Malarone + Chloroquine?

We are going on a safari to northern Botswana in early July, which will
start off with two days at Victoria Falls (on the Zambia side). Our
pharmacist (in the UK) looked up the recommended Malaria prophylactics,
and came up with Chloroquine for Botswana and Malarone
(Atovaquone/Proguanil) for Zambia. That would mean that we would have
to take both medicines concurrently throughout the trip. Is this
necessary, or does one of them just give a higher level of protection
and make the other one obsolete? Apart from the doubled risk of side
effects, could they interact in any way?

Any experiences?

Thanks in advance,

Herbert

In message . com
"hfruchtl" wrote:

We are going on a safari to northern Botswana in early July, which will
start off with two days at Victoria Falls (on the Zambia side). Our
pharmacist (in the UK) looked up the recommended Malaria prophylactics,
and came up with Chloroquine for Botswana and Malarone
(Atovaquone/Proguanil) for Zambia. That would mean that we would have
to take both medicines concurrently throughout the trip. Is this
necessary, or does one of them just give a higher level of protection
and make the other one obsolete? Apart from the doubled risk of side
effects, could they interact in any way?

I am not remotely medically qualified, but since you're in the UK,
here's my 2p worth of advice, since the above seems ridiculous.

See if your own Health Centre has a Travel Nurse or if the GP does it
him/herself. Book into that and get a list of all the preventatives
you need. I usually take all I'm recommended, people here are less
'nervous' and pick and choose.
I'd imagine you'd just have to take one set of medications for the
full trip: a trained travel practitioner (it's currently a nurse in my
health centre) would be able to work it out and talk you through the
options.

[OT]
I'm pretty suprised the pharmacist was so clueless - a friend's
daughter is just about to graduate in pharmacy and has received lots
of training in this sort of thing, and lots of others things too (and
I thought they just mixed medicines!) so that they should be able to
give you really useful, valid advice - including when to see a
specialist.

Remember, I'm not medically qualified: it may be that there are
reasons why you'd have to take two different anti-malarials
concurrently: but I sould be totally astounded if it were so!

Slainte

Liz


--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

In article . com,
"hfruchtl" wrote:

We are going on a safari to northern Botswana in early July, which will
start off with two days at Victoria Falls (on the Zambia side). Our
pharmacist (in the UK) looked up the recommended Malaria prophylactics,
and came up with Chloroquine for Botswana and Malarone
(Atovaquone/Proguanil) for Zambia. That would mean that we would have
to take both medicines concurrently throughout the trip. Is this
necessary, or does one of them just give a higher level of protection
and make the other one obsolete? Apart from the doubled risk of side
effects, could they interact in any way?

Choloroquine is supposed to be ineffective in many places?

If malarone if the 1 dose a week one, go for it. Easier than stuff you
have to take daily (depending ony ur diet). If that's too expensive or
you prefer something "safer", take the antibiotic-based ones
(doxycycline)

hfruchtl wrote:

We are going on a safari to northern Botswana in early July, which will
start off with two days at Victoria Falls (on the Zambia side). Our
pharmacist (in the UK) looked up the recommended Malaria prophylactics,
and came up with Chloroquine for Botswana and Malarone
(Atovaquone/Proguanil) for Zambia. That would mean that we would have
to take both medicines concurrently throughout the trip. Is this
necessary, or does one of them just give a higher level of protection
and make the other one obsolete? Apart from the doubled risk of side
effects, could they interact in any way?

I believe there is a misunderstanding here, although I'm not sure with
whom, you or the pharmacist or both. Chloroquine may still be effective
in Botswana, but in Zambia it is no longer effective, so Malarone is
advised. That's what the Pharmacist looked up and by itself it's
probably correct. However, if you visit both countries, it's obvious
that you should only take the one that is effective in both countries,
so that is Malarone.


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

hfruchtl wrote:

We are going on a safari to northern Botswana in early July, which will
start off with two days at Victoria Falls (on the Zambia side). Our
pharmacist (in the UK) looked up the recommended Malaria prophylactics,
and came up with Chloroquine for Botswana and Malarone
(Atovaquone/Proguanil) for Zambia. That would mean that we would have
to take both medicines concurrently throughout the trip. Is this
necessary, or does one of them just give a higher level of protection
and make the other one obsolete? Apart from the doubled risk of side
effects, could they interact in any way?

I believe there is a misunderstanding here, although I'm not sure with
whom, you or the pharmacist or both. Chloroquine may still be effective
in Botswana, but in Zambia it is no longer effective, so Malarone is
advised. That's what the Pharmacist looked up and by itself it's
probably correct. However, if you visit both countries, it's obvious
that you should only take the one that is effective in both countries,
so that is Malarone.


