Travel to India - safe disease prevention

M

Mr. Premise

The Living Force
My job will be taking me to India for a one-week visit in the near future. The people from the company I'm visiting keep telling me to get vaccinated, and I read the Center for Disease Control pages on traveling there, and of course you get scared to death about all the terrible things that will happen if you don't get vaccinated. They recommend getting vaccinated for Hepatitis A & B, which seem like scary diseases to get. They want you to get vaccinated for Typhoid, too.

Besides vaccines, I was doing a little research on anti-malarial drugs and they look pretty scary, since most seem neurotoxic. I think I will stick to lots of citronella repellant. Someone suggested Baking Powder intake for alkalinity as well.

Advice is welcome. I will be in a major western hotel in a huge city on the Indian Ocean for about 5 days, not wandering around the countryside or anything.
 
Mr premise,

I my experience with Malaria (I spent several years in African bush) I think you consider right to use citronella repellent and keep away from anti malaria drugs. Wearing long sleeve shirts and trousers in the evening is also a good way to keep the mosquito's away. Sleeping under mosquito net (not impregnated with chemicals) is also adviced (and make sure before you go to bed none of the mosquito's has managed to sneak inside. In fact the anti malaria drugs are not preventing one from getting malaria, the best they can promise is to diminish the effects of the disease. I have started to see those drugs as a pharmaceutical hoax to scare visitors, sell them for big money and who knows to poison the taker. In any case, as you state you will be in a western style hotel in a huge city the amount of mosquito's will be minimal. Your biggest concern might well be the mosquito net provided by the hotel which will probably be impregnated with chemicals to kill off any insect trying to get to you. Might therefore be good to have your own not impregnated mosquito net with you.

Other things to watch: avoid eating raw food (vegetable, fruits) from street vendors. If you do buy them, wash them thoroughly. Wash hands frequently. I always take my own set of syringes with me, in case blood needs to be taken from me. This to make sure that you can give the doctor or nurse your own set, to avoid any danger they stick you with a needle already several times used.
 
I went to India years ago and got all those shots when they were visa requirements. The typhoid was the worst- the shot made me really sick for several days. I spent over 2 months in India and hardly saw a mosquito, though that depends where you are and what time of year. I was primarily near Bombay and in New Dehli and points in between. In those regions malaria was really only an issue during monsoon. Having your own mosquito net & some repellent might well be a good idea just in case. The malaria drugs are awful, and I wouldn't recommend unless you are actually in an area where those mosquitos are active at the time you are there.
Hepatitis A is food & water-borne (mostly food). The gamma-globulin vaccination would protect you from that. I've had that a couple times and have never experienced any adverse effects- though that certainly doesn't mean there aren't any. Hepatitis-B is blood-to-blood, so you would only be at risk if you injured yourself and had to be transfused, got a tattoo, etc. I have a family member who has been several times in recent years and never gets the typhoid shot or the Hep-B.
In my experience, the worst threat is dysentery and amoebic parasites from food & water. Jeremy's advice on that score is good. Drink nothing but bottled liquid unless you are well-assured the water is purified. No raw foods, nothing from street vendors. No curds or yogurt. No milk or cream with tea. Your best bet is stuff that has been cooked hot & fresh, or at least recently. Ask for and heed the advice & experience from any American, Aussie or European travelers you meet where you are going. Take plenty of alcohol-based hand-sanitizer and use it often, and become vigilant about any time your hands are moving toward your face.
 
Hey Mr. Premise,

I don't have any direct experience in this regard, but some pre-forum research on related topics led me to the topic of something called MMS and when I joined the forums I discovered it was also discussed here Miracle Mineral Solution-Chlorine Dioxide.

I'm sure you've probably read the topic in the past but you might want to review it and do more research on the various MMS sites and download the free e-book (sorry don't have the links on this computer at the moment). I mention this because I recall Jim Humble describing how he discovered MMS while fighting a malaria outbreak on some geological assignment so that seems to directly pertain to your concerns.

Also, I have read not to use MMS in conjunction with Vitamin C and I believe baking soda as well because it could be neutralized so if you decide to use or just carry MMS as a safeguard this could be important in your strategy.
 
