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I'm going to South-East Asia on New Years Eve for six months or so and I will be travelling to rural areas such as Laos and Cambodia. I'm thinking about not taking malaria pills and I just wanted the best tips to avoid getting bitten by mosquitos.

For example if wearing long sleeves and trousers do you still spray everywhere or just at the wrists, ankles and neck? How often do you apply it? Is there an emergency kit I can take with me if I start showing symptoms of malaria?

Any tips would be appreciated no matter how unimportant they may seem. Opinions on why I should take the pills are welcome.

Thanks...

Hey Marcus, I'm one of those people who feel strongly about taking anti-malaria pills (for myself) and if you were going to sub-Saharan Africa w/o them I'd say you were off your rocker, but I won't try to convince you for SEA.

You should cover all exposed skin with mosquito repellant and reapply often. I usually sweat it off pretty quickly in hot climates. I've also gotten bit through my clothes so you may want to consider clothes treated with Permethrin. I hate Deet so I normally use the Burts Bees natural repellant oil and it works for a limited time in areas where the mosquitoes aren't that bad, but then I'm taking the malaria pills so a few bites probably won't kill me (dengue fever would suck, though). DEET is what's recommended and if it's your only line of defense then you should probably use it.

As for taking the emergency treatment for malaria, talk to a travel clinic doctor because you're going to need a prescription and know what to do with it. Reasons why I don't take the emergency dose with me: 1) I'm not a doctor and don't know how to diagnose malaria which has a lot of the same symptoms of common illnesses like the flu; 2) I don't trust myself to dose myself correctly when I'm most likely seriously ill and probably delirious; and 3) I worry about taking the drugs improperly and contributing to the growing problem of drug-resistant malaria. I don't know if that's actually how it happens but I worry about it.

I travel to SE Asia annually and do not take anti-malarials.
(On the other hand, I am a fucking idiot.)

Mosquitos generally fly close to the ground and come out at dawn and dusk. I always make sure to spray my ankles with a pump spray containing DEET before I go outdoors for my first cup of coffee and cigarette.

Remember that sprays containing DEET work not as a repellant, but by camouflaging.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Ehrlich:
(On the other hand, I am a fucking idiot.)...
I always make sure to spray my ankles with a pump spray containing DEET before I go outdoors for my first cup of coffee and cigarette.

So worried about the little flying insects while puffing away to his death...

(teasing, by the way)

Well, if you take the pills you're less likely to develop malaria. That said, I'm just back from Moçambique, where I was in bed for a week with malaria, although I took my prophylaxis (lariam), so there's no garantuee. There just are a lot of resistant strains around, especially in East Africa.

However, there are drawbacks apart from the usual side efects:
My malaria was quite severe because Lariam suppressed the symptoms, sort of and unsuccesfully after a while. Essentially, I was travelling around with malaria for a week without feeling sick or recognising it as such, so when it was finally diagnosed it was much worse than the usual.

The alternative would be NOT to take the prohylaxis and travelling with the cure pills (Fansidar and Quinine) and as soon you're only thinking you might have malaria, taking those. This way, you'll only be sick for 2 days the most. Obviously, this only works if you are confident to recognise the symptons straight away. (I would say: only if you had malaria before)

This old malaria debate does seem to cause some confusion (well to me anyway). basically I think I'm going to take Doxy all through Africa (starting in East & ending up in South) as i think this seems to be the recommended one (although sunburn side effect seems a bit of a nightmare cos i'm not the best in the sun but I guess cover up & use sun cream i should be ok).
I then get to India and will only be in the cities. Should I continue to take some medication or not? If not the is Doxy OK?
Then SE Asia where I'll be using Doxy again...am i right in thinking that it is cheaper to buy this whilst out there? Is this readily available in Beijing?
Yikes, this is heavy going!!!

oh and does anyone know the costs of tablets in the UK?