question on malaria medication

[lmg970]

first let me start with the how this all came about: So my SIL started freaking out the other day about needing to take malaria meds for going to Punta Cana. I called my doctor she called hers. of course our different doctors had different opinions on the matter. Mine said as long as we stay at the resort, eat only their foods, drink bottled water and use bug spray if we start seeing mosquitos we would be fine. He even went so far as to say if he was going he wouldn't take anything, so I was reassured and proceeded to tell my SIL this. She recieved different advise from her doc, so I am thinking end of discussion do what your doc says and I will do what mine says.

so now the question: Has anyone been told they needed to take the malaria meds prior to going to PC?

Laura

[tylersgirl]

FI and I went to Punta Cana on vacation and we didn't take any malaria meds and we are fine. There was a thread on the a while back and most of the girls said the same thing.

[DRB]

I've been to the D.R. several times and have never taken malaria meds. They tend to spray the crap out of the resorts so I think that that keeps the bugs at a minimum (and using bug spray on top of that prevents most other bites). The only way that I would consider it is if I was planning on doing a lot of excursions in the jungle but I'm more of an ocean/catamaran/snorkling person so I don't worry about it.

[lmg970]

thanks, I was going with the same idea to bring my bug spray and primarily stay at the resort during major mosquito times, dawn and dusk.

[Christinamaria22]

My doc also recommened BUG SPRAY.......... they said there not even out breaks to be concerned and if you take it when its not 100% needed you are more susceptible to other things..... No meds for me.... My daugther is only a year and she is not old enough to take meds and her pediatritcian was not freaking out and told me not to freak just use spray and she will be fine....

[starchild]

We have several DR brides here who haven't had incidents with illness, in fact I don't know if we have had one bride who did get ill. But I've also read accounts elsewhere of people containing themselves to the resorts and still getting very ill to where they were taken to a hospital (maybe not malaria but some sort of bacterial infection). When I landed in Jamaica a few years back they temporarily quarantined anyone who had been to DR recently for fear of malaria exposure, I think it is sort of common there.

 

Again, our brides have not experienced this as far as I know, but I have heard of people taking cipro with them just in case, ask your doctor about that.

[shellb]

Found another thread from a few months ago for you:

 

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t36316

 

Opinions vary... I think it depends on what you decide between you and your doctor. Over 3/4 of our guests are not doing the Malaria meds. I just started mine yesterday in preparation for the trip. My advice make an educated decision on what works best for you and your family.

[shellb]

Found another on vaccinations:

 

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t21347

[starchild]

Thank you for linking the old threads, Shellb!!

[DRB]

If anything I would worry more about bacterial infections than malaria. I always bring cipro with me when I travel just in case since it's good for bacterial GI issues (e.g. enterogenic ecoli) but mostly because it's also good for uti's (TMI but I'm prone to them).