BootsnAll Travel Community

My partner has had a bad fever, aches, headache, and general flu like symptoms since yesterday morning, he didn't sleep last night hardly at all - tossing and turning.

And today he is no better. He's back in bed now - it's mid-afternoon here.

It's two weeks since we left Flores - a high risk malaria zone.

I've just been reading online (always a recipe for panic), that malaria symptoms are as I describe and often show up around two weeks after being bitten.

I'm not sure what to do. I haven't mentioned my fears to Alex - if he just has a bug, this wouldn't help any.

In the UK, I would ring the GP or NHS direct - not sure what to do here. I've checked out where the local hospitals are but is it a case of just turning up and saying that he's been ill for a few days and we've just left a malaria zone.

(Over 2500 people return to the UK each year with malaria - 12 on average die - damn the internet).

I'm not sure what to do - I have (managed) OCD so I panic quickly - boo and hiss!

Thought?

I'd have it checked out - best case scenario, false alarm, worst case he's in the right hands!

That's pretty much what I think, but is it just a case of turning up at the hospital. Do I do that after one day, is that a bit soon or wait and see in the morning.

Of course I have to see what he things, and he's asleep at the minute.

How crap that something as serious as malaria as the same symptoms as countless other conditions.

I'm a wuss. I'd go ASAP after listening to all those symptoms. I once had my hand bother me for half a day and I went to the hospital. There I found out I'd been bitten by a brown recluse spider (most venemous in USA). My speed in getting there saved me from far worse damage. Your partner might not have malaria, but it sounds like he does have something serious. Why chance it?

I hope it is a false call, but do check it out.
kendrick

If it was me that was sick, I would probably ignore it until I "had" to go. With that being said, if it was my wife, we would probably already be at the doctors even if she did not want to.

So, I would say it is best to have it checked out.

There is no harm in checking in with a doctor, especially if your instinct tells you to!

As a side note, I had the same thing happen to me in Turkey of all places. It lasted a few days and I was fine (as you noted, these are symptoms of any number of illnesses, I decided mine was heat exhaustion because of what I was doing the days before it hit me).

If I had been in a malarial zone and felt like that? I probably would have felt the same way you do and gone to a doctor. good luck.

Following your gut is a good thing. Do what it says.

It's never ideal following anyone with OCDs gut - else most of the time everyone would be screaming - 'panic we're all going to die, and then counting all the steps back to their room.'

Is it wrong to joke about your own condition - I don't think so.

He seemed better this afternoon, got up for a few hours, ate something and now he's having an early night.

I thing sense dictates that we wait till tomorrow and if he hasn't improved that's nearly three days of being ill and even if it isn't anything as serious as Malaria, a course of antibiotics might be in order.

Question: Are you guys taking malaria medication?
If you arn't I would suggest going to the doc to get tested just.in.case.
My dad had malaria a few times and he would go from horrible to a little better to horrible ect. Its a cyclical disease. So I'd get him in anyway just to make sure.

The quicker you treat the problem the faster you will cure it and the less painful it will be. I'd get your arse to the docs pronto.

We are both taking Malaria medication. But I agree about getting it treated quickly. If it hasn't improved by morning, it's 1am now, I can't sleep, thankfully he can, we'll get it checked out.

And regardless of whether it turns out to be malaria or not, a long-term fever is a bad thing.

Yeh definately see a doctor as soon as you can. Even if it turns out to be a false alarm seeing a doctor and getting checked out will give you both peace of mind. I hope everything works out ok for you.

And... It will be much easier, cheaper, and quicker to see a doctor in Thailand than in the US or many other places.

i'm a wait and see type of person, however i'm not coming from a malaria zone. I can say from experience that looking up medical issues online leaves you with a host of problems. The worst thing about looking things up online is that all the regular people who are posting on there are that 1% of the population who got super ill and everyone missed their symptoms. They're usually bitter and so they post about everything, which from experience, causes a lot of panic when you read it.

If it were me i would wait, mainly because i hate doctors and hospitals and would be totally terrified to go into a foreign hospital but if it were my friend, i would bring them in if they didn't get better after a day.

I would definitely get it checked out ASAP. Are you insured? Call the insurance company straight away (they may even be able to assist you with practicalities, such as sending someone around to assist you if you're in a big city).

As Prisa said, Malaria can be cyclical. Feeling better for a day or so is no indication that you partner is on the mend, if he indeed has malaria.

10 days on from your original post - how are things? Did you go to the doctors in the end?

I hope your partner is feeling better.

Like me, he'll only go to the doctors if he has to be carried there. So in the end we picked up so antibiotics from the pharmacy and after a weeks course he's fine.

It could have been worse, but thankfully it wasn't

I would have gone to a doctor.

There are a lot of kinds of Malaria. Some of them can cause serious internal damage with the fevers and headaches, which may go away, but the virus stays.

You know, If you had gone to the doctor and he looked at your partner, he probably would have written a scrip for a strong anti malarial and you would have been on the way. If it worked, you'd know it was Malaria. The anti malarials like quinine don't have many bad side effects, USUALLY, though one of them causes sun sensitivity., others nightmares SOMETIMES. If they have a good tropical diseases department, they can tell you which type it is, and if you should worry more. That way when you get the same symptons again, since it DOOES recur, you can treat it immediately and stop any long term damage.

So, if you want to forestall any long term damage, when you get home, or are near a tropical diseases center, check it out IF you have health insurance....

Oh, one more thing.
If the symptoms included muscle aches, it could have been Dengue, and that, unfortunately, has no cure.

I had that once. It wasn't pleasant.

Its also a mosquito borne disease.

You had Dengue 'which has no cure'? And yet you're here to write - that's good going.

Have you never watched TV, it's always the 'routine checks' where people find out that they only have a week to live. Boo to 'routine checks'

I want my last week to be one I enjoy

If it comes back I'm sure my partner will get it checked. We had anti malaria tablets throughout all our trip, so I would rather put it down to a bug from crappy food and get on with enjoying our trip. Thanks for everyones concern though