Lembeh, polluted water and illness?

[fmerkel]

Has anyone had problems with getting sick in Lembeh from the diving? Got a buddy who said his group got sick from the water and attributed to the garbage in the water.
Obvious other causes could be the facility (drinking/shower) water or a group 'plague' that someone brought along with them. Had that happen on a ski trip once. Not fun.

 

[Dan]

No. I've been there twice & no problema.

 

[flyboy08]

Your doctor can and should provide you with an oshit pack......usually 2-4 pills depending where your headed....to take once you've contracted. They cease the progress pretty fast....

 

[fmerkel]

Your doctor can and should provide you with an oshit pack......usually 2-4 pills depending where your headed....to take once you've contracted. They cease the progress pretty fast....

Understood. But, I'd rather not have to get sick in the first place. Multiple flights over days is enough exposure to the ills of the world. It seems someone in the group is generally hit and ends up being the pariah for the rest of the trip as well as missing some diving.

 

[Dan]

Lembeh is a strait with some tide-current flushing the trash out of the fishing port. The water can be cold too. Cold water can numb the feeling of stress in the ear drum. If you have a good equalization during the dives to keep the ear drum from getting tress (I equalize my ears every 1m decent in the first 10m regardless whether I feel the pressure in the drums or not) and routinely flush your ear and dry them after each dives, you shouldn't have any ear problem. I was there for a whole week of diving, racking up at lest 15 dives during the trip.

The food or drink or in contact with a sick person would be more likely for me to get sick there. I do bring amoxicillin with me whenever I travel to Indonesia.

 

[billt4sf]

Assuming that you're talking of "the runs" a.k.a. "Montezuma's revenge"...

Traveler's diarrhea is not due to bad water or necessarily bad food. It is due to the fact that different regions have different bacteria around, and some of us (that includes me) are more susceptible for whatever reason.

My doc recommended taking pepto bismol as a preventative and it has worked very well for me. The tablets are reasonably tasty. Four times a day. I would not count on it working after the problem has started.

Surprise to me: the problem recurred when I returned to the US after 9 months in Indo!

Happy stools make for happy divers. So...have a happy!

- Bill

 

[fmerkel]

Pepto Bismol is a good idea. Took some to Nepal for trekking. Used it up before I got out of Thailand. Forgot about the ice cube warning.....

Learned more about girardia on that trip than any 10 primary care physicians.

Regarding ears-I use Doc's Proplugs and ear beer routinely. Got outer ear infection once in Bonaire. Never again!

 

[billt4sf]

Pepto Bismol is a good idea. Took some to Nepal for trekking. Used it up before I got out of Thailand. Forgot about the ice cube warning.....

Learned more about girardia on that trip than any 10 primary care physicians.

Regarding ears-I use Doc's Proplugs and ear beer routinely. Got outer ear infection once in Bonaire. Never again!

Merkel, I don't think you meant to imply this, but Pepto Bismol will not protect you from giardia...

 

[fmerkel]

Merkel, I don't think you meant to imply this, but Pepto Bismol will not protect you from giardia...

No, I didn't, and it won't. Avoidance is the best policy there, but that's true for all GI maladies. It's kind of hard when your food and sometimes water supply are in other people's hands.

 

[Indah]

The garbage in the waters of Lembeh Strait is mainly plastic. Although it is much less than 15 years ago, it is very annoying indeed. By the way, most is produced by companies such as Danone. There is no sewer water from the city or villages getting into the sea. Exceptions are the ships, who probably still flush their toilets directly into the water. Personally I never dive directly under any boat for this reason. Enough rest, no half-done steaks, no not very well grilled pork or meals which never belonged to the Indonesian kitchen, no overeating, not too much alcohol and washing your hands should prevent most problems. To prevent ear problems I put some of my own saliva in my ears. But otherwise I would suggest to use some antibiotic ear-drops as a prophylaxes daily. Amoxicillin often causes stomach problems and is not doing any good to cure it. Actually it has been used so much in the wrong way that it often does not work anymore for skin infections and infections of the respiratory system as well.