Anti Malarials.

[madbadger]

Can anyone recommend any anti malarials or help interpret this:

WHO said:

Malaria

Malaria risk Malaria: Malaria risk-predominantly due to P. falciparum-exists throughout the year in the whole country except in Phnom Penh and close to Tonle Sap. Risk within the tourist area of Angkor Wat is limited. P. falciparum resistant to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.Resistance to mefloquine and tolerance to artesunate reported in south-western provinces.

Malaria prevention Recommended prevention: Mosquito bite prevention plus mefloquine, doxycycline or atovaquone+proguanil chemopro-phylaxis (select according to reported resistance pattern)

I have used anti malarials a couple of times before but I can't remember the brand names of them and they didn't look anything like the names above. Once for Venezuela (in 1995) I had to take a weekly tablet as well as a daily one and always felt really sick after the weekly one. The other time was for Africa (in 1997) I took a dirrerent brand but it was just a weekly tablet and that was much better.

Was quite a while ago so I'm sure things have changed but the WHO don't really make it very clear.

ta.

[XJSJohn]

I live out here in Asia, regularly visit places like Angkor Watt and have never used anti malerials.

Your bigger concern is Dengue and there is bugger all you can do about that.

Best advice, some good mozzie repellant and common sense. The side effects of anti malerials tend to be worse that the illness quite often.

[madbadger]

Thanks John.



Thats what I was hoping for. Taken that approach a few times since and it is definately preferable to go for avoidance rather than tablets.

[XJSJohn]

don't know how much truith is in it, but "they" say that the Dengue and Malaria mozzies come out at dawn and dusk, probably just that this is the times that there are most about.

If worried i often give my hotel room a good blast of mozzie killer before i go out for dinner / booze!

eta - Enjoy Siem Reap, whereabouts you staying and how long you gonna be there ?

Edited by XJSJohn on Tuesday 8th September 09:46

[madbadger]

XJSJohn said:

eta - Enjoy Siem Reap, whereabouts you staying and how long you gonna be there ?

We are going at the end of October for 2 1/2 weeks.

Probably not going to visit Siam Reap. Unless it is a whistle stop tour which I'm not sure will do it justice.

Nothing booked apart from the flight. Planning on heading out from Phnom Peng and going down to the coast to bum around the islands for a bit. The last few trips have been a bit regulated so we are looking forward to winging it a bit and seeing where we end up.

[v15ben]

Sounds like a good trip mate. Like I said before that was probably my favourite area I visited on my whole Asia trip!

I took doxycyclin anti-malarials when I was in Vietnam and they are the daily ones which didn't seem to have any side effects if you take them as per the instructions. A friend of mine didn't take any anti-malarials in Tanzania and got malaria which wasn't pleasant however as John says it is pretty unlikely that you'll get it!

Enjoy the trip

[v15ben]

PS: I visited Angkor Wat in one day and while it didn't do the whole place justice, you can see plenty of the temples. It is an incredible place and I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

[XJSJohn]

If i remember correctly the wet season does not usually start until Mid November (arrival of the NE Monsoon)

[madbadger]

Cheers Ben.

Might have a rethink. It does look excellent but being a lonely planet bh you really get the impression that you need best part of a week there. + an extra day up then another day down on the bus to Shianoukville and it would probably mean we would be restricted on gettin off the mainland.

Shame we havn't got longer available, but a day trip might make it more feasible. We should also look again at the posssibility of an internal flight.

[v15ben]

I picked up some dirt cheap internal flights in Thailand and Vietnam so in theory a similar thing in Cambodia should be possible. I'm not at all jealous ....

[madbadger]

Hopefully. Flights just seem very elusive so we didn't want to rely on them. The 10 hours on a bus doesn't really look that appealing.

I flew from Zanzibar to Mombassa once for $20. It took 30 minutes including checking in then saved two and a half days travelling overland.

[v15ben]

The 10 hour bus isn't appealing at all
I did the infamous Siam Reap to Bangkok bus which took longer than that on a road which is essentially half finished as the two countries can't agree who should pay the bill! That is of course coupled with queuing for hours at the border with all your bags

[XJSJohn]

Silk Air go from BGG to Siem Reap and from Singa Siem Reap.

There is also a Silk Air flight between Siem Reap and Phnom Phen, you can also usually rent a limo (merc E / S class) when in Phnom Phen to take you further afield southwards

Can also rent these cars in Bkk. They cost a few hundred USD but if its 4 of you travelling it may work out cheaper and you get to see some of teh countryside at your own pace.

[madbadger]

Thanks John. I'll have a look on the map.

We were going to get the bus Phnom Peng to Shianoukville (sp?) then return. its ~4hrs.

Apparently the bus from Phnom Peng to Siam Reap is 6 hrs+ then from siam reap to Shianoukville you have to do both busses. Possibly with an overnight in the middle. Even the return flight PP to SR would save a big chunk of travelling time. SR direct to the coast would be even better.

[Salsera]

Spent two years living in Belize and took Paludrine daily and Nivaquine once a week, never suffered any side affects or was aware of anyone suffering from taking them. Always ued a mossie net and after every shower before getting dressed would cover myself head to foot in insect repellant. Prevention is good advice but you will still get bitten and it's not worth the risk. A girl i went to school with had Malaria, it's not nice and once you've got it, you've got it for life, it will keep coming back and making you ill.... it's a really nasty illness. Don't risk it.

[FPC]

I took Malarone when visiting Malarial areas. I didn't notice any side effects so it got the thumbs up from me.

[VxDuncan]

Air Asia is what you want for dirt cheap flights out of BKK.

IIRC the mossies were pretty bad round the Tonle Sap (as is everything health wise!).

As for mossies, the easiest way to spot them is not to - when you see / hear a gecko, hit the spray.

Personally I would never risk not taking Malarone, even though it costs a bit more I've never had an issue with it (though do take it with meals). Having seen what malaria can do to a person I think you'd be stupid not to. That said, if the only options were larium or dioxythingy I might change my tune, having had a roomate wake me up in the middle of the night screaming (think he'd had a "happylarry" dream), and seen an aussie sheep farmer get sunburnt through a long sleved t-shirt so badly he blistered on dioxythingy.

[Fezant Pluckah]

You really would be a mad badger not to go to Angkor for 1 or 2 days, madbadger

It really is the most spectacular place. Take a couple of days out of vegetating on a beach and get up there. You won't regret it, though you may be able to claim to be the only tourist to visit Cambodia and NOT visit Angkor

[Gedon]

Malarone.

[coetzeeh]

Taking Malaria tabs will not prevent you from getting Malaria, but it will prevent the cerebral malaria - that's the one that kills you.

Covering up with a light long sleeve shirt/trousers early evening will help prevent bites, and a mozzy net at night over your bed is a good idea. Spray your arms/ankles as these are favourite spots for mozzy's.

Drinking G&T's also a good idea - the quinine in the tonic is present in malaria tabs - or you could honk the mozzy's out by drinking rum & coke