Hi I just rang my doctors receptionist and booked an appointment with the practise nurse and made an appointment about 6 weeks before I was due to travel there. It didn't cost me anything in the Uk.
have a great time,
sam

hi..... what are maleria tablets for ?

Thanks

I went for my malaria tablets to boots they wouldnt sell me them as i have epilepsy.This is even though the nurse told me to go to boots.So i had to go to the emergency clinic to see a doctor as our surgery burnt down on saturday.She only had an old book to refer to so advised me to come home and look online!
Anyway i did this and went back to get a letter or something to give to boots and my docor said no i will write you a prescription but then proceeded to write me up for 4 boxes worth(that is 4 holidays worth).It took me 2 hours and i went back and got what i originally set out to buy.
I have been taking odourless garlic caps as i hear the mozzies dont like these,it has given my son who is 12 a practice at swallowing tablets down and i think we have it cracked.

Hi all just a quickie My fiancee and i are going to the Riviera Maya in Mexico next Friday and havn't taken Malaria tablets yet. I was going to buy them today and start taking them from tonight.

Can anyone recomend the best ones i.e taking 1 a week and ones that won't make us sick.

Thanks in advance

I'm sure people will post outraged replies to what I'm about to say, but...

Last month, I went backpacking in northern Mozambique where malaria is endemic all-year-round, and the mosquitoes are resistant to chloroquine. Oh, and as they're recovering from civil war, the country is not wealthy, so there's plenty of places for mozzies to breed

Went to a travel clinic in London, and got Malarone, and followed the instructions very carefully, and after sunset made sure to cover my arms and legs to minimise bites

Yes, I still got malaria, with all the usual symptoms (headaches, mild fever, shivering and sweating, etc...). Went to see a local doctor after 36 hours of feeling flu-ish - this was in a 3rd world country - and within 30 mins, got the results of a blood test, had initial jabs and been given pills. Spent the rest of the day relaxing and reading a book, and within 12 hours felt much better. After 24 hours, was well enough to spend 4 hours travelling with a backpack

Upshot ? If you still come down with the disease after taking the pills, it ain't as bad as everyone in the UK imagines - although definitely worth seeing a doctor if you have the symptoms. The taxi driver in Zambia who took me to the doctor told me he'd had malaria seven times and hadn't died yet

hi lil ash we are also off to riviera maya but not until october but there is conflicting info as to wether to take malaria tablets. some info on net says you are ok in main tourist areas but i know a lot of people still take them. at the moment i am not keen on taking them as i know a lot of people feel ill and also i cannot swallow tablets so everything i have has to be soluble. we will all take every other caution for not getting bit and use lots of sprays etc but unless my doctor or similar says i must take them then i dont think i will.anyone else with any advice?

I personally would take them malaria CAN be nasty and also once you have it stays in your system.It only takes one bite and thats it.Malaria can also cause many other symptoms-mental confusion coma and worst case death not worth the risk but it is your choice at the end of the day.

I agree Jo

we've just come back from the D R, and so are still taking our malaria meds. I was in 2 minds before the holiday whether to take them, but my practice nurse said the same as you "it only takes one bite"!

Cart583, I've got 2 small children, so tablets were out of the question, but i managed to get chloroquine syrup which we gave the kids. Doesnt taste quite as vile as the tablets mind you but a little peice of chocolate afterwards always helped it go down!

Neither myself or husband felt any different after taking the tablets, i think side effects are quite rare. but if you are worried, you can always take the tablets just before you go to bed, and then if you do feel unwell, you probably wont notice as much whilst you're asleep!

First ones down my kids are big enough for the tablets now and took them and they too had a chocolate reward after.
I have to take the daily ones so will have to remember-might set the oven timer or something for that i think!

If you still come down with the disease after taking the pills, it ain't as bad as everyone in the UK imagines - although definitely worth seeing a doctor if you have the symptoms.

