I had a week in Nuweiba last year and had a bad tum for about 5 days. I only took imodium, which did nothing.

I have a very sensitive tum anyway but my main concern is that we are doing a week on a Nile cruise in September with all the excursions and I'm concerned about needing to dash to a loo at in inopportune moment. Do the coaches tend to offer toilet facilities? What about at the temples etc?

I have been given some tablets that are for dysentry but I don't want to have to take them unless I get REALLY bad!

I've never had any success with imodium or found anybody who has for treating "Egyptian Tummy" What does work is to find the nearest chemist or hotel doctor and get them to give you something. It may cost you a few quid if you have an excess on your travel insurance but is certainly worth it to feel better!!!

My experience of several different cruise boats in Egypt is that they always have something to treat a bad tummy at the reception desk if you ask. Usually there is no charge.

To answer Roadie Girl's question, i've found that most of the tour buses do now have toilet facilities and there are toilets at all the temples and historical sites that i've visited. They may not be 5* luxury, but "any port in a storm" is how I look at it!!

I agree... dont bother taking anything from here... the chemists etc have local potions for us tourists which work immediately - wonder drugs, believe me! . They don't cost more than a couple of quid either at the most. My daughter needed ear drops on holidays this year and the antibiotic cost 65p!! One tip though, make sure when you are leaving the boat to take PLENTY of water with you, cause believe me its hot, and you shall go through loads. Don't leave your air conditioning on full blast when you leave your cabin, cause Luxor is quite a bit hotter than other areas of Egypt and going from extreme heat to extreme cold does upset your system. Also pack a nice anderex toilet roll and food bag with you this end to take, and you can pop some into your bag to take with you on your trips just in case! Don't be surprised if you have someone at the toilet entrance trying to sell you toilet roll before you enter!!! My oldest daughter decided to holiday with us to Egypt this year for the first time, and was horrified at the airport when someone tried to do this to her... however the rest of the holiday made up for her 'first experience' of Egypt.

Thanks both for the useful info.

46 days to go...........

We returned from Sharm this week and although none of us had severe d+v my twelve year old had a slight upset tummy and as this was the day before a visit to Cairo I as advised by many on the forum visited the local pharmacy. We were given two lots of medication to take three times a day, Drotazide and Streptoquin. The streptoquin had information about what the tablet contained.I was very concerned that it contained streptomycin an antibiotic that as a nurse I cannot every remember giving orally. at no time was I asked about allergies or the age of the child.
On return to the UK I have looked up this tablet and the World Health Organisation states that it is dangerous and discouraged its use for diarrhoe over ten years ago.
I fourtunately did not give this medication to my child.
What is also worrying is that first choice and the resort reps were also recommending visits to the pharmacy.
There appears to be liitle control over what can be given at phamacys and standards that apply in the UK certainly do not apply in Eygypt.

Yes i agree, i too am a nurse and strangley enough all the Divers at our complex were advising Streptoquin and it costs 50p from the chemist. All the divers swear by this, but it did cause a bit of sickness.

I avoid streptoquin and always buy Antinal asap in resort as i have a funny tummy where ever i go abroad. You have to barter at the chemist as well because they make prices up as they go along.

From the UK you need to buy Buscopan (for cramps) and Diaoraltye for salt loss, then in resort just buy a packet of Antinal. Or else you may find they will give you buscopan and diaoraltye anyway.

Just found this....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/740633.stm

Also an excerpt taken...from the nile information list.
*Edit for copyright please provide link Briar

thanks

We have just returned from Sharm, one morning in our second week I started having tummy troubles (diaorhea only) - on going to the St. Georges Hotel Beach I spoke to the person who sells the massages. He said get a cup of "hot" water, cut a lemon in half, squeeze as much juice as you can into the hot water and drop the squeezed lemons in. Add sugar for how sweet you can manage and drink. I was fine the next morning. I only had this for one day. I didn't need any kind of medical attention or pills etc, so enjoyed the rest of my holiday. Some people have stronger stomachs than others though.

I also got told to drink lemon and also the locals swear by mint tea for calming of stomachs, again i am still ill but love mint tea

Headstar
we've been to the Coral Nuweiba plenty of times , some guests get " the tummy ", others don't. My worst experience was a severe dose of the cramps, having read this thread I've put Buscopan on my shopping list .

