[FivestarFred]

Took Malarone on two trips to deepest darkest Africa this year and no side effects. Have taken it once a year as well over the last three years on trips to the same country. I took Lariam about 20 years ago but didn’t have any side effects that I can recall. I think I was pretty lucky.

Whist in malaria zones I use a mosquito net and light a coil (an insect repellent that you burn – fumes ward off insects) where available and cover myself in DEET or similar so lots of extra protection.

On the trip last month I also tried the local Guinness. The bottled black stuff was so vile I think that was what kept the mozzies away!

I didn’t stick to a particular time each day to take Malarone (I forgot half the time) but took it with food.

[skywards]

I take my malarone in the morning with a glass of milk and breakfast. I have never had any side affects from malarone. Earlier this year when i returned from West Africa a couple of weeks later i felt really poorly…flu type symptoms, vomiting, headache, stomach cramps, and painless diarrhea, i actually thought I had the onset of malaira. I had a blood test done and it came back clear of the malaira…what i did have though was Norovirus.

[Swissdiver]

@Skywards: In some countries, I tend to be close to paranoid… No ice cube, teeth washing with bottled water, … And I always carry two boxes of antibiotics there, one quite general and the other one quite specific to the kind of problems you reported… So far only one use, coming back from Iraq right before or after the US invasion…

[StandingThemUp]

Five Star Fred

You were lucky with Lariam.

My one and only experience was a case of ‘don’t drink and drive, take drugs and fly!’

[Andrew66]

Quite a few years ago we went to Gambia and had to take a course of malaria tabs , I think it was Paludrine , one big tab on first day of the week with small tabs every day , to be taken 1 week before travel , the 2 weeks of the holiday and 1 week when we got back . The big tab made us feel a bit unwell but the others were ok , the other alternative to us was Lariam which can cause very disturbing side effects .
We also would eat some marmite and apparently taking Vitamin B or B12 tabs also helps keep the mozzies away .

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

Thanks Andrew66

You have just triggered my memory. On my trip to Pakistan it was 2 tablets, one weekly and one daily.

[skywards]

@Swissdriver I have been to a few counties in West Africa and I take a kind of medical kit with me…one of my items is a powder called QR Quick Relief Blood Stopper…it does what it says, cuts, nosebleeds, they all stop fast, also when I’m in Thailand I always stock up on drugs for different things, from vomiting to ear infections…everyday I’m aboard I will have two rehydration sachets..and I always have fresh coconut milk as its full of electrolytes..great for hangovers and dehydration. I find out the best dentist in that country, I take nothing for chance. My sister always says…”I’m staying in a 5 star hotel in Kenya” and I always tell her that the workers that work in 5 star hotels in Kenya are not from a 5 star villages or backgrounds, which then gets her thinking.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” Benjamin Franklin.

[skywards]

@Andrew66 Garlic is another one that is said the mossies don’t like.. How did you find The Gambia? You get sick of the prostitutes and bumpsters? Did you go to the nightlife area of Senegambia…don’t tell me that you stayed in the Senegambia hotel 😉 I went to a little sweaty shithole bar called the Jazz cafe..it was full of prostitutes from all over West Africa..the doorman looked like he’d be at home in a slaughter house cutting lambs throats or anything else that got in his way!!…interesting place.

[Andrew66]

Hi Skywards, you are right garlic also keeps the mozzies away , pity it doesn’t work on the bumsters !!!
I’m thinking back now , we went about 9 years ago , we stayed in Bakau at the sunbeach hotel in the aptly named Kofi Annan St , there wasn’t too much peace going on there with all the bumsters . To be fair it was an experience , and you have to experience different things in life and to a degree its slightly educational . I thought the Senegambia hotel was one of the better hotels ? We went to a forest near there and fed some monkeys , in fact they were less demanding than the bumsters , I never was hassled with prostitutes and didn’t really notice that problem , but the bumsters really did spoil our holiday , in the end we didn’t want to venture outside the hotel , and when we hadn’t gone out for a couple of days the bumster turned up at our sunbed to carry on the terrorising , it was like mental torture !! I gave him cigarettes and some money and told him to **** off , but he didn’t want them he wanted to be our friend to look after us everywhere we went , in hindsight I should just have played along and accepted their ” rules” but I knew it was always going to be about getting money out of me in the end . I should have done what the German tourists did and told them to OFF OFF OFF , but I’m not the sort of person who thinks its right to tell someone to do this if I’m the tourist and they are the native .
We did have some fun though , went to see Charlie the crocodile and walked through the local streets with open sewers ! The weather was nice ! My lasting feeling of the place is that everyone there has an agenda , but you’re right , it’s an ” interesting “place .

