Malaria Tablets - Ending RTW in SE Asia

Hi, just wanted some advice on what to do about Malaria tablets when i’m not arriving in a malaria zone until the end of my trip? Are tablets easy to buy when in bangkok and is there any prescriptions I would need to take to get these - after arriving in bangkok i’m heading to laos, cambodia and vietnam.

I have an appt next week to discuss my malaria options but I just don’t fancy carrying two months or so worth of tablets through 8 months in USA, Fiji, NZ and OZ if they are not required!

Thanks for your help!

You can buy them overseas but the pros and cons are as follows:

For Buying Overseas:
-Can be cheaper (e.g. if you buy in Asia)
-Saves you carrying them around
-Because you don’t have to carry them around it saves the tablets getting damaged or not being stored properly etc

Against Buying Overseas:
-You may not be able to find the ones you want to use (e.g. malarone is difficult to get hold of in Asia)
-You may not find a reputable pharmacy in Asia so you could get ineffective sugar pills (but there is a Boots pharmacy in Khao San Road I believe).
-Buying them in Australia, NZ and USA can be expensive
-You may decide ‘It’s too much hassle to find a pharmacy and get my tablets, I won’t bother’ which is madness!

You can buy tablets over the counter in Asia
You will probably need a prescription in Western countries

For the amount of tablets you’ll need to carry arounf for your time in Asia, my advice would be to get them before you go but ask for them to be put into a bottle rather than taking blister packs. I had 1 bottle the size of a calpol bottle for my entire 7 month trip of antimalarials.

Lexi

Hi, just wanted some advice on what to do about Malaria tablets when i’m not arriving in a malaria zone until the end of my trip? Are tablets easy to buy when in bangkok and is there any prescriptions I would need to take to get these - after arriving in bangkok i’m heading to laos, cambodia and vietnam.

I have an appt next week to discuss my malaria options but I just don’t fancy carrying two months or so worth of tablets through 8 months in USA, Fiji, NZ and OZ if they are not required!

Thanks for your help!

When are you leaving? Your itinary sounds very similar to mine! We’re leaving 1st June but don’t get to Asia until next Feb. We’ve got our tablets ready to take before we leave, just so we don’t have to worry about getting them in another country. We’ve got someone coming to meet us in Australia in January so we might leave them for her to bring for us. If not we’ll probably put them in a tupperware box (as someone else suggested on here) and keep them in a pocket of our rucksacks. It’s also one less thing to budget for while away!

You can buy them overseas but the pros and cons are as follows:

For Buying Overseas:
-Can be cheaper (e.g. if you buy in Asia)
-Saves you carrying them around
-Because you don’t have to carry them around it saves the tablets getting damaged or not being stored properly etc

Against Buying Overseas:
-You may not be able to find the ones you want to use (e.g. malarone is difficult to get hold of in Asia)
-You may not find a reputable pharmacy in Asia so you could get ineffective sugar pills (but there is a Boots pharmacy in Khao San Road I believe).
-Buying them in Australia, NZ and USA can be expensive
-You may decide ‘It’s too much hassle to find a pharmacy and get my tablets, I won’t bother’ which is madness!

You can buy tablets over the counter in Asia
You will probably need a prescription in Western countries

For the amount of tablets you’ll need to carry arounf for your time in Asia, my advice would be to get them before you go but ask for them to be put into a bottle rather than taking blister packs. I had 1 bottle the size of a calpol bottle for my entire 7 month trip of antimalarials.

Lexi

Thanks Lexi for your help! Would you suggest malarone then for malaria prevention - i’m also taking the pill which I know anti-malarials can affect. I’ve been doing some research and I see Doxy is able to be purchased in bangkok and can prove a lot cheaper than malarone? Would you happen to know of a rough estimate of how much malarone costs - i’m planning on being in north thailand, laos and vietnam for around 8 weeks - I assume that these are all areas that are of a high risk of malaria. I am then going back to southern thailand where I know malaria tablets are not require although I will continue taking the tablets for a week after leaving a malaria zone.

Thanks again for your help!

Gem

Lexi - i’ve just noticed a previous post of yours in which you say that you have taken Doxy previously and calculating the cost these really do look like a good option for anti-malarials. I’ve looked on the fit for travel site and i notice my trip around south east asia will involve being in and out of malaria zones, sometimes within a matter of days- would you suggest taking the doxy for the entire duration and then for the 28 days after even when i’m going from laos to vietnam’s coast line then back into cambodia for example.

Gem

Thanks Lexi for your help! Would you suggest malarone then for malaria prevention

It’s up to you which one you choose. The common ones (Doxy and Malarone) are just as effective as each other if you complete the course as prescribed by your doctor or health professional.

I’m also taking the pill which I know anti-malarials can affect.

New research has shown that Doxycycline is not proven to have any effect on the contraceptive pill. But ask your doctor for more information about your specific type of pill. Read here for more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001653.html

I’ve been doing some research and I see Doxy is able to be purchased in bangkok and can prove a lot cheaper than malarone?

Doxycycline is extremely cheap in the UK too. I really think it’s best to get your tablets sorted out here.

Would you happen to know of a rough estimate of how much malarone costs

Look on http://www.travelpharm.com and http://www.stratfordpharmacy.co.uk for prices. I think Malarone is around £2.50 per tablet whereas Doxy is around 12p per tablet.

i’m planning on being in north thailand, laos and vietnam for around 8 weeks - I assume that these are all areas that are of a high risk of malaria.

Look on http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk for malaria maps of each country to find out where the risk zones are.

I am then going back to southern thailand where I know malaria tablets are not require although I will continue taking the tablets for a week after leaving a malaria zone.

If you are taking Malarone you’ll need to take them for a week after leaving the malarial zone. It’s 28 days after if you’re taking Doxy.

would you suggest taking the doxy for the entire duration and then for the 28 days after even when i’m going from laos to vietnam’s coast line then back into cambodia for example.

That’s what I did. I only passed through a malarial region in Vietnam for 2 days so took 2 before, one a day during and 28 days afterwards which was in a non-malarial area. During the times where I wasn’t in a malaria free zone for a full 28 days or more I just took them continuously because it was simpler. Your doctor will be able to advise on this.

Lexi

Hi Lexi
your comments on the bottle of bills just caught my eye!
what a great idea. I will be needing 7 months of Doxy for 7 months and I really don’t want to think about how many boxes that is to fit into my backpack.

did the chemist do that for you and put a proper label of the bottle?

Im not very keen on buying them out in Asia due to iffy ones…unless anyone know of a website with reliable chemists that aren’t going to sell you chalk?

thanks
Holly

did the chemist do that for you and put a proper label of the bottle?

Yep. It was from Sainbury’s pharmacy. When you get your prescription ask your GP to write a note on it asking for a bottle rather than blister packs.

Im not very keen on buying them out in Asia due to iffy ones…unless anyone know of a website with reliable chemists that aren’t going to sell you chalk?

Don’t buy them in Asia then! They are SOOOO cheap to buy here it’s silly not to get them here. I think I paid 10p per tablet in the UK. Boots have stores in Thailand I think but other than that I can’t help on where to buy them in Asia.

Hello I agree
I’d buy them somewhere along the way. Bankok is a good option or Singapore.
Use a reputable place or pharmacy, beware of fake products.
Enjoy

Dr Seb