Goa Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in Goa.
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Polly50
Colleen, I had a chat this morning with the doctor I work with who specialises in travel medicine. He said that as the malaria parasite out there is resistant to chloroquine, it is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot!!! He has recommended either Malarone or Doxycyline, both of which you can get from your GP by private prescription.


http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/malaria.htm

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image deleted due to possible copyright issues. However, the map can be seen on the given link
Fiona ht mod
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Has anyone tried those patches to help prevent you from being bit?

If so then where did you get them from, what are they called and roughly how much did they cost?
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A copy of an earlier post incase newcomers missed it

Malaria risk heightened in Jamaica and Goa

Agents and operators are being urged to highlight a heightened risk of malaria to clients travelling to Jamaica and Goa.

The National Travel Health Network and Centre has issued an update about malaria in both destinations on its website.

It said Jamaica's Ministry of Health has heightened malaria surveillance and introduced control measures after reports of a case of plasmodium falciparum malaria in a resident of Kingston, Jamaica - the second case to be reported in this area in the last few weeks.

An outbreak, which was first reported in Kingston in December 2006 and involved 370 cases, was thought to have been subsiding.

Although malaria prevention tablets are not recommended, travellers to Jamaica, in particular to the Kingston area, should be aware of the possible risk and protect themselves against evening and night-time biting mosquitoes.

Meanwhile, there has been a rise in malaria among residents in Goa in the first six months of 2007 with 788 cases compared to 240 during the same period in 2006.

There has also been a cluster of malaria cases among UK travellers who visited Goa between December 2006 and March 2007 and cases of other European travellers as recently as August.

Agents were urged to recommend malaria prevention tablets for travellers visiting Goa, particularly those visiting areas north of Panaji and those who will be remote from medical care

A spokesman for ABTA said: "Under our Code of Conduct, members need to inform clients of health requirements that are compulsory for the journeys to be undertaken, and also advise clients travelling abroad to check recommended practice with their GP, practice nurse, or travel health clinic."

For full details go to http://nathnac.org/pro/clinical_updates/index.htm

With permission from Travelmole
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Quote:
Polly50
Colleen, I had a chat this morning with the doctor I work with who specialises in travel medicine. He said that as the malaria parasite out there is resistant to chloroquine, it is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot!!! He has recommended either Malarone or Doxycyline, both of which you can get from your GP by private prescription.


If this is the case, then we will require a private perscription off our doctor.
I have read up on Doxycyline, and it states that children cannot take it.

This year my son who is 4 had chloroquine//phosphate, the same as myself, but obviously his dosage was smaller than mine.

I keep hearing different stories, some people say that chloroquine isnt recommended anymore, yet some people are saying different.

I am totally confused on the matter?

can anyone shed any light?
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I agree its confusing. The recommendations definitely seem to have changed since the beginning of October when I visited the health clinic at our surgery ( and I was given websites to check)
I can only advise you to visit your surgery, which everyone should do in any case.
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I was at the doctors on Friday morning and asked about the correct tablets to take for malaria and travelling to Goa.
The doctor told me to buy Avloclor which you take one a week and Paludrine which you take two every day. Plus the tablets I got in Goa called Chloroquine Phosphate which is also taken one a week.
I started everthing yesterday, Saturday, and within a few hours I felt dreadful. Very, very upset tummy. Normally I am never up nor down with Malaria tablets. I am due to take them again soon today :( so we will see how things go today.
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Gemma, we only ever take the Avaclor and Paludrine. When I had my typhoid jab last week, the nurse said this is what is recommended. Should you be taking the third tablet (Chloroquine Phosphate) as well?

The first time I took them, I was ill, however, I did not take them with a meal. Now I take them with my evening meal and I do not have problems.

