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Post by auntieannie on Apr 24, 2009 19:01:15 GMT
hey, my understanding is when you smell sweet, the mosquitoes are interested, because they want the blood they steal to be full of energy.
I guess that what you eat / how your body metabolises food does have an impact on how interesting you are to mosquitoes.
otherwise, as others, I recommend lemongrass repellant. lavender and geranium also act as repellant.
In case it is a question of body temperature, I understand that sage infusion will cool your body. I have personally noticed that, if I pat my skin with a flannel that was tipped in sage infusion, my skin cools right off. Don't know about the effect of actually drinking the sage infusion.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2009 1:50:12 GMT
my body temperature has always run high(99.5almost constant),and the mozzies are all over me,no repellent works for any sustained period of time except DEET,I rarely use it but if so get the child's strength as I have to repeat applications due to perspiration working out of doors.I have had DEET poisoning at least twice There are one or two herbal concoctions with eucalyptus and camphor oils that work for say an evening out but I would have to bathe in it to have it last especially while working and it's pricey.All the research points to body temperature. I will try the sage but I think alcohol ice baths are the only thing that would lower my temp enough.
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Post by spindrift on Nov 17, 2010 23:24:19 GMT
... this story makes a regular appearance, not always here.
I really do not know whether take prophylaxis for the two months that I will be in Goa which is designated as 'malaraial'...
I'm going to the Travel Clinic at the surgery tomorrow to ascertain which species of malaria is endemic in the area and what is the best line of approach. I'm damn well not taking Malarone that cost a fortune and must be very bad for me.
What do all of you do?
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Post by bjd on Nov 18, 2010 8:27:32 GMT
I took Malarone when I went to Kenya, after being told to do so by the doctor at the travel clinic. It made me break out in itchy spots around the waist, although that wasn't one of the possible side-effects. But there were no others and the spots went away after a week or so. At least I didn't get malaria and felt fine, even when I had the spots.
In Lamu I talked with an American woman who was taking Lariam who caught malaria anyway. But the idea of taking something very strong (once a week) and with possible mental side-effects is worse to me than spots.
My son spent 4 months in Kenya and was given Savarine, although he didn't take anything while he was at 2500metres where he lived, but only on the coast. When I asked about Savarine vs Malarone, the doctor said I wasn't there long enough to take Savarine.
I agree about the cost though, but I think all those drugs are expensive and never reimbursed. Of course, no-one forces you to go on holiday to a possible malaria location, so there is no reason for it to be reimbursed.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2010 15:48:05 GMT
My friends who went to the Comoros took Lariam, which some people consider to be worse for you than catching malaria. But they had no side effects and they didn't catch malaria either.
The only other person I ever met with malaria experience (from catching it in tropical Africa) said it was kind of cool "like a non stop trip on 'shrooms." I must hang out with the wrong crowd.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 18, 2010 17:42:32 GMT
Malaria tabs for Comoros? We were'nt told to take any! When I ventured right up to the border with Zim & Mozambique we have taken the expensive malaria tablets but honestly, we have been told they actually disquise the symptoms. If you are bitten by the ONE and ONLY dangerous mosquito, and you get cerebral malaria, no tablet in the world can prevent you dying. And you will die if this little monster gets you because you do not know you have got malaria before its too late! tinyurl.com/36gmm3
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Post by rikita on Jan 6, 2011 13:07:11 GMT
well when i asked the doctor at the tropics institute before going here, i was told kerala is not a malaria area, just a dengue area. when my brother asked, however, they adviced him to take malarone - though he also asked at the tropics institute (they have several doctors there though, of course)...
either way, i hope my doctor was right about the malaria, and people here are right that the region we are in is not a dengue region either - because we get bitten all the time...
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Post by tod2 on Jan 6, 2011 13:27:50 GMT
Rikita - I am not afraid of contracting malaria IF it is the ordinary old Chills 'n Fever type. It can be treated. BUT, as I said previously, here in South Africa we do also have a deadly type of malaria which affects the brain. If you get bitten by this mosquito there is no cure. I am due to take a trip into a malaria area later this year but am not taking anything as the medicine can mask the symptoms ( 'flu-like). We are also going nearer wintertime and hope the mossies will be less. Do you also have this deadly mosquito in India?
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Post by rikita on Jan 6, 2011 13:47:39 GMT
don't know, i guess not though, else the doctor might not have said no prophylaxis necessary... and so far i haven't heard of anyone here in the area dying of malaria, or any reference to any malaria cases in earlier times. nor about dengue.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2011 15:11:39 GMT
I know that nothing was required when I went to Chennai and Pondicherry, but that's on the other side, not that it should make any difference.
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