STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

jah · Dooney & Bourke

Ouch!!

Miss Mabel · Kenneth Cole

Yeah, I've been freaked out by the malaria drugs, too. So far, I've managed to dodge taking them, but from what I understand you do need them in CR.

That being said, I have a friend who's taken them twice now (for 2-3 week trips both times), and she also got the non-hallucinagenic (hee hee) kind, because she's bipolar. She's had no problems.

I say take them, and have fun on your trip!

tara t · Marc Jacobs

take them! i know nothing about the drugs, but my college roomie and her class went to africa for 3 weeks and the professor and 1 student got malaria. they were in the hospital for weeks.

relrel · Marc Jacobs

I've gotten malaria drugs twice now- once for China and once for Belize. I have no idea what kind I took but I never had side effects from them. But damn, they are expensive!

The last time I was in to see my travel doctor, there was a girl who was going to be going to India for a six month rural mission trip. She had over $1000 in vaccines and pills to get. I was listening in because well, I had nothing else to do in the waiting room. She also had to get rabies shots which were the big ticket item and she was not happy about that. They were almost $600 just for the rabies shot! So, it could always be worse!

Collette · Chanel

I took Malaria pills while in Africa and yeah I did have some super freaky dreams on them. Nothing nightmareish just like being married to Tom Hanks kinda freaky.

Hermes

I've taken malaria pills a few times and never had any side effects... They must not have given me the good stuff!

NCshopper · Hermes

Weird--I spent 5 weeks in Costa Rica and never had to take malaria drugs. Maybe it depends on where you're staying?

jess · Kenneth Cole

I went last month and didn't take them either. What part of CR is she going to?

jah · Dooney & Bourke

I'm headed to Arenal and then the Osa Peninsula. It is really just the Arenal area where Malaria is present - there is no recommendation for the Osa even though it is far more remote and wet.

The CDC recommended the drugs, a Typhoid Shot, Hep A, Hep B and Tetanus. I also got an Immuno Globulin shot and a flu shot.

Anyway - good news on the drugs. I took my first one and no weird dreams. I guess there are cheaper ones (the ones you take for longer periods of time that give you the psychotic side effects, but the newer drugs that you take for only 1-2 days prior, through the trip and 7 days after return do not have that side effect - the difference is 36 cents per pill versus $8 though, but I'd rather not have the dreams and only have to take the pills for a week after return!).

Hermes

jah wrote:

I'm headed to Arenal and then the Osa Peninsula. It is really just the Arenal area where Malaria is present - there is no recommendation for the Osa even though it is far more remote and wet.

The CDC recommended the drugs, a Typhoid Shot, Hep A, Hep B and Tetanus. I also got an Immuno Globulin shot and a flu shot.

Anyway - good news on the drugs. I took my first one and no weird dreams. I guess there are cheaper ones (the ones you take for longer periods of time that give you the psychotic side effects, but the newer drugs that you take for only 1-2 days prior, through the trip and 7 days after return do not have that side effect - the difference is 36 cents per pill versus $8 though, but I'd rather not have the dreams and only have to take the pills for a week after return!).

interesting - I had no idea.

Sounds like a great trip - please post pics when you get back!

ViViDogWear · Kate Spade

i had all the different vaccines, including the ones for malaria when we went to Cambodia. Better for peace of mind. I never had any of the side effects.