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Zambia Botswana South Africa
I was wondering how many people took anti malaria meds on previous trips and if they had any reaction. We are leaving the beginning of May.
Shirley
0
I was wondering how many people took anti malaria meds on previous trips and if they had any reaction. We are leaving the beginning of May.
Shirley
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Our family, including teenagers, have taken them on two separate trips with no side effects. We took ours at night after our evening meal.
We took them until side effects caused us to stop.
We took the meds on our first three trips to Africa. On the fourth we, and most of the other guests, stopped taking them due to side effects. Only one college age girl continued to take them. I don’t think any of our TD’s on these trips took them … I know at least three of them did not.
Never mind what other people do, talk to your Travel Doctor.
We take malaria meds every trip, never had a problem and now don’t care what other people think or do, it’s our health and our choice.
We're heading to that area soon and will not be taking Malaria pills.
Years ago, I took chloroquine and primaquine tablets for malaria with no problems.
We have been to Africa three times and always take the Malaria tablets. We are lucky and had no side effects but even if we had I would still take them unless the doctor recommended otherwise.
We visited a travel medicine physician and, at his direction, took Malarone for Ecuador and the Amazon as well as South Africa (malaria is endemic in certain areas including Kruger National Park - but in some concessions it’s not an issue). That said, I didn’t see many mosquitos and never got bitten, and I tend to be a mosquito magnet. I think it also depends on the season and time of year. We also treated our clothes with permethrin and used insect repellent. But we have always consulted a travel doctor for “exotic” locations as they will ask for your itinerary and will make recommendations based on that. We had no issues at all with the meds, fortunately.
I've taken them 3 times- different trips- (Malarone) no side effects- took them at breakfast time with dairy products - yogurt, milk.
Costco Pharmacy sales it @ great price if your insurance doesn't cover it.
It is a personal decision. If you have any gerd or acid reflux or stomach issues in general you may find the meds will adversely effect you. I don’t have any serious stomach issues and took malaria meds . By the 3rd day I was so sick I had to see a doctor. He took me right off the malaria meds. Went on with the trip, didn’t get malaria nor did anyone else
We both have Gerd and never have issues with Malaria meds. You don’t get malaria instantly, it can take up to a year to become evident. That is why if you develop a high fever within a year of returning from a country that has malaria, your doctor should test you. With Covid now in the mix as well, thay makes it more complicated. US citizens can and do contract malaria when in Africa.