AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Travel Anti malarial dosage?

I'll be visiting AC very soon (seventeen more days and counting!). I'll also be doing some mainland excursions and need some info from anyone who has taken anti-malarial meds (chloroquine). CDC says to start one week before and continue for four weeks after. Info from the doctor said two weeks before and eight weeks after. Different websites said one or the other. To anyone who has taken it, what was your dosage? Thanks so much!

Ask Dr. Ganga in the "for medicinal purposes" post.

For what it is worth, on my last trip to Africa I started 1 week before and continued for 4 weeks after as per CDC. Taken just before sleeptime, with some other medical aids, the combination made for some very interesting dreams indeed.

laughing at cdj.....

Hi. Did you ever find out about the Malaria dosage? I am traveling to AC from New York and wondering if you need other vaccinations... any ideas?

Hi, Riley

If you check the CDC website (www.cdc.gov), it'll tell you what's recommended. Hepatitis A vaccination is also recommended. Some others too, but only under certain conditions. I've heard a lot of people never take any precautions visiting AC and never had a problem. But with malaria, I think I'd rather be safe than sorry (didn't get the Hep A vacc. but still wonder if I should have). Hoping for more responses about the dosage for anti-malaria.

Hey Dale.

Just grabbed my bottle of Chloroquine- 250 MG Tablets. Instructions read, "Take 2 tablets by mouth one week prior: then 2 tablets each week for six weeks."

The bottle also has the typical warnings: take with food or milk; may cause blurred vision and may lessen your ability to drive or perform hazardous tasks. (This just might translate to walking home from BC's.)

We also had an antibacterial on hand called Levaquin and an antibiotic called Cipro. We took Pepto with us, but to be honest we didn't use any of them.

We got the following shots: tetanus, Hep A,B,C; typhoid.

The CDC tends to be somewhat conservative. Luckily our health insurance company covers visits to a specialits versed in immunizations needed when travelling.

Have a GREAT trip!

Loie

[This message has been edited by Loie (edited 07-25-2001).]