The Accurate Reloading Forums
Malaria meds. in RSA
25 January 2007, 16:58
Mad DogMalaria meds. in RSA
Due to some of the rather serious side effects of malaria meds, just how neccessary is it to take it for a July plains game hunt, even if one is hunting in the extreme northern province/limpopo, near Krueger? Some places I have read, that the meds are as bad as the disease. Are you really going to get into mosquitos in their dead of winter? Any input appreciated.
Mad Dog
25 January 2007, 17:07
Safari-HuntThere is still a chance but it is very minimal.
My one friend stayed in Balule just north of Klaserie and next to Kruger for over a year without taking any malaria meds. And I'm sure that most people that stay in the area permantely don't use either.
Take some mozzy repelant along and you should be fine.
Frederik Cocquyt
I always try to use enough gun but then sometimes a brainshot works just as good.
25 January 2007, 17:18
patrkyhntrWhy take that chance? My wife and I took what is supposedly the worst of all the malaria meds, larium, on our two previous trips to RSA. I had one wierd dream the first time, and actually enjoyed it. If you have certain types of mental disorders it can be a problem. There are other meds that don't have that side effect. Talk to your doctor. See if he would rather treat you for malaria if you get it than give you a prophylactic medicine.
THE LUCKIEST HUNTER ALIVE!
25 January 2007, 17:25
butchloclarium does give bad side effects to some poeple and other nothing, so does malarone. I just happen to be one of the ones who gets the effects. solution is doxycylin. doxy also protects against tick fever, malaria in your area is unlikely, but tick bite fever is common. the only thing about doxy is it makes you sun burn easy, this can be limited by taking the pill at night. combined with cloroquin i've never had a problem. yes there are some forms that these pills aren't effective on, but they are really rare, and quite deadly.
25 January 2007, 18:19
Bill Cquote:
Originally posted by butchloc:
larium does give bad side effects to some poeple and other nothing, so does malarone. I just happen to be one of the ones who gets the effects.
What side effects did you have on the Malarone? I have used Doxy and Larium in the past, and was consideing Malarone next time.
25 January 2007, 18:29
BuliwyfGo to your doctor and tell them where you are travelling. Get all shots and medicines well in advance of your trip. Don't take chances.
An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of lead.
25 January 2007, 18:41
ALF/
25 January 2007, 19:01
ghundwanWinter is the lowest risk time, you will see very few if any Mozzies.
If you don't want to take the medication, use sprays as suggested by Safari hunt. My family have never taken the medication only repelents Mylol, Tabard all work well.
They normally get you on the ankles just after sun down.
25 January 2007, 20:47
Bill/OregonI'm curious about the Malarone side effects, too, as I have a prescription to fill for a May hunt in Namibia.
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
25 January 2007, 21:55
butchlocmy side effects were really similar to larium with the weird dreams, dizzy, nauseated, fever. my bod doesn't like meds to well of any kind, but between the larium or malarone it was a tossup.
26 January 2007, 03:14
Use Enough GunI have used Malarone for the last two Safaris and have had absolutely no problems. I also took Malarone when visiting the Limpopo Province near Kruger National Park while in the Balule reserves, and again in the Kwa-Zulu-Natal area of South Africa near Pongola, once in June and once in August. This was based upon recommendations from friends, and although the chance of getting Malaria was possibly negligible, I did not want to take the chance. Why should you? Go with the malaria medications.
26 January 2007, 03:34
ALF/
26 January 2007, 05:43
Use Enough GunEven more reason for taking the malaria medications. And, glad that I did after reading ALF's latest post.
26 January 2007, 06:02
L. David KeithI begin taking Mefloquine on Monday. I leave a week later for Zim. I'll start my B-1 vitamins tomorrow and my hunting clothes will be sprayed with Coulston Duranon Permanone before I leave home. Anyone that doesn't do all they can to prevent insect borne disease is foolish my friends. One of my Taxidermy clients years ago was stricken with Malaria AND tick fever. He nearly died. As ALF precautions, our local DR's misdiagnosed his illness. You wouldn't hunt Elephant with a .22, so don't short change yourself on medication and prevention. It only takes one bite....play it safe my friends. Discomfort and or twilight zone dreams are better than dying.
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26 January 2007, 06:04
GeronomoIn addition to what Alf has said, P. falciparum can leave you in chronic renal failure and on dialysis or in a prolonged comatose state with brain damage, even when it DOESN'T kill you. Don't take a chance, it is for real. Malaria still kills more people world wide than any other infectious disease according to the W.H.O. (World Health Organization)
Geronimo
Geronimo
26 January 2007, 08:09
kududeI have takeen Larium, Doxy, and Malarone at one time or the other. I'd have to say that doxy gave the least grief, followed by Malarone. Larium leaves me a little weird (even for me!), but not with the severe issues many report.
As has been said, the down side of getting malaria isn't worth the risk. Take you shots and take your malaria prophy, and avoid "risky" behavior (keep your pecker in your pocket!) Kudude
26 January 2007, 10:13
hacksawtomJust to be safe I took Larium when I went to RSA in mid August on the Limpopo. I made a mistake and took it prior to going to sleep. Talk about nightmares, WOW! It was horrible. I woke up with my T shirt wrapped around my neck pulling at each end choking the $hit out of myself. After I woke myself up, got untangled and fell back to sleep, the nightmare picked up right where it left off! I almost quit taking it, but simply switched to taking it in the morning and the problem went away.
When I was a grunt in VN I got tired of the screaming memees the anti malaria meds the gave us. Sitting in ambush sites without bug juice, I was getting eatin' alive, but somehow skated not getting malaria, THEN, 10% of my unit came down with malaria in one day. When the investigation found out none of us where taking our meds, corpsman, officers took the hit, but it scared the devil out of me seeing what those poor guys went thru having malaria, enough to convince me, I'll take the side affects to prevent malaria.
Swift, Silent, & Friendly
26 January 2007, 19:52
retreeverMaddog,
Three safaris and malerone is the standard for me and my wife...The risk in not taking it can be horrible...Are you prepared to pay for a medicial evacuation to America by jet? $ 100K..verses a 50$ bill...
Neversaw a mosquito in 3 safaris but saw 4 guys in camp come down with it, malaria...
Mike
Michael Podwika... DRSS bigbores and hunting
www.pvt.co.za " MAKE THE SHOT " 450#2 Famars
26 January 2007, 20:35
ceweAlf is right about everything except the sideffects of Lariam -they are real and well documented. Out of seven of my patients that have used it four had anxiety attacks and one got malaria. Personally I´ve used Malarone and just felt a bit tired while on it.
Remember no prophylaxsis is 100%, you can still catch the disease and the symptoms are sometimes masked by the meds.
26 January 2007, 21:44
gerrys375Alf:
You are absolutely right to point up how serious malaria is. (Too many Americans are conditioned by Hollywood movies where its treated like some tropical version of the flu) Having seen the effects of malaria close up in Panama long before I ever got to Africa (including my own father) I had a healthy respect for it and took Lariam on my trip to Africa. (prescribed by a woman doctor who was a specialist in tropical medicine and had worked in the bush in Africa for years) I took it for about 3 weeks before I left for Africa, about a month while there and for 3 weeks after I came back. No bad dreams, no side effects whatever that I recall -and I was 63 at the time. Anyway "Bad dreams" seems like an easy trade off to reduce the risk and or severity of getting malaria.
26 January 2007, 22:17
craneLike Kudude, I've taken all three. It's Doxy all the way for me now with a "cure" dosage of Malarone if needed. I find with the doxy I don't get "travelers flu" which hit me hard on my first trips over. Am also hunting in some tick factories....