If you've ever travelled to a malaria-endemic country, you know you have to take a malaria prophylaxis. That's just a fancy word for a pill that will prevent malaria, or make it less deadly if you do get it.
When I was in the Peace Corps I was on Doxycycline, a pill you take every day that is actually an antibiotic. There are very few side effects on a daily basis, as long as you take it with a meal, (it only took one time of taking it on an empty stomach and I learned my lesson on that!) but long-term, like two and a half years, of antibiotic use can slowly damage your liver, kidneys, and other organs. It also kills off the 'good' bacteria in your intestines and can allow secondary infections alot of growing room. For example, the last three months I was in Africa and my first month home I had four ear infections.
SO, there are only two other options. Malarone is the drug most short-term voyageurs use, but it's not okay for long term. Mefloquine (Larium) is the drug of choice over doxycyline for Peace Corps and other long-term overseas workers. However, mefloquine has been known to cause a variety of negative side effects, the most notable being anxiety, paranoia, vivid dreams, and hallucinations. However, it's easier on your body and you only take it once a week, instead of once a day.
So I, along with my doctor, decided to try mefloquine while I was still here in the states and could control all other outside influences. I mean, if you start taking it and then move to AFRICA, how are you going to know if your sleeplessness or mood swings are medication related or if they're just from moving to AFRICA? So while I'm here, stable, and surrounded by people who know me well and can tell if I'm a little 'off', I decided to give it a shot.
Fail.
Surprisingly, I didn't have ANY of the psychological side effects (yet...), which were the ones I was most worried about. No, instead I got hit with just about every single physical side effect. Total loss of appetite, headache, and mild stomach pain bothered me the first 24 hours, but they weren't too bad. Not bad enough for me to chose malaria, that's for sure. But yesterday afternoon at the gym I was hit with excruciating stomach pains which left me on the floor in the fetal position, crying. Very dramatic. The gym staff was great, there were some nurses there, too, who I was able to explain that my appendix had not burst and my liver wasn't failing but rather it was medication related and really, it wasn't necessary to put me in an ambulance. After a bit it calmed down and I was able to drive myself home.
SO, looks like it'll be back to doxycycline for me. It was worth a shot! Today I'm still feeling some stomach pain and haven't gotten my appetite back, but it's nothing like yesterday afternoon and evening. Wow, that was terrible. BUT I'm glad I did it this way, because I knew it had to be the meds, nothing else had changed, I hadn't eaten anything different, etc. So now I know!
Peace. k
When I was in the Peace Corps I was on Doxycycline, a pill you take every day that is actually an antibiotic. There are very few side effects on a daily basis, as long as you take it with a meal, (it only took one time of taking it on an empty stomach and I learned my lesson on that!) but long-term, like two and a half years, of antibiotic use can slowly damage your liver, kidneys, and other organs. It also kills off the 'good' bacteria in your intestines and can allow secondary infections alot of growing room. For example, the last three months I was in Africa and my first month home I had four ear infections.
SO, there are only two other options. Malarone is the drug most short-term voyageurs use, but it's not okay for long term. Mefloquine (Larium) is the drug of choice over doxycyline for Peace Corps and other long-term overseas workers. However, mefloquine has been known to cause a variety of negative side effects, the most notable being anxiety, paranoia, vivid dreams, and hallucinations. However, it's easier on your body and you only take it once a week, instead of once a day.
So I, along with my doctor, decided to try mefloquine while I was still here in the states and could control all other outside influences. I mean, if you start taking it and then move to AFRICA, how are you going to know if your sleeplessness or mood swings are medication related or if they're just from moving to AFRICA? So while I'm here, stable, and surrounded by people who know me well and can tell if I'm a little 'off', I decided to give it a shot.
Fail.
Surprisingly, I didn't have ANY of the psychological side effects (yet...), which were the ones I was most worried about. No, instead I got hit with just about every single physical side effect. Total loss of appetite, headache, and mild stomach pain bothered me the first 24 hours, but they weren't too bad. Not bad enough for me to chose malaria, that's for sure. But yesterday afternoon at the gym I was hit with excruciating stomach pains which left me on the floor in the fetal position, crying. Very dramatic. The gym staff was great, there were some nurses there, too, who I was able to explain that my appendix had not burst and my liver wasn't failing but rather it was medication related and really, it wasn't necessary to put me in an ambulance. After a bit it calmed down and I was able to drive myself home.
SO, looks like it'll be back to doxycycline for me. It was worth a shot! Today I'm still feeling some stomach pain and haven't gotten my appetite back, but it's nothing like yesterday afternoon and evening. Wow, that was terrible. BUT I'm glad I did it this way, because I knew it had to be the meds, nothing else had changed, I hadn't eaten anything different, etc. So now I know!
Peace. k
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