Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Meds for RSA?

Last year no shots were needed for South Africa, but I took acourse of Cipro before I left. Has anything changed for my trip in September? Thanks...

PS: my youngest daughter contracted African tick bite fevor. She suffered flue-like symptoms for her first week after we returned home...

My advice, get your doctor to write you prescriptions for:
Lomotil (diarrhea)
Antibiotic of your choice for sore throat or abscessed tooth, at least 10 days worth.
Pain meds (hydrocodone) for twisted back, ankle, knee, sore tooth.
Something for sleep for the flight over and back.
Benadryl (otc) for stings and bites.
prescription hydrocortisone cream (triamcinolone or clobetasol)
cortisporin otic drops for earache
antibiotic ophthalmic drops for eye infection
phenergan suppositories for vomiting..
hopefully you won't use any of this, but you will be ready for most little stuff and some big stuff with this "kit"......if I think of anything else I will add it later.

as for shots, tetanus/pertussis if you have not had one in ten years
hepatitis a and b if you have not already had the series

these are not required as far as I know, but they are good insurance.

Take Malarone for malaria, and make sure your tetanus shot is updated. Forget all the rest except for Benedryl to sleep on the plane. Nothing else is needed. By the way, in two trips to Zim and one to RSA, I don't think I saw a mosquito. Tsetse flies are another thing.

not needed in many areas (Limpopo) especially in winter.... and very expensive....doxycycline is a viable alternative

Has anyone used the artimesia drug for malaria prevention?

have been told by the PHs, that anti-malaria stuff not needed in RSA. Zim another place though, as would be places like Zambia, etc. Was told in 1987, by an Indian Dr. that if you get diarehha, the best cure in the world for it is whole yogurt. Will put the stop to it quickly and reline the gut. got a bad case of it in Dehli, and anti-diareha med did nothing. Went to the restaurant in the hotel and got a pint of yogurt and drank/ate that and within a hr had started to stop, and got another cup, just incase, and cured it.. think I spelled diareha wrong,.. been back the RSA and Namibia a couple of times in the last few years and never used an anti-malarial.. A drug kit, as Afterum recommends, sure a good idea..also some ibuprofen, etc, for minor pain.. get your teeth checked and repaired before going, that's common sense, even if only going to be for a week. A tooth ache can really put a hurt'n on your trip, AND medical care in a lot of other countries not what it is here. When I and my wife went over, she broke a piece off a tooth. The farm owners wife took her into Windhoek and told the dentist, who had a 6 week backlog, that she was an Embassy officials wife, and she was able to set in the office and wait for an opening..otherwise, forget it..

As you wish, but tooth aches, ear aches,sore throats, and twisted joints can sure ruin an expensive trip and/or cost you a trip into town and are treated quite easily if you are prepared.

Is benadryl really a sleeping aid? On my first hunt I used it and it seemed like a waste of time. Is there another OTC alternative? Thanks...

My brother got bitten by a tick while hunting the East Cape last summer. He was sick for several days and had a good sized wound on his wrist under his watch band. Antibiotics cleared it up eventually. He's a Dr.

Haven't been to Africa yet, and will definitely take the advice on the malaria medicine and tetanus shot. I can tell you on any hunting trip I take that I have to fly to, I take flagyl and zithromax with me. Nothing will ruin a hunting trip faster than dsysentery or giardia, and these days with flesh eating bacteria around it's crazy to go hunting without antibiotics.

Actually it is an antihistamine, but its prominent side effect of drowsiness makes it the primary ingredient in over the counter sleep aids. You will usually see it listed as diphenhydramine which is the generic name. Two of the 25mg caps (50mg) is the usual adult dose and makes most patients very drowsy. You might try dramamine (usually given for motion sickness) as an alternative.

it can work but it doesnt work for all people, it doesnt make me very drowsy for instance but it will knock out my brother....the issue with OTC or prescription sleep meds is that they dont work for everyone and the prescription ones like Ambien have a list of side effects and with a hypnotic like Ambien the rate of side effects is higher than most....i cant take most sleeping pills cause no matter how remote the side effects chances are im gonna get them.....im not sure i would head to Africa without first testing them out here to see how you react to them...

Afterum and Colorado have given you good, sound advice. I had a Dr who woould write me RX's for all of this stuff and I am pretty sure I still have much of it in my old Africa 'kit'.

Melatonin is a good natural sleep enhancer, as is actifed antihistimine. If he will write it up for you, get the Dr. to prescribe you some Ambien or Lunesta.

Must, must MUST have a couple different antibiotis on hand as well as high potency pain killers and anti diareahals and anti nausea meds. In the butt capsules work the best by far.

But the MOST important thing to have in your kit, and TAKE It WITH YOU in the hunting car each day, is a charged up and lots of minutes avaialble sattelite phone. If you get hurt or sick bad, you want to get the hail out of Africa, and now. MedJet Assist and similar are good ideas in my view.

Get a prescription for Ambien to sleep.

I am headed to Zim in three weeks
Doc prescribed Malarone for malaria, checked my records for Tetnause, and hepatitus and prescribed Cipro to use if needed.
She gave strong recommendations on using enough insect repellant and re apply every 4-5 hours.

And she asked if I wanted a set of three rabies shots. I asked her if she recommended that and she said not on a two week visit. But she said if you get bit by any animal, get to a JoBurg hospital as fast as possible.

dale06 you may come across a few flea taxis at some of the local villages. I try to avoid them when they are barking and yapping at me.

Depending on the area you intend hunting you may not even see bugs. Enjoy your trip and shoot 'em.

I always take:

Ambien for sleep before & after the trip,
Malarone for malaria prophylaxis,
Cipro for severe GI problems or cholera,
Doxycycline for tick bite fever,
Tramadol for severe pain,
Immodium for diarrhea,
Aleve,
Neosporin ointment,
Benadryl, and
Pepto Bismol tabs.

These plus a small backpack first ad kit should prepare you for most things if, as pointed out, you have easy access to it.

Afterum pretty much laid it out. One doxycyclene a day works as both an antimalarial and prophylactic for tick bites.

Be careful if you're going to Zambia. OTC benadryl is considered a controlled substance there and they will nick you for it if they find it in your kit.