Friend of mine recommended to begin taking Brewers Yeast tablets a few weeks before heading to SA - we went to Kruger. She had lived for years in Africa and swore by them - not as a replacement for malaria tablets tho, just as an extra precaution.
Anyway I took them even though i thought it was an old wives tale. Looking on the web though, there seems to be some basis to this advice...
-----------------------------------------------
- increase your intake of mineral water to 1 ½ - 2 litres a day (to increase general wellbeing)........."
There's some good advice on here - not least: "Consult a doctor"
I'm a nurse living in Egypt and have visited various countries/areas of Africa for almost 20 years. The best way, as mentioned here, is to avoid getting bitten in the first place and that's quite easy in low-level mosquito areas.
There are some herbal additions (nothing can replace the anti-malarial drugs) to help you stop getting the bite even in the worst of malarial areas. Vitamin B complex is relatively safe for most people (check with your doctor though) and it DOES affect mosquitoes as when the large doses (in Solgar Megasorb for example) of B vitamins cannot be adequately excreted in the usual way, the skin is also saturated with B vitamins which are water soluble vitamins... this makes the skin undesirable (in the majority of people) to the mosquitoes and they always seem to go for the easy option and will choose the next person rather than taste your 'bitter' skin. If a friend takes strong B-vits or even Brewers Yeast have you noticed the smell when you're close to them? There's no definitive proof for this yet but believe me it works. The B Complex does not just include B1, B2 & B3 (your basic cereal contains all of these in small doses) but has much larger quantities of the majority of B vitamins. In itself the B Complex can help with travel; to elevate mood and alleviate tiredness (proof of this does exist) and generally can help you to maintain a healthier immune system, along with a good, healthy diet of course!
Whilst living/working in Africa I have found that the worst 'candidates' for mosquitoes & malaria are those who drink alcohol - though I don't quite understand why. Dehydration make play a crucial role in this and it is exactly this issue (dehydration) that prompted me to register and post as I read the quote:
" increase your intake of mineral water to 1 ½ - 2 litres a day (to increase general wellbeing)........."
Please take no notice of that - you need to increase your 'safe' water (e.g. bottled & sealed mineral water) BY an **additional** 2 to 3 litres a day - if you normally drink 5 litres a day you need to increase that BY at least two litres a day and make that a continual consumption - i.e. it's no good drinking 5 litres when you get up - be sensible and carry water with you and keep drinking gradually and drink more, slowly, if you feel that you want/need to.
Alcohol dehydrates the body and therefore you need to drink more plain water if you drink alcohol. I have seen tourists die because they've become drunk in the heat of the day and then drunk masses of cold water. Water should be around body temperature if the outside temperature exceeds the body's temperature and shock can be induced if you take on-board masses of cold water in a short period of time after being out in the heat.
People (with enough money here) don't drink ice cold drinks here - they drink tea or tepid water, certainly not ice cold.
Bear in mind that when the outside temperature exceeds body temperature (37C), the tourists' body becomes fairly bad at gauging the temperature - having walked around in 56C I can tell you from personal experience that it becomes difficult to estimate the temperature... and I live in the heat all year round.
Sorry - a rant LOL
Anti-malarials should ALWAYS be prescribed, unless no doctor is available, but many of the drugs are now less useful as the parasites that cause malaria develop resistance to the drugs used to treat the condition and also to prevent it in the first place.
People taking anti-malarials DO still, sometimes, develop malaria - take ALL possible precautions to avoid the mosquitoes in the first place - there's no substitute for plenty of incense, oils (like lemon, lemongrass, citronella) and DEET products ;-)
A Western herb called wormwood (Artemesia annua) that is taken as a daily dose may be effective against malaria - wormwood is metabolised/excreted via the liver (as most food is) and as a secondary route, the sweat of the individual contains traces of wormwood which in tests was a deterrent to mosquitoes. Please do not just go and buy some wormwood - talk to a herbalist first and they will give you what is needed in the correct format and dose!
Protecting the liver with herbs like goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), Chinese goldenthread (Coptis chinensis), and milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum) can be used as preventive treatment too. These herbs should only be used as complementary to conventional treatment and NOT to replace it. Patients should ALWAYS consult their doctors before trying any of these alternative 'medications'.
Always ensure you have sufficient chemical coverage too - get the mosquito nets out and use them! Cover them in whatever chemical you feel comfortable with (e.g. DEET 100%)
Chlorquine-resistant malaria is not worldwide - get advice from a RELIABLE source - Malaria kills millions each year and arguing about the price of prevention and treatment is futile, and bear in mind that once infected you can remain infected for up to fifty years.
It pays to get the best - the best advice, the best products (both conventional and alternative) and the best doctor before you ever hear a mosquito!
Diarolyte (or other electrolyte 'balancing' powders) is a must and inexpensive - any UK or US pharmacy will sell it without prescription but it's fairly difficult to get hold of is some areas of Africa, even SA & Egypt.