Guest Posted January 22, 2002 Report Share Posted January 22, 2002 For folks who go bare back occasionally: Before going to Thailand many check with their doc for Vacinations required etc. As far as Malaria is concerned in Thailand most areas are not risk areas and your doc will tell you you don't need the drugs. But ask for them and take them anyway, that drug is Doxycyline and it's the same drug for many an std and it'll stop a lot of things from developing. Normal dose is 100mg/day for Malaria and 100mg twice/day for 7 days for Clamydia. If something does develop even with the doxyclcine then after the Doxycycline is finished and if symptoms persist you can take Azithromycin(ZITHROMAX), dosage 1mg once off, both these drugs are available over the counter in BKK without prescription. I won't describe symptoms, search the net for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iuytrede Posted January 22, 2002 Report Share Posted January 22, 2002 doesn't help against HIV though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomc12 Posted January 22, 2002 Report Share Posted January 22, 2002 JackHAck, I have some problems with your advice. Taking an antibiotic empirically is one of the causes of resisitant strains of bacteria. There are already enough strains of gonorrhea resistant to Vibramycin without adding to the lot. Furthermore, you advise switching to Zithromax 1 gram if symptoms persist. The dose of Zithromax for gonorrhea is 2 grams again because of resistant strains. One of the most common side effects with tetracyclines is photosensitivity reactions which are increased in tropical regions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 22, 2002 Report Share Posted January 22, 2002 I appreciate being able to hear a lot of different perspectives on pharmaceuticals. Gid knows that I can't afford to get a doctor's perspective, unless it is really urgent. But, the premise for the original post is definitely uncool: "If you go bare back..." That should not be a considered scenario, IMO. That kind of activity really messes up the scene...and even more important things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2002 Report Share Posted January 23, 2002 quote: But, the premise for the original post is definitely uncool: "If you go bare back..." Firstly I suppose all comments on this aren't profesional opinions but I'm sure people reading can work that out themselves. Also, sure none of the antibiotics shield HIV but the reality is for those on a holiday maybe expecting the ladies to be insisting on condoms then landing in a situation as I did where many of them couldn't care less. I even had to wrestle to get a condom back out of one girls clentched fist as she prefered if I didn't wear one. Other unexpected problems folks might find themselves in are the suprise that those durex you bought an hour ago in the 7eleven are smaller than the ones that you get back home, condoms break etc etc. And lets face it compare the force driving you to just throw your lad in to her versus the force that says leave the bed, search around your bag, find condom.... Back to the HIV, it's known that it's much easier to catch it if you have another std so by taking the Doxycyline drugs which are prescribed for malaria prevention you could be reducing the risk of getting an std and in effect reducing the risk of the big one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibblies Posted January 23, 2002 Report Share Posted January 23, 2002 quote: Originally posted by vtombrown: I appreciate being able to hear a lot of different perspectives on pharmaceuticals. Gid knows that I can't afford to get a doctor's perspective, unless it is really urgent. You don't need lots of perspectives. Surely it's better to have one well-informed opinion than a bunch of populist incorrect ones. I can't believe that you can't afford to see a doctor - the last few times I went to Bumrungrad, the doctor's fee amounted to 300 baht. You already make the point that you shouldn't muck around with your body by not wearing condoms. Surely that also applies to medicine you might stuff down your throat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2002 Report Share Posted January 23, 2002 I've thought about the idea of using doxyxycline as prophylaxis many times, but I think that there is one big disadvantage of using antibiotics in such way when in the tropics: The chance you are gonna develop some persistent kind of diarrhea when on antibiotics in the tropics is very big, I think, and what are you gonna do when that happens? You should consider that the cause of this persistent diarrhea could be: - the prolonged use of antibiotics itself (in developed countries 75% of cases of diarrhea when on antibiotics is caused by the antibiotics itself). In this case you should stop taking the antibiotic. - infection by Clostridium difficile (in developed countries 25% of cases of diarrhea when on antibiotics is caused by this bacterium). You can treat this infection by Metronidazole. - infection of protozoa and/or other parasitic micro-organisms like Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia. Note that use of antibiotics increases the probability of catching gastro-intestinal infections greatly as antibiotics kill all the 'good', protecting bacteria in the gut too! One time I got both amebiasis and giardiasis when I took amoxycillin in Indonesia! Some kind of these parasitic infections can be treated by Metronidazole also. - infection by doxycycline-resistant bacteria like Salmonella and E-coli. In this case you should take another antibiotic. So what should you do when you develop persistent diarrhea when taking doxycycline? For me this is a serious question, because it's the only big disadvantage I can find. The big advantage is, of course, that doxycycline protects against a number of infections too, including virtually all bacterial STD's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2002 Report Share Posted January 23, 2002 While I try to absorb that last post, just rememered Doxy' was also used during the Anthrax scare in the US. I took it while in LOS, maybe that's why I was been called Hansome Man all the time. What a drug!!! any other benefits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2002 Report Share Posted January 23, 2002 bibblies, Good point (I really was just referring to American doctors). Yes, Bumrungrad is a great place and a great value. I'm also with you on the rest of your post. Though, I don't want to totally close out the populist perspective (even though it's usually bullocks) because we need to keep the establishment on its toes (which, of course, are donning golden slippers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2002 Report Share Posted January 23, 2002 curiousguy On your point of AntiBiotics agitating Diarrhea, this quote seems to contradict that. Travelers' Diarrhea Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/travel/foodwatr.htm Antimicrobial drugs such as doxycycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim®, Septra®), and fluoroquinolones (Cipro®, Noroxin®) may shorten the length of illness and may especially benefit persons with severe abdominal cramping, fever, and/or bloody diarrhea. Notably, high levels of resistance in many parts of the developing world to doxycycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole now limit the utility of these drugs for persons traveling to such areas. Consult your physician for prescription and dose schedules. Antidiarrheals, such as Lomotil®* or Immodium®*, can decrease the number of diarrheal stools, but can cause complication for persons with serious infections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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