Bali belly, meds to take with us?
 

I'm traveling to Bali with my kids this July. I'd like to be prepared in case anyone gets Bali belly. Does anyone know what medicines I should bring with me? Also I'm assuming insect repellent is necessary. Any other precautions? I'd really like to enjoy the food, and we are vegetarian so will be eating a lot of fruits and veggies, any reccos on how to do so safely?

Are all of you up to date on your vaccines? Routine things like diptheria/Tetanus, measles/mumps/rubella, plus traveler's vaccines like Hep A and typhoid.

Yes, you should take and use insect repellant. Dengue is endemic in the area.

Do you know about the rabies outbreak? There have been about 200 deaths from rabies. Your children should be cautioned not to touch, pet or even approach dogs or monkeys or other animals. You should have good med evac insurance so that if one of you gets bitten you can get somewhere quickly to start the treatment. While the rabies vaccine is often available in Bali, if you haven't been previously immunized, you need a shot of Rabies Immune globulin (RIG) which is hard to come by in Bali. You would need to fly to SIngapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong for it.

You should practice food and water precautions in Bali. Drink only bottled water, use bottled water for teeth-brushing. All vegetables and fruits should be thoroughly washed in safe water and peeled. Hot dishes should be truly hot. Everyone should wash their hands before eating (often GI illnesses are passed via dirty hands).

As far as meds, you'll want rehydration salts, an anti-diarrheal medication and an antibiotic (typically Cipro or azythromyacin). Talk with a travel med doc about this and know how and when to (and when not to) use these various medications.

The only time I got sick was when we went to a non-tourist restaurant 20 + years ago, that place was totally off the beaten path, I had fried rice and hot tea. There might have been a slice of cucumber on the plate, don't really remember. Other than that I had no problem whatsoever.
I particularly like Gado Gado, salad with peanut sauce, it's a must. Try all the tropical fruit, wash them before you eat, mangosteen and rambutans are my favs, durian is not as good as Thai and Malaysian but still good. They have thick skin so you have nothing to worry about. I had all kinds of fruit juice and smoothies, Bali is the place to have them, cheap and good.
I am a fan of probiotics, some doctors don't reco but my gi doc does and it works for me. You can buy antibiotios without a prescribtion in Bali, some people said they are cheap and effective. i have not done that and I wouldn't go that route unless there is no other way.

This information has been quite helpful. We are vegetarians also and will be in Bali next June for 2 weeks. I hope you write a trip report about your experiences!! Happy travels..

Bali is the only place that I have gotten violently ill while on vacation. I believe I took either Cipro or azythromyacin and felt better within 24 hours. Your travel doc will know which one to prescribe for Bali.

In Bali, there's a product sold in most pharmacies. It is, as I recall, a colodial silver product. The people I know who live on Bali swear by it. I think the brand name is even "Bali Belly".

Vegetarian food on Bali can be extremely good.

mdtravelhealth.com Crrect CDC food and water precautions

As thousands around Hamburg have found out recently

Bake it boil it broil it peel it or leave it.

Bottled SEALED water only.

Back up Cipro Immodium in my travel kit

cutteradvanced.com for bugs malaria preventives in risk areas

Hep A jab for sure others as indicated.

Colloidal silve pure quackwatch.org

In recent years, silver-containing products have been marketed with unsubstantiated claims that they are effective against AIDS, cancer, infectious diseases, parasites, chronic fatigue, acne, warts, hemorrhoids, enlarged prostate, and many other diseases and conditions. Some marketers claim that colloidal silver is effective against hundreds of diseases.
This is 100% Quackery all claims are 100% unresearched.

Quackwatch.org

In my opnion, after years of living here, is that the most dangerous thing to watch out for is cracks and holes in the sidewalks, and I'm not kidding. The roads are not in good condition so tell your kids to watch their feet as they are walking along. I'm assuming you won't be riding motorbikes but that is also something to avoid, as traffic is confusing and chaotic. Hopefully you aren't staying in Kuta.

Vegetarian foods to try: gado gado, tempe, tahu, and almost all restaurants have vegetarian options for many of their dishes. You should also try the different sambals. My favorite: sambal matah...from shallots, lemongrass and other delicious tidbits.

We have the same problem and more with sidewalks here. The bigger problem is the delivery men on the bike come out of nowhere and ride at all directions. Very dangerous.
Sambal is what makes the food Indonesian. I can't do without it. I am adding sambal balado on everything these days. If you have a sensitivity to chili you'll need to tell the restaurant about it. Kids don't like chili usually so be aware most sauces are chili based. Try the Indonesian kecap (pronounced as ketchup), it's not tomato, is brown and sweet like molasses. Tempe is fermented tofu, the fried ones are good and crisy. Tahu is tofu. Have all the sauces on the side you'll be alright.

should be'crispy'.

Mohan:

Kecaps are soy sauce based.
Kecap Manis is the one that is thick and sweet. Kecap Asin is like Japanese soy sauce, thin and salty. In Indonesian restaurants you have to specify as both are very popular and frequently served.

Thank u all for your assistance. I will talk to my doctor about anti- diarrhea's and cipro. We are up to date on vaccinations and plan on staying away from the animals. As for the food, we are very excited to try new foods. And according to these precautions all salads are out, planning on just cooked veggies.

Besides all the medical stuff, you might want to bring some tablets for making broth with you. I used them in case of diarreah or vomiting. Tastes a lot better than ORS and contains a lot more salt, so makes you feel better instantly. Broth is usually someting you can keep down easily and you can get boiling water in all restaurants or hotels. Helped me out in the past a number of times. Not to stop anything (you need real meds for that) but it sure makes you feel better!

I think Kathie nailed it. We had OTC diarrhea meds but they offered little help against Bali Belly, and we were very careful with what we ate & drank. Our travel immunizations included Hep A and typhoid + Hep B. Our physician also prescribed some anti-malaria tablets.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie