vaccinations and injections for tropical diseases etc. (1 Viewer)

[RSJ]

I just got my shots monday in the tropical medical bureau. Only thing was they prescribed me larium as an antimalarial. Found out later larium doesn't work in a lot of south east asia, you're only supposed to use it max 12 consecutive weeks (they gave me 30 week prescription) and it can cause psychosis as a side effect. Thank fuck the sister is a pharmacist!

 

[Diddles]

that's insane. imagine if you had to do that with a raboid human. it'd be like a zombie movie or something. brave guy. where was that? not dublin I assume..

It was Morocco I think.

Thank fuck the sister is a pharmacist!

Sr pharmacist!!!!1

 

[clonan attack]

I'm due to get my injections today in the TMB Grafton Street.
Pretty sure they're going to be some ridiculous price but i do have to get through S.E. Asia and lots of South America in then next year.

HEP A/B, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Diptheria and Consultation Fee's. Aswell as Malarial tablets, could be lookin at over €300

 

[RSJ]

I paid €200 for my first four injections and a consultation. Have two more rounds of two injections to go, plus i have to get all my tabs (got prescriptions for about five different things).

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

My friend had to put a rabid dog down that was going mad on the street. He had to grab it and break it's neck with his bare hands!!!! He didn't get bitten though.

That's not 'putting a dog down', that's flippin' murder!
Kick ass.

 

[hugh]

Found out later larium doesn't work in a lot of south east asia, you're only supposed to use it max 12 consecutive weeks (they gave me 30 week prescription) and it can cause psychosis as a side effect.

I don't think it's the case that it doesn't work, I think it's that there are some strains of malaria that are resistant to it and these strains do exist in some parts of SE Asia (and definitely in Sub-Saharan Africa). There is no anti-malarial protection that works 100% and guarantees that you won't get it. Those folks at TMB know what they are doing and have probably given you larium because it offers the best protection possible for your particular circumstances.

As for the 12 week/30 week thing - there are probably places you will be that you won't need malarial protection at all e.g. I'm pretty sure you don't need it in most parts of Thailand (I was there for a couple of weeks and didn't use it at all ..... pretty sure that was because I was told I didn't need it by the TMB, given the areas I was going to). So, you definitely won't need it for the whole 30 weeks anyway.

As for the psychosis thing: well, as I understand it, that's pretty rare. I took Larium for 3 or 4 months or something in Africa and didn't have any side-effects. Well, actually I did have weird dreams but that was kinda fun - ha ha.

 

[RSJ]

I don't think it's the case that it doesn't work, I think it's that there are some strains of malaria that are resistant to it and these strains do exist in some parts of SE Asia (and definitely in Sub-Saharan Africa). There is no anti-malarial protection that works 100% and guarantees that you won't get it.

Ah yeah, i was saying "doesn't work" rather than typing out the whole "certain areas have high instances of resistant malarial strains" part. I read around a lot online, and everything i've read has consistenly said not to use larium in SE Asia, including the Center For Disease Control and the World Health Organisation. Having done a lot of reading on it i think i'll go for doxycycline.

As for the 12 week/30 week thing - there are probably places you will be that you won't need malarial protection at all e.g. I'm pretty sure you don't need it in most parts of Thailand (I was there for a couple of weeks and didn't use it at all ..... pretty sure that was because I was told I didn't need it by the TMB, given the areas I was going to). So, you definitely won't need it for the whole 30 weeks anyway.

That's fair enough, would have been good for the doctor to tell me that though, she told me to start taking it before i leave and keep taking it consistently and for a month after i'd left vietnam - thirty weeks straight. It would be a very different story if she'd said "take it here, here and here". I'm sure the TMB generally know what they're doing, i probably just ran into either a lazy doc or someone on a bad day. I got a very unwelcoming vibe off her anyways, so it was probably the latter.

 

[The Schnapper]

A friend of mine got very depressed while taking larium. If you don't plan on heading into a 'malaria zone' at the start of your holiday you may aswell wait and buy them in Thailand because they only cost a few quid.

 

[Diddles]

A great aul tune by Fester and Ailin.

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[CitySickness]

RSJ, I'm amazed the TMB prescribed you Lariam - don't go near the stuff. Was this the TMB in Grafton Street? When I was in there, they jokingly offered to prescribe me Lariam if I "really wanted", then said "don't worry, we wouldn't do that to you".

There aren't all that many areas in SE Asia that you'll need anti-malarials anyway, and you'll probably only be in those zones for short periods of time. I was prescribed Malarone, which is very expensive but super-handy seeing as you only need to take it for 2 days before and 7 days after you're in a malarial zone. No freak-outs either.

