Does anyone know if it is possible to buy either of the above anti malarials in Spain (or Morocco) more cheaply than in UK?

hi

isnt doxy about 2p a tablet in the uk anyway?

Possibly - we have been mainly researching Malarone, which seems to have the least side effects and for the length of time we need, it is very expensive - so any information on the above query will still be useful, thanks!

just one other thing concerning side effects, i'm probably going to give doxy a go personally for probably a six month plus stint in africa, £2 per tab vs 2p suddenly becomes an easier choice! but, african sun plus sunlight sensitivity from doxy may be very silly obviously.
my plan was to try doxy here in the uk summer sunshine. the day before i got a fortnights worth was the last of a very hot spell, since ive been taking them its been cloudy, rainy stormy etc!
however, i have become a little redder than usual in the sunshine we have had (i work outside) and as long as i dont lie down having taken one with food and water (not milk) no problems.

sorry if you think all this a little off topic, but its just a long winded way of saying try before you go!!!

Hi just thought you'd like to know i got malaria taking doxycycline in nth namibia and used malarone as a treatment in angola,no problem with sunburn but the doxy did'nt work for me.I've used lariam and chloroquine no problem b4 it ended my trip up the west coast to the uk,i got real sick and could'nt carry on,still not that great now.ron.

in a barcelona pharmacy today:

Malarone (250mg, 12 units) EUR 55
Doxycycline (100mg, 16 units) EUR 2,39

Doxycycline - cheap, great treatment for tick bite fever but a compete waste of time and money as an antimalarial.

My personal favourite is Deltaprim made in Zimbabwe (even now) and it is available in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Only one tablet a week, and it is cheap. One years supply for my family cost £15!!!

Thanks for all the help. However, I'm a bit baffled by the previous poster's comments on doxy being useless for malaria - on what authority does he have that info, I wonder, since reliable UK pharmacies, including Boots all recommend it for Ghana and Mali as an anti malarial?? Having done my research and read all the above posts, I think I'll try the doxy out for my week in Ghana. I am then flying straight to Spain for a few days, so if Doxy suits, I can pick up a supply there for my trip to N, Africa. I f I don't get on with it in Ghana, I'll have to bite the financial bullet and shell out for Malarone I guess!

there are different strains of malaria, and different areas suit a particular drug. I'm not a doctor, so won't give advice. This was explained to me by a doctor in the Nomad shop in London. But that may be why you get conflicting reports of success with doxy, or any other anti-malaria drug.

See this reference: Elsevier

I have lived and worked in malarial areas for most of my life. My father was a medical doctor in Central Africa; and on the mines he covered he had 24 000 patients. Over a period of 25 years he worked with numerous agencies, as malaria was the mining industries biggest killer. He conducted numerous drug trials to determine what worked, and what didn't. Doxycycline didn't..

I personally have had malaria while not following my fathers advice and taking Tropical Diseases hospital recommended products.

As mentioned by others, different areas have different strains. Some more lethal than others. Having seen my farming neighbour in Zambia die of cerebral malaria within 24 hours of the first headache, I would not trust my life to doxy in a malarial area. I would carry it as a potential treatment though. I may be bluffing myself, but I think I'm worth more than the cost saving between doxy and malarone/larium/paludrine/chloroquine or any of the other more established effective antimalarials...

Here are few references which may be useful reading:
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease - Abstract: Volume 186(3) March 1998 p 183-186 Delayed Neuropsychiatric Effects of Malaria in Ghana. - If doxycycline was an effective preventative, this article would not have finished - We therefore recommend a search for effective malaria prevention and intervention strategies to avert the more serious clinical manifestations of mental disorder likely to evolve in this imminently lethal infectious disease.

