Diarrhea Medication for Egypt
 

Hi, Everybody--
Here I am asking for help again. I've been combing through the posts here for several weeks now in preparation for our upcoming trip to Jordan and Egypt (Oct 3-22), and I've come across several references for a diarrhea medication that seems to be specific to Egypt and which seems to work better than Cipro, often, according to reports, taking care of the problem within hours. I didn't think to write down the name, but I think it starts with an "a". Can anyone supply the name?
Thanks in advance, and thanks, too, to all contributors to this forum. Your posts have been wonderful in helping to plan.

You're thinking of Antinal, which can only be purchased in Egypt (and perhaps a few other countries in Africa) for about $2. Many people on my trip used it quite effectively.

I had more immediate results from a Z-pack, which I was able to buy for about $5 in an Aswan pharmacy.

Thanks, Doug,
That's the one.
The Z-pack? Were you able to get it w/o an Rx? And the Antinal? W/o an Rx?
I've just had a prescription filled for Cipro, but if need arises, I'd like to have access to what's most effective.

Both can be prescribed by a pharmacist in Egypt. My doctor recommended Cipro (which I carried but didn't take), but I liked the Z-pack better because it had only 3 pills.

I'm taking Cipro again to India next month, so we'll see.

You don't need presecription. Z-max, Cipro, and Antinal are all available at any pharmancy. You just have to ask for them!

This topic was discussed last year

here is the link

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...edications.cfm

Hi, Percy--
Thanks for the link. As I mentioned in my original post, I had come across this whole diarrhea thing in preparing for our trip, and I think this is one of the threads I had read. I just didn't know how to get back to it. And Grcxx3, thank you, too, for your input, not only on this thread, but for all the many things you have posted. I've enjoyed reading, and have benefitted from, your contributions.

Bo2642

You have a nice trip and here is hoping to never have to use a single pill of any kind.

Yes, isn't that Grcxx3 something .! :)

Thank you, Percy. I hope, too, that I will never have to use a pill of any kind. Though I'm an optimist, I'm also a realist, and I know that since "things do happen" I want to be prepared. I'm at that special time in my life where I can finally visit the places I've dreamed of. On any given adventure, I do not want to miss one minute of the things I came to see and do. Therefore, I just want to anticipate and take care of the "what ifs?"

One thing you might want to do is take Imodium or an anti-diarrhea medicine that you're used to. When I was in Egypt, I ate the fresh fruit on the cruise ship and at one or two or our hotels and never got sick. Some people get sick, some people don't. It's not a guaranteed thing.

If your tummy does start to get upset you might want to take imodium first and see if that fixes it right up. I always try to start with a medicine that I've taken in the past and know how I react to it. If that doesn't fix it, then go for the antinal after a while (I don't know if you want to add antinal right after imodium). If the issues continue then go for the Cipro as well. Sometimes it's just an upset stomach and cipro isn't needed.

You might also want to take something like rolaids. I had a couple times when something I ate didn't quite agree with me, but a rolaid was enough to calm my tummy down before I had any issues.


Have fun, Egypt is amazing! :)

Hi, Iowa--
I have to smile at your input. I remember when I was in Viet Nam, and I told a fellow traveler that I was taking Imodium on a regular basis and also Cipro (after an episode). She was just shocked, thinking that both of those together were mutually exclusive. Maybe they were and I was lucky since the problem was fixed. Maybe I did the right thing. I don't know. I always have Imodium with me, and right now, for Egypt, is it Cipro or, if the need arises, should I just go for the Antinal? I think it's Antinal since it's specific to Egypt.

I would like to add one more recommendation to what has already been advised. This may seem obvious, but you never know.
When you bring your Cipro, or whatever you plan to have, always keep 1 or 2 pills with you during the day to be taken if needed. When I was in Egypt last year I had a full supply of cipro at my hotel room. Unfortunately my husband was in need of it while we were out and about sightseeing - not a very convenient time! I wish I had something with me to give him immediatly - it would have been a big help.
By the way, there was a doctor with us as a fellow traveler. He recommended that instead of my husband taking 1 a day for several days, he should take 2 pills twice in 1 day and that should do it. It did!
As for eating in Egypt - just be very careful about water and everything that has been washed in it - even the sprig of parsely on your plate.

Enjoy the country - it is just FABULOUS!!!!

<<This topic was discussed last year >>

LOL! Diahhreah....such a fun topic! And when you live in Egypt, it is a normal part of daily conversation!