Well here's the outraged reply you courted. It is positively dangerous to encourage people to take such a cavalier attitude to a disease which still kills many people - 36,000 kids per year in Kenya alone. You have no way of knowing whether it was the fact that you took the pills which actually ameliorated symptoms of the disease nor what might have been the consequences if you had not been able to see a docter and receive treatment so promptly. And anyone who has been to a Malaria area and starts developing the symptoms - very like flu in the early stages - MUST see a docter at the earliest opportunity. Any flu like symptoms that appear even months later after a trip to a Malaria area need to be taken seriously and you should go to your docter immediately for testing immediately, explaining that you have visited somewhere where you maight have been infected.

I can speak from firsthand experience of watching a friend go through it just how severe the symptoms can become if treatment isn't started promptly. Bear in mind too that symptoms may not appear until some time after you were first infected - in my friend's case her symptoms didn't start for more than 3 months after she already returned home. There's therefore a good chance pmbma that you weren't actually infected in Mozambique but somewhere else on an earlier trip.

The taxi driver in Zambia who took me to the doctor told me he'd had malaria seven times and hadn't died yet

The taxi driver has NOT had Malaria 7 times. He has Malaria fullstop and has had 7 acute attacks. And now you are infected with it you too need to be prepared for recurring acute attacks too.

There is no permanent cure for Malaria, only palliative treatments and the older he gets the more debilitating these acute attacks will become and believe me he will keep getting them. The friend of mine who was first infected in Papua New Guinea 30 years ago has had repeated acute attacks over the years, is still in the care of consultants attached to the School of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool and has had various health complications ever since. She has been on invalidity benefit for years and is unlikely to ever work again despite still only being in her early 50s. Malaria should never be regarded lightly. None of the prophylactics will guarantee that you won't become infected but it's foolhardy to take the risk by not taking any at all.

And of course mosquitoes pick-up the infection from us by sucking the blood of an infected person and then passing it on when they bite other people later. If enough people in the UK become infected with Malaria then there is the possibility that in time it could become endemic here to. In fact I seem to remember reports that a small outbreak in the DR last year was considered to have most likely arisen from infected migrant workers from Haiti being bitten by mosquitoes that then went on to bite other people.

SM

Members may find these stories of interest...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4552920.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4771773.stm

Further advice HERE and HERE.

Pippy

An excellent set of links, Pippy, they make it quite clear that Malaria is a killer disease that should always be taken seriously.

SM

I personally would not take any risks, this is a nasty disease

hi tallulahjemima, how often do you have to take the syrup you mentioned and was it really bad tasting? still cant find any definite info on wether malaria tablets are recommended for riviera maya so might try to ask doctor.wish someone would come up with a malaria injection, dont mind them at all.

Hi..

The syrup is the same as the tabs, once a week on the same day each week. The amount you give each child depends on the weight of the child/adult. there is a clear table on the instructions that helps you to work it out. My 22mth old is 2stone and she takes 5ml, and my 4yr old is just over 3 stone and he takes 10mls.

Bless em.. it was the day for taking it today, and i had to practically sit on my daughter (22mths) to get her to take it! she's not stupid and knew what was coming as soon as i got the chocolate out the fridge!!

I've tasted the syrup, and as an adult i could put up with it once a week. i've tasted far worse things in my life, so its not such a hardship.. although a different story for the kids!! dont take the risk.. just take the meds!

Was our first lot and mine nagged all day for it -novelty value at 9 and 12 I expect!
Whats the bet they wont be nagging next week.

hi all,
that sound like my little one, i took him to the docs last week and before the doc could look at him he ran to the door screaming (poor doc)
i dont know what hes going to be like when he has his jabs (hes allready said hes stopping with his grandma and not going) poor love.
im stocking up on the skin so soft by avon that suppose to be very good to use,
hope you all have a great time,

Just took eldest for jabs today, fortunatley he only needed hepatitis. and apparently if you are staying in a touristy area you now dont need typhoid.

hi can anybody tell me when i should buy and then start taking malaria medication? i am wanting to get the once a week stuff, tablets for rest of family and syrup for me. we travel to riviera maya on oct 15th so need to know when to start. also can anyone advise on which tablets to buy if there is more than one.thanks