Hi, just thought I%26#39;d share this with you.Went to a Boots store last night to purchase our malaria tablets for when my OH and I go to goa on 10th Jan.I mentioned to the sales assissant, where we were going and she toddled off to get the book which advised them on what tablets to take etc.When she came back, she told me and my husband that we DID NOT have to take them for goa!! Obviously, we were taken aback and explained that our pratice nurse and the internet recommended that we took them as malaria is prevalent in Goa.She tapped her finger on the front of the book which they and the pharmacists referred to and told me ';this IS the most up to date information you can have'; We walked out of there saying that we would ask our pratice nurse again.
We then went into an independant chemist, mentioned everything again to the sales assisant who went and got the pharmacist.The pharmacist flicked through some paperwork who then told us that WE DO need malaria tablets for goa!!! I explain about the scenario in Boots and he said that in some parts of India, you do not need to take them BUT most definitely for Goa.Not only did we get the tablets (Paludrine %26amp; Avloclor)￡7.00 cheaper then in Boots, but the pharmacist was in the Christmas spirit and was dressed as an elf!!!
Have a good xmas and new year everyone and I apoligise if my report was long.
BEWARE.....Boots advice on malaria tablets for GoaThanks for that Squidgle, the advice we are all getting is SO conflicting. I double checked with my practice nurse last week when we had our typhoid booster and the information was still the same as when I checked with my GP at the start of November - take the tablets as malaria is prevalent!
BEWARE.....Boots advice on malaria tablets for GoaHi Squidgle...that must have been a member of %26#39;Elf and Safety%26#39; you spoke to ;-) .....seriously though you did the right thing to get those tablets, malaria is definately available in Goa if you want it. We just got back this morning after a wonderful fortnight and despite taking all care I still have a good few bites among my souvenirs, if there%26#39;s nothing on telly I plan to join the dots and make a picture of Santa...have a nice holiday and be safe, regards Mick.
not sure i%26#39;d take advice from an elf!!! are you sure he was the chemist and not just his helper??lol
BOB
Hi meerkat20, You%26#39;re welcome re the post.I felt that I needed to let people know, as the sales assistant said that she had already told another couple last week that malaria tabs were NOT required for Goa!!!! I just hope like us, they went for a second opinion.
Mick, I%26#39;m so glad you had a great holiday,just sorry to hear you came back a bit spotty!! Actually, I think the pharmacist had a connection with the National Elf Service! :-)
Just another tip about shopping at Boots. I checked the price of malarone on their website and was quoted ￡60.90 for 29 tabs (250mg+100mg). I went into my local Boots, who had to order them up and then charged me ￡82.25. So buyer beware if you shop at Boots.
We had a lot of conflicting advice as well, Boots said Malarone and Lloyds pharmacist said P %26amp; C as did our Practice Nurse. We are taking P %26amp; C coming to the end of our course! We were really very surprised to find that 90% of the people we spoke to when we were out in Goa said they didn%26#39;t take Malaria tablets at all, or, they took them while they were out there but didn%26#39;t bother taking them when they got home!! (Can%26#39;t really see the point in that myself.) I just know if we didn%26#39;t take them we would be the ones to get that Mozzie with the Malaria - Hate taking them but would rather do it than leave it to chance!
The tablets really should be continued for the duration of the course and medical attention should be sought if any signs and symptoms of malaria are experienced, even for up to a year after returning from a malarious zone. It%26#39;s not easy to tell the difference between the flu virus that%26#39;s going around and what could be malaria at this time of year.
Potentially any one of those bites we get could be the one to give us malaria. Better to err on the side of caution in my book!
Sounds daft, but did you mention that Goa was part of India? I just wondered if she looked for Goa as a country, and as it wasn%26#39;t listed....
Yeah, Boots are not well priced. I could have got my P%26amp;C for 50% less if I%26#39;d had time to order from travelpharm.
PORTCH.
both are correct!! there are several different tablets you can take. including the ones you mention.
personally there are some that have really bad side effects, others don%26#39;t. it depends on the person thats taking them. i%26#39;ve tried most, and they%26#39;ve made me very unwell.
this time i%26#39;m taking malorone. these are ones you have mentioned, they need a presciption from the doc, and apparently have little or no side effects. (hope they%26#39;re right). the only problem with them is that they are much more expensive. ￡2.10 each from boots on line in fact. 23 tablets required for a 2 week holiday. fortunatly, my quack doesn%26#39;t charge me for private prescriptions.
BOB
Hi KateJS, the sales assistant in Boots originally looked for Goa in her book, but I explained that she would have to look at India.That%26#39;s when she told me that NO tablets were required unless we were traveling to Assam.
As you have said,I cannot see why people do not carry on with the course of tablets when they come home as surely it%26#39;s a complete waste of time in taking them in the first place.Personally, I would rather be safe then sorry.
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