Avoid getting sick while mongering!

[Jake_Sully]

Thought it might be nice to have 1 thread with suggestions of how to avoid getting sick in a foreign land where your health insurance may or may not cover it. So please add any tips you can you think off that maybe helpful. If we get enough tips, hopefully one of the admins can pin this.

Tips I can think off the top of my head are:

- Visit a pharmacy for vitamins, mouthwash & condoms (duh!)

- Always pack 2 toothbrushes.. keep 1 in your bags and use that to brush incase any hanky panky with the toothbrush in the bathroom.

- RxPharm mentioned cleaning your room ac filters

- Wash your hands before every meal (if no running water, use a wet wipe). Be observant of other people's hygiene. If someone just came from the bathroom and starts eating peanuts at a bar, don't eat the same peanuts. Who knows if they washed their hands?

- Everyone's body anatomy is different so eat stuff which your body will not react negatively to. Personally I can't stand garlic and I love spices, peppers, turmeric, etc so we're not all the same. I've even heard of people being allergic to peanuts so don't be adventurous just for being social sakes.

I always carry some kraft mac and cheese boxes when overseas. I was in Shanghai a few years back and while I can eat American Chinese food, I cannot handle real Chinese food. Worse comes to worst, there's always grape jelly or marmalade and toast!

Anything else you guys can think of?

[manarak]

don't eat peanuts at the bar, unless you get your own package

actively think several times a day about not putting your fingers in your eyes

protect your eyes from dripping water from A/C in the streets

buy some hand disinfectant along with your condoms and mouthwash

if you begin to cough and have temperature, get some amoxicilline 1000mg, take one in the morning, one in the evening and finish the package off (at least 7 days).

[kahuna]

I strongly disagree...If you feel ill with a cough and fever go see a real live doctor...Don't attempt to self medicate yourself...
An allergic reaction to the wrong drug can be worse than the illness you're trying to  cure...

Doctors in Thailand are very inexpensive, even at Bumrungrad Hospital...Most speak excellent English...Many were educated in the West...

Don't trust a twenty-five year old pharmacy clerk or the advice of a BM on a porno board with your body...

[Jake_Sully]

Almost forgot one.. sneeze into your sleeve, not on your hands.

Any others?

[manarak]

(kahuna @ Sep. 23 2010,00:10) I strongly disagree...If you feel ill with a cough and fever go see a real live doctor...Don't attempt to self medicate yourself...
An allergic reaction to the wrong drug can be worse than the illness you're trying to  cure...

Doctors in Thailand are very inexpensive, even at Bumrungrad Hospital...Most speak excellent English...Many were educated in the West...

Don't trust a twenty-five year old pharmacy clerk or the advice of a BM on a porno board with your body...

Anyone with an allergy to amoxicillin is guaranteed to already be aware of his allergy by the time he is old enough to go to Thailand.
I mean, how many of us have never taken a penicillin-derivative?

It is a very widely prescribed antibiotic drug derived from penicillin that is very safe to use.

Or, complementarily, you can befriend your doctor as I did and ask him for advice by email.

[Road Runner]

Be aware that the water supplies in most countries are not of drinkable quality.
Be especially careful in countries where there are frequent floods as often the supply system is compromised by sewerage.

Bottled water is usually safe but make sure the bottle tops are sealed when you come to open them.
It's not unusual in Thailand for bars/restaurants to present you with a bottle of water which is already opened.
The great majority are just trying to provide good service  -  a few are filling the water bottles from the tap!

Water melons ore often grown in poluted water and unfortunately they are prone to harbouring bacteria from the water they are grown in.
I love watermelon especially in hot countries but at least 25% of the funny tummies I've had have come after eating it.

RR.

[jimslim]

(Road Runner @ Sep. 23 2010,23:24) Be especially careful in countries where there are frequent floods as often the supply system is compromised by sewerage.

I remember a few years ago having big problems with my stomach for the best part of 2 weeks .

The trip also was in June ie rainy season .

Every time I used the toilet it felt like a flock of starlings was leaving my arse

One day the waiter at my hotel brought some rice soup to my room and asked me was I feeling poorly , I told him none too chipper .

He asked what I was eating and I told him seafood virtualy every day .

He told me the seafood was not good in the rainy season which doesn't really bare thinking about

[Ivor Biggun]

Very curious as to how you know what it's like to have a flock of starlings up yer arse? Or maybe somethings are best let lie

[Steff]

Next time we see you IB we'll assemble a flock and let you give it a try. No charge of course because we like you

[jimslim]

(Ivor Biggun @ Sep. 24 2010,19:45) Very curious as to how you know what it's like to have a flock of starlings up yer arse? Or maybe somethings are best let lie  

I was refering to the speed and velocity of my bowel movements , a bit like a flock of starlings taking off  

[mardhi]

(manarak @ Sep. 23 2010,00:39)

(kahuna @ Sep. 23 2010,00:10) I strongly disagree...If you feel ill with a cough and fever go see a real live doctor...Don't attempt to self medicate yourself...
An allergic reaction to the wrong drug can be worse than the illness you're trying to  cure...

Doctors in Thailand are very inexpensive, even at Bumrungrad Hospital...Most speak excellent English...Many were educated in the West...

Don't trust a twenty-five year old pharmacy clerk or the advice of a BM on a porno board with your body...

