Malaria tablets in Thailand

[Wj99]

Sorry, already feeling like I'm clogging up the board.

I've read that you can buy legitimate malaria tablets whilst out here - I really don't want to go into a backstreet "pharmacy" as I have been warned that they are more than likely fakes - the last thing I want to do is risk catching malaria!

Any info would be massively appreciated

[Thongkorn]

Dengue fever is more likely than malaria ,

[Wj99]

I'm looking at travelling over to Cambodia for a few days that's all - not fearing malaria at present

[thailiketoo]

Go to any good hospital they all have a pharmacy. No wait at the private hospitals. See a doctor and he will fix you up and answer your questions.

Edited July 19, 2014 by thailiketoo

[partington]

You should determine the probability of catching malaria in the places you expect to be by doing some research rather than just assuming you need to take medication.

If you are not spending extended periods in known malarial areas - often, but not always, isolated spots fairly far from major population concentrations - then you really do not need them. Additionally side effects may be experienced which are unpleasant in themselves.

Probably the least harmful preventative medication is 100mg of the antibiotic doxycycline per day, starting two days before you enter the malarial area, and for 28 days after leaving. These can be bought over the counter at the pharmacist chain Watsons and will not be fake from there. http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/resources/pdf/fsp/drugs/doxycycline.pdf

The likelihood is that you will not need them.

Edited July 19, 2014 by partington

[Seastallion]

A few glasses of gin and Indian tonic water is a pleasant way to get your daily quinine.

[partington]

A few glasses of gin and Indian tonic water is a pleasant way to get your daily quinine.

The amount of quinine in tonic water is tiny: too low to be an effective therapeutic dose for prevention or treatment of malaria, so please ignore this useless advice.

Or drink 20 litres of tonic water, 3 times a day.

[Hedghog]

The side effects of anti malaria meds can be debilitating,read the advice on your chosen anti malarial concoction,before use.

The meds are generally taken 2 weeks before travel,then 4 weeks after potential exposure.

The risk in SEA isnt that great,Dengue fever is the bigger threat,unfortunately nothing to be done about that beforehand.

[Hedghog]

Apologies double post

Edited July 19, 2014 by Hedghog

[Seastallion]

A few glasses of gin and Indian tonic water is a pleasant way to get your daily quinine.

The amount of quinine in tonic water is tiny: too low to be an effective therapeutic dose for prevention or treatment of malaria, so please ignore this useless advice.

Or drink 20 litres of tonic water, 3 times a day.

Oooooo. Is having a humourectomy a prerequisite for having medical knowledge?

You are advising an overdose by a factor of nearly 3! That's not good medical advice at all!

Actually, around 25 litres per day would enough for a 70 kg person, if the US FDA is to be believed and the quinine level is at 83 ppm.

Also you are plainly not aware of the newest trend in tonic water which is to have the original high level of quinine....so change that back down to a few litres per day.

[opalred]

i thought malaria was wipped out in this country i was in all asia countrys 50yrs ago and some areas we took quinine tablets every day in jungle areas only ones caught was religion freaks who would not take tablets

[samuijimmy]

i thought malaria was wipped out in this country i was in all asia countrys 50yrs ago and some areas we took quinine tablets every day in jungle areas only ones caught was religion freaks who would not take tablets

Occasional out breaks still in some areas.... when it occurs they generally fog areas with Pheromones I beleive, to kill the male mosquitoes ....

Going to the OP's question, Vitamin B is suppose to help repel mosquitoes ..... or use Lemon grass spray, that works ! ...

[opalred]

the fog thing they burn only kerosene they do often to impress locals and tell them it stops dengue but only moves mozzies on to next door and then come back

[samuijimmy]

the fog thing they burn only kerosene they do often to impress locals and tell them it stops dengue but only moves mozzies on to next door and then come back

Maybe in rural areas, but i have seen this fogging done twice both on Samui and KP, it certainly was not a smell of Kerosene .... that would be quite distinct... the first time I saw it done, that is what I was told it was to kill off the males .... no mosquitoes a long time, afterwards...

Having Dengue or Malaria in tourist areas .... not good for business,

[Sheryl]

In both Thailand and Cambodia malaria transmission is limited to heavily forested areas. Unless you will be spending the night in jungle, you are not at risk. Even towns and villages located 10-15 km from malarious jungle, have no transmission within the village itself, with very few exceptions. Last time I worked on a malaria project in Camb there were only about 50 villages in the entire country documented to have malaria transmission in the village itself and that has since declined thanks to ongoing deforestation.

Most malaria in Cambodia occurs in adult men who go into the forest at night to hunt etc.

Unless you have an extremely unusual itinerary you will not be at risk. Lived and worked in Cambodia on and off for over 25 years now, never took malaria prophylaxis and don't know any resident expats that do.

In the unlikely event that you do get malaria or suspected malaria in Cambodia you can buy self test kits with treatment at any pharmacy.