Lariam Dreams (which pills do you pop?)
If you've traveled to a tropical country, you've probably heard of Mefloquine. It is the most popular prophylactic against malaria, and is often sold under its trade name, Lariam. Lariam can have some serious side effects such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, nightmares and insomnia. You might say, "having nightmares is better than catching malaria and ending up in a hospital or worse." I'm sure everyone would agree with that. But when you wake up in a strange foreign land after a Lariam-induced nightmare...and you aren't quite sure if you are really awake or if your waking state is just another extension of your dream, it can be pretty unnerving.
After such an experience, you might ask yourself if it is really necessary to ingest Mefloquine every time you enter a tropical region. I've known people who pop the little pills once a week when they are in Hong Kong or Singapore where the chance of catching malaria is akin to the chance that you will win the lottery. I guess some travelers choose to err on the side of caution when they enter any unfamiliar place.
I haven't even mentioned the host of shots and other pills that some guidebooks and doctors say you might want to consider. Typhoid is a big one. Cholera is another. Neither of these have vaccines that are 100% effective and they can bring about particularly nasty side effects. That doesn't stop doctors from recommending them and people from getting the shots. So what do you really need when you are traveling in a developing, tropical country? I guess it depends on how apprehensive you are. For me, Lariam and obscure vaccines are out unless I find that I am entering an area where a particular disease is truly a threat (see the WHO web site if you want to research a country you plan to visit). I also keep up to date on basic immunizations like tetanus and Hep B. And keep in mind, no matter how Lariam happy you get, there are diseases like SARS and H5N1 out there to remind us that health concerns are always going to be a scary part of traveling. And so I ask you, Gadling readers: what do you consider a necessary part of your travel-sized medicine cabinet?
Filed under: What's in Your Pack?, Travel Health
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jamie Rhein Sep 10th 2008 12:11PM
I wouldn't take anti maleria drugs in Singapore and I lived there for three years. Also never thought to take them in Hong Kong, but I was only there for a weekend.
Nick is right about getting Hep A and Hep B.
If I were heading to Africa. Load up. India, get the shots you need depending on the season.
One of the best things to do is really watch what you drink and eat fruit only if you peel it yourself. Everything else freshly cooked well and WASH YOUR HANDS well and often.
Bill Sep 10th 2008 4:28PM
Lariam provided me the most vivid, colorful dreams I have ever had, while on a trip to Zambia to visit my son.
jeanne lese Sep 10th 2008 8:37PM
I'm on Josh Lew's side. But the truth goes far beyond bad dreams. In fact, recent research confirms that Lariam (mefloquine) causes BRAIN DAMAGE in some of the healthy people who take it -- to stay well. There are other preventives -- doxycycline and Malarone are two of the best -- that are just as effective as Lariam. They have side effects too, but nothing like brain damage! As to those those million people dying every year from malaria? Unfortunately they are poor, malnourished children living mainly in Africa. The death rate from malaria in the US is fewer than 10 / year. Look at the research www.lariaminfo.org. They are on on the homepage and the research page.
Kendall Sep 11th 2008 10:43PM
I happen to be one of those people who suffer from the long term side effects of Lariam. I can say that after seeing my friend suffer from malaria and recieve treatment and then recover, I would rather have had malaria than suffer the permanent effects of Lariam that I experienced. If you have an adverse reaction to this drug it is alot more than vivid colorful dreams. The anxiety and depression and suicide ideation is almost unbearable and in fact was unbearable for many who fell to the horrible thoughts and took their own lives. It is a nightmare to find yourself perfectly healthy one moment and feeling like you are going to die or go crazy with no end in sight the next. The only relief comes when you sleep and for most of us who have experienced an adverse reaction sleep is hard to find. Insomnia is one of the side effects! Waking up from a bad dream in a cold sweat with your heart racing only to awake to a real nightmare of mental and physical symptoms. Vertigo, pain, confusion, brain fog, legs crumbling underneath you, stabbing pain in your head chest arms legs, sleeplessness, exhaustion tinnitus are a few of the lariam "treats" and then try to find a doctor that knows anything about it! The symptoms are cyclic with periods of remission that give a false sense of wellness only to recurr and bring a feeling of hopelessness. It affects your family and friends your work etc... As Jeanne pointed out there are other alternatives that are less devastating and I encourage anyone considering antimalarials to check out the www.lariaminfo.org website.
CharmedLife Sep 22nd 2008 8:57AM
Some advice from a survivor: pack another antimalarial, not Lariam. If you pack Lariam, you might be in for a much bigger trip than you bargained for. You might want to pack the movies Jacob's Ladder and The Manchurian Candidate too while you're at it.