J.Perry

We're in our 60's and always get travelers common illnesses when we travel for long trips. Any one have suggestions for prescription meds that will help with upper respiratory and lower intestine problems? We use all precautions and have all the otc meds but ususally spend a day or so "sick" on each trip. Any suggestions would be appreciated......

elaine

I'm not sure what prescription drugs would act as preventatives for colds--I don't think medicine has cracked that one yet.
I'm a pretty healthy person but I often get colds while I travel or just after I come home, and I attribute them
to a combination of change in sleep schedule, change in eating habits, bad air on airplanes, crowds, etc.
All I can suggest is that you try to stay hydrated on the plane
(drink lots of water, no alcohol, bring healthy snacks like fruit, etc), try to get some sleep on the plane and on your first night, take a multi vitamin, and bring along an otc
like Immodium or Pepto Bismol for the other problem. The latter problem can also be brought on by changes in the water you are drinking; even though the water supply is perfectly safe, it may not be what your system is used to.
Some people swear by herbals like
echinacea to ward off colds, but I can't say.

Henry

Hello wake up.....we are not Doctors here. See your Pharmacist or Doctor would be the smartest thing to do.

Thyra

Actually I do have one tip for helping to stay healthy and avoid the common cold. HAND SANITIZER!!! I swear by it. my husband and I used to get a cold every, single time we went overseas. My doctor explained to me that along with the strange food and beverages, your body is being exposed to billions of bacteria that get into your system through your hands. Most illnesses on airlines, believe it or not are transfered by touching surfaces then touching your face or eating. Plus you will be holding hand rails on subways, touching upholstry in taxi's, handles on doors etc. etc. Think of all the people blowing their noses then grabbing hand rails and you've got the picture. We started using the waterless hand cleansers 3 trips ago and have been cold free ****knock on wood ** ever since. Also pack a bunch of vitamins, drink bottled water and try to get enough rest that should see you through. Hand sanitizers can be gotten at a drug store in purse sized containers for under a dollar.

buddy

I always ask my doctor for a precription antibiotic and a prescription for a drug that helps diarhhea (don't know the name off hand) when i go to europe just in case. both work better than the OTC stuff.

anna

Buddy, thanks SO much for your major contribution to the worldwide emergence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Taking an antibiotic everytime you get a cold does exactly that. Thyra, your advice is RIGHT ON. Microbes of all sorts are passed hand-to-hand more efficiently than any other mode of transmission. Wash your hands frequently, especially when encountering large numbers of unfamiliar people whose microbes will be unfamiliar to your immune system. Other than that, keep yourself unstressed and well-nourished, and DON'T SMOKE. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics for viral infections will ultimately affect us ALL.

Anna

Judy

J. Cipro: went to Mexico and met Montezuma, not fun! Doctor prescibed it for future trips to Mexico, BUT it is very strong and should be used only for emergencies(not cold or flu, not for viruses either) Elaine&Thrya are right, preventive measures work best, IMHO, Judy ps. Anna, I totally agree that one should not take antibiotics in a haphazard fashion!

Shanna

J: I, too, always had a cold the minute the plane touched down. Now, I start two weeks before departure with the echinacea and a product called Emergen-C. It's full of C, obviously, and other minerals. I increase my intake of zinc, potassium, magnesium, and eat apples. I continue this for a couple of days after arrival except that I keep taking extra zinc the whole time. However, I also take sudafed just in case, but haven't needed it in years - and that's about 30 plane rides. That's for the cold problem - the other, I've never had a problem with, on the contrary. However, I know people who swear by Imodium. Take 2 at first sign. I have used probiotics (acidophilus, bifidas, others,[sp?]) and digestive enzymes (amylase, protease etc) for years and continue to take them even while traveling. No longer a child (or teen or young adult either), I still eat and drink whatever I want, taking into account that hygiene in some places just isn't what I'd like it to be. Do stay away from antibiotics - they will kill your beneficial flora, with the result being that you will be all the more susceptible.

Danna

We also got a prescription from our Dr. for an antibiotic before we left. THEN I got a toothache, and realized neither of us brought our medical insurance cards! Be sure to bring them. (Also forgot to sign our passports so made a side trip to an American Embassy... but that's a different story!) Take just in case prescriptions and your medical cards!