As far as I'm aware ( things change ) they don't keep any Antinal at the hotel. If the Longwoods rep is still Russel he was living in Nuweiba.......if you say you're on your honeymoon he might be persuaded to collect some for you! A taxi is cheap and gives you the chance to have a look around!! it's not that far to walk but can be too hot on the open road. Better to get it as a precaution rather than to have to get it in an emergeny . It was available in town and was 5LE as previously stated.

Best wishes for the wedding and have a super honeymoon at the Coral.

My husband was given the lemon tea remedy by the restaurant manager when we were in Luxor and it worked. Also, in El Gouna this year the manager gave him antinal - they seem to keep a wee supply - and didnt charge for the four tablets they gave him which cured symptoms immediately.

we now also swear by Antinal - this summer was the first time any of us had been ill in Egypt (and it's the 4th trip this year alone!!). 12 tablets (max 4 per day) in a box for 5LE/ 50p (compare THAT with the price of Immodium - and the difference is that Antinal works!!)
It was suggested that we keep antinal handy as it works best taken as soon as possible after the onset of any symptoms - certainly won't travel without it again

Anyone used it anywhere other than Egypt ????

yeah I'd get Antinal purely for just in case - shall make sure we have Buscopan and Diarolyte with us too

Don't mind a quick taxi ride into the town to get to a chemist

Hi, on another well known holiday review website I am reading about terrible tummy upsets in the last month or so at various hotels around sharm el sheikh with injections from the doctor to 'fix' it for around £100!!! Im going in 3 weeks (conrad) and Im a little worried. Ive always had a minor tummy upset when ive been to egypt before but there seems to be quite an unpleasant one thats floating around (for the last 2-3 months). Anyone had any experiences of this? Im always careful what I eat there (ie that its not been prepared in their running water) but I dont want it to take over my holiday! Also someone said theres something in the bottled water that purifies it (TBA?) and that there should be 200 units of it in a 1l bottle but the AI hotels give you bottles with 400 units in which actually gives you a tummy upset. Anyone with any further info? cheers

Hi and welcome to HT

First of all i assume you are talking about the 3 corners resort? taken from Trip advisor? Alot of what was mentioned can happen if not careful, especially if you have a dickie stomach. Here is a lot of pages on help and advice. But mainly precautions you can take are....from the UK

Buscopan (for cramps, you can buy over the counter from a pharmacy.

Diaoralyte (for putting the salt back into your body through dehydration.

When you get into resort buy Antenal, it costs about £5LE, this is to kill bacteria in the body.

This is all you require.....Do not buy Streptoquinn, this they will try and sell you, but it is mainly banned in a lot of countries. If they offer it, refuse and ask for the above.

Drink only bottled water with the seal intact...........

If half board/A1 arrive for your food earlier, as it gets pre heated, and remember a lot of it is out on the tables (cold stuff) from 5.30pm, so flies etc will carry germs.

Wear factor 30 and you shouldnt burn.
Cover children up, t shirts and hats.
Dont drink too much fruit juices or beer as dehydrates you and it is a hot country so cold drinks against the stomach, will give you cramp.

Here is all the information you require... http://holidayforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=23153

Dont worry to much, and have a great time.

Michelle xx

shower after swimming, as well as before...... showering before reduces sun cream contamination for the pool, after washes off any water borne bacteria you may have picked up.

Don't drink very very cold drinks when its hot, this can cause cramps and cause your body to need to expel its contents!!! Let things warm up for 5 minutes!!!

My husband was prescribed Lomitol......anyone else heard of this.....?
It was given to him with some large green pills too (cant remember the name) but he only took these once.......

One Lomitol tablet did stop his delly belly for about 3-4 days at a time tho.............

And we paid 120LE........but they did work like magic........

Love Squeeky

Lomotil - because it causes low motility in the bowel - so helps diarrhoea and cramps. Always have it with us but not yet opened the packet in Egypt

My husband and i along with my in-laws were at coral sea resort in september 2006. Three out of the four of us drank danone el case immunitas
yoghurt drinks one a day for a monthe before we went on holiday as advised by our GP. My mother in law did not take the drink and she did have an upset tummy but the rest of did not have any tummy problems at all. It is well worth doing for four weeks before you go. Also make sure that you drink plenty of water as this stops you getting dehydrated. Also immodeum is not good to take because this works by dehydrating your system to stop the runs not good in the heat go to the chemist and take what he gives you.

Any one who is going to Egypt shortly i envy you all i wish i was back there now hope you all have a fantastic time.

Flozbit