 

[RSJ]

TMB in galway. Malarone looks ok but €4 a tablet is a bit expensive.

 

[hugh]

TMB in galway. Malarone looks ok but €4 a tablet is a bit expensive.

Aha! All my comments about TMB knowing their stuff were referring to the one off Grafton Street .... didn't know there was one in Galway ....

 

[RSJ]

Yeah there's a chain of 'em. I would have imagined they'd all know their stuff seeing as they're called "tropical medical bureau". I wonder should i ring around the branches and ask them about the suitability of larium for my trip? I emailed the galway branch after i'd read up on it and they said it was totally safe and offered a free ten minutes with the doctor when i call back in for more jabs. I politely declined but i get the feeling i might get drawn into the discussion anyways.

 

[clonan attack]

Yeah there's a chain of 'em. I would have imagined they'd all know their stuff seeing as they're called "tropical medical bureau". I wonder should i ring around the branches and ask them about the suitability of larium for my trip? I emailed the galway branch after i'd read up on it and they said it was totally safe and offered a free ten minutes with the doctor when i call back in for more jabs. I politely declined but i get the feeling i might get drawn into the discussion anyways.

i chose the Malarone over the €1 tablets, seem the best option of the 4.
Got mine today, they could only give me the 1st Hep A/B twinflex shot cos i'm still carrying a bit of a flu so have to wait til next week for Yellow Fever and Typhoid. I was already covered for Tetanus and I turned down Rabies cos i dont think i'll need it. Was this silly? Have 2 more HepA/B shots to get before i go then a booster Nov 2008 when i get back.

The fuckin things cost me €275 without the Malaria tablets (30 days x €4)
He said i've only to take them the day before im in Laos, while im in Laos and a week after. No need for them on East Coast of Vietnam where im headed then take em again on last day in Vietnam before entering Cambodia and for a week straight after i leave Cambodia. 29days of Malarone popping in total for me. Yummy!

*oh yeah Larium was one of the choices but he didnt even mention it to me. Seemed blacklisted in Grafton St.

 

[RSJ]

How many shots did you get dude? I got four, that and the consult cost €190. I said to the doc "i don't think i'll need the rabies, probably won't be going anywhere with wild dogs" and she said "well if you get rabies you die" so i said "eh, ok, rabies shots it is then".

EDIT: Got my script here, Rabies, typhoid, hep a&B, tetanus/diptheria/polio plus consult - €191.

 

[clonan attack]

well you have to get 2 or 3 more rounds of HepA/Hep B i presume? Its €50 a pop so you probably will hafta pay another €100 before you leave?

mine was for Hep A/Hep B (X3, paid up front)= €150 , Yellow Fever €35 and Typhoid €35 + €55 for consultation - 15% off with current VHI coverage = Subtotal of €241.

Malarone is gonna cost another €120, but did someone say they're cheaper in UK?

 

[CitySickness]

I said to the doc "i don't think i'll need the rabies, probably won't be going anywhere with wild dogs" and she said "well if you get rabies you die" so i said "eh, ok, rabies shots it is then".

Completely contrary to the advice I got in the Grafton St. branch too - they told me that the rabies shots just give you more time to seek treatment (re-vaccination is required anyway) in case of an infected bite. They just said to be careful and don't be dropping the hand on monkeys.

Sounds like your doc was just trying to rack up the commission fees.

 

[RSJ]

Completely contrary to the advice I got in the Grafton St. branch too - they told me that the rabies shots just give you more time to seek treatment (re-vaccination is required anyway) in case of an infected bite. They just said to be careful and don't be dropping the hand on monkeys.

Yeah, just read about that, without vaccines you have 24 hours, with vaccines you have 48 hours. Fuxache, that's cost me a fair whack for something that pointless. Have sent a few emails to the other TMB outlets asking about larium, see what they say.

 

[CitySickness]

Yeah, just read about that, without vaccines you have 24 hours, with vaccines you have 48 hours. Fuxache, that's cost me a fair whack for something that pointless. Have sent a few emails to the other TMB outlets asking about larium, see what they say.

Bear in mind that although Malarone is a lot more expensive per pill, it's a much shorter course. Chances of it sending you off a balcony are lower too.

 

[RSJ]

Have sent a few emails to the other TMB outlets asking about larium, see what they say.

Hi Brian,

Unfortunately we are not in position to offer isolated medical advice without having had a consultation due to the implications it may have from a medico-legal perspective. What we can do is offer you an appointment to come in and speak with one of our doctors in relation to your travel plans and vaccines/medication required. We run a clinic on Tuesday evenings, Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings. If you would like an appointment you can phone us on 4310311 or email us at the above address.

All the best
Caoimhe

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