See if your own GP will give him some to take with him. I had to be very careful not to get infection after surgery and radiotherapy . My GP gave me some to take on holiday just in case, luckily I didnt need them. I dont know if yours will be willing to give your son some. Might be worth an ask
M

Assuming that he has good travel insurance cover then he shouldn't have to worry about the cost. If he needs treatment then, yes, he will need to inform his insurer but most would pay for him to be seen by the hotel doctor if there is one, or a local clinic recommended by either the hotel or the TO rep along with any medication that they prescribe. Unless he knows the generic name of the antibiotic that would be needed and/or the brand name it is marketed under in Latin America, then I think that it's best to exercise caution about anything that can be bought over the counter in overseas pharmacies. I'm not always taht confident that the staff would have the expertise and knowledge that we take for granted with regard to UK pharmacists.

SM

Hi, thanks for the reply. I was given some for my son to take with us just in case, a number of years ago when he was a child. However, when he requested some a few years ago the GP told him that he wasn't allowed to prescribe anti-biotics 'just in case'

I know you can buy them over the counter at the pharmacy's in Turkey shirley. Dave bought them easily last year for an ear infection. Do you go there before your sons holiday ?

Hi Shirley,

GPs are now much more cautious about prescribing antibiotics all round because of the problems that have arisen with drug resistant strains of various infectious bacteria. Unless, he has a problem of regular and frequently recurring infections then, yes, they are extremely reluctant to prescribe 'just in case'.

With regard to the risk of the mozzie or sandfly bites becoming infected, he can do a lot to prevent this by being scrupulous about keeping them clean and using antiseptic wipes or creams from the moment he's bitten rather than doing until they do become infected. I also carry tea tree oil with me now - in the heat and humidity of Cuba small cuts etc can take ages to heal and it's easy for them to become infected and dabbing on tea tree oil helps keep them bacteria-free and aids quicker healing too in my experience.

SM

PS Forgot to add that as someone who's also prone to throat infections (had the tonsils removed years ago!) I find that at the first sign of a tickle or twinge at the back of the throat, gargling with salt water is a great preventative too.

For the throat, go to a pharmacist here before you travel and ask for Tyrozets lozenges. If taken as soon as a tingle develops they will help control it if it's just an inflamation rather than full blown tonsilitis.

And for mossie bites, wouldn't you be better off with an anti-histamine cream? Get it before you go - but remember the hand luggage security rule applies!

Shirley, my son got a nasty dose of tonsillitis in Mexico City. He had to go to the local hospital and its pharmacy for his antibiotics - not cheap, and the pharmacy was guarded by a very tough security guard with what looked like a machine gun.

I would strongly suggest you try to persuade your GP to let your son have a 'starter pack'! But hope he doesn't get ill in the first place ... not only because you feel lousy but you can't enjoy beer and tequila with antibiotics!

Hi Shirley
You say he is prone to tonsillitis, so do you know what the GP usually prescribes.?

Which would be the cheaper way to do things? Does anybody have any experience of this

I can't speak for what happens in Mexico because I've never been, but according to my friend Mr Google, antibiotics and other medicines are available to buy over the counter in pharmacies, and the Americans pop over the border regularly to buy them.
I have bought antibiotics in Spain, but it depends where you're staying because the Spanish have clamped down on the sale of antibiotics because of their misuse in the past and strains of bacteria becoming resistant to them, and you should go through a doctor to write the prescription, but some farmacias are still selling them, although some will not, but if you're refused in one farmacia and walk to the next farmacia in the same resort, you'll might find that they will, and it might be the same in Mexico.

I'm susceptible to chest infections and over the years I know what my GP will prescribe before I put my bum on the chair, so I know what to get abroad and it's certainly cheaper than going through a doctor or paying the excess on an insurance policy, chose how good the policy is"¦.I'd hate to think I paid £50 excess or more for a packet of antibiotics costing less than 3 euros, but of course you should never try and diagnose yourself and certainly NOT children, and if I got something that's not related to a chest infection, then I would call the doctor out, but if you know what it is and know what you normally take, then you can save yourself a bit of money.
I've found the pharmacists in Spain to be very helpful and knowledgeable because being able to sell a wider selection of drugs over the counter, they also diagnose to a certain degree, whereas because of the system in the UK the pharmacists don't have to advise about prescription drugs in the same way, and will dispense what's written on the prescription.

