melshells

I luckily had a number of friends who are/were experienced Mexican travelers before I went on my first trip. They set me up w/ a number of Mexican antibiotics - one of them called Bactrim- which they swore were designed specifically for the indigenous Mexican- type bacteria that I might encounter. Well, glad I had them after daring to eat street food and enjoy a meal that a local family prepared for me. Have some stuff on you- Nobody wants to go the pharmacy in a foreign country when they're laid out dead dog sick. Better to be prepared.

Are they any different from what you can get in this country? I don't know- ask your doctor. But I think Bactrim works. Otherwise, I'm open to all suggestions. I too carry Pepto bismol (those tablets are handy, some divers swear you should take them daily as a preventative) and I also agree w/ other posters who point out that you shouldn't block things up w/ Immodium that are destined to come out.

It's interesting to hear about the acidopholous suggestion. A friend of mine told me that he always orders locally made yogurt in what ever country he travels to on the very first day so he can begin acclimating himself to their own unique bacterial cultures. Makes sense to me- I think I'm gonna try it in Costa Rica this fall. Otherwise, if you're unlucky enough to have an 'incident', always remember to eat yogurt and drink an electrolyte like Gatorade (widely available in Mexico) if you've treated a gastro-intestinal issue w/ something like Bactrim which is designed to blow all of the good bacteria out of your system.....

But you know- don't get paranoid. Everything is going to be fine and you're going to have a wonderful trip...

sol_veracruzano

re: Stomach Sickness

You can get it anywhere, it can be due to a change in your normal intake of foods.

i.e.
tortilla vs white bread/bun
red rice vs white rice
fresh made sauce vs bottled one.

Regarding OTC Remedies;
Pepto, Immodium, Tums and Maalox are readily available in any pharmacy.

I wouldn't recommend Bactrim , It's too strong and ruins your stomach.

Dude

For what its worth I think there is something to the acidophilus/lactobaccilus thing. I have been to Mexico maybe 100 times. Only been sick once, and it was really, really sick. Probably from a little bit of water on the plates and utensils in a private home. Anyway for the last few years in Mexico I have been drinking a minimum of 1 yogurt drink a day while in Mexico. There are numerous brands availible like "Yakult" that are specifically made to load your system up with the good bacteria. It has worked really well for me, I raely have any stomach probelms at all while in Mex, it seems worth doing as a preventative.

garyrbeck

Granted, there are instances of true sickness from food or water in Mexico, rarely in Puerto Vallarta since its water is checked 4 times per year and is one of very few cities which is certified safe. The first trip would be the most difficult, if at all, since your tummy does not have the bacteria in it that everyone else has. Even Mexicans who come into the USA for work up here tend to have a bit of sickness from our bacteria!

But, the Real Reasons for sickness of gringos are:

Too much sun
Too little water [tons per day, please]
Too much alcohol
Not enough sleep [6-8 hours]
Out and about during the heat of the day, mainly 11am to 3pm
Not enough good healthy food eaten at regular hours

Drink as much water as you can and carry the plastic bottles with you [available everywhere in PV now], fresh fruit juice, too.


Gary
San Francisco, CA.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Puerto...Town_SouthSide

http://www.cafepress.com/vallartaguide