Health Question

Wazoo2

New member
Oct 10, 2006
18
0
0
I've been hearing that visitors to Punta Cana should pre-treat for malaria (one week prior, 8 weeks after visiting). Any truth to that?
 

Caren M.

New member
Jan 27, 2006
112
0
0
It depends who you listen to. We have been coming to DR for many years and in fact live there now for part of the year. Only once did we take anti malaria meds because the CDC in the US advised it after a bad hurricane season. I didn't like the side effects at all although my husband and son were fine. All the major hotels spray so there is little mosquito activity. I personally don't bother anymore.
 

Audra

Bronze
Mar 19, 2006
699
0
0
been there 3 times this year, once with 70 people, no one took the meds - no need.
 

ahogachivo

New member
Oct 5, 2006
41
0
0
be smart what the damage nothing to lose plenty to gain,the old saying goes better safe than sorry.
 

Audra

Bronze
Mar 19, 2006
699
0
0
I think the course of treatment is long and I believe you are not allowed to drink alcohol while on treatment.
 

danceaway

New member
Jun 22, 2006
97
0
0
Treatment

The course of treatment is not long, and the perticular drugs that would be the recommendation for Malaria are : 1) Quinine ( inexpensive, but risky side effects ) 2) Plaquenil ( Hydroxychloroquine, expensive ) relatively little if any side effects, and no long term treatment, 3) Prednisone ( expensive and derivitive of sythetic hormone similar to hyrocortisone, a true steriod, but under proper care and short term treatment, not lasting detrimental side effects. ) . Drinking is never recommnded under medically prescribed care. But it is not a long term treatment for this illiness, so a short abstinance from drinking is a mild trade off. And Please remember under no circumstances do I recommend any medical treatment unless diagnoised and treated directly by your attending physician. These are only the facts.....not a medical course of treatment, or a diagnosis followed by a medical course of treatment.
Malaria can ruin a great vacation, and cause other medical issues if not addressed. See a Dr. if you are concerned.
 

Wazoo2

New member
Oct 10, 2006
18
0
0
Thank you all -- I'll check with our local MD too. Just can't imagine that I'd want to spend a week at an AI and not drink though!
 

dchenriquez

New member
Jan 26, 2005
106
0
0
Don't do it, not worth it. I'm Canadian and was just down there for the past 6 months and wouldn't recommend it. I've seen many guests at the resorts taking it and it was making them sick. There is no threat of Malaria there right now. There was last year but it's long gone now. No worries!!!
 

La Mariposa

Bronze
Jun 4, 2004
1,843
60
0
No worries. Why? Am I wrong?

My wife and I are leaving for the D.R. on November 16 for 6 months and our doctor recommanded us to take anti malarian pills. We are going to take, as we do each year, malarone. Aralen gives me headaches but no side effects with the malarone.
 

anneeoakland

New member
Feb 12, 2005
48
0
0
Anti- malaria meds may prevent malaria, but you still need to avoid (repellent/long sleeves/etc) the mosquitos due to dengue fever. There were several (40ish) deaths in the DR from dengue this summer. And there are no prevention meds for that.
 

dchenriquez

New member
Jan 26, 2005
106
0
0
Actually, there weren't 40ish deaths, try more like 4000 from Dengue this summer. There was an outbreak, and still is as far as i know. Nothing to be too worried about if your going to resorts as they spray for bugs and those are not the parts where you get dengue. More in the cities and a lot of the poorer parts of the country. But no preventative medacine for Dengue. As far as malaria goes, i'm not sure what the point is of taking the malaria pills. Malaria pills don't stop you from getting malaria, it just down plays the systems. Which is silly to me, because you might have it for a while before you realize, making it harder to treat.
 

La Mariposa

Bronze
Jun 4, 2004
1,843
60
0
Actually, there weren't 40ish deaths, try more like 4000 from Dengue this summer. There was an outbreak, and still is as far as i know. Nothing to be too worried about if your going to resorts as they spray for bugs and those are not the parts where you get dengue. More in the cities and a lot of the poorer parts of the country. But no preventative medacine for Dengue. As far as malaria goes, i'm not sure what the point is of taking the malaria pills. Malaria pills don't stop you from getting malaria, it just down plays the systems. Which is silly to me, because you might have it for a while before you realize, making it harder to treat.

Could you just repeat, cause I forgot, from which medecine faculty, university did you graduate ?