What to bring to Rio, medicine wise

[Guest Tomcal_]

While many of the drugs that are prescriptive here , can be had OTC in Rio, there are a few that I think everyone should bring "just in case" scenerios. This last trip, both Gulliver and I came down at the same time with "Montezuma's Revenge". This had never happened to me before, and we think we traced it back to a salad we shared(btw, your chances of picking up a parasitic infection is greater from eating salads that were improperly handled, then from Rimming!)

I always carry 1)Zithromax pack, 2)Cipro 3)and a antidiahreal. Between these three, you should be fine within 12 - 24 hours and not wreck your trip. This is a precuation I take whether traveling to Europe, Mexico or anywhere in the U.S.! Before you leave for Rio ask your doc for a prescription for the above. They are vey good about giving these to you pre trip.

I also carry, Ambien(sleep aid for the trip down), Vicodin, (never know when you are going break a finger/bone, need a pain killer.)

and of course the most important drug, if you are planning on more then 3 encounters a day---Viagra!

I ran into a guy this trip who I had met in April and who is a surgeon in L.A. We were talking about this, and he had almost the exact same list as me.

[trilingual]

I must be falling behind, or maybe Kaiser doesn't prescribe it! What's a Zithromax pack, and what's it used for?

 

My own kit also includes amoxicillin, a wide-spectrum antibiotic that has fewer side-effects than Cipro and can be bought OTC in Brazil, and prednisone, because I need to take both whenever I get a bad cold (like the one I've got now) to prevent it from making my asthma go crazy and ending me up in a hospital.

 

Two other things I always bring are anti-diarrheal tablets (because you just NEVER know!) and 12-hour pseudephedrine tabs, which have been life savers when sinus/nasal congestion hits right before one of those long flights to or from Brazil. Get the pseudephedrin before you go, because it doesn't seem to be sold in Brazil except in some combination products that will also make you sleepy!

 

A giant economy size bottle of Ibuprofen is another essential, of course, because it takes care of all kinds of things. No prescription needed, and 600 - 800 mg. for serious pain (like a badly sprained ankle) works almost as well as Vicodin! Plus it's a fever reducer and a great anti-inflammatory. If you forget to bring some, it's sold in Brazil. Some Band-Aids are also a good thing to have! Also, now that some of us are getting old and creaky, an Ace bandage in case you develop a sore knee or twisted ankle!

 

If you don't want to get a prescription sleep aid, try taking two Benadryl caps when you get on the plane (but avoid alcohol if you do this). Unless you're one of the few who are immune to Benadryl's sleepiness effect, you should snooze all the way to Rio! (Once, when I was hospitalized for an extended period, none of the prescribed sleeping meds would knock me out. A nurse finally shoved two Benadryl at me and said "take these." It was nothing but sweet dreams after that!) For those crossing lots of time zones, melatonin can also be helpful in adjusting to a different sleep cycle and will make you drowsy, although that part of its effect isn't as long-lasting as Benadryl's. I'm not sure about melatonin, but Benadryl is sold in Brazil.

 

Something else that can be very handy for Brazil's hot and sticky climate is a good anti-fungal powder or cream with miconazole or similar. No matter how hard they work at keeping the baths clean, it's easy to catch athlete's foot, which you can help prevent by powdering your feet after you get back to your hotel. It's also helpful for jock itch or chafing which seems to be easy to develop in that climate. You can also get anti-fungals in Brazil if you forget to bring any.

 

Particularly if you're going to the Tijuca Forest, or Iguassu Falls, or Parati, don't forget good insect repellent! Also during the coming southern summer if the dengue epidemic rears its head again. DEET-based is most effective. Off! and Autan are sold in Brazil, but in fewer formulations than you can find in the U.S., and tends to be more expensive there than here, so it's worth bringing your favorite. Ditto for suntan lotion; it's not cheap in Brazil and there are fewer options.

 

For fun and games, bring along some Magnum XL condoms and some good lube, because they're not widely available in Brazil. Standard sized condoms and K-Y are sold in all drugstores in Brazil, so you can pick those up if you forget them.

[Mike_M]

Re Montezuma's Revenge

 

My last trip to the Dominican Republic I caught a killer case. I went to pharmacies there and received several different things that solved the problem for awhile but it would come back as soon as I stopped the medication. Upon returning home I resigned myself to going to the doctor and getting all the lab tests and taking the Flagyl cure. I tried my local health food store and asked the clerk who has always been very good and knowledgeable if there were any natural remedies he could recommend. He strongly recommended a product called "grapefruit seed extract". I tried it and it worked like a charm. Within a day all was back to normal and I had saved myself a few hundred dollars in medical costs, not to mention the violence to your body those medicines do. The stuff has an almost infinite shelf life and myriad other uses. Do a Google search and visit their website. I took it on my trip last year to Brasil and used it a couple of times just to make sure when I thought I had exposed myself (rimming or drinking ice cubes, eating salads, etc.)

[Guest Jaunty]

RE: Re Montezuma's Revenge

 

In and Out

 

Another effective herbal that is less disruptive than antibiotics or Flagyl is an extract from the roots of the barberry family,(including Oregon Grape) called berberine.

 

Very effective in quelling yeasts, microbes and some parasites that want to take up residence in your digestive tract without a visa x(

 

I've used a formulation called: Berbercap by Thorne Research. There are many others available. Might take a bit of searching at higher end supplement sources. (Don't wait until the day before you leave)

 

Ups and downs:

 

Not that any of us need it of course, but an effective erotic booster is Avena Sativa, an extract of wild oats! Often mixed with other aphrodiasic herbs, I find the single ingredient avena sativa tablets best. GNC stores are a good source.

 

Remember the folk wisdom: "feeling his oats" or "Sowing wild oats" ?

Hmmmm . . . . modern meds catch up.

 

Jaunty