Talking of cutting lambs throats , when we were on holiday in Zanzibar , the kitchen staff at our hotel grabbed hold of a goat and cut its throat in view of a few people , the noise and commotion was quite disturbing , i know this how they do it etc but find a place not in view of hotel guests .

Sorry it’s off topic , but malaria and bumsters are connected in that they are both a nasty experience . Wink

[skywards]

@Andrew There has been a bit of a crackdown with the beach bumsters..the army patrols the beaches…but when you are in the streets the bumsters are on you like a rash….the trick is to hit the stand and tan salon before you go to The Gambia…if you are tanned up the bumsters think that you have been in The Gambia for a few days and you will already know the…its nice to be nice in The Gambia routine they vomit out and not bother you as much as turning up like a milk bottle. I stay at the Senegambia hotel…because its famous to The Gambia…I’ve had the pleasure of mixing with Gambia’s elite at dinner galas hosted by the president and vice president at the Senegambia hotel. Sierra Leone is an interesting place as well…you have bumster business men…since you’re white they think your in Freetown for diamonds and gold..and they are relentless in their pursuit to find a white business partner…I just love West African countries.

[Andrew66]

I would certainly admit that I was a bit naive at the time , but I never felt threatened , I like to be friendly with people but in that sort of situation you need to assertive . We ended up one day at Kololi beach getting free drinks , think it was a timeshare type thing and went Kairiba ?? Hotel for a meal , really nice place . I don’t know why we didn’t book the Senegambia , as you say it really is ” the place ”
I wonder if most tourists now book Cape Verde instead ?
I think it really is a place you either love or hate ,

[skywards]

@Andrew66 Yes countries like that you must stand firm…No means No…I do agree The Gambia is a place you either love or hate. The Kairaba is next door to The Senegambia as you will know..at the bottom of the strip..there is a couple of nice restaurants on the strip even a Chinese and Indian restaurant. The Senegambia hotels rooms are well past their sell by date…last time I was there I could only get one channel on the 14 inch 20 year old portable tv..BBC world news in my room. The Sheraton is the best hotel in The Gambia..then its the Kairaba…I will always stay in The Senegambia hotel as I like the grounds its set in. From what i’ve been told about Cape Verde it’s basically a place for total relaxation as there is nothing there. I can’t see people swapping The Gambia for Cape Verde.

[LuganoPirate]

Sorry, Ian, this must have got pushed down and I missed your reply. If not too late, and you’ve not yet left, then Peaceful Sleep can be bought everywhere in S. Africa. Pharmacist, Supermarkets, even petrol stations.

Available in spray, roll-on and you can buy those tablet put into a heater thing that plugs into the wall. Very very effective. We use them all the time.

PS. I’d imagine your lodge will have a spray can in the room, and perhaps even mosquito nets to sleep under.

[TerryMcManus24]

Skywards…Nice memories of West Africa

Spent a few years in the 70-80s living and working in Liberia,Sierra Leone,Nigeria and used to fly via Dacca Airport a lot (Sene-Gambia)…Always wondered …did the 2 countries ever fully unite?

Also did Malawi,Zambia.Congo,Ghana …but that was another time.

In SL (before the troubles) used to stay at the Paramount Hotel ..old colonial style and on later trips when out from the bush the Cape Sierra and Bitumani which by then were usually full of B Cal. holiday makers.Shaka Stephens was the “big ogger then”,,,nice country….shame what happened.

Unfortunately next door Prince Johnson and his boys were making a lot of noise and we all know what happened.

In Lagos the only decent hotel at the time was the Holiday inn but when I left or rather got out…it looked as though things might get better ( laughing)

[TerryMcManus24]

Skywards…Nice memories of West Africa

Spent a few years in the 70-80s living and working in Liberia,Sierra Leone,Nigeria and used to fly via Dacca Airport a lot (Sene-Gambia)…Always wondered …did the 2 countries ever fully unite?

Also did Malawi,Zambia.Congo,Ghana …but that was another time.

In SL (before the troubles) used to stay at the Paramount Hotel ..old colonial style and on later trips when out from the bush the Cape Sierra and Bitumani which by then were usually full of B Cal. holiday makers.Shaka Stephens was the “big ogger then”,,,nice country….shame what happened.

Unfortunately next door Prince Johnson and his boys were making a lot of noise and we all know the sad follow up events.

In Lagos the only decent hotel at the time was the Holiday inn but when I left or rather got out…it looked as though things might get better ( laughing)

[Author]

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