For strep throats unless you are allergic to Penicillin, Amoxicilin or in Spanish Amoxicilina is the antibiotic normally prescribed.

Sanji

Thanks everybody,
Lyn, unfortunately he goes to Mexico before I go to Turkey so my bringing some back won't be an option.
Sanji, thanks for the advice about buying them over the counter. The reason you give about not wanting to pay a fortune by claiming on the insurance was the reason for my query.

For strep throats unless you are allergic to Penicillin, Amoxicilin or in Spanish Amoxicilina is the antibiotic normally prescribed.

It's Amoxicilin that my son is normally prescribed.

He went to the GP yesterday as he's had a sore throat for a couple of days but this time it's a viral infection and has been advised to gargle with soluble asprin. I just hope it doesn't develop into anything more, he's got 2 weeks to get back fighting fit.

Thanks again for all your help.

Could he add an "Excess waiver" to his policy shirley just in case . It may only add a few pounds to the cost. It may be worth checking for him .

Thanks Lyn, I'll mention that to him. Hopefully, I'm worrying for nothing and all will be fine, especially as he's got a sore throat now- how unlucky that would be if he gets another one in a couple of weeks. Oh well, what are mothers for, if not to worry?

I'm also a big believer in tea tree oil and lavender oil, and I take a bottle of each, they're only the size of a nail varnish bottle and both are excellent for mozzie bites, I just keep applying a drop over the bite every couple of hours and gently massage it in/around the bite"¦.
Lavender oil is soothing and it helps the skin to heal, it's good for insect bites and other things like sunburn, headache, but I don't suppose any young man would want to smell a bit like his granny.
Personally, if my son was prone to infected bites I'd pack some tea tree oil because it has antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and has slight local analgesic properties.
If you're buying tea tree/lavender oil, go to somewhere like Boots, you'll pay a bit more for it, but it's from a reputable source like the Tisserand brand and usually the first distillation, whereas cheap bottles on the market could be the dreg ends and contaminated.

A good tip for throat infections and first aid for mozzie bites is getting hold of a lemon because lemons are know to have antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral properties, and this is the reason why a lot of "day to day" cleaning products are lemon scented.
Squeeze one lemon and dilute the juice into a cup with equal amounts of water (minus the pips) and gargle three times a day, you can also drink it by sipping it at regular intervals.
The problem with mozzie bites is that they itch like crazy and we scratch them, and then we introduce bacteria from under the fingernails, a slice of lemon rubbed over them several times a day will help to kill any bacteria, followed by a smear of antiseptic cream like Germolene, which is cheap enough to get anywhere in the UK.

Sanji

Laughing at your post Sanji because only about an hour or so ago I mentioned to son that he should take some tea-tree oil or germolene. After reading out your post, he's just asked me if I can get both for him when I'm next in town. That's him sorted then, thanks !

also to avoid getting bitten by sandflies...put coconut oil on exposed parts of body.

For bites or one's that are infected I've got small jar of Siang Pure Balm http://www.thaicraft.com/white-siang-pure-balm-herbal-ointment-pains-massage-flatulence.html that a Cambodian friend got me when I got zapped out there last year. It's also good for flatulence too!

I've got two nasty mozzie bites that 'got me' in middle of night last week - yes..here in UK! Suppose I really should've gone to drs as they got quite nasty, swollen leg and radiated heat - but I've been putting the Siang balm (same as tiger balm I reckon) on regularly and looking much better now.

Thanks for that Betty boop. At this rate he'll have to take an extra suitcase just for his medications

....... and make sure that all liquids/pastes/gels etc go in his hold baggage unless under 100 ml in the 8" x 8" resealable plastic bag!!