Bo2624 - thank you for your kind words!

Percy - :)

<<<I always have Imodium with me, and right now, for Egypt, is it Cipro or, if the need arises, should I just go for the Antinal? I think it's Antinal since it's specific to Egypt.>>>

I'm definitely not an expert but I would try the Antinal before cipro as it seems to be something in the middle between imodium and cipro. It just depends on what's causing the issue. Just something that doesn't agree with you and imodium or even rolaids might be enough to fix it. If it's "mummy tummy" then antinal should fix it, even if imodium doesn't. If you've picked up something icky, then the cipro will knock it out while the imodium keeps you able to go about your vacation and not constantly running for a bathroom.

The way I understood it (and I could be completely wrong) antinal can be used like imodium... just once or twice, as needed. However, I was told that cipro should be taken for the full dosage of a 5-10 days to knock out everything you might have.

I hope your medication works better than ours. We took Dukoral before we left. Then we took immodium, Pepto Whatever and a couple of other things in Cairo. Maybe they all cancelled each other out as nothing worked. The camels were turning their noses up at us.

To be fair to Egypt, I think the problem started in Turkey.

Your welcome Grcxx3 :)

Hi Folks: You're comparing apples with oranges here. Both Cipro and Azithromycin (Z-Pack) are antibiotics. So is Antinal, although I've never taken it or had it recommended. Antibiotics kill bacteria, but not viruses. When you are prescribed an antibiotic, take it exactly as written and take the whole prescription. One or two doesn't do the job with most antibiotics, although a Z-Pack is a shorter dose of medication. If you don't take the entire prescription, you run the risk of having the bacteria reassert itself.

Imodium is a medication that causes fluid in the GI tract to be reabsorbed so that the diarrhea lessens in volume. It is used to treat the symptoms of diarrhea, not the germ that causes it. In the US, both Cipro and Z-Packs are prescription medications. Imodium can be purchased over the counter.

If your tummy is upset, Rolaids or Pepto can help.

By the way, bo2642, have you seen a travel clinic? Some inoculations are in order for a trip to Egypt.

Hi, indianapearl--

I'm up on my hep shots and tetnus, though I'm not sure it was in combination with diptheria. Just had a flu shot which includes the H1N1 strain. Typhoid & pneumococcal are current. We understand that malarone is not necessary since we're not going into a problem area. Just got the flu shot 2 days ago along with a shingles shot. Hope I don't need anything else. Do I? The arm is still hot and sore from the shingles shot. (Yes, I know. The shingle shot is not a travel thing.)

I'm amused at my doctor. When I travel, he's more concerned about dengue fever,which is a possibility in some of the areas I've visited. He says that if I get dengue fever, Oooooh, I'm going to be a real sickie, but then he adds that there's no vaccine for that. So why? I ask him does he keep harping on it. He just laughs. BTW, he's from Sri Lanka, so maybe he's had experience....

Right now, my concern is that I'm prepared in the event of travelers' diarrhea, not just an upset stomach. I think your emphasis on the fact that immodium treats only the symptoms (although, if you'll pardon the expression, it can be useful temporarily as a stop gap measure) but it's the antibiotic that addresses the problem, provided, of course, that it's caused by bacteria. That was really the crux of my original post--what's out there that's specific to the bacteria common to that area.

We just got from India in December. Before we left, the travel clinic recommended a Z-Pack for traveler's diarrhea. As a retired medical technologist (the people who do the tests to ID and treat these bugs), I was surprised that it wasn't Cipro which is primarily for Enterobacteriaceae, the bugs that cause things like Salmonella and Shigella. My husband got a touch of Delhi Belly, dosed himself with the Z-Pack and stayed in the hotel, while I went out to dinner with our driver and his friend. He was fine by the next day.

There is no vaccine for dengue, yet it's a worldwide scourge. Hundreds of people have died in the north India area and thousands more have been infected. I don't think the pharmaceutical companies think there's enough money to be made by devising a vaccine. It's always about the money, isn't it?? The best advice is to keep your mosquito repellents fresh and frequent. One night I was bitten on the arch of my foot while wearing sandals. Fortunately the mosquito didn't carry anything dangerous. I always travel with a small mosquito net to drape over my bed if there are no screens in the windows -- usually none is Europe. Europeans think they don't have bugs -- they do!!

I've only had to resort to Imodium a couple of times in my life. One was enough to cease activity for a week, so use it sparingly. Try one and give it a few hours to see if it works. I've never had to take more than one.