Anti-Malarial

[DandyDon]

How do you know what the dosing schedule is when Diver Lori has yet to be prescribed any specific medication?

Thanks,

DocVikingo

I would never dream of suggesting that she obtain drugs and take them without consulting her physician. There are certainly good reasons for doctors being required to complete training before prescribing meds, and I did not mean to imply anything along those line.

I do know a couple who ordered their pills from an overses source without a physician's orders, but I wouldn't suggest that. They also carried their pills in a zip lock! How would you like to have your bag checked by customs, either way, and have a zip lock of pills found. :11:

Her question:

My question. Anti-Malarial. Should I? and do I have enough time before leaving? Isn't it a multi-dose regimen? Are their significant side effects?

The CDD suggests it, she has time, the one I took was weekly, and the side effects are not as bad as malaria, I've heard. That's all I meant by my response:

Lori, it's a once a week pill with little likelyhood of problems if taken on full stomach. First dose a week before you leave, last dose 4 weeks after returning. Not as important as seat belts, but a good idea...

Nonetheless - Lori, I certainly agree to consult your doctor; my opinions are only from this layman's experiences...

 

[beche de mer]

My wife and I also took Malarone for our trip to PNG and had no side effects

Malarone, one of the newer anti-malarials, is very good. It's effective, extremely well tolerated and has an excellent side-effect profile.

However, it is expensive. (Probably about US$8 per tablet.)

There's also another consideration. The malarial situation is dynamic. New drugs are developed periodically, and the malarial parasite is constantly evolving to develop resistance to the new drugs - not unlike the dynamic between anbiotics and bacteria.

It's a good idea, therefore, not to throw the newer drugs around willy-nilly, when one of the older ones will be adequate. Over use of the newed drugs will accelerate the emergence of resistant strains.

Central America is one of the few malarious regions in the world where the risk is almost entirely due to Plasmodium vivax - which is quite adequately controlled with chloroquine, one of the older medications. Cloroquine is a fraction of the price of Malarone, and is what we would normally recommend for the region - unless there was a particular reason not to.

These are all issues which should be discussed during your medical consultation.

 

[Diver Lori]

Just got back from my internist. She gave me tetanus and Hep A vax. She's researching anti-malarial and oral scop for me. We'll see what she says.....

 

[outlawaggie]

Malarone, one of the newer anti-malarials, is very good. It's effective, extremely well tolerated and has an excellent side-effect profile.

However, it is expensive. (Probably about US$8 per tablet.)

My insurance covered the Malarone. However, they did not cover the vaccinations required to travel overseas. I even asked my insurance company if they covered treatment if I got Yellow Fever. They said they would. This amazed me. They won't cover a $100 vaccine but they will spend thousands if you get sick. :06:

 

[cdiver2]

My insurance covered the Malarone. However, they did not cover the vaccinations required to travel overseas. I even asked my insurance company if they covered treatment if I got Yellow Fever. They said they would. This amazed me. They won't cover a $100 vaccine but they will spend thousands if you get sick. :06:

My insurance covered the Malarone also. Local health service charged $20 for hep A, my wife got her hep A at the Dr and was charged $70 ?