Malaria medications Africa
 

Any recommendations on what type? I believe I took Malarone when I went to India several years ago and had no problems and others who were taking other Malaria meds were ill. Any advice from experienced travelers and users.....

Doxycycline, mefloquine and Malarone are all equally effective in S Africa. Dosages, cost and side effects are all very different. I can't take mefloquine due to one of the common side effects, my husband can't take Malarone due to terrible stomach upset so doxy would be our choice but it is recommended to avoid sun exposure. Tough in an open safari vehicle. So we go late May to early September (or use bug spray, sleep under a net, etc, which is recommended in the low/mid risk areas anyway most of the year now and choose to skip the pills).

I posted most of the malaria statistics from 2011 on another current "sick" thread. I take my chances with the minuscule risk in S Africa - and if you don't go to an area with any risk or go June-August, it's absolutely unnecessary. See the map and recommendations in the link below. Great news in 2014 - the fewest cases of malaria worldwide EVER! Great work done by many. My sincere gratitude to all of them. So many lives saved.

It depends on where and when you are going. Most of S Africa is entirely malaria free. They have done an outstanding job of eliminating it without destroying their environment. Only northern KwaZulu Natal, Kruger and generally areas on the borders of S Africa with other countries are of any concern. And only seasonally - malaria prophylactics are only recommended in those areas September to May. So if you are only visiting the major cities (and just about anyplace else but the borders) any time of year, no worries. If you are going in July, no worries. If you are going to Kruger and/or Tembe in January, take the pills that work best for you.

Read the newest info in this link. It's informative, but not easy to use. It gets updated often changes seasonally, includes a map with recommended actions to take and is up to date with current risk. It's from the equivalent of S Africa's health department. They don't want tourists getting sick - it's a public relations nightmare:

http://www.santhnet.co.za/index.php/...ravellers.html

The three antimalarials usually prescribed for sub-Saharan Africa are mentioned in the post above. If you elect to take prophylaxis after considering the advice of SaTHNet and the risks you are willing to accept, it seems to me that Malarone would be the natural choice as it caused you no grief before. If you opt for Malarone remember to take it each morning with breakfast, preferably one that includes some dairy product.

My wife cannot take any of the standard prophylactics as a result of having had a nasty bout of salmonella. After considerable research we discovered there is a natural product called artemisinin. It is available from nordman health products. We are told it is very effective although I cannot confirm it as we are traveling to Kruger next month February.

We used Malarone last September without any side effects. Since it has a proven track record for you, why reinvent the wheel?

John, artemisinin is used to treat malaria, usually in combination with another drug since various strains have been building resistance to artemisinin alone. It is not used for prophylaxis.

My vote is also for Malarone (The active ingredient Atovaquone/Proguanil is available in either branded Malarone tablets or the generic unbranded version.)

I take Malarone (two previous safaris and my upcoming third). I, however, take it with dinner while in Africa. On safari that is the one meal that is consistently the same time every day (breakfast can either be pre-dawn or more like brunch depending on the day's activities), and with the time change when I get back, an hour that I'm awake at home to continue taking it at the same time every day. So around 8 p.m. while in Kenya and at noon (EST) when I'm back in the States for the 7 doses following safari. I was told it's important to take it at the same time every day. At home I take it with peanut butter as my lunches don't tend to have much fat to them. I've never had a problem tolerating it.