malaria

can you by malarone malaria tablets in asia? how much are they

malaria

Do you really want to risk getting malaria by buying (possibly)fake meds in order to save a few bucks?

In the overall scheme of the cost of your trip isn%26#39;t it worth biting the bullet and getting a prescription from your gp at home?

malaria

Malarone is not sold over the counter in most Asian countries. You will need to first see a doctor and then get a prescription.

A much cheaper alternative is doxycycline, which is available over the counter, although it may cause undesirable side effects. I have been traveling throughout Asia for the past 23 years and have opted to use DEET-based mosquito repellents and sleep under mosquito nets in places with risk, and forego filling my body with drugs when not needed. Most places do not have even a minute malaria risk. Dengue is more of a problem nowadays, and for that you will want to keep the mosquitoes off your body! Check the CDC page for details and stock up on mosquito repellent!

I%26#39;d agree - if you want prophylactics get them before you leave - but personally I wouldn%26#39;t bother. Whilst both malaria and dengue are in Lao, deet %26amp; nets are the best option. Most malaria atrains are now fairly immune to all but the most toxic prophylactics now anyway.

A colleague of mine got dengue last year without ever leaving Vientiane, and my partners whole family have had malaria in lao at one time or another, so precautions are a definitely good idea.

DO NOT TAKE CHANCES WITH MALARIA. This week%26#39;s british medical journal has a feature on imported malaria, and the incidence in the UK is rising. Most of the affected people did not take prophylactic drugs. Doxycyline is cheap and as drugs go not particularly toxic. Malarone is expensive and no-one in my family has every had a problem with it. Mefloquine can have nasty side effects but there is resistantce to it around SE Asia so it%26#39;s not recommended. People die in the UK every year from malaria acquired abroad. Take advice from reputable sources not from fellow travellers and make up your own mind. Our local Scottish site is http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/

but there are plently of others. What worries me is that young travellers will read advice from sites like this and take chances. Please don%26#39;t encourage them to do so. The advice about nets and DEET is good but not enough. You need the drugs as well. The risk is low in Vientiane but much higher elsewhere in Lao

Should have said doxycycline is used for older teenagers with acne in the UK- Does that sound like a very toxic drug?

No Edinburghtraveller, there is virtually no risk in Vientiane. There is a risk from dengue fever, but you can%26#39;t do much about that.

No expat I know takes any anti malaria druggs, and I certainly would not want to recommend that anyone pumps themselves full of stuff that will destroy their organs. I just had a doctor stay with me for a few days and you woud not want to know what that stuff does to you.

Sure take precautions if you head into the remote areas, but Deet, long trousers and nets are enough.

I am a doctor- Doxycycline does not destroy your internal organs- unless they are already severely compromised. Thye doctor prescribing the doxyxycline would advise you if that were the case. Malaria can destroy your internal organs resulting in death. I have seen people die of malaria and have never seen anyone die or even become seriously ill as a result of antimalarials with the exception of mefloquine which rarely can make people psychotic. I agree the risk is low in Vientiane and for a holiday spent entirely there with no side trips it would be reasonable to depend on DEET and nets. I do not underestimate the dengue risk but that does not mean ignoring the malaria risk

0.5% of the population of Lao contract malaria every year. Less than 1% of them die of these disease. These people do not have the same access to nets and DEET as travellers do. If you think these statistics are comforting don%26#39;t take the drugs but I know what I%26#39;m going to do. At least read about doxycyline before you decide what to do. It is a very safe drug.

I took doxy once for reasons other than malaria prevention and it gave me a nasty itchiness,um, ';down there';. Fortunately, I didn%26#39;t get a yeast infection or sunburn sensitivity like a lot of other folks who have used it...Just got back from my second trip from Laos this year, and the only mozzies that attacked me were the ones on the Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Japan.

Edinburghtraveller, I know you mean well, but as I said, I live here and there is no way that I am going to take anything that has the following possible side effects for any period of time:

Common Doxycycline Side Effects

Doxycycline has been studied extensively in clinical trials, with thousands of people worldwide having been evaluated. In these studies, side effects are always documented. The most common side effects of doxycycline include but are not limited to:

* Nausea

* Diarrhea

* Vomiting

* Skin reaction to sunlight (photosensitivity)

* Upset stomach (dyspepsia)

* Loss of appetite

* Unexplained rash

* Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).

Serious Doxycycline Side Effects

Some doxycycline side effects can indicate a potentially serious problem. If you experience any of these side effects, stop taking doxycycline and call your healthcare provider. These side effects include but are not limited to:

* Watery diarrhea

* Stomach cramps

* Bloody stools

* Unusual headaches

* Blurred vision

* Unexplained rash

* Joint pain

* Fever

* Feeling tired.

I mean you have got to be kidding. Fwiw I know a number of specialists in tropical diseases here. The main danger is dengue fever, and as I said, there is no prophylactic for that yet.