If you feel ill today, perhaps your doctor may be able to suggest something else for you to take.
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Hi Sydney Sorry its only the avloclor OR chloroquine phosphate tablets once a week as they both the same ingredients in them. The paludrine tablets are every day, 2 a day.
Ive taken the paludrine today and feel fine, so fingers crossed!
I did read previously in here about taking them in the evening, near to bed time, which is a very good idea. However, ive taken them late morning and I will keep doing that, because I believe you are meant to take them at approximiately the same time each day? So late morning here is late afternoon in Goa.
It is a lot of hassle isnt it? But better to be safe than sorry, especially with the increased numbers of malaria outbreaks in India and Goa.
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I had problems the last time I had to take malaria tablets but this time I've been fine. I take mine after dinner and also did that in Goa.
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Yes Fiona I took them after a late breakfast, probably best near meals times I think.
I will carry them in my bag and take them in work late morning when having something to eat.
Ive never been ill with malaria tablets before, although sometimes my OH gets an upset tummy.
All seems to be well today :D
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Malaria prophylaxis confusion for Goa.

I believe that the confusion over the differing information arises from the following fact, Malaria has 4 different strains of malarial parasites, the strain which can be fatal (Plasmodium Falciparum), is now present in Goa, probably brought in by migrant labour.

Goa has until recently only been plagued with low risk parasites known to cause benign malaria. Goa (and all of India under 2000mts) is now subject to the risk of a malarial parasite that is called Plasmodium Falciparum which if infected with, does not respond to the normal anti malarial tablets. Unfortunately this information (provided by the WHO) is not too widespread currently. Hence the ambiguity from some GPs and other sources of information.

It must be stressed that the chance of catching the Plasmodium Falciparum parasite is very low but unfortunately if one is infected, the normal tablets will not control the onset of Malaria. But they will help in the case of the other strains of Malaria.

Malarone is the best option but it's expensive. All this information I have provided will be endorsed at this genuine website http://www.malarone.com/
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you need to be aware that CHLOROQUINE ,is NOT effective on its own in goa!! it has to be taken in conjunction with something like pauludrine.
check with the chemist.
BOB
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I'm totally confused? seems like Malarone is the ideal tablet but as there are 7 of us going the price would be ridiculous :shock: Practice nurse the other day told my friend to use Chloroqiune but I know from here it is useless on its own. One of the kids is diabetic so I know he can't take Larium,still unsure what we need. Can we buy something here and start taking it and then get the same cheaper in Goa to continue with :?
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Sorry if it is confusing, but essentially, if you take Malarone you are 99% protected against developing malaria from any type of malarial parasite found in Goa. If you use any of the other tablets that you buy WITHOUT a prescription in the UK you are protected against most forms of malaria but not the Plasmodium Falciparum parasite.

Mefloquine (Lariam) is one of the antimalarial drugs which the August 2005 issue of the USA Yellow Sheet advises travelers in areas with malaria risk - Africa, South America, the Indian subcontinent, Asia, and the South Pacific - to take. Other medicines with less risk of severe side-effects and which are equally effective for malaria prevention are Malarone and doxycycline.
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Right, never mind some of the drugs being as effective as a chocolate teapot the advice we received from our pratice nurse was :roll:

First of all he said take Chloroquine and then when I said that the Malaria at present was resistant to that he said "I would'nt even bother taking anything, most people don't, but it's up to you"

I checked out the travel doctor site which was really clear and spelt it out that there are four different regimes depending on the area you are travelling to and the resistance at present in that area.

Goa at the moment comes under regime 1 and only Malarone,Larium or Doxycycline are effective. Back to the doctors as Doxy (the one we decided on) is only avsilable on private prescription. Finally sorted and sent to our local chemist who are ordering it for us at a cost of £9.50 per person for 2 week supply.

Hope this helps clear thing up for some others who like me was totally confused.

Debi
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totally confused ,went to docs on thursday and the nurse there said to take chloroquine/proguanil, is that right or not?
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basically what travel doctor states is where there is resistance to Chloroquine the best regime to take is regime 1 (as i have stated above) As Harikrishna says it is the Plasmodium Falciparum,that is now present in Goa, that is the problem. Doxycycline is available on a private prescription and IMO is the safest/cheapest option at this moment in time.

Debi
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thank you for the reply debi,i am at the doctors again this week for jabs so will tell her.
dawn
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I have Fansidar - same thing as Doxycycline. I had to ask for them on private prescription from my Dr as the travel nurse hadn't even heard of them.

Took them last year too, only one a week and no side affects :)
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