goldie1492

This is our first trip to Mexico and we are going to Ixtapa. We are staying at the Presidente Intercontinental. I have always shied away for Mexico because I heard too many stories of people getting sick. Any tips on how to stay well on our trip.

clueless

Drink bottled everything. Watch out for ice in drinks. Peel fruit before eating. Brush teeth with bottled water.

I've been to Mexico three times and have never been sick as I am very careful about eating and drinking.

Have fun.

yestravel

In addition to clueless' tips, if you wear contact lens and rinse them with water, use bottled water to do that. Also I have tended to stay away from street vendor food. Have spent many trips in Mexico and so far have not gotten sick. have a great trip--mexico is wonderful!

JeanH

I don't know a thing about the Presidente Intercontinental, but I'm guessing they use purified water for their ice. I'd still drink bottled water, ask about water from the tap as far as brushing your teeth.

Advice it not to eat fruits/vegetables unless you peel them yourself. I don't follow this myself, and have never had any trouble. I'm sure one of these days one of those salads will give me trouble.

I'd avoid buffets. Any time food sits out like that, it's an invitation to every germ in the area.

Wash your hands frequently. Many people carry small bottles of hand sanitizer with them. Not a bad idea.

Don't worry too much about it, you tend to hear about the people who get sick, but thousands go and have no problems.

Bill_H

Drink bottled water and don't eat at Taco Bell

TC

All good tips above. In addition, you can take one or two Pepto Bismal tablets each morning to protect your system from any bacteria that might upset it. Food and water aren't really "BAD" in Mexico, its just that the natural occurring bacteria is different than the natural occurring bacteria your body is used to at home. Therefore your body tries to reject this foreign substance.

If you do find yourself with a case of tourista, there is a pill available in Mexican pharmacies called Treada. It works like a charm on this particular bacteria.

Also....take care drinking alcohol and getting too much sun. Its a bad combination that can cause serious dehydration.

goldie1492

Thanks for the tips. We have an all inclusive package and I was looking forward to some pina colodias and margaritas but guess I better avoid them.

suze

You don't have to avoid cocktails, that's silly!! Although myself I stay away from Pina Coladas because all that creamy coconut milk in the heat doesn't sit well with me.

Most all decent hotels and restaurants have purified ice delivered. Look at the ice cubes they likely be tire-shaped with a hole in the middle. Nice places that that certainly aren't making ice cubes from tap water!

My rules are only bottled water, and watch out for food that has been sitting around (buffets, restaurants without m any people in them, etc.)

mikemo

Use common sense, bottled water, wash hands lots (in hot water and soap for 15+ seconds), and don't eat street food.
Get your Hep A immunizations.
We soak everything in Microdyne.
We have/drink triple filtered and double purified city water at home, but still have the large 19-20 L bottles for the help and visitors.
Mexicanos are obsessed with good and fresh food, so follow the crowds.
I have never been ill in Mexico and have lived here nearly four years.
M (SMdA, Gto.)

mikemo

Forgot to mention that salsas may be suspect - apparently, onions "go bad" fairly quickly.
Unfortunately, I love chiles and salsas.
M

rickkeith

Hi. We go to Ixtapa every other year. We have always stayed at las Brisas. We drink bottled water and a lot of diet coke. In ten years, we have never gotten sick. We use the round hollow hotel ice a lot. We brush our teeth with the tap water in the hotel. People likely to get sick are probably drinking too much alcohol. They just blame the water. Relax and enjoy your trip.

MikeT

I agree about the water, but don't be so paranoid that you don't have fun (so, of course, you should have a margarita or pina colada if you want one or two or four). I also routinely eat from street carts, although I only have cooked foods.

suze

rickkeith- well, if you ever DO have the misfortune of getting sick in Mexico from food/water you'll know the difference between that and drinking too much alcohol... believe me!

hopefulist

Some over-the-counter wonders: bromelain and papain are enzymes from pineapple and papaya that help you digest protein faster making it less likely to make you sick. We also take probiotics (good bacteria) to help our systems deal with new foods and carry cayenne capsules which appears to help you get rid of turista if it strikes. I think a lot of turista is simply your body's reaction to strange new foods and not really sickness as we think of it. Lots of great advice above - happy trails!

kippy6

Check here for description of Montezuma's revenge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montezu...%28medicine%29

I found the info interesting... I think the 40% estimate is very high...it seems the statistics would be skewed b/c mostly the people who get sick would report it. I can't imagine 40% of a group of 20 people who travelled together getting sick... On second thought, that estimate sounds WAY off to me.

Even if it were that high, I think Cancun is a fun place, and I'd still go back if given the opportunity. The SMALL POSSIBILITY of getting Montezuma's revenge or something similar shouldn't be enough to deter anyone from visiting Cancun.

Finding out the do's and don't's before you go is a great thing to do, and will greatly reduce your chances of getting sick. Don't dwell on it. Have fun. There's lots of places in the world where this could be a concern.