Malaria Tablets
 

Can anyone advise as to what kind of malaria tablets should be taken for Mali or RIM
as our local nurse seems unclear as to which ones I should take.

Hi Pete,

I've just returned from RIM & Mali - Malarone seems to be the order of the day.

How long are you planning to be there?

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Roman (UK)
www.overlandcruiser.com

[This message has been edited by Roman (edited 14 February 2006).]

We plan to stay about six weeks. Problem is they tell me malarone is only licensed for use for four weeks.

I don't want to be the voice of irresponsibility, but do you really need it all?

I'm just back too and, over the course of a month, received a grand total of one bite - and I think that was a bed bug. Depends where you'll be, but there arent many mozzies in the desert.

Maybe take Malarone and save it for the wetter bits in Mali?

Depends what you mean by 'the desert'. There were certainly Mosquitoes in Agadez last time I was there and I recall even in Tam. As to whether they were the malaria carrying variety, I don't know.

Anyway, I believe the last time I caught malaria the bite that did it was in Niamey. At the time I was taking Lariam and I still ended up with the parasite. I was treated with chloroquine delivered intravenously and the doctors advised me just to take chloroquine tablets for the rest of my trip through Mali, Guinea and Senegal. I don't know if they knew about Malarone or if it was available in the region.

I didn't catch malaria again and I've used chloroquine tablets on subsequent trips to Mali.

In any case, when in Africa I always carry an emergency malaria treatment kit.

Last time I looked Malorone was licenced for up to three months.

Larium can make you nuts & doxycycline can make your skin photo-sensitive (ideal for the Sahara).



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Last seen in S.America, missing presumed fed.
http://www.smellybiker.com

Quote from Ian
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Depends what you mean by 'the desert'. There were certainly Mosquitoes in Agadez last time I was there and I recall even in Tam. As to whether they were the malaria carrying variety, I don't know.
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Point taken. By 'in the desert' I mean in the arid areas and away from the population centres. Depends where you spend your time, but no standing water = no mosquitos = no malaria.

The emergency malaria kit sounds interesting - where did you get it and what's in it?


(arrgh, damn this html)

[This message has been edited by Richard K (edited 15 February 2006).]


[This message has been edited by Richard K (edited 15 February 2006).]

I assume that Ian is referring to Standby emergency treatment medicine for malaria, when he says "emergency malaria kit". This standby medicine, is simply some anti malaria drug you administer yourself as soon as symptoms of malaria show and when there are no diagnostic and treatment facilities available.
I have very good experience with artesunate as a standby antimaleria.
In any case I find it usefull to carry my own antimalaria drug, because if prefer to make an informed choice at home and I do not rely on the local availability of good drugs in case of a malaria and I do not care to pay 10€ instead of 1€ if the result are less side effects and a better chance of healing. But then my (personal) experience with malaria is based on east Africa, where the locally available stuff was simply the cheap stuff, that had plenty of side effects, this was openly admitted by the doctors and chemist, but then for most Tanzanians paying 10€ instead of 1 makes a big difference.

Hans

That's exactly what I mean - just some medicine one administers oneself when no professional treatment is available. My understanding is that the medicine should be a different one to those being used as a phrophylaxis (if any). In the past I've carried Malarone and Fansidar as a treatment.

That said, I'm sure I've heard of off-the-shelf treatment kits. Perhaps for the military or expeditions? I don't know.

Hans - I'd be interested to hear about artesunate. Is this a 'herbal' treatment? Can it be used as a phrophylaxis?

Thanks.

As far as I know artesunate, wich is the International Non proprietary Name for several brands, is not used as prophylaxis drug but only to treat malaria.

@ Ian: I would not call Atresunate a herbal treatment, it actuelly based on some plants (I think in English it is called Sweet Worm Wood) but as far as I know there is nothing alternative about it. You might want to google for artesunate or look at (Lancet 2005; 366:717-25).
If you decide to by some abroad watch out for forged tablets/ fake tablet.

Hans