Reccomendations on not getting sick.
 

My wife and I will be going to Puerto Vallarta at the end of April. I hear of so many Americans traveling ot Mexico and getting very sick from the water / food.
Any suggestions or preparations I can do before and during my stay there. Thank you!

I am always careful about ordering things like salad or ceviche, and never indulge in street food. I think the thing people might overlook is, you should be wary of buffets, even in the fanciest hotels, because the food may have been sitting for too long.

Drink only bottled water. Don't eat food that's been sitting around (like hotel buffets). Don't eat raw vegetables or salads. Eat only fruits that can be peeled.

Personally I avoid some kinds of dairy after an unfortunate sour cream incident one trip (I do have milk in my coffee and eat ice cream and yogurt).

I do eat from the taco street stands but watch for ones that are very busy and popular so the food is really fresh.

The information that many visitors are given is generally overblown and out of date. Particularly for Puerto Vallarta, who's potable water treatment plants have passed International Standards for some 10 years now.
Not that there are not places where you should be careful in other parts of Mexico, particularly rural areas.
I have been drinking tap water here for many years and have never become sick by doing so and I'm no spring chicken.
You're just as likely to get sick from a restaurant in the US/CAN as you are here, and those AI buffets, as mentioned, are far more likely to breed some germs, than the fresh food prepared at a good taco stand.
It's the same sort of old-fashioned idea about Mexico, like the one that all Mexicans would prefer to get dollars rather than pesos.

I agree in sentiment with the poster above, but since I have been sick on several occasions vacationing in PV, I take the better safe then sorry approach.

I think it is different when you live full time in Mexico, then, like locals, you are better acclimated to the food and water and don't need to be so overly cautious.

Cabron is right in most respects.

Puh-leeze don't become another wussy
American fretting about food and water.

For Pete's sake. Realize you are changing environments and take care.

That's it.

After working in tropical hotels for most of the past 19 years here's what happens...

Vacationers get on the charter plane and have a couple of drinks...
Then they arrive at their resort and start eating exotic, fresh fruits by the basketful, drinking way more than normal (and not drinking enough water along with the booze!!!), eating spicy and/or different foods and then they wonder why their stomachs are acting up...

If you changed your diet like that at home you would feel just as bad...

Most good restaurants now are very aware of the need to disinfect vegetables - especially for salads - so it's not such a problem as it used to be...

To help prevent true Montezuma's revenge as against the above self induced variety - take acidopholus tablets or eat natural yogurt...

If you do get a dose - eat plain rice and drink lots of bottled water or maybe weak tea with no milk... Add in a banana after the rice is being tolerated okay... If you hadn't been eating it before try a natural yogurt - adds good bacteria and raises the acidity in your stomach killing off the bad bugs...
Then move to plain bread or toast...

We found that this regimen got people back to "normal" in 2 or 3 days and even after the 1st day they were feeling better... Tried and tested in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Mexico and Panama!!!

Caution and moderation are the key - don't drastically change your diet overnight...

A bit longwinded of a reply but hopefully this will help someone enjoy their vacation a bit more...

Cheers,
Andrew

My best advice came from a friend of mine who spends his life traveling the world.

He said that everyone is SO careful about the food and drink that they ingest but careless in other ways. His advice came from an infectious disease doctor cautioning him to always pay attention after touching money, that it was ripe with germs, feces matter (yuk), etc. Think of how often you touch money, how many germs can be on it, and then you rub your face, touch your mouth, etc. I have always paid attention to this, have traveled to Mexico 30+ times and have never been sick. Though I know that food is sometimes the culprit, I think it also gets a bad rap.

As far as food, I have always heard to stay away from the "watery" fruits and vegetables. Especially strawberries, canteloupe and cucumbers.

I guess Latins are so damn rich they

are using TP for ....?

BTW, a very few people have allergic reactions to Acidolphilos.

I would get a local doc to handle
anything serious.

i'm a vegetarian and thinking of going to mexico for 3 or 4 weeks.i eat lots of salads and raw vegetables!how do i solve this problem

We ate tons of salads , fruit , smoothies , veggies , with no trouble . we did not drink the water , just to be cautious . Perhaps we were lucky ? Good Luck !

thanks!if i buy my own vegies to make a salad do i need to do wash them in anything special or is bottled water enough

Yes you buy those "biodrops", they are easy to find, like at the checkout stand at a supermercado. You soak the vegetables first then rinse.

A wash in bottled water does not solve the problem, if there was one.

The drops to use when washing veggies are call Microdyn or Silvadyn, about 10 drops to a liter of water, soak for 10 min and it's done.
I use this for lettuce and those wonderful strawberries off the truck at 20 pesos a kilo.

I drink bottled water in Mexico, also brush my teeth with it.

But, I eat street food, salads, fruits and vegetables.

I was told by my travel clinic doctor that there is no way to clean lettuce, no matter what you wash it with. So, I eat it anyway. Haven't gotten sick yet.

I would recommend getting vaccinated against Hepatis A before coming. It's endemic, and is easily preventable.

I live in San Miguel de Allende, Gto.
We soak all food that can be "washed" in a dilute Microdyne solution (It's $45.MXN for 500 ml at Costco and smaller containers are available locally).
We have multi filtered and multi purified water at home, but our Mexican friends and help think we're nuts to drink tap water. Bottled water is delivered for guests (now $16. MXN for 19L).
We avoid most street food, especially in the warmer dry season in certain areas (Typhoid is hardy enough to survive on dust particles for some time), but otherwise eat/drink everything and nearly everywhere else.
Local yogurt is a highly recommended "prophylaxis".
We are immunized v. Hep A and B and
have not yet been ill here.
M

Take some Immodium with you. I have found that this really works for me as I always get sick when I go to Mexico. Also the above advice is very good.I also take a shot for Hepatitis A before I go. I have not had any problems in Belize or Costa Rica, just Mexico.

kwil, I thought you were going to say it, but you never quite got there, although you made excellent points for it. The best way to prevent illness, disease, etc, in ANY country is to wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!!!

I can't help noticing the advice that no special precautions are needed, or blame it on overindulgence of a tourist on vacation, or washing your hands will take care of things... have not been sick in Mexico themselves.

I guarantee you after one bad bout(yes I'm talking sick in bed you wanna die) and you will change your tune and your attitude.