Final Prep – Medication

Last week we visited our local travel Doctor and picked up all the prescription, non-prescription, medications one could ever need for an overseas trip in the tropics. After the intial shock of the bill (mainly due to the Malarone) we felt good knowing we were prepared for unforeseen changes in health. The following is a list any responsible traveller should take with them should your health be compromised while abroad.

Prescription

Malarone (36 tabs) – Malarone is the latest and most effective drug on the market used in both the treatment and prevention of malaria. This also means it is the most expensive but with reports of few side effects and no known resistant strains in South East Asia it seemed worth the price. 211$ for 36 tabs.

Diamox – Used in the prevention of acute mountain sickness Diamox works basically by making you pee out bicarb which causes the urine to be acidic thus increasing the breathing rate and providing more oxygen to the body. A good thing when your body is starving for oxygen above 3000m. Lianna will not be taking diamox due to an allergy to Penicillin.

Azithromyicin – A Powerful antibiotic used for treatment of bacterial infections.

Non-Prescription

To add to these are the common over the counter meds everyone should bring. These include;

Gravol – For Nauseating bus/plane rides

Benadryl – Anti-histamines for allergic reactions

Excedrin – For headaches

Weak Stomach? Heres our strategy

Tums – For the mild reaction of spicy food

Peppermint Capsules – Natural relief of bloating

Immodium – For the definite wrong choice of street food

Peptobismol – Incase the immodium doesn’t work, a lifesaver

Docusate Sodium (stool softener) – When things just don’t move

Well, thats our defense against all the nasties we may come across on our travels. These are our personal choice and anyone planning a similar trip should consult their local travel Doctor for medical advise.