Just been to the GP's and now really confused

Had my Hep jabs, tetanus next week & was told as only going for 2 weeks, do not need Malaria tablets and this was the NHS guidance from the internet.

Thoughts?

Malaria tablets are not compulsary,and i know some people prefer not to take them,but i would rather do what i can to try and prevent malaria and if that means taking a few tablets ..so be it.Better safe than sorry. Paula

Just been to the GP's and now really confused

Had my Hep jabs, tetanus next week & was told as only going for 2 weeks, do not need Malaria tablets and this was the NHS guidance from the internet.

Thoughts?

Its definately a personal choice, I doesn't matter what anyone else tells you, read the advice then make your decission, you can get Malaria FACT the anti malaria tablets do not agree with people FACT

We haver tried the tablets, they didn't agree with us and now don't bother, we are very careful and use repelants, and plug ins etc, avoid dusk etc

Which vaccinations are recommended for Goa please?

Also - any recommendations on which malaria tablets to take? A friend of mine's sister died of malaria last week after a trip to Nigeria and it has really brought home how dangerous this disease is.

The best people to advise you on this are either your GP or a practice nurse at your local Health Centre. They will have access to the latest information and, much more importantly, will be able to provide you with appropriate information and guidance in the light of your own medical history. Some malaria prophylactics are not suitable for everybody and you might have pre-existing conditions that make it inadvisable to take certain things etc.

SM

Thanks SMA. Our doctor's receptionists are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike, and I am not their favourite person after making a complaint against them recently to the practice manager, so I was hoping to avoid them. But looks like I will have to bite the bullet and call the surgery.

The pharmacists are quite helpful these days i find. They seem to have more time!

Oh that's a good tip! Thanks goangirl

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luci

hi
text your destination country to 07800 000 569 to find out immediately if you are traveling to a malaria hotspot

I got badly bitten by the river in Arpora!

hi girl
think it was probably a mosquito

Well i wish it had taken it's teeth out first!!

Been going to Goa for 11 years, and for the last 6years haven't bothered to take tablets. However, after a bit of a scare last year, i am not taking any chances! Has anyone taken what i think are called plaquenil? They are an anti malaria tablet, but apparently help with other things.

hi
i think you mean proguanil 2 tablets per day, you have to take it with chloroquine 1 tablet per week on the same day,the one what is often taken for other reasons as well including teenage spots is called doxycycline

Apparently lots of people have an adverse skin reaction to doxycycline when they are exposed to sunshine. That's why we haven't tried it.

Chloroquine is also known as Avoclor

Proguanil it seems it also retailed as Paludrine.

We have never taken a chance on malaria tablets, for the price it's not worth the gamble in my opinion. Lots of people complain they can't stomache them but we always leave them on the pillow before going out for the night so we don't forget to take them when we get in. When you are asleep you are not aware you have taken them !

Ordered mine online from Travelpharm , if you buy them seperately it's cheaper than in weekly strips although the latter helps to prompt you to take the weekly dose of Avoclor.
7 weeks supply for two people cost £22.56 plus a £1 delivery charge for 1st class postage. They arrived within 18 hours.

For £11.28 is it worth risking your future wellbeing ???????

It is def. Plaquenil. It is also used for Rheumatoid arthritis.

Yes, the active ingredient in Plaquenil is hydroxychloroquine which is also used as a prophylactic for Malaria but if you are wanting an anti-malarial treatment, you would be well advised to use it in the form that is prescribed/recommended specifically for the prevention of malaria. As Plaquenil, it is designed as a daily treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and people who take it to treat those diseases are advised not to rely on it as an anti-malarial treatment. I assume that this is because it's not an adequate/appropriate dose for that purpose.

Quite a few treatments can contain the same active ingredients but it's not a good idea to assume that they are interchangeable. There is a very good chance that the exact composition of the tablets and the safe dosage is going to vary depending on which disease or health condition that they are designed to treat. A drug that I take for a chronic condition that I have is also used for the treatment of others illnesses - it comes in different strengths and I use the lowest one - patients using it for another condition need to take up to 3 times the dosage I'm on. A second one I take occasionally to deal with associated nausea is based on the same active ingredient as is used in an over the counter remedy for travel sickness but I need a higher dosage that is only available on prescription.

Malaria is a really serious disease and some of the preventaives and treatments are quite drastic in their action - before taking any of them you really should check with your own doctor as to which is best suited to you and the area to which ou willbe travelling.

SM

hi dave yes you are correct they are alternate names,c&p are readily available in goa from chemists such as jonnies in calangute etc