We are planning a trip to India and would like to know stategies on how to avoid getting stomach ailments. Any advice would be welcome.

Do not drink the water! That is nothing straight from the tap, avoid ice in drinks! Ensure that any bought bottled water has a sealed cap. Canned drinks are fine. Remember that salads and uncooked fruit and vegies may have been washed in tap water. Roadside vendors can be dodgy. I avoid eating meat in India. Usually the v. good hotels will only serve bottled purified waters in their jugs and even make ice from it, Roadside vendors don't.

Agree with above and don not forget to go to a travel clinic/MD before you go. There are several meds recommended such as malaria and typhoid pills. This is a must.

There is also a plan whereby you can take pepto-bysmol all day, everyday as a preventative. See the CDC Web site re: traveler's diarrhea - there's a detailed description of the plan.

My husband and I did this on Bali and it seemed to work (in combination with all of the recs above!)

Also, carry lots of purell and purell wipes with you. You can wipe the lip area of all cans that you drink out of as an extra measure.

>>Also, carry lots of purell and purell wipes with you. You can wipe the lip area of all cans that you drink out of as an extra measure<<

Or carry straws for this purpose. Never put your mouth to the lips of cans or neck of bottles that may have been sitting in ice made from unknown water.

The cdc website details routine food and water precautions. (www.cdc.gov/travel) If you follow those, you won't get sick.

I sometimes take a small water filter...bought at a travel store...and filter my water...even bottled water sometimes. You never know where it's been bottled from. I've been in countries where I've seen workers take glass bottles and fill them from the tap and then put the sealed tops on them so that it appears to be safe. Once I was in a hotel in Morrocco and my room was on the other side of the kitchen and there was a mini, screened window, in my closet area that I could look through and see to the kitchen...well...I saw all kinds of things that you would not want to know about...including cats eating out of the bread baskets...and the same bread baskets that were being put on the table for breakfast. So you just NEVER know what's really going on as far as food or water. Take the Pepto Bismo. I personally take pickled umeboshi plums. Ume kills discentery. Happy Travels!

Yes fallow all the above but do realize that some people like myself do get sick after long flight from jet lag and stress... I get it bad when I return too America. but I cant blame it on the street stalls.


do make sure too bring pills like imodium or those for constipation just in case. and I would advice too keep the imodium always on you. who knows when the curry is going too "blow your stomeck up" even if its from chez Raja.

All of us -- consciously and unconsciously -- put our fingers to our mouths and eyes. One word: don't.

Wash your hands many times a day.

Never chew your fingernails. Try to avoid wiping your eyes.

And be careful when you shower to keep your mouth shut. NEVER brush your teeth in tap water. Use the bottled water. That's what it's for.

P.S. -- and I am willing to bet some nut case will tell you that they "never have had any problems and they don't take any precautions." Oh, sure.

USNR after originaly reading this post I got too thinking on a scanerio where someone travels too some third world counry. go's too Mcdonalds. eats a burger with thiers dirty hands then goes too a food stall and orders a plate of food which they eat witha fork and spoon later they get sick and blame it on the street vender right off the bat. I agree with ya that your own dirty hands is one of the major causes of getting sick..

Thank you all very much. I appreciate the candid feedback. Thanks again.