BootsnAll Travel Community

Hey All,
Bleh, I feel like crap for the like 19th consecutive day. I believe it's from the Malarone we're taking, because we both have the same symptoms and it started soon after getting on the anti-malarials. But then, water (which I haven't drank except bottled, but have had street food and a little ice) can give similar nasty symptoms. So it's hard to say what's causing it.

Have any of you had a bad reaction to Malarone? What happened if so? We've had almost no mosquito bites (taking our vitamin B), would you risk it and stop taking the drug if you were me? It freaking sucks being stuck in a hotel room in a rad place like Ho Chi Minh City.

Thanks,
B

I don't know if I'd risk it - malaria is pretty serious. Here's what I found on vitamin B:

"Vitamin B as Mosquito Repellent
There has been quite a bit of discussion about the role of Vitamin B in mosquito avoidance. Taking large quantities of vitamin B unfortunately does not decrease the number of mosquito bites you get. Such an apparently simple solution to mosquito avoidance is appealing, but careful scientific trials have failed to show any mosquito repelling effects as a result of taking oral vitamin B, including B1.

*There is some evidence that the use of B1 will make any bites feel less itchy, but it does not reduce the risk of diseases spread by biting mosquitoes."

Be careful if you decide to go off 'em.

Hi-

Since you asked...
I am recently back from a trip to Bangkok, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos. There were eight of us, all taking Malarone. These are some of the COMMON side effects: Diarrhea; difficulty sleeping; dizziness; headache; loss of appetite; nausea; stomach pain; vomiting; weakness - and in our group, about half of us had one or more of them, particularly diarrhea, loss of appetite and insomnia (beyond what might have been expected from jet lag). These symptoms persisted throuigh the trip.
We all drank bottled water all the time.

My case was a little different. In Hanoi I had an acute allergic reaction - anaphylaxis - which is listed as a "rare" side effect of Malarone. I was rushed to the SOS Clinic which was fortunately a few blocks from our hotel and so I survived. The doctor there - (Dr. Saroya Berreghis-Mazeery, whom others on this forum may have had occasion to meet)- noted that Malarone can cause these reactions and took me off it. (Since returning I have been tested for food allergies and have none).
I have since been taking Doxycycline for what seems like forever (3 weeks to go). It has been giving me unpleasant intestinal side effects but at least they are not life threatening. If you can tolerate it, I believe that Malarone is considered to be a better and more effective medication for malaria in SE Asia than doxycycline (Larium is for Africa. I took it there, briefly, with no disastrous side effects). Contrary to most travel disease web sites, Dr. Berreghis-Mazeery said there is no threat of malaria in Viet Nam.
My view is that all malaria preventative drugs are awful but necessary.

I hope you feel better by now.

quote:

Originally posted by Brianne:
Hey All,
Bleh, I feel like crap for the like 19th consecutive day. I believe it's from the Malarone we're taking, because we both have the same symptoms and it started soon after getting on the anti-malarials. But then, water (which I haven't drank except bottled, but have had street food and a little ice) can give similar nasty symptoms. So it's hard to say what's causing it.

Have any of you had a bad reaction to Malarone? What happened if so? We've had almost no mosquito bites (taking our vitamin B), would you risk it and stop taking the drug if you were me? It freaking sucks being stuck in a hotel room in a rad place like Ho Chi Minh City.

Thanks,
B

I had a pretty bad side effect to Malarone--my ankle swelled up with fluid. Fluid in the legs can be a side effect, and this wasn't fun. My ankle was red, swollen, and it hurt to walk on. To boot, this was in the midst of Carnaval. I ended up going off Malarone a day later (my time was up) but I went to a pharmacy where I got some meds.

Booo Malaraone! Do you think other meds are better?

I read somewhere that the sign of bites you see, the red marks are actually an elergic reaction to the saliva of the Mosquito. Not everyone is elergic, and even if you have no marks, you ARE still being bitten just it is not obvius. Everyone gets bitten & to think your different is crazy talk! =P

EDIT: It seems this is a pretty old thread, how did it go in the end?

I just came back from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in Africa. After 5 weeks of Malarone I had to go to the emergency room in the USA. I wrote a journal about my work and my health while I was there. If you want to know more about journal, send me a message. The Malarone has had severe side effects on my central nervous system and synapse; I feel like my throat is closing up on me and I panick. If you notice you are more nervous or tense or your muscles start aching, I suggest you look for alternatives. This type of side effect can leave permanent and/or severe damage, especially if you have a low immunity or infection. Make sure you are healthy to take Malarone.

My case was just unfortunate. I think because of the vaccines I took just before leaving (Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Polio, TwinRix for Hepatitis A&B, & Meningitis), Malarone, throat infection, and very little rest, my immunity dropped dramatically and allowed Candida, a form of fungus, much like yeast infection, to accumulate out of control and beyond what my immunity can fight. I think that several factors that have lowered my immunity have caused this infection to spread from my tongue to my esophagus and, potentially, to my lungs. The Malarone only made my condition worse, it didn't cause it.

Wow! Poor you Geno77.... I'm sorry to hear about your health... I personally have a weak imune system (I have M.S., hence my central nervous system is already pretty fu**ed up!) and I never had problems with malarone. On the other hand Lariam was giving me terrible side effects, to the point where I had to stop taking it during a trip...
And so I guess everyone's system reacts differently...

Geez, I'm rather miffed Chloroquin is no longer useful in most malaria areas as I already know it works for me without side effect. These instances of Malarone and Lariam reactions causing (what I consider to be) severe side effects is killing my travel buzz!

Sorry you're not feeling well Bri. Perhaps you can stop into a local clinic. I assume the local providers are the best people to be asking for advice.

I know, Dave, reading this is giving me the case of the heebie jeebies. We are leaving for SEA in 2 months and have to make a decision pretty soon. After reading this, I am contemplating Doxycycline, but i am already fair and am worried about the sun sensitivity it can cause....

what is a gal to do?

Hey gettingouttahere,

With your skin sensitivity I think you might not want to go with doxy. I read on another girls blog and her and her husband both got like skin bruising from it. its tough to decide...

i took doxy for acne when i was younger and it didn't cause me much trouble

do you have fair skin, justin? I knew a girl who took doxy for acne and she broke out in a rash too.... she had really really sensitive skin and the sun did not like it.