info on oral vaccine for travellers diarrhea
Apr 17th, 2007, 11:55 AM
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info on oral vaccine for travellers diarrhea
not a nice topic I know but, We are travelling 3.5 weeks throughout Thailand and Im hearing that there is a oral vaccine called Ducarale (?) that you take 1 week before leaving home. This prevents any unwanted bacteria from staying around in the body. Im looking for any advice or info on this subject. Thanks
Apr 17th, 2007, 12:46 PM
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Ducoral is an oral vaccine effective against strains of e coli. Note that it is not effective against other bacterial strains and it is not effective against viral illnesses nor parasitic illnesses. Of course, you must still follow food and water precautions.
Talk with your doctor about this. It is more important that you get the other vaccines recommended for Thailand, like Hep A and typhoid.
Talk with your doctor about this. It is more important that you get the other vaccines recommended for Thailand, like Hep A and typhoid.
Apr 17th, 2007, 02:58 PM
#3
We took Dukoral last year prior to our trip to South America and took a booster this year for our trip to SE Asia (including Thailand). We didn't have any stomach problems on either trip - maybe it had nothing to do with the Dukoral but we're not willing to find out the hard way!
One other thing I've read is to have a swig of Pepto Bismol each morning - cleans up bacteria evidently.
One other thing I've read is to have a swig of Pepto Bismol each morning - cleans up bacteria evidently.
Apr 17th, 2007, 05:15 PM
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I most always get traveler's diarrhea when on vacation except not on this last vacation to thailand! One month before leaving I started taking 3 capsules/day of acidophilus and continued to do so throughout the trip. Don't know for sure if this is what helped, but it seemed to do the trick for me.
Apr 17th, 2007, 10:26 PM
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In Australia we have this supplement called inner health and its basically a whole bunch of the good bacteria.
Anywho when ever we travel we take that and it works a treat.
A doctor friend of ours told us that you really don't want to stop diarrhoea as its your bodys way of getting rid of stuff. Best advice was to drink lots and have the odd sports drink to replenish any lost electorates etc etc.
Hope this helps!
Anywho when ever we travel we take that and it works a treat.
A doctor friend of ours told us that you really don't want to stop diarrhoea as its your bodys way of getting rid of stuff. Best advice was to drink lots and have the odd sports drink to replenish any lost electorates etc etc.
Hope this helps!
Apr 18th, 2007, 04:45 AM
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I took it before going to India. Don't know if it worked--but did not have ANY problems. I ordered mine from a Canadian pharmacy ( I live in US and it was not available here then.) There was a long thread about Ducarol here several years ago. Don't know if it is still available for viewing, though.
Apr 18th, 2007, 06:58 AM
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Elizabeth has the right spelling on this: Dukoral.
It was developed as a vaccine for cholera and was later found to be effective in a limited way, against e. coli. It's effectiveness against e coli is approximately 3 months. It has some effectiveness against cholera for about 2 years (none of the cholera vaccines are especially efective, and they are recommended only for those at high risk, such as working in a refugee camp).
Last I knew, it was not approved in the US, but perhaps there is a pharmacist on the board who can conform/disconfirm this.
The other thing being talked about on this thread are probiotics, whether "good bacteria" or acidophilis. These are non-prescription supplements available in health food stores. Bastyr University (a naturopathic and alternative medicine university in Seattle) has conducted research on probiotics and TD. They found that probiotics are not effective in preventing TD, but that taking them after you have it shortens the course.
Reseach on daily pepto-bismol indicates that is helpful in preventing TD. It will, however, turn your tongue black!
It was developed as a vaccine for cholera and was later found to be effective in a limited way, against e. coli. It's effectiveness against e coli is approximately 3 months. It has some effectiveness against cholera for about 2 years (none of the cholera vaccines are especially efective, and they are recommended only for those at high risk, such as working in a refugee camp).
Last I knew, it was not approved in the US, but perhaps there is a pharmacist on the board who can conform/disconfirm this.
The other thing being talked about on this thread are probiotics, whether "good bacteria" or acidophilis. These are non-prescription supplements available in health food stores. Bastyr University (a naturopathic and alternative medicine university in Seattle) has conducted research on probiotics and TD. They found that probiotics are not effective in preventing TD, but that taking them after you have it shortens the course.
Reseach on daily pepto-bismol indicates that is helpful in preventing TD. It will, however, turn your tongue black!
Apr 18th, 2007, 07:08 AM
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Actually Tim is a pharmacist and he hasn't heard of Dukoral. (But he didn't have time to look it up.)
He did say that Pepto can slow down the GI system, causing some constipation, but it does work as Elizabeth_S and Kathie stated.
Liz
He did say that Pepto can slow down the GI system, causing some constipation, but it does work as Elizabeth_S and Kathie stated.
Liz
Apr 27th, 2007, 08:08 AM
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We were first introduced to Dukarol at our local Travel Clinic here in Victoria, BC. They highly recommended it. I think we took it first for a trip to the Middle East and have subsequently taken it before each overseas trip. I wouldn't go to any third world country without taking it.
Apr 28th, 2007, 01:09 PM
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Times when we need such some medication we go to the pharmacy and before they provide anything they always ask, when did it start, how often and a couple more detailed 'points' and most important what did you eat and when, after knowing that they provide certain pills, plus sachets of I believe glucose & salt with fruit flavor to drink.
I know that when we say prawns/shimps etc they go straight to a blue colored pill which does the trick.
Other times same pharmacist has given a brown colored pill when seafood had not been eaten directly prior to the 'event'.
I think this is down to them knowing the sort of treatment based on local experience of causes.
They also say how long it should take to work and to go to the hospital if it hasn't worked in that time.
I know that when we say prawns/shimps etc they go straight to a blue colored pill which does the trick.
Other times same pharmacist has given a brown colored pill when seafood had not been eaten directly prior to the 'event'.
I think this is down to them knowing the sort of treatment based on local experience of causes.
They also say how long it should take to work and to go to the hospital if it hasn't worked in that time.
