Sick from Food or water?

caribbean_bride

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Mar 23, 2004
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I have been hearing a lot about people getting sick from the food in DR at the all-inclusives. Now I am getting worried and wonder if i should have booked our trip to a different country?

Any thoughts? Should I not worry? Are there preventative measures?

Thanks
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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One sure thing is to avoid food that should not be outside the refrigerator long. Most AIs have a buffet table and it possible some "risky" foods may be on the table longer than is safe.

Why people get sick on a trip is hard to know, but usually it is blamed on something they ate at the hotel whether that is the case or not. I see tourists sampling something sold by a street vendor, something I would never do because the chances of getting sick are high. But I bet if they do get sick they blame it on an AI meal.

Bottled water is safe. Also besure to wash your hands with soap and water before handling anything you are going to put in your mouth.

No special precautions needed in the DR that you wouldn't want to take in any similar country.

When you say you have heard of a "lot" getting sick from AIs, I wonder from where you are getting your statistics.
 

caribbean_bride

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Ken said:
When you say you have heard of a "lot" getting sick from AIs, I wonder from where you are getting your statistics.

Thanks for the reply.

I am getting my statistics from boards similar to this one and tripadivsor.com

I have been to Punta Cana before and didn't get sick and two coworkers have also been there before at different resorts with a big group of people and no one from either party got sick. So I try to keep reminding myself that those are people that I ACTUALLY know and there experience. But it still can be unsettling when you are going there for a wedding and bringing people with you.

Do you know if the water they cook with, and make drinks is filtered?

Oh....we are staying at the Melia Caribe Tropical.

Thanks
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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The water they make drinks with is filtered, as is the water used to make ice cubes. The water they cook with may not be, but boiling should take care of that.

Another thing to avoid, however, is fresh salad. Unless you are sure they wash the lettuce, etc., with filtered water, I wouldn't eat it.

Remember, too, that people get sick for different reasons. Sometimes just the stress of getting ready for the trip, etc., is enough to cause some people to have stomach upset on their vacation. So, too, can the change of food and water, even though it isn't contaminated.

I'm certain there is no reason why you or your guests are more likely to get sick in the DR than they are in any of the other islands or Mexico.
 

johne

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Jun 28, 2003
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One thing I noticed-VERY IMPORTANT

AI use the same grill for grilling and cooking both meats and FISH. If you or your wife have fish allergies be extremely careful because the grill man isn't.
About the only thing that affects me are salads that I never eat at AI but then again I dont eat salads at restaurants here in New York.
After perhaps 25 trips to the Dominican Republic I got sick only once on shrimp I ate in a crappy rest. in S.D.(having said this I'll probably get sick on my next trip in Sept. }:)
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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My speculation is that most people get sick because they are not getting enough hydration -- they are drinking lots of soft drinks, beer and alcohol (beware of the rum drinks and the pi?a coladas) and little water and juices, with lots of food and lots of sun.

For travel health recommendations, see http://dr1.com/travel/prepare/health.shtml
 

Jimmydr

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caribbean_bride said:
I have been hearing a lot about people getting sick from the food in DR at the all-inclusives. Now I am getting worried and wonder if i should have booked our trip to a different country?

Any thoughts? Should I not worry? Are there preventative measures?

Thanks

I was sick 2 days out of my 26 trips there in the last 8 years.
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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Rumours are Just That

caribbean_bride said:
I have been hearing a lot about people getting sick from the food in DR at the all-inclusives. Now I am getting worried and wonder if i should have booked our trip to a different country?

Any thoughts? Should I not worry? Are there preventative measures?

Thanks

NB: you hear the same thing about Cuban and Mexican and Costa Rican AI's as well. A mix of overdoing the food and drink and sun and a dash of folklore thrown in for good measure.

Stay away from the water including brushing your teeth and keep your mouth closed while showering.
 

bcmike

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Jan 29, 2004
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no problems

I travel to RD and MX often , which are the bastions for the "don't drink the water" phrases. ricktoronto is right about water in RD (as he is about all things RD) , don't sing in the shower! I DO drink the tap water in MX, without problems, but I only drink bottled water in RD, but past that, i don't worry about getting sick from food, and never have. Interestingly, when i come back from a trip from either pace, my body has a problem readjusting to US food. I wonder why?
I don't eat american fast food crap ever,sticking to beef,chicken and salad, although anymore the salads are giving me problems lol!

Carry Imodium with you, and take one 12 hours before you arrive, and you should be fine.

One other thing. For every person travelling with you, take at least two extra toothbrushes, cause i can guarantee that each of you will rinse a brush in tap water without thinking.Throw that one out, and remember to use bottled H2O the next time.
 

Red_Girl

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Mar 5, 2004
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They are so so right about the toothbrush hints. I was sick on my first trip to the DR - it didn't ruin my trip, but I was afraid to stray too far away from the washroom. Anyway, the first time I brushed my teeth in the tap water. Big mistake. After that first trip, I am very careful to keep my toothbrush away from the tap water, and I don't open my mouth in the shower. Immodium works very well, and so does Pepto Bismol as an easy-on-the-stomach preventative measure. They sell Pepto chewable tablets now. I took one every morning and every time that I felt the slightest twinge in my stomach, and I was fine. I even ate the cold salads from the buffet table. It's all about the toothbrush, I'm telling you.
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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Imodium Advice

Imodium is not a preventative for turista, it slows down the natural muscle operation of the large intestine to allow water to be reabsorbed. Taking it before had will not prevent anything though if you want to be constipated for no reason it will do that.

For the truly paranoid there are two preventative measures for shorter trips - Cipro or similar antibiotic 500mg/ twice day for the duration (this is the same dosage if you get it). However most doctors will not advice taking antibiotics unless as a response to infection ( exception : heart patients having dental surgery sometimes are given one large pre-treatment dose of Gentamycin, etc., to prevent endocarditis).

There is a vaccine for E Coli called Dukoral, taken orally - two doses at least a week before and a week apart then subsequently one dose every three months. It also is a Cholera vaccine, not a huge DR risk right now.

If you get turista take Imodium as directed which is quite a lot actually, 2 doses right away then one every time you "go" up to a total of 8 doses a day. After a full day if it doesn't stop ( or horrors, gets worse) then Cipro 500mg every 12 hours. If that doesn't help in a day then it could be Giardisis or other protozoa/amoeba and you need a doctor, and preferably a real one like Clinica Abreu.

I would not trust a resort doctor and if they have no lab to analyze "it" they are a waste of time anyway. Away from medical help and with no effect from Cipro after 2 days, you can take a 2 grams of Fagisyn (Tinidazole) which is easier than the typically prescribed course of Flagyl for a month and a lot cheaper. Can't buy it in the USA (because it's cheaper than Flagyl by about 95% I suspect) but you can in the DR. NEVER drink alcohol (even mouthwash) with Flagyl or Fagisyn since it acts like Antabuse and you can get deathly ill.

And rehydration is critical for electrolytes - OJ, Club Soda - not Enruqillo but Canada Dry which has sodium and potassium salts, or watered down Gatorade (3:1) - straight Gatorade is too concentrated in the sweetener department but a weak solution adds water and minerals. You can buy oral rehydrations salts and add them to water as well. Litres and litres of liquid a day is required.
 
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