I asked a friend/colleague of mine who spent a year in India what she would recommend for a client of mine going to India. You would need to see a Chinese Herbalist to get these herbs and correct instructions on how and when to use them. My friend (like myself) is also and acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist. Here is the email she sent. Some of it may be hard to follow if you're not familiar with the herbs, but there is also some pretty sensible advice:

"Chinese herbs work great for common illness in India. I took the personal decision not to take any vaccines or western medicine, however I did buy some antibiotics in China just in case something got so serious that I couldnt handle it with Chinese Herbs, however I did very well with my Chinese Herbs and never had to use ANY western medicine!! They worked great, however I think it helps having the first hand knowledge with them, and its always good to have back up medicine, like antibiotics etc.. Usually what I tell others about traveling to India and Medicine, is the number one important thing is to go feeling comfortable and safe because that safe mind set will save them. If that means that they only will feel safe if they have the vaccine then I think they should take it. If they are worrier types and will worry about everything they eat or feel nervous with every mosquito bite they get because they didnt take the vaccine or Malaria pill then they should take them. I have heard a lot of stories of folks who took Malaria pills, getting Malaria, and I know a lot of travelers who dont take anything and have been in India for years with no problem. Dysentery is bound to happen to almost everyone who goes to India, although 1 month, she may get away without getting sick. I was there for 3 months before getting sick at all and over the year and a half I was there, I only got sick 2 times and the 2nd time was right before flying home! I would say most Americans fall into the category of needing to take the vaccines and antibiotics, however a few chinese herbs in there pack are great to have if they want to try and go natural first.

The herbs I used the most were Huang Lian Su, the little yellow pill vials. I found these ones to be the best. I am not sure who the distributor is but its the ones we carried at Bastyr...(not the tea pills.) These are great anti biotic herbs. You take them upon first sign of dysentery... I always carried a vial in my pocket everywhere I went and they saved me so many times. I also treated many travelers with these and it was the only thing that really seemed to help them, even after a dose of antibiotics that did not help them. The doses are 2 pills 3 times a day for 3-4 days, if symptoms persist then you need antibiotics. They should not be taken for more than 4 days as they are really cold for the stomach. The most important thing is to take them immediately upon symptoms. If your stomach feels odd after a meal, etc... I would just take a dose (2 pills) if my stomach felt funky after eating and only if it continued would I take another dose. However if you definitely are sick then you need to take a full 3-4 days worth. (Note those doses go for that brand only, other brands have different doses etc..)

The other herbs I found to be fantastic were good old Yin Qiao San. Upper respiratory conditions were common especailly in winter however she will be there in the hot season... its still good. And of course, need to be taken at first sign of a cold..etc.... I didnt take Gan Mao Ling with me, but I think I would if I went again as it has some stronger herbs in it for virus etc....The Yin Qiao you sent me worked really well also!!

I also took Chuan Xin Lian with me (I think the golden flower brand)?? They are really powerful and I actually used them if my cold got really bad, I added them to my Yin Qiao dose, and occasionally I even took them for a persistent diarrhea, combined with Huang Lian Su (although I am not sure if that was indicated, it did seems to help)

Those are the main ones I used often.

Others that can be helpful, but I dont think I used them much are
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San, similar to the GI herbs you sent me.

Yu Nan Bai Yao for trauma.... thank goodness I didnt need it, but its a nice emergency herb to carry with you in a first aid kit.

Xiao Chai Hu Tang For Alternating chills/Fever AKA Malaria However one would need to take Huge doses for this to be effective and would require taking up a lot of space in your back pack, which I did however I didnt take Malaria Pills or get vaccinated and I felt confident about my choices, and it was nice to have a back up.

Qing Qi Hua tan tang (SP??)

Emergency Packets were wonderful and helped me a lot when I was sick or felt run down or Dehydrated which is easy to get in the hot season. I had people sending me these as much as possible so I could take one every day or every other day during the hot season or when I was sick.

Multi vitamins were good to have

I took tons of peppermint, chrysanthemum and green tea with me as they are great to relieve wind-heat and good in the hot months to cool the body in general.

For cuts and things I took some essential oils, Lavender always works magic, Yarrow is great to stop bleeding and heal wounds.

Mosquito repellant, I used a natural kind and it worked great, but its smelly so I didnt use it often. Covering oneself with clothing is the best way to go.

I think thats all I took??? Atleast thats all I can remember, I had a HUGE kit with me, I think it was half my pack, but I was there a long time, and giving away medicine to fellow travelers.

