Mr. Bean

People have given a lot of good advice on prevention, which should really be heeded. I will just add that traveler's diarrhea generally doesn't respond to antibiotics anyway, and antibiotics are pretty easily obtained in India if you should need them (for some other illness). Should you start having symptoms, Pepto/Imodium are probably the most cost effective, and the antispasmodics are OK if you can get them.

FindAWay

I was prescribed by my local travel medicine clinic (and took prophylactically) Xifaxan for a one week trip last fall. I had no problems.

http://www.drugs.com/xifaxan.html

mkjr

all sage advice.

someone told me recently that from time to time Indian officials were looking for evidence of polio.

yes, i take malarone all the time in india.

and good bug repellent to be used during the day for the day biting buggers that have dengue. don't assume bad mozzies only bite at night.

also, good to keep your mouth closed in the shower if you can to avoid water intake when you often are not paying attention.

i did not hear anyone mention taking DUKORAL. not only is it good for cholera but also some strains of e-coli, however, only certain level of protection.

i was staying at mostly 5* places (leela chains in gurgaon and bangalore and taj properties in Kochi and Chenai) and never had issue with eating any of the food they had....even some products with lettuce. that said, my co-worker was careless at our vendors and had a sandwich with lettuce and spend the next 3 days feeling like crap.

just be careful. i miss the food in india.

security was less of a concern than health issues versus say brazil. i was more worried about security there versus food issues. complete opposite in india.

mkjr

i get a pocket script for something like this, usually cirpo and another, but i am surprised a Dr. would say take it even if you have no issues. this is the first i heard of it. even my Dr. with my pocket script of cipro said don't just take it willy nilly at the first sign of the trots.

i wonder how often people are told to take antibiotics prophylactically....i know why there are the concerns people have with with superbugs...

FindAWay

First you've heard, but, not first use as prophylaxis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20412178/

mkjr

ah..i see. it's specific to travelers' diarrhea.

there are lots of things that give the symptoms of the belly...of which what you took probably covered a few out of hundreds.

thanks for the clarification. in fact, glad you posted it since i might need to ask for it one day.

FindAWay

I'm curious about your point/intentions with the bolded language in your post. Would you not recommend someone close their mouth in the shower because doing so probably matters only a few out of hundreds of showers? One should take a cumulative approach that fits best for them - each thing someone does can incrementally improve their chances to avoid sickness...no one thing covers everything that may cause sickness. Others covered many things before I posted. I simply added another potential precaution that one can choose (or choose not) to look into for themselves.

mkjr

whoa nellie...don't get all defensive.

i agree with you. i would consider taking what you took if i go back...

my point was, delhi belly refers to symptoms of which those symptoms could be caused by many different things....actually, hundreds!

It does not refer to one thing.

food borne and water borne illness can be viral and bacterial and there are hundreds things that cause them....again, hundreds!

all i pointed out was that what you took helped to deal with but a very small portion of the things that can cause delhi belly symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea etc.)...in fact, it seems to only help with e-coli....it will not help, with for example, salmonella. another issue of what could cause delhi belly symptoms.

so yes, closing your mouth could prevent you from getting other bugs in the water and taking your pill would do nothing unless is was what your pill was indicated for just like taking the DUKORAL vaccine, which, as i understand, is only 60% effective against one of the e-coli strains that could cause TD. but it does protect against cholera...something the pill you took would not.

dude, we are on the same page.

FindAWay

Glad to hear it. ^

Exactly my point too...which is why I inquired as to your language that was written in specific response to one suggestion but truly applies to pretty much every precaution one can take.

Exactly - a cumulative approach comprised of many precautions targetted at different risks is likely best. Taking this one medication was only one precaution of many that I undertook.

I agree - I think we're just talking "past" each other.



To help keep the thread on topic, I will add that my travel clinic also prescribed me Azithromycin instead of Cipro to take if problems occurred (I didn't take any) - I've always gotten Cipro before.

mkjr

Yes. In India, heed all advice cumulatively. Even my business colleagues at our operations help you help yourself from making mistakes. They gave me guidance at meals of what I should be careful with.

Whether it worked or not or perhaps I am just a lush but I would take a shot of whiskey before each meal. In the 30 days I have been to India without issue, I'm convinced it's the booze.

GUWonder

To avoid Delhi belly, drink only bottled water from good sources, brush your teeth with bottled water, keep your mouth shut in the shower/bath, eat only hot, well cooked food*, and if eating fruit or vegetables avoid anything that you can't peel yourself and rinse with bottled water. I've hosted plenty of people in India who easily avoid getting sick if following the basic rules above and the basic rules about washing hands and not touching the face.

I wouldn't generally recommend taking anti-malaria or anti-dengue medication for visits to India; but, depending on where you'll be in India, my recommendation would vary.

*Edit (courtesy of amigo alert): Mistakenly put "foot in mouth" where it should have been "food in mouth". Talk about putting foot in mouth. And given my run-on, grammatically lousy sentence, I need to put a sock in my own mouth today.

Keyser

no one cares about a prescription here....i don't recall any pharmacy ever asking me for one....

stut

Quite - on my recent trip, I had to get some antibiotic eye drops and some hydrocortisone (both for pre-existing conditions that flared up). Although both packets had "MADE IN INDIA - STICTLY PRESCRIPTION ONLY" written all over them, they didn't bat an eyelid. The first was Rs65, the second Rs90. Admittedly I'd get them for free at home, but that's still pretty reasonable

manneca

I always carry Cipro with me but I only take it if I am running a fever or throwing up or the diarrhea has lasted for a long time. I also take Immodium with me. I don't know what it is in the UK, here it is I believe the over the counter version of Lomotil.

I have visited India twice with no problems. My son, however, got very sick one trip. He admits to rinsing his toothbrush with tap water. I got quite sick in Sri Lanka and he did not even though we ate the same things.

Be careful with the water as everyone has said, eat cooked food and you might be OK.

GUWonder

Imodium or its functional near-equivalents are often not the recommended course if Delhi belly comes with loose bowel motions. Then it may be rehydration and electrolyte supplements that are recommended, but even that isn't always the recommendation.

I've seen people turned away for a lack of prescription at pharmacies in Delhi, more frequently at one of the pharmacies near my former Lodhi Estate residence and another closer to one at Jor Bagh. To me it seems like the demand for a prescription only applied sometimes and was too often applied (or not) based on (socio-economic) classism of sorts. [These situations arose independent of language communication issues or payment issues, neither of those issues being in play when I or my local rep was present.]

... of course you and I are highly unlikely to be required to present a prescription, especially relative to say the person sweeping our houses in India -- even as many of them won't be asked either.

All this said, it's possible to visit and never get Delhi belly.