BootsnAll Travel Community

I know the CDC advises taking them, but I've had a lot of friends who are advising against them for one reason or another. Any insight from those who with better knowledge?

There are no mosquitos on Kilimanjaro, at least above about 4,000 ft. Your only time to worry about malaria would be when you aren't on the mountain.

Donovan

Saying that, almost everyone seemed to catch malaria when I was in Tanzania at the coast. It depends on where you plan to travel to. If you know that there is malaria around at the time you are in the area, take the pills!

read up on the (lifelong) effects on malaria before making any decisions. its not pretty.

I'm NOT promoting NOR do suggest anyone buy this (Demal200). I have no experience with it or even know if its legit or not. I only post this link that I happened accross for those looking for a homeopathic prophylactic for malaria.

http://www.blueturtlegroup.com/catalog/2

Don't even go there. When you catch malaria, it will be too late to discover that the homeopathic remedy wasn't effective.

I have had malaria before and I am just fine, so are many of my Tanzaniana and expat friends. It's a common ailment in Africa and you can get it treated for about $10 just about anywhere. People who die from malaria are generally ones who do not have it treated.

There are several strains of malaria. I've had Plasmodium vivax malaria and lived through it--most do. Plasmodium falciparum or cerebral malaria is another matter. People die from it because they do not always respond to treatment. In some areas, it is also difficult to obtain the right drugs on time. This may not be so much a problem in EastAfrica, but please follow CDC/NIH recommendations:

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travel/index.htm

quote:

Originally posted by Donovan:
I have had malaria before and I am just fine, so are many of my Tanzaniana and expat friends. It's a common ailment in Africa and you can get it treated for about $10 just about anywhere. People who die from malaria are generally ones who do not have it treated.

The problem is that the symptoms of malaria are so wide ranging and general that they can be easily confused for other diseases. Thus people don't get treated quickly enough. In the case of P. falciparum infections this can often be fateful.

Hi

I took malaria pills when I went to Kilimanjaro a couple of years back (see http://gardkarlsen.com/kilimanjaro_index.htm ) as I thought better safe than sorry. But the malaria mosquito does not live over a certain altitude so if you are going straigt to a hotel located high up and you protect yourself against the mosquito you can at least minimise the risk of getting malaria.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

quote:

Originally posted by red6:
homeopathic prophylactic for malaria.

Ahh, that nice-sounding word, 'homeopathic'. Sounds comforting, doesn't it? Like a remedy from 'home', gentle, without all those harsh chemicals foisted on us by evil corporations.

Well, it turns out that 'homeopathic' has a specific meaning. Homeopathy is in fact a philosophy of treatment, in short one which holds that the efficacy of a specific compound to treat medical conditions becomes intensified in direct proportion to its DILUTION. If one unit of Compound X is good, then half is better, a quarter better still, and 1/256th should be enough to instill immortality.

Don't believe me? Read the label on any over-the-counter remedy labeled 'homeopathic' in any drugstore in America. (Dunno the labeling laws outside the US) You'll find the active ingredient for a headache remedy will be aspirin, naproxen etc. as only .00001% of each dose, with inert materials making up the rest.

Whenever you see the word 'homeopathic', think 'witch doctor/snake oil'.

The BnA community's recent loss of Kinga to malaria prompted much discussion on this topic, most usefully for this thread here.

FWIW

I just got my prescription for Malarone yesterday. I axed the doc about these other types of meds, or not taking any at all because I'll only be at the vulnerable altitude for just a few days, and he just rolled his eyes, shook his head, and said "Why would you want to take a chance?"

I have seen people on Kilimanjaro that are completely paranoid, anxious, and not comfortable being on the mountain whatsoever because of a mixture of Diamox (altitude), Malarone (malaria) and Ambien (sleep) and just arriving in Tanzania.

quote:

Originally posted by Donovan:
I have seen people on Kilimanjaro that are completely paranoid, anxious, and not comfortable being on the mountain whatsoever because of a mixture of Diamox (altitude), Malarone (malaria) and Ambien (sleep) and just arriving in Tanzania.

Anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations are potential side effects of mefloquine (Lariam) not Malarone. Some people experience extremely serious psychological disturbances from mefloquine and that's why you should probably do a trial run before you do something potentially dangerous like climb a mountain or scuba dive. Or take Malarone or doxycycline instead. Most people (like me) don't have psychological problems on mefloquine but when they do, it's ugly.

P. falciparum is not something to mess with and I have and will always take malaria tablets anytime it's recommended in Africa. And while it's true that most ex pats and all locals I've ever met in Africa don't take anti-malarials, self diagnosis and finding local treatment are not things that most short term travelers are up to coping with.

Is it possible to buy Malaria tablets in Africa for cheap. I know in India they are dime a dozen. Here in US, after co-pay, they cost like $13 a piece for Larium -- which I think is ridiculos.

yes, it's cheap, but it depends upon where in Africa. In major cities - yes. In the rural areas, probably not. Much of Africa is very rural.

If you have any doubts about taking Malaria tablets please read "Kinga's" story! http://www.kingafreespirit.pl/kingaen/
She died of Cerebral Malaria after not taking her Malaria Pills. She was a young beautiful person. You can also read about her in the Lonely Planet site on the Africa thread.

I believe that there is a bit more to the story than that.

You can read a little more here http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/messagepost.cfm?posta...=1&parentid=0&from=1

DOXYCYCLINEis an antibiotic that is effective in preventing malaria. I take a pill every day.
You need to start dosing at least a week before and at least a week after exposure.
I like taking doxy because it helps with other little nasty infections.
MALARONE is also effective in preventing the onset of malaria....but it made me edgy and irritable (of course some people say I'm like that anyway..but I digress...)
Prevention is better than cure I say....and it doesn't weigh that much....