Time for home

[hitlers revenge]

You finally decided to go on pension??

[Ron&Gill]

Far too young, dude... and poor...

[JamesD]

And i'm leaving the country next week some time (I'm really hoping only the following day, want to get to Ferdi's and Track day. Though i still enjoy the flying!

[Ron&Gill]

Yep, I also enjoy the mo... flying...

Where are you going?

[JamesD]

Same old same old, back to the DRC, but for a week, so i'm lucky. but i'm busy with another DRC project as well. but that culminates next year some time. Getting the urge to go diving again but the maleria pills might prevent that for a few weeks some more.... you on the daily pills or the weekly?

[Ron&Gill]

I don't take. I take other precautions. I got malaria in 98 while religiously taking Lariam, and suffering the horrendous side effects, so my confidence waned... I stay indoors at dawn and dusk, keep my airco cold and my door closed, and basically avoid getting bitten. It's worked so far...

BUT, it is each and everybody's private business how they protect themselves and I would never recommend doing what I do... Does that make sense?

I am not aware that taking malaria profilactics preclude diving? Our divers were taking stuff! So do recreational divers when they go to Mozambique.

[JamesD]

I put the mosquitoe repelent spray in the air con, stay in before and after dusk, use maleria pills and sleep under a mosquitoe net. So far the best method is the repelent in the air con.

The weekly ones have a warning about diving. the Daily ones are safe.so they always give the daily ones for mozambique. I take the weekly ones that make you go crazy in the end, taking a pill a day isn't my scene, would be pregnant if i was a girl....
Infact if you can find one then read the precautions booklet on the meflaquin hydrocloride (Or what ever they called) pills, the weekly ones, its tells you all about the side effects...not nice...

[Ron&Gill]

Yeah, you should stop taking them when you can't read the lable anymore...

I ended up crying in the bar... WTF! Let alone the weird dream, Jeez...

[JamesD]

i've heard about the dreams, the medic said they got really bad after a few months. Never heard of the crying. Mayb i should take the daily ones. This thread is going to be very helpful to future forum members working in africa at this rate

[Ron&Gill]

Can make you very emotional. I've seen it a few times, not only me, hahaha. I thought you'd be better off smoking it, or sniffing it though a rolled up 50 Naira note...

[JohnHoffe]

Ron balling his eyes out in the construction site bar!!! I would've paid to be there!!!



On the malaria thing:
I spoke to my GP, she said she didn't trust her judgement with the long term effects of malaria medication so she referred me to someone at the travel clinic. Their advice:

Don't take anything if you are moving in risk areas for longer than 3 months at a time. take other precautions (net, repellant and air con works for me).

Symtoms will show quicker and can be diagnosed and treated quicker. Take liver supporting tabs the whole time and flush with copious amounts of water daily. Fits in perfectly with my after hours activities!!

I'm off to northen Moz tomorrow for 3 weeks........

[JohnHoffe]

3 days to go... Leaving Angola for good this time... Of to another...

What's next?

[Ron&Gill]

3 days to go... Leaving Angola for good this time... Of to another...

What's next?

Algeria...

I've heard what you were told before too. Also, if you decide to take, then take, if not, then don't. Do not take on and off, because again, the symptoms don't show up clearly and quickly.

In Papua, we were given emergency packs which we were supposed to carry with us when travelling. It was basically a massive dose of mefloquine to smack the parasites down until such time that you get to a hospital in your country of origin. I keep Doxicyclin with me for that purpose.

[splitbusahollic]

i took the tabs whilst on an ops in Angola and almost died from malaria......back in '89
then lived in Zambia for two and a half years with wife and kids and took nothing other than preventative measures like closing windows before dusk, burning mozzie pads, spraying the kids with tabbard (especially when braaing outside at night) eating loads of garlic(the kids used to eat it like sweets...a clove at a time) and in all that time no one got malaria...i have also traveled extensively in Africa,..Tanzania,Zim, etc. and never took anything other than prevention...oh and whiskey and water....man the mozzies don't like that !!!
i am a firm believer that if i had to contract malaria i would want to notice and treat the symptoms asap rather than it be masked by the tabs........my 2cents worth.
Damn mosquitoes.

[Ron&Gill]

I'm OFF, like a Jewish foreskin...