odysseus <[email protected]> wrote:

    > What do people living in Malaria area do? I doubt that most can
    > afford the cost of the pills. I doubt that the entire population
    > spends their entire life taking the pills. If Malaria ia the
    > threat that the western doctors say it is, there must be a lot
    > of people dying from it every day all over the world.

About a million per year, 90% in Africa, according to
http://lists.kabissa.org/lists/archi.../msg01380.html

... which is about the same as the info I got from a UK development agency.

One of the problems with medication is that new strains of malaria evolve
which are resistant to the anti-malarials.

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

Riverman

"Odysseus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:%HRId.18889$P04.10325@attbi_s03...
    > >Not that much. $9 - $11 per pill.
    >>Many insurance policies will pay most of the cost.
    > I will be taking some type of Malaria pills when I go to SA
    > and Zimbabwe. Fortunagely, I can afford the pills and won't
    > have to take them very long.
    > What do people living in Malaria area do? I doubt that most can
    > afford the cost of the pills. I doubt that the entire population
    > spends their entire life taking the pills. If Malaria ia the
    > threat that the western doctors say it is, there must be a lot
    > of people dying from it every day all over the world.


Yes, there are a LOT of people dying from it. And there are a lot more
people who get very sick from it, take some meds to get over the symptoms,
and get back to work. But don't take that as a minor brush off...the
symptoms are very miserable and I'm sure the majority of them would rather
not have it at all. But the treatment meds are usually pretty affordable,
since they don't have to live on them like people do with prophylaxis meds.

I live in a malaria zone (Kinshasa) and have been here for almost 3 years. I
don't take prophylaxis, and have not had malaria (yet, at least). But I take
some simple, but effective, precautions.

You don't need to be all covered up during the day, or lathered up with bug
dope every time you go outside. Anopholes mosquitoes move indoors during the
day, and hid in the corners and rafters, and come out and feed at night, so
the single most effective precaution is to sleep under a treated mosquito
net. They also are pretty sluggish at cooler temps, so people who sleep in
airconditioned rooms almost never get bitten. Also, they cannot do much in a
breeze, so keep your ceiling fan on. If you are outside between dusk and
dawn, you MUST put on bug dope and keep your arms and legs covered.

The problem is, of course, that a lot of villagers do not have long-sleeved
clothing, bug dope, air conditioning or ceiling fans, and spend their life
being exposed. However, the use of treated mosquito nets is enough to cut
the occurrance of malaria by some stupendous percent, like in the 80s, so
there are a lot of organizations importing and distributing nets. Even if
half the residents of a village get treated nets, the knock-on effect is
that the mozzies die off and the other half gets protection also.

--riverman

Tom

In article <[email protected]>, riverman <[email protected]>
writes
    >"Odysseus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:%HRId.18889$P04.10325@attbi_s03...
    >> >Not that much. $9 - $11 per pill.
    >>>Many insurance policies will pay most of the cost.
    >> I will be taking some type of Malaria pills when I go to SA
    >> and Zimbabwe. Fortunagely, I can afford the pills and won't
    >> have to take them very long.
    >> What do people living in Malaria area do? I doubt that most can
    >> afford the cost of the pills. I doubt that the entire population
    >> spends their entire life taking the pills. If Malaria ia the
    >> threat that the western doctors say it is, there must be a lot
    >> of people dying from it every day all over the world.
    >Yes, there are a LOT of people dying from it. And there are a lot more
    >people who get very sick from it, take some meds to get over the symptoms,
    >and get back to work. But don't take that as a minor brush off...the
    >symptoms are very miserable and I'm sure the majority of them would rather
    >not have it at all. But the treatment meds are usually pretty affordable,
    >since they don't have to live on them like people do with prophylaxis meds.
    >I live in a malaria zone (Kinshasa) and have been here for almost 3 years. I
    >don't take prophylaxis, and have not had malaria (yet, at least). But I take
    >some simple, but effective, precautions.
    >You don't need to be all covered up during the day, or lathered up with bug
    >dope every time you go outside. Anopholes mosquitoes move indoors during the
    >day, and hid in the corners and rafters, and come out and feed at night, so
    >the single most effective precaution is to sleep under a treated mosquito
    >net. They also are pretty sluggish at cooler temps, so people who sleep in
    >airconditioned rooms almost never get bitten. Also, they cannot do much in a
    >breeze, so keep your ceiling fan on. If you are outside between dusk and
    >dawn, you MUST put on bug dope and keep your arms and legs covered.
    >The problem is, of course, that a lot of villagers do not have long-sleeved
    >clothing, bug dope, air conditioning or ceiling fans, and spend their life
    >being exposed. However, the use of treated mosquito nets is enough to cut
    >the occurrance of malaria by some stupendous percent, like in the 80s, so
    >there are a lot of organizations importing and distributing nets. Even if
    >half the residents of a village get treated nets, the knock-on effect is
    >that the mozzies die off and the other half gets protection also.
    >--riverman
Hi!
Couldn't agree more! We run a small UK reg. Charity which concentrates
on the education of nursery school children. Working from the base that
we can't educate dead or sick children we supply the schools we help
with mozzy nets for each family. We have the nets made locally (in The
Gambia) which also provides employment. We can supply nets at a cost of
£3, much cheaper than buying in UK and exporting them.
Enjoy your trips and only get bitten by Africa!
N.B. I use Malarone, expensive but no side-effects, for me, at any rate!
--
tom

Hans-Georg Michna

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 18:05:47 GMT, Odysseus <[email protected]> wrote:

    >>Not that much. $9 - $11 per pill.
    >>Many insurance policies will pay most of the cost.

    >I will be taking some type of Malaria pills when I go to SA
    >and Zimbabwe. Fortunagely, I can afford the pills and won't
    >have to take them very long.

Odysseus,

if price plays no role, I'd rather take Malarone than Lariam
because of its fewer side effects.

    >What do people living in Malaria area do? I doubt that most can
    >afford the cost of the pills. I doubt that the entire population
    >spends their entire life taking the pills. If Malaria ia the
    >threat that the western doctors say it is, there must be a lot
    >of people dying from it every day all over the world.

I'm an example. I don't take prophylactic medication. Instead I
carry a cure dose with me, in case I get a fever that could be
malaria.

However, this is not recommended for short-term visitors, as the
prophylactic dose is more effective in preventing malaria, apart
from the fact that you wouldn't even get sick from it in the
first place.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.