Anyone have a brand that's recommended - preferably one that tastes not horrible?
Could an adult use pedialyte? - maybe two packs at a time (each to be mixed w/8 oz water).

I thought all rehydration salts tasted terrible! No reason an adult couldn't just use a larger dose of pedialyte.

Yeah, they are tough to get down. I think the pedialyte variety pack sounds tasty though, haha. Hopefully it will not be needed but just in case...

Kathie - can I ask your opinion on something else: wearing contact lenses in India. If you wash your hands with tap water before putting contacts in could you get an eye infection? Or if you wash them then use Purell and wait for it to dry before touching lenses or eyes would you be okay?
Not trying to sound totally paranoid but would it be smarter to just wear glasses?

A LOT of Indians wear contact lenses too if that makes you feel better. Just wash and dry your hands and you should be fine. Use Purell and then rinse it off with some of your sterile saline solution for an extra layer of precaution if you want.

The only annoyance is the grit and dust in the air. Have refresh eye drops with you if anything gets in your eye. Contact lens wearers should always have glasses at hand, just in case,

Rather then Pedialite, I would suggest you go to a sports store and get those rehydration tabs which you just put into a bottle of water. They come in a small metal tube, easy to pack and bring along and they stay dry even in high humidity. One tube has 10-12 lozenges. I use the Zero brand, there are others. You can sometimes find them in pharmacies as well as sporting good stores.

If you wash you hands with SOAP and water, your hands will be disinfected. (Your mother was completely right on this point.) I think soap is better then Purell, as Purell does not remove dirt, just disinfects it. You could still end up with grit in your eye if you use Purell or similar liquid disinfectant. (And India can be pretty gritty.) Soap and water are as good, if not better, as it removes dirt as well as disinfecting. As you will be in your hotel room when putting in your contacts for the day, you should have easy access to soap and water. If during the day, you get grit in our eye and need to remove the contacts, it may be easier just to wear glasses for the rest of the day. But only you cal tell whether grit bothers you.

But all in all, don't be overly worried about germs in India. the "issues" are extremely overhyped, IMO.

OK, thanks -- tabs sound easier to pack than powder.

And as to contacts info, I'll pass that on to my mom to help her decide. I don't wear them thankfully - thank you lasix! She's impervious to any germs or cooties usually and thought I was being overly concerned when I told her she might want to just wear glasses on this trip.

That should've been lasik not lasix -- in case you're wondering why I'm thankful for fluid retention medicine.
I should start previewing posts before submitting.

India is not a medical backwater Apollo Hospitals are great

RESTORE ORS oral rehydration salts ... 300 mg. restore O.R.S. is a pleasant tasting orange ... O.R.S. has been carefully formulated to ensure the best ...
http://www.ascentpharma.com.au/.../p...tion-salts.seo

My fav... adventure medical has good med kits also wise

mdtravelhealth.com India good health med kit info for DIY

Food and water precautions antibiotics immodium suggested

Bake Broil It peel it or LEAVE it!

Happy Travels!

The cantaloupe listeria cases cast doubt on the "peel it."

Fruit should be thoroughly washed before peeling. Otherwise, the knife can introduce bacteria from the skin of the fruit into the flesh of the fruit as it is being cut into or peeled. It is my understanding that if this precaution is taken, the listeria potential problem can be avoided.

Two words = "Red Bull"!

If you're worried about getting something in your eye from the tap water itself, use bottled water to wash your hands before dinking wtih contacts.

I wouldn't be worried about it really.