Anyone with an allergy to amoxicillin is guaranteed to already be aware of his allergy by the time he is old enough to go to Thailand.
I mean, how many of us have never taken a penicillin-derivative?

It is a very widely prescribed antibiotic drug derived from penicillin that is very safe to use.

Or, complementarily, you can befriend your doctor as I did and ask him for advice by email.

The defacto guideline in Thailand for anything oral related seems to be Amoxycilin 500. Given you can buy 10 tablets for about 60b from a pharmacy probably explains why.

But I do agree - anything semi serious go and see a doctor - it is pretty cheap and he may spot something that your self diagnosis does not (although to be honest outside of decent hospitals I have never experienced it and you end up with yup - course of amoxycillin but at 500b from the hospital not including the 300b for tylenol - to relieve the pain, available at 20b strip of 10 almost everywhere)

Cheers
Mardhi

[mardhi]

(Jake_Sully @ Sep. 22 2010,22:13) Thought it might be nice to have 1 thread with suggestions of how to avoid getting sick in a foreign land where your health insurance may or may not cover it. So please add any tips you can you think off that maybe helpful. If we get enough tips, hopefully one of the admins can pin this.

Tips I can think off the top of my head are:

- Visit a pharmacy for vitamins, mouthwash & condoms (duh!)

- Always pack 2 toothbrushes.. keep 1 in your bags and use that to brush incase any hanky panky with the toothbrush in the bathroom.

- RxPharm mentioned cleaning your room ac filters

- Wash your hands before every meal (if no running water, use a wet wipe). Be observant of other people's hygiene. If someone just came from the bathroom and starts eating peanuts at a bar, don't eat the same peanuts. Who knows if they washed their hands?

- Everyone's body anatomy is different so eat stuff which your body will not react negatively to. Personally I can't stand garlic and I love spices, peppers, turmeric, etc so we're not all the same. I've even heard of people being allergic to peanuts so don't be adventurous just for being social sakes.

I always carry some kraft mac and cheese boxes when overseas. I was in Shanghai a few years back and while I can eat American Chinese food, I cannot handle real Chinese food. Worse comes to worst, there's always grape jelly or marmalade and toast!

Anything else you guys can think of?

Jake - Maybe your being a little bit on the sensative side - so are you saying after all these measures with the peanuts that your more than happy go stick your tounge down a hookers mouth, suck arse, penetrate or be penetrated with or without condoms safe in the knowledge you have not got anything from maybe some guy having some bacteria that got onto peanuts and you happened to eat the same peanut

Seems like your kinda missing the big picture to me and more concerned with the little things. Personally I would be more worried about brushing my teeth before any encounter given it can open microscopic cuts etc etc - however I guess it needs to be kept in context.

Cheers
Mardhi

[moe666]

I always load up on vit.c a few days before flying just to make sure levels are high and take a few thousand on airplane we are exposed to bad air and also cosmic radiation while flying. My girlfriend here in the states is a Dr. of Oriental Medicine and she has a product called Viola Clear Fire which is very good aganist bacteria and viruses. The best result is to take when you feel something developeing it can prevent or lessen the effects of infections.
i always watch my drinking and get enough sleep the first few days of arrival. Now sex is another matter never caught a cold from to much sex.

[pacman]

(mardhi @ Sep. 25 2010,03:10) The defacto guideline in Thailand for anything oral related seems to be Amoxycilin 500.      Given you can buy 10 tablets for about 60b from a pharmacy probably explains why.  

But I do agree - anything semi serious go and see a doctor - it is pretty cheap and he may spot something that your self diagnosis does not (although to be honest outside of decent hospitals I have never experienced it and you end up with yup - course of amoxycillin but at 500b from the hospital not including the 300b for tylenol - to relieve the pain, available at 20b strip of 10 almost everywhere)

On the subject of antibiotics, I would like to share a conversation I had this week while I was laid up in hospital receiving big amounts of antibiotic.

At the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital they employ a number of customer relation consultants who keep a watch on foreigners admitted, particularly those who don't have English as their first language.

One Swiss gentleman came to see how I was faring. He is consultant with over 30 years experience working in the Thai medical system. A very nice chap who answered all my questions.

He explained how the hospital had many, many H1N1 patients at any one time & he told me that without proper care, they often developed into pneumonia patients. He explained that a problem they continually faced was the tendency for people on holiday to self-medicate.

As I fell into that category I listened to his version of the story. It seems a major reason for the failure of tourists to get better had nothing to do with their decision to take antibiotics. He explained that there is so much under-strength medicine to be found in local pharmacies.

"Counterfeit?" I asked. Was he suggesting that the place was awash with fake drugs?

He didn't directly deny that was the case, (strange I thought), what he was referring to is the poor quality of storage of antibiotics in so many Thai pharmacies. Out of date, heat damaged, old stock antibiotics that won't be thrown out by cost conscious business owners.

He expressed his frustration that so many people who believe they are doing the right thing are not getting the benefit they need from second rate antibiotics. "A constant problem for us" was his comment.

On a bright note he did say there were "3 or 4 reliable pharmacies" in Pattaya who did take good care of their medicines. Ones where the stock is kept in airconditioning. I asked which place he could recommend. "Come to the hospital for everything" was all he said.

[Jake_Sully]

Complete 100% truth paccie.

You're lucky the drugs didn't affect you wrongly.

But I think there will be at least 1 pharmacy that sells legitimate drugs. You just generally have to pay a premium for that.