Bad reaction to Doxy and off to Koh Chang
 

Hi All,

I'm in a bit of a bind and would love some advice!

I just got back from Vietnam last week, and have been taking Doxycycline, with really bad side effects (hallucinations, diahrea, nausea, weakness, dizziness) which got progressively worse this week.

I've just been to a doctor (in Bangkok), who has advised me to stop taking the medication. Malerone is not available in Thailand. Only problem is that Im due to go to Ko Chang in 2 days!! The doctor has advised me to use other preventative measures like using a DEET spray, wearing long sleeves etc, but Im really nervous about not taking any anti-malarial mediaction.

Has anyone else been to KO Chang without taking anti-malarial pills? Or, what would you do?

Thanks in advance!!

It seems to me that the best thing for you would be to stop taking the doxy. Your reaction to it is not good IMO.

Seems like you have a choice to make...go or not to Koh Chang. The risk of getting malaria is there, but small compared to many other areas of the world.

No medication is 100% effective at preventing malaria. Preventing mosquito bites is the only surefire way to avoid malaria. You have gotten good advice as to how to best prevent bites.

Maybe go back to the hospital and talk to the doctor there again about the level of risk in Koh Chang. Then decide if that level of risk is acceptable to you.

We have decided to go to Siem Reap and the Golden Triangle without medication because the only one available to us is Larium, which none of us can safely take, and which is not a good choice for our destinations anyway. We will be very careful to prevent bites, and very careful about watching for malaria symptoms. In most cases, if it is treated early, it is unpleasant but not fatal (how reassuring does that sound?).

We too have difficulties with anti-malarials.

I know Koh Chang is listed as a risk area, but I believe that it has been some years since a confirmed case. Loads of deet, coverup properly at the appropriate times, think before sitting outside at dusk if you suspect there are mosies about.....you know, all the common sense precautions.

I wouldn't let your situation (with the meds),force you to change your travel plans.

We were in koh chang a year and a half ago and we took no meds. We did use lots of deet and long sleeves. When we went on an elephant trek in the jungle, we had mosquitos all around us, but no bites :) hope you have a great time!

First of all, do stop taking the doxy now. Then see what happens to your symptoms. While doxy can cause GI problems in some sensitive people, I know of no cases where it caused hallucinations. The types of reactions to doxy that indicate sensitivity tend to be skin reactions (hives, rash, or extreme sun sensitivity). So I'm not at all sure that your reactions are due just to the doxy. Indeed, I wonder how many of your symptoms are due to dehydration.

After as couple of days off the doxy and staying well-hydrated reassess your symptoms. If you are still not feeling well, you need to be re-assessed by a doctor. There are many other reasons you might be feeling bad, and it's likely unwise to head to Koh Chang if you aren't well.

Ko CHang does have some malarial risk. If you are feeling ok, and you don't have other medical reasons that malaria would be life-threatening, you could go to Koh Chang and simply be very careful - deet-containing repellants, long sleeves and long pants if you are in the jungle, and great care at preventing bites between dusk and dawn. Sleep in an air-conditioned room, make sure to be careful not to let mosquitos in.

What I would do: listen to the doctor.