Avoiding Malaria

Today I started my anti-malarial medication. I mention this in public because I have been dreading this day for several weeks. The drug information says that it can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, hair loss, ringing in the ears, dizziness, "feeling of spinning" (I think we used to call this "the whirlies"), loss of balance drowsiness, headache, insomnia, strange dreams, or lightheadedness.

Strange dreams?  Oh dear.

The stuff is called Mefloquine, and the name reminds me of the stuff I have read about quinine, which is/was used to treat malaria. Patients experienced disorientation, confusion and stuff like that.

And there's more. Side effects also include fast, slow or irregular heartbeat, seasures, muscle pain, loss of coordination, numbness and tingling of hands or feet, and vision changes.  The more I read the more frightened I become.

There is a helpful suggestion to stop the medication and contact my doctor if I experience unexplained anxiety, mood changes, depression (including rare thoughts of suicide), hallucinations, restlessness and confusion.  Well. I'm not that concerned about restlessness, but hallucinations?? I'm supposed to take this stuff through my trip to India, and for three or four weeks beyond that.

Oh, and apparently there are some severe reactions, which include rash, itching and swelling, and trouble breathing.  The information page mentions that this is not a complete list of side effects.  I am trying to determine if there are any other parts of my body that could be affected.  There are some extra notes suggesting that you shouldn't drive when you first start taking the drug, in case you have one of these pesky side effects, and oh yeah, it often makes children throw up. If that happens, just give them another one.

So I talk with others about this drug. Seems that some people take anti-malarial drugs and others don't. One person told me his wife had had malarial three times. "It's not that bad," he said. Others suggested just using good bug repellent--100% DEET. (To quote our guide in Alaska, "if it don't cause cancer, it ain't gonna stop mosquitoes.)

The dosage is one pill, with food and at least 8 ounces of water (and I'm wondering about such a large quantity of water for one little pill), taken once a week beginning two weeks before entering malarial areas, and ending three or four weeks after returning. I have eight tablets.

I have done a lot of reading and a lot of fretting. Today was the day I was to begin, and I decided to just go for it. I mean, last month I had to take an oral immunization for typhoid for a week and I didn't have any reactions at all.

Did I mention that they gave me six injected immunizations? I can't even name them all, but most were not really for travel, they just wanted to give me everything while they had me cornered. Let's see... Polio, tetanus, pneumonia, whooping cough... I can't remember two of them, but I know that they decided I didn't need yellow fever or rabies.   Oh wait, I remember.  Flu and Hepatitis B.

So five hours have passed, and other than these aches in my joints, I feel fine. I'm wondering how all these rabbits got into the kitchen. And there's that triceratops in the back yard...