Malaria pills or not?

[ScubaBB]

yes - no 3-4 ?

 

[dmoore19]

A history of Malaria is here:

CDC - Malaria - About Malaria - History

Hope it helps

 

[ScubaBB]

I'll read it

 

[JKPAO]

My father (RIP) had malaria. He told me it was THE worst thing he had ever been through. .................. he had survived WW2 in 5 different concentrtion camps, I'm sure there were some pretty rotten things he went through in those camps......That said.

Although times are diff., and we (royal we)prob. know more about the cause, prevention, effects and treatment of the disease, I think I would take the pills.
See you topside! John

 

[Mossman]

A definite yes from me. The pills are not 100% effective, as another poster recommended, but they're a lot better than placebo. If you do get malaria, it's not 100% curable, so you risk having the disease for life.

Malarone (atovaquone/proguanil) is one drug that has few if any side effects for many people, besides the cost.

 

[TSandM]

Here is what the American Center for Disease Control has to say about Indonesia and malaria:

Malaria

Areas with malaria: Rural areas of Kalimantan (Borneo), Nusa Tenggara Barat (includes the island of Lombok), Sulawesi, and Sumatra. All areas of eastern Indonesia (provinces of Irian Jaya Barat, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Timur, and Papua Indonesia). None in Jakarta or resort areas of Bali and Java. Low transmission in rural areas of Java.

Estimated relative risk of malaria for US travelers: Moderate

Drug resistancec: Chloroquine (P. falciparum and P. vivax)

Malaria species: P. falciparum 66%, remainder primarily P. vivax.

Recommended chemoprophylaxis: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine.

If you have problems with mefloquine or atovaquone-proguanil, the doxycycline is a pretty benign medication. It's drawbacks are more frequent dosing, and sun sensitivity.

If you are simply going to stay on the coast and dive, you might be fine without chemoprophylaxis. Most of the resorts spray for mosquitoes, and we had no probems with them when we were there. I did not take malaria meds for that trip, as I recall.

 

[FarkasGabor]

we were in North Sulawesi /Bunaken,Lembeh /last september for 15days. Never saw a mosquito. I used Malarone in Zimbabwe
a few years ago, with no side effects. So if you are afraid of malaria, it's better to take the pills.

 

[highdesert]

I don't know about the mosquitoes on Bunaken in February, but in October two years ago they chewed us up ... and since Malarone produces absolutely no side effects for either of us, we take it.

 

[CuNanoTube]

A friend of my parents got malaria while teaching in Africa. She describes her almost yearly episodes as "the worst flu or her life". She did not take malaria medication, but suggests it to everyone now.

 

[Phil_C]

Take the pills ! - if the area is a Malaria risk area then don't take the risk whether it is high risk or not. I worked in Kenya for a while a few years ago and the stories I heard and cases I saw were horid. A colleague of mine sadly lost her eight year old daughter to Malaria just after I returned.

For me it is a big no to taking any risk.