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

To be honest I dont think you should be taking any medicine at all!!
I know this sounds crazy but, what do you think people that live there
do? They surely dont take tablets everyday!
Sure they dont!
If you live there and you start getting symptoms of flu, cold or
anything simmilar, you go straight to your GP there and they will know
to test for Malaria. If you take the tablets, lots of them tend to take
the symptoms away and you might not know you have malaria untill you
come back. Then because you GP is not used to dealing with Malaria,
will not know to test for it!

When you are abroad, take loads of ant repellent, and try to cover up,
with light clothes at night. Also make sure your accomodation has
mosquito netting. If you do start feeling slightly off, go to the
hospital straight away and they will know what to do!. Malaria is a
killer and not to be messed with!

Carol

Le 1 Jun 2005 09:35:02 -0700, Carol a tapoté d'un clavier léger:

To be honest I dont think you should be taking any medicine at all!!
I know this sounds crazy but, what do you think people that live there
do? They surely dont take tablets everyday!
Sure they dont!

Ahem !
I would not be so assertive. I remember when we made our trip through
Africa, the two guides, local people, scrupuleously taking their tablets.

And a third one, who did not, and stayed one month in the hopsital, because
of malaria, that was his third attack in 5 years, started to be deep in
him....

If you live there and you start getting symptoms of flu, cold or
anything simmilar, you go straight to your GP there and they will know
to test for Malaria. If you take the tablets, lots of them tend to take
the symptoms away and you might not know you have malaria untill you
come back. Then because you GP is not used to dealing with Malaria,
will not know to test for it!

Living and touristing is a little bit different. There are places where
tourists go without GP. And there are hospitals and clinics in Africa I
would really hesitate before putting a feet in.

When you are abroad, take loads of ant repellent, and try to cover up,
with light clothes at night. Also make sure your accomodation has
mosquito netting. If you do start feeling slightly off, go to the
hospital straight away and they will know what to do!. Malaria is a
killer and not to be messed with!

Yes, malaria is a killer. And some forms of malaria are dormant, and can
restart after a few years. And in such case, nobody will remember - think
of it.
Malaria is a killer, you're right. And if I remember well, still many of
the people living there do die of it. So even if the tablets are not a 100%
safe way of avoiding it, their efficiency is estimated 50-70% depending on
virus, etc...
Why not take them ?

The only argument is that "it hides the symptoms and your GP might not
think about malaria". Would say "take the pills, and if you get the
symptoms, tell your GP about your trip".

No ?

--
Marie-Aude
http://www.trassagere.com
http://www.oasisdemezgarne.com

Carol wrote:

To be honest I dont think you should be taking any medicine at all!!
I know this sounds crazy but, what do you think people that live there
do? They surely dont take tablets everyday!
Sure they dont!

And do you know how many people die from malaria every day?...


If you live there and you start getting symptoms of flu, cold or
anything simmilar, you go straight to your GP there and they will know
to test for Malaria. If you take the tablets, lots of them tend to take
the symptoms away and you might not know you have malaria untill you
come back. Then because you GP is not used to dealing with Malaria,
will not know to test for it!

When you are abroad, take loads of ant repellent, and try to cover up,
with light clothes at night. Also make sure your accomodation has
mosquito netting. If you do start feeling slightly off, go to the
hospital straight away and they will know what to do!. Malaria is a
killer and not to be messed with!

If you do not even know the difference between ants and mosquitos,
perhaps you should not give advice about malaria prophylaxis...


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

In article .com,
"Carol" wrote:

To be honest I dont think you should be taking any medicine at all!!
I know this sounds crazy but, what do you think people that live there
do? They surely dont take tablets everyday!
Sure they dont!

Because Africans (and indigenous people in New Guinea and northern
Australia) carry the sickel cel anemia gene which protects them. Just
about every other human doesn't.

Not the Karl Orff wrote:

In article .com,
"Carol" wrote:

To be honest I dont think you should be taking any medicine at all!!
I know this sounds crazy but, what do you think people that live there
do? They surely dont take tablets everyday!
Sure they dont!

Because Africans (and indigenous people in New Guinea and northern
Australia) carry the sickel cel anemia gene which protects them. Just
about every other human doesn't.

That's only a very small part of Africans. All others can get malaria
just as anyone else, and they do. Malaria kills more than one million
people each year. http://www.news-medical.net/?id=2668


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/