Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruttiger
So not to de-rail this thread, but taking it one step further, is there any way to prevent this? I'm going down in December and have got all my Twinrix shots in order, but this is a different deal altogether. How do I prevent three weeks on the toilet after I get back??
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There's no guarantee, no matter where you travel. And, especially in mexico, you can still get things like parasites, even if you're super careful.
But, in general:
-Don't drink the water unless you know it's been purified. Most of the resorts will be okay, but if you're out on the town, stay away from the water...this includes ice.
-Don't eat anything that hasn't been cooked, or any fruit you can't peel (and it has to be a thick peel- think bananas, not apples)
-Don't gorge yourself on fruit. YOu'd be amazed at what excess insoluble fibre can do to you.
-If you can help it, avoid the buffets unless the food is fresh.
-Limit your alcohol intake.
-Keep your hands out of your mouth, and use Purell before you eat.
-Don't take random antibiotics if you haven't been diagnosed with something. Antibiotics are indiscriminate killers- they'll get rid of the bad bugs as well as the good gut flora you need to keep the baddies in check. That would be okay, if you only have ONE harmful bug in you....but, if you have a bacteria AND a virus, taking the antibiotics can make you worse, by killing off the good gut bugs, leaving you with decreased immune function to fight the virus. And, if you have a virus to begin with, the antibiotics are useless against it, so you're killing gut flora for nothing. Gut flora can take up to 2 years to properly repoplulate (re-poop-ulate?), so be careful.
-There is some anecdotal (i.e. no scientific studies done) evidence that taking probiotics can help decrease your chances of getting sick, or decrease the severity of your symptoms. The Theory is that you're introducing way more good gut flora into your intestine, which will help fight off any baddies.
-Bring good magazines/reading material, and work out some system with your buddies (i.e "If I'm not there for 3 pm happy hour, come check on me) so that you have something to do in the bathroom if you do get sick, and so that someone will come check on you to make sure you're not getting too dehydrated or anything.
I've always packed a couple of sleeves of crackers and some gatorade powder with me just for this purpose- I can rehydrate, get some electrolites, and have some dry crackers if I get sick. Worked wonders when I visited Guatemala. Also, make sure you pack Immodium, and some Pepto Bismol, just in case you have to stuff yourself up to make it on the plane ride home. Avoid doing this unless you HAVE to, though....your body is expelling things for a reason, and stopping that process can be more harmful than good.