Taking antibiotics as a precaution when you arrive in the LOS.

[Polyps]

I used to work in the medical profession for nearly 15 years and the phrase prophylactic antibiotics is a common phrase.

It means taking antibiotics as a preventative measure 500mg of Amoxicillin can be purchased in Thailand for penuts,a 5 day course taking 3 x 500mg tablets a day 15 tablets would cost 150 baht.

I have always done this,i arrive in the los and buy 15 tablets,i put 3 tabs in my pocket and take them morning, noon, and night,this stops me catching any nasties including chlamydia and syphalis but not herpes or hiv etc,it gives me some peace of mind and i enjoy my holiday more knowing that i have some extra protection from infectionns.

Not a good idea if you are allergic to penicillin

[praf974]

yeh cheap and easy to get .. but can really mess with your stomach! (amongst other possible side effects)

[Polyps]

never had any probs at all ever not even the shits.

[BuokowBoy]

I agree. I have been doing it for years. It almost helps against that nasty cough you can get from all that aircon and dirty hand shakes

[SlickMonkey]

Taking antibiotics every day is gonna give you a bad case of Thrush and would just about make you have diarrea every day. It kills the bad bacteria as well as the good therefore its not a great idea to take it every day. If you catch something on a trip you can always start treatment and It can be cured real quick.

 

I wear a condom as much as possible. However, the day before I leave I get a shot and take a ZithroPak. Just in case I got somethign it will cure most of everything except herpes or HIV. Better to assume that you got it and treat for it that to take a chance that you are symptom free only to find out a few weeks or days later that you indeed have something. Especially true if you have a significant other back at home.

 

As long as your only taking a Once-shot/ZithroPak 3-4 times a year it shouldnt be that bad for your immune system. Taking it every day while on vacation doesnt seem right. Ive done this for the past 20+ years and its worked quite well for me so far. Zithromax 1G and 1 shot of Ceftriaxone takes care of most STD's.

 

Just my 2 cents....

Edited September 17, 2009 by SlickMonkey

[Slacker]

I used to work in the medical profession for nearly 15 years and the phrase prophylactic antibiotics is a common phrase...

 

It would be interesting to know in what capacity you worked in the medical profession as taking antibiotics in this fashion would probably be frowned on by approx 99.9% of medical practitioners. The prophylactic use of antibiotics is common in some surgical procedures and in dental procedures when the patient has prosthetic heart valves. These are carefully calculated decisions...I doubt if any practising medic would condone the use for unprotected sex with prostitutes.

[Pheromone]

Unless your immune system is compromised, you are currently fighting infection or you life is in jeapordy, you should never, EVER, take antibotics. It's abuse, it's wasteful and creates an environment for viruses, germs, bacteria and disease to mutate and become resistent to the very drugs you are using to protect yourself.

 

Kind of like going to get the new swine flu shots when you are really not at risk from it.

 

If you are an average healthy male, skip it and enjoy your vacation.

[Wideeyedvoyager]

sounds a bit dodgy...

[Al.]

The discovery of antibiotics is one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century that has transformed the medical profession and saved millions of lives it would be a disaster of epic proportions if by their misuse they were rendered ineffective in the 21st century.

 

Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections they do not work on infections caused by viruses.

 

The correct diagnosis and the decision about whether antibiotics are necessary and what ones to use should only be made by a qualified medical doctor not by some wannabe that thinks Dr. Google has all the answers. This is particularly true in Asia, where antibiotic use is excessive and resistance rates are rising sharply.

 

There is a pressing need for everybody to stop any unnecessary use of antibiotics and to be aware of the risks associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics and how to take antibiotics responsibly.

 

Taking antibiotics for wrong reasons, such as against colds or flu or any viral infection for that matter has no benefit at all in fact the opposite is true insomuch as you could be building resistance against the time when you really need them they are not sweets and should be treated with the respect they deserve.

 

Misuse of antibiotics only causes bacteria to become resistant to antibiotic treatments so when you really need them in the future they may not work

 

Most people actually died of infectious diseases a few centuries ago in fact the plague in the 14th century killed off half of the entire population of Europe within two years.

