We just got back from a trip to New Delhi. Here is some medical advice that you might find useful:

• Before our trip, we went to the CPMC travel clinic and met with a travel nurse ($25 consultation fee for two of us). We got the vaccinations and prescriptions, which were expensive. Vaccinations are cheaper at the SF Department of Public Health Travel clinic, but it takes a while to get an appointment. CPMC has a 30% discount on vaccinations if you have insurance, even if your insurance doesn’t cover the vaccinations!
• We made sure we were current on the recommended vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus, and Polio. If you are going to rural areas, you might need more. Here are the CDC recommendations.
• We got Malarone for Malaria (very expensive). I don’t know why this was recommended for us. It was January, and we didn’t get any mosquito bites in New Delhi. We also didn’t use a Mosqui-Go plug-in electric vaporizer. I think I saw one mosquito while I was there, and Malaria was definitely not a concern in the New Delhi winter.
• We got a prescription for Cipro, in case we got a bacterial infection that causes traveler’s diarrhea. It’s smart to have this prescription filled before you go, and fortunately we didn’t need it. Those of you with tendonitis should note that Cipro has a minor risk of tendon ruptures in some people, and there is other medicine that you can take.
• Although we had medicine for a bacterial infection, we didn’t have anything for a viral infection. If you get sick and are vomiting, it may be a viral, not bacterial infection, and Cipro may not help. One of us had to deal with a short-lived but violent attack of viral gastroenteritis. Fortunately we were traveling with a doctor. Compazine will help deal with ‘intractable vomiting’ if you are sick and need to ride in a car or get on a plane. It is available from Indian pharmacies under the generic name Prochlorperazine. I would recommend asking your doctor/travel nurse about this before you go to India!
• Everyone tells you to drink only boiled water, but all the houses we went to had one of these Aquaguard water filters. I always drank filtered water and never got sick. I don’t know why guide books and travel clinics don’t tell you about these filters.
  
• Costco is the cheapest place in SF to get your prescriptions filled, and you don’t need to be a Costco member to use their pharmacy.

That’s all the advice I have.. maybe bob has some more!

Bob says:
- when traveling abroad, big cities often do not have the same malaria risk as rural areas. for example, if one were traveling to Bangkok and not leaving the city, malaria prophylaxis may not be necessary. It would certainly be advisable if one were to explore the surrounding areas.
- if your insurance plan does not cover the expense for your medications, consider filling just enough to get you there, and buying the rest when you arrive. Of course, you should be sure you have easy access to a reliable pharmacy at your destination.
-travel safely!

Filed under: excursions, india, medicine · 8 Comments