Leaving for the Amazon help needed

[harry.falconer]

Hi Everyone,

Im currently in BA but will be travelling to Guyana via the amazon. My only problem is that i dont have any malaria tablets. I was wondering if anyone knew where i could get them from and how much they would cost out here? Thanks

 

[Markgeezer]

They are not commonly sold in Buenos Aires and only by prescription *receta* and there are warnings on the web about false and dodgey malaria tablets on sale. You are better off buying them in a major city in Brazil. Just out of curiosity what is your planned route? Are you looking for something in particular on this journey. Suerte

 

[KarlaBA]

First you should know that there are different types of anti-malaria medication - it is advisable to have a kit with a few of the different types.

Second, you can buy at least two of the types without a prescription from Farmacity or any other Farmacia. They are easy to find and most farmacias in BsAs do sell them.

Third, it is advisable to NOT take the pills before hand. The side-effects can be bad and not worth it. Malaria in the Amazon region is not as common as the media would have you believe. You are better off to have a cocktail of the appropriate pills handy, then if you do actually start getting malaria symptoms, start taking the pills in a heavy dose.

I can't remember what i paid for them the last time i bought them, but I think that one type of the medication was extremely cheap and the other was only moderately cheap. In any case the cost was a minor fraction of what it costs in North America or Europe.

Additionally, I encourage you to get some anti-dysentery medication as well. And of course, get a yellow fever inoculation.

You need to know the technical names of these drugs before you go to the farmacia so that you can ask for them by name. Do a little research on the internet and you will find what names the drugs are sold under.

 

[dennisr]

Additionally, I encourage you to get some anti-dysentery medication as well.

Karla knows what she is talking about. My suggestion is radiator sealer, about the only thing that will work.

.They used to have this weekly pill that could choke a horse and the side effects......run run runs

 

[ndcj]

The Amazonian areas (along with all of the areas with malaria risk in South America) are what as known as a "IV" malaria risk prevention area -- meaning that you should take both precautions against mosquito bites as well as a prophylaxis other than chrloroquine.

You have three choices of prophylaxis for type IV areas. Doxycycline, Malarone and Mefloquine. Be particularly careful with Mefloquine if you have a history of any kind of heart or psych problems.

The most common, cheapest and the one with least side effects is doxycycline (doxiciclina in Spanish). It's an antibiotic that is safe to take for long periods of time (it's used by people with chronic acne for up to year). You can buy it very cheaply over the counter in most farmacias (it's venta baja receta achivada, but unless you go to a huge chain farmacia no one cares).

The WHO guideline is a single 100mg tablet starting the day before travel to the area and continue for 4 weeks after leaving the risk area.

For all of them, the most common side effect is stomach cramps. For this reason, you might want to start taking the doxy a week, rather than a day, before you leave, because if you do get stomach cramps, they'll usually stop a few days after you start taking them and tolerating them better.

Don't think that taking the prophylaxis is the end of it either, you still need to take preventative steps against actually being bitten as well. DEET repellent, mosquito nets if camping, etc.

Lastly, if you're going into the very foresty uninhabited areas of the Amazon, don't listen to people telling you not to worry about taking any prophylaxis. That is one of the highest risk areas of the world, and you really don't want malaria, it's not like getting a cold because you ignored mum's advice to take an umbrella. None of the prophylaxis drugs treat malaria, they just *help* to prevent it.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

First you should know that there are different types of anti-malaria medication - it is advisable to have a kit with a few of the different types.

Second, you can buy at least two of the types without a prescription from Farmacity or any other Farmacia. They are easy to find and most farmacias in BsAs do sell them.

Third, it is advisable to NOT take the pills before hand. The side-effects can be bad and not worth it. Malaria in the Amazon region is not as common as the media would have you believe. You are better off to have a cocktail of the appropriate pills handy, then if you do actually start getting malaria symptoms, start taking the pills in a heavy dose.

I can't remember what i paid for them the last time i bought them, but I think that one type of the medication was extremely cheap and the other was only moderately cheap. In any case the cost was a minor fraction of what it costs in North America or Europe.

Additionally, I encourage you to get some anti-dysentery medication as well. And of course, get a yellow fever inoculation.

You need to know the technical names of these drugs before you go to the farmacia so that you can ask for them by name. Do a little research on the internet and you will find what names the drugs are sold under.

Karla, I admire and respect your insight into banking http://baexpats.org/143381-post19.html but your advice about malaria is seriously crap and dangerous to boot. If you have avoided malaria by following your own advice then you only have good luck to thank for it. I've written about malaria on this forum before but the advice above from ndcj is right on the button.

 

[PhilipDT]

I took Larium (Mefloquine) when I went to the amazon. Not much to say except for I didn't get malaria so I guess it worked.

 

[sam3g]

I just found a huge batch of malaria tablets I got in 2010 and never used. Was about to throw them away if you want them!

 

[syngirl]

You are better off to have a cocktail of the appropriate pills handy, then if you do actually start getting malaria symptoms, start taking the pills in a heavy dose.

This is seriously bad advice. You do not need to take a cocktail of drugs against malaria and you certainly shouldn't be self-medicating with a cocktail of drugs.

Thanks to misinformation like that we get super-strands! Yay world.

You do need to know exactly what strand is in the region you're going to and take the appropriate medications for that strand. And like antibiotics you NEED TO FINISH THE FULL COURSE OF DRUGS. please, for the rest of us humans if you start, take the whole cycle.

 

[rachelusa]

I agree with Syngirl and elhombresinnombre. You need to be taking the drugs before you depart and for the whole time you are there and afterwards (follow the instructions). In a previous life I lived in Africa and got fed up with taking the tablets all the time so took them on and off - the worst thing I could have done. Consequently I got malaria - not nice