One good thing to know is there are TONS of Ayurvedic medicine in India, which can treat similarily as Chinese Herbs so she can always seek out that resource if needed. Sometimes it was hard to find a good dispensary, but atleast prepared pills are all over in every dispensary in India. I did find the Chinese Herbs to be more effective though.

The only other thing I would research about taking with me to India again is Chinese Herbs for parasites. Parasites may or may not respond to the Huang lian su. That may be too much for her but thats what I would do. They are supposed to be effective for Parasites. The 2nd sickness I got in India right before coming home was parasites which I took care of with cleanses and coloidal silver and anti parasitic herbs upon arrival,, but it took a full month to do it.

Other Basic tips: Peel OR Boil raw food before eating.
Make sure bottled water is sealed as they often re-fill it with tap water and sell again, check for floating particles..."

Also I found this regarding malaria:
Scientists have discovered that the Chinese herb, qing hao (artemesia), long used for malarial disorders, works far better than currently used anti-malarials. To better profit from this herb, drug companies have produced a marketable extract called artemisinin.

Yet there is no evidence that artemisinin works any better than does cooking the whole herb or using a simple water extract of the herb. There is also no evidence that artemisia in any form works better taken alone than it does taken in combination with other herbs, as is done in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In fact, we believe that the following formula will prove a better approach to malaria than simple artimisinin.

Augmented Da Yuan Yin

Artemesia - Qing Hao - Sweet Wormwood
Amomi Tsao-ko - Cao Guo - Amomium
Magnolia Officinalis - Hou Po - Magnolia Bark
Arecae Catechu - Bing Lan - Betel Nut
Scutellaria - Huang Qin - Skullcap Root
Anemarrhena Asphodeloidis - Zhi Mu - Anerarrhena
Paeonia Lactiflora Radix - Bai Shao - White Peony Root
Glycyrrhizae Radix - Gan Cao - Chinese Licorice Root


Again, consult with a Chinese Herbalist if you are interested in these preventative herbs. Hope that is helpful.

Tree
 
Drinking properly bottled water or boiling the water before drinking, taking a natural mosquito repellant and avoiding eating cut fruits sold in the streets are pretty much what I would suggest. If you are in a big hotel, I doubt if you would run into trouble with mosquitoes inside the hotel. Also the higher end medical systems in major Indian cities are quite up to date with modern safe hygenic practices. So I feel it is overkill to carry syringes with you.
You asked for disease prevention tips only - but I would like to caution you against con-men who try to prey on foreigners. It varies greatly depending on the location you are going to visit but in general please be on your guard. Transportation is one of the main areas where foreigners get fleeced in India - so take care in this respect. Wish you a safe trip.
 
I too have to go to India for my job in 2 weeks time,and I had all the shots advised about 15 years ago -
and won't be having them again, they did make me very ill, and it was almost impossible to tell which one it was
or if ti was the 'cocktail' effect.

When in the big cities we will be in western style hotels, but most of the time we will be traveling in highly agricultural countryside.
I very easily get an upset stomach no matter how carefully I think I am eating and drinking. The advice from Jeremy FK
is very good, but what about if one does get a severly upset stomach while travelling? How does one stop or control it without
resorting to over-the-counter drugs and remedies that contain god knows what?

Any recommendations from any one?

I have not been to India since I gave up wheat/gluten/sugar etc... so eating at all will be be interesting!

Just worrying about getting the upset stomach is already beginning to stress me!

Any suggestions very welcome

thanks
al
 
I would also suggest looking into chlorine dioxide (MMS) as it is supposed to be particularly effective against malaria. Definitely avoid the anti-malarial drug called Larium, side effects are very unpleasant in many people including myself. Apparently 'Malerone' is a much better alternative, although expensive, but of course avoiding any pharmaceutical where possible is probably for the best.
 
Thanks again for the advice. I got back a few days ago. I was in Mumbai and didn't get sick at all. Had a great trip. The major health risk was not old-fashioned microbes, but the pesticides that are used. On airline flights into and out of India, the WHO requires that they fog the plane with a pesticide cocktail, WITH THE PASSENGERS ON THE PLANE! It was awful. They used tons of pesticides at the hotel, too. There were no living things in that hotel besides humans. I am doing the sauna blanket every day now that I'm back to try to get rid of that stuff.

Other than that it was one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. Mumbai was awesome too!
 
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