Wiley InterScience :: Session Cookies

Finally, the French Army have 25 000 soldiers deployed in malarial areas - and they are currently using doxy as part of their prophylaxis protocol, so it is not all bad for Doxy... :-)

Take malarone as a treatment for malaria it works,don't take malaria lightly, i know,in angola you can get arianate as a treatment as well, made in belgium,should work.ron.

i work in the african oilfields...as people have said before, different strains are found in different places.

the main things i think you should consider are:

how long do you intend to be in malarial areas?
-this will have a massive effect on your choices. some of the cheaper medications require a few pills a day while in malarial areas and a substantial lead/post visit period of taking them too. this will end up with you eating pills for the entirity of your trip, which could also lead to kidney / internal problems. [if i were to take this course of medication, i would never be off them, including my 5 week rotation periods.]

balance the cost of medication, but consider how many of each pill is required daily... eg, malarone requires only 2 days prior, during and post trip, with one a day. others are significantly more....6-9 months in africa... do you want to be a 2 wheeled pharmacy!?

side effects, some of the medications available affect people in different ways, but be prepared for upset stomachs and other side effects eg, a common side effect of malarone is extremely vivid/bizarre dreams!!

many people have taken malaria quite lightly, and had to deal with it when they get it. true, in some areas, its just a case of a few days in bed sweating and then get yourself back on your feet again [as i found out in se asia].

however, WEST AFRICA IS NO JOKE, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE LETHALITY OF CEREBRAL MALARIA.

for this reason alone, the oilfieds across africa enforce the use of malarone. yes it is expensive, but it only requires one pill a day and pre/post trip requirement is short.

this is just my 2 cents worth, im not a doctor, so do your own research. but dont take the risk, if in doubt get the best stuff.

Regimen 1
Mefloquine one 250mg tabletweekly. OR
Doxycycline one 100mg capsule daily. OR
Malarone one tablet daily.

Regimen 2
Chloroquine 300mg weekly (2x150mg tablets). PLUS
Proguanil 200mg daily (2x100mg tablets).

Regimen 3
Chloroquine 300mg weekly (2x150mg tablets) OR
Proguanil 200mg daily (2x100mg tablets).

Regimen 4
No prophylactic tablets required but anti mosquito measures should be strictly observed: Avoid mosquito bites by covering up with clothing such as long sleeves and long trousers especially after sunset, using insect repellents on exposed skin and, when necessary, sleeping under a mosquito net.

Proguanil 100mg tablets are supplied as Paludrine Tablets
Chloroquine 150mg tablets are supplied as Nivaquine or Avloclor Tablets
Mefloquine 250mg tablets are supplied as Lariam Tablets
Malarone is a combination of Atovaquone 250mg and Proguanil 100mg

Chloroquine, Proguanil & Maloprim Start one week before travel, throughout your stay in an endemic area and continue for four weeks after return.
Mefloquine (Lariam) Start two and a half weeks before travel, throughout your stay in an endemic area and continue for four weeks after return.
Doxycycline Start two days before travel, throughout your stay in an endemic area and continue for four weeks after return.
Malarone Start two days before travel, throughout your stay in an endemic area and continue for one week after return.

Chloroquine May be taken for periods exceeding five years.
Paludrine May be taken for periods exceeding five years.
Maloprim Can be taken for periods up to one year.
Mefloquine Can be taken for periods up to one year.
Doxycycline Can be taken for periods up to six months.
Malarone Can be used for travel periods up to one year.

website: Table of Vaccines & Malaria Prophylaxis

full list of vaccination requirements for africa: Africa - Vaccinations & Malaria Tablets



having said this-enjoy your trip!!

Hi!.Where I can buy selfdiagnostic kit for malarija and is it 100% efficien.
Thanks!

Please don't make silly and uninformed comments like this, you may put people at risk by doing so. Just refer to the many websites where Doxycycline is mentioned...The ONLY person qualified to say such a thing is a qualified Medical Practitioner or Scientist.:confused1:

Of course you can tell us about your experiences with the drug...

__________________
Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

Doxycycline is a waste of money and the trouble is you can't always trust a doctor because different doctors give you different advice.

For example, Doctor 1 told me to take Doxycycline, very effective.
I later contracted malaria in Africa. The malaria did not surface until I was back in the UK.

I ended up in the tropical disease ward in Newcastle, the doctors there told me take Doxycycline should never of been recommend and was not effective as a anti malarial.

So i feel really experiance with the drug is more useful than what your doctor says.