Malaria medication

Hi there,

I will be travelling in South America for about 5 months and am not sure if it is necessary to take anti-malaria tablets all the time or just when visiting areas where there might be malaria. I would like to hear what others do.

Thanks,
Paul. Reply to this

Hi Mel,

Thanks for letting me know. I haven't got the anti-malaria pills yet but I suppose when I do they'll say how long in advance you have to start taking them before you set off.

All the best,
Paul. Reply to this

Hi Paul,
Your question is an excellent one and also a controversial one. We have just returned from an extended visit to Africa and took Doxy-cycline for anti-malarial medication. We didn't have any idea, so we just got the meds and started taking them according to the travel doctor's directions. We subsequently met people who chose to forego the anti-malarials and carry the malaria medication with them, in the event that they contracted malaria. You would have to be knowledgeable about they symptoms of malaria and you must still be tested before taking the malaria medication.

We were on Doxy for 4 months the first time, took a 2 month break and then went back on for another 7 months. From my experience, we didn't enjoy being on Doxy for that long, but we also didn't get Malaria (well, not yet, they say you must be aware of a fever for a year after you return).

We met several people on Malarone, as Mell says, the most user friendly and the most expensive. Of one group of 18 - 11 people contracted Malaria, while on Malarone. None of the anti-malarials are perfect. You must still cover up and use repellent. We also heard stories of people being on Doxy and having sensitivity to the sun, we did not have any side effects with Doxy, but heard of others who did.

My best advice is to visit a travel doctor if you can - they are up to date on which medications are now redundant in which parts of the world. ie. Larium is not recommended for Thailand as the mosquitos have become resilient to it.

Hope some of this helps you to make a decision! Just remember that your health is important!
Laini and Peter
pnltravels Reply to this

Oh absolutely Mell! Thank you for the link - a very controversial topic. I don't know that I would spend so much time on a malaria preventative again, we just didn't know any better. It is horrible to take drugs for that long, but at the same time, we really didn't want malaria. We met a poor young fellow from the Netherlands in Ghana who had spent 3 weeks recovering from Malaria and his whole trip was only 5 weeks long. He too was on an anti-malarial, but still contracted malaria. It is a tough choice and is definitely up to the individual.
I am gathering that you ended up in India without meds and returned healthy? Reply to this

Take a bottle of the pills and ask people around. Malaria tends to happen seasonally and in outbreaks in some areas. If you're going deep into the jungle, it's probably wise to start taking them, or if there's an outbreak in a region you're headed to. We didn't enter the Amazon proper, but I got eaten alive by mosquitos in Iguazu. Locals had said no need for me to take the medication, because there was no malaria around. Ended up spending money on the pills but never used them. Felt better knowing they were there though, just in case. Reply to this

Last year I was in Southern Sth Am so didn't take anti-mals but this year my travel Dr gave me enough Doxy-cycline to last the whole 5months.This length of time is not recommended but in affected areas is better than getting Malaria.When I arrived in Lima I went to ROE laboratories ,where I got my Yellow Fever shots last year, and spoke to a Dr I know.He said there is NO maleria in populated areas of Sth Am.I have taken no meds since then and have no problems.If you are going into the Jungle ,such as Iquitos ,Leticia, the Lost City Trek ect ,and are worried you can start Doxy-Cycline 2 days before entering area and 2weeks after leaving.Doxy-cycline causes extreme sensitivity to sunlight so if you like the beach and outdoor life you may want to check other types of meds.Other meds can cause SEVERE depresion and nightmares,I have heard of people suiciding becouse of Anti-Mals.
I agree very much with Mel.Use heaps of repellant and at night time burn Mosquito coils ,"espirales" in Spanish.These work 100 times better than any modern repellant and burn for full 8hrs.It is best to burn them under your bed so the smoke creates a barrier around you.I use these rather than Mosquito nets as mossies are usually in hot ,humid areas and mossie nets don't allow any breeze in.The best brand of Mossie Coils in Sth Am is "Dos Tigres" (Two Tigers) but this is just my opinion.
Hope I've been of some help and if you want my opinions on anything else Sth American please feel free to message me Reply to this