 

Two hundred years ago the leading cause of death in Europe was tuberculosis almost no one died of old age in those days.

 

The wrong or incorrect use of antibiotics may cause the bacteria to become resistant against future treatments. This is a health hazard not just for the person having taken the antibiotics inappropriately but also for anyone else who might catch the resistant bacteria afterwards.

 

Antibiotics are losing their effectiveness at a pace that was unforeseen even just a few years ago this is because bacteria is becoming resistant to antibiotics due to their widespread misuse.

 

If this continues at the present rate it will not be long before we return to the pre antibiotic era when common bacterial infections such as pneumonia could become a death sentence.

 

I would strongly recommend that anyone with any any medical concerns consult a qualified medical doctor not take advice from people whose only qualification is being able to use a search engine.

 

It always amazes me when some people actually believe they know better than a practicing doctor that has spent many years training to be become qualified simply because they read it on the Internet. If it were that easy we could all be brain surgeons.

 

Al.

[furryman]

Taking antibiotics every day is gonna give you a bad case of Thrush and would just about make you have diarrea every day. It kills the bad bacteria as well as the good therefore its not a great idea to take it every day. If you catch something on a trip you can always start treatment and It can be cured real quick.

 

I wear a condom as much as possible. However, the day before I leave I get a shot and take a ZithroPak. Just in case I got somethign it will cure most of everything except herpes or HIV. Better to assume that you got it and treat for it that to take a chance that you are symptom free only to find out a few weeks or days later that you indeed have something. Especially true if you have a significant other back at home.

 

As long as your only taking a Once-shot/ZithroPak 3-4 times a year it shouldnt be that bad for your immune system. Taking it every day while on vacation doesnt seem right. Ive done this for the past 20+ years and its worked quite well for me so far. Zithromax 1G and 1 shot of Ceftriaxone takes care of most STD's.

 

Just my 2 cents....

 

Where do you get this done? Sounds like a better idea than the OPs

Edited September 17, 2009 by furryman

[allwet]

Taking antibiotics every day is gonna give you a bad case of Thrush and would just about make you have diarrea every day. It kills the bad bacteria as well as the good therefore its not a great idea to take it every day. If you catch something on a trip you can always start treatment and It can be cured real quick.

 

What he said. Your setting yourself up for oral thrush if you start slamming antibiotics, especially if you enjoy DATY. Not to mention the fact that most guys enjoy drinking while in LOS and it is not a good idea to mix lots of alcohol with antibiotics. I took a regimen of azithromycin on my last trip because I was having symptoms of Chlamydia and all I remember is running to the toilet all day long. I would not want to take antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

[SmellyFarang]

What he said. Your setting yourself up for oral thrush if you start slamming antibiotics, especially if you enjoy DATY. Not to mention the fact that most guys enjoy drinking while in LOS and it is not a good idea to mix lots of alcohol with antibiotics. I took a regimen of azithromycin on my last trip because I was having symptoms of Chlamydia and all I remember is running to the toilet all day long. I would not want to take antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

 

But on the plus side, a good oral yeast infection is a guaranteed way to impress your friends back home and add that extra bit of drama as you recount your stories of going down on all the Coconut Bar FLs

[Polyps]

Listen guys i am not talking about doing this long term,in my case i do this once a year,i take the tablets for 5 days ONCE A YEAR and this is quite acceptable when putting yourself at risk from infections and not just from necking with loads of women in various bars and shagging some,the flight alone is a 12 hour germ fest,as for not using a condom,i have never had unprotected sex with anyone in Thailand.

Alcohol cannot be taken with certain antibiotics as it can cause probs,but that isnt the case with Amoxycillin and you can drink alcohol.

Lets get this into prospective guys i am talking once a year,i dont smoke and i only really overdo it on the alcohol units when i am on my hols so i am willing to take the very slight risk of thrush(that has never happened yet).

Antibiotics do