Friday, November 2, 2007
Update
After reading the side effects to my anti-malerial pill I believe that is what I am experiencing. The pill is called Malarone. the insructions say not to give up on the pill as its side effects are so much better than the disease. Strangely, I have not seen a mosquito since I have been here, although I almost am never out in the evening when they are usually out and biting. Has anyone had experience with this latest anti-malerial? I have been lying low all day but hope to get out tom.
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Malarone
May 2001 saw the official launch in the UK of the newly licensed drug Malarone for use as an anti-malarial. Malarone is a combination drug (Atovaquone and Proguanil), which was licensed in the UK back in 1997 for use as a treatment for Malaria.
Manufactured by the drug company GlaxoSmithKline the drug has been shown to be effective in the prevention of P.Falciparum malaria. The main reported side effects seem to have been headaches and stomach irritation, which can be helped by taking the drug with food or a milky drink.
Malarone is already recognised by the Malaria Reference Laboratory and is currently a part of the various databases used in surgeries and travel clinics up and down the country to advise travellers. The drug will be a good alternative for those not wanting to take Mefloquine (Larium) and will be effective in areas of the world where we are seeing increasing Chloroquine resistance. It is important however that is does not get confused with an alternative anti-malarial called Maloprim. I found this on the internet.Linda Stevens
Hey Dad,
I had a terrible time with Larium and eventually stopped taking it on one of my trips to Pakistan. I only had one night when I had to fend off mosquitos, thank goodness. The Larium gave me hallucinations and generally left me feeling like a had a bad case of the flu. After two days in bed, I had had enough. You could go to a local pharmacist in Accra and see what they recommend. One of my colleagues (from Holland) took a different kind of medication (not Larium or Malarone) and it was effective for him.
Good Luck.
Ellen
Posted that too soon. I meant to add that on my next trip to Pakistan I used Malarone for 8 weeks with no ill effects. As I wrote above, it might be worth it to talk to a pharmacist and/or visit a doctor. It may be that you are suffering from something else. I found the pharmacists in Pakistan to be very helpful....for many medications you don't need a prescription.
Wishing you well.
Hi Dad,
So sorry to read that you are feeling unwell. When I was in Kenya, a few people nearly lost their minds on Lariam. I was taking it too with no ill-effects but a few mates in nearby tents were close to psychotic. Trust me, you are best sticking to a different anti-malarial. On a subsequent trip to Vietnam, my UC Boulder colleague was taking a daily anti-malarial which was actually a low-grade antibiotic.
I don't know if this information is at all helpful but you may want to consider that you have some kind of stomach bug. Please answer in private but how have your bodily functions been carrying on? Are you "normal"?
A negative answer may mean that you picked up some bacteria from some food. This of course is almost guaranteed considering where you are. In each of my "exotic" field work experiences there has been an exciting bout of food poisoning-type illness.
Good luck and our thoughts are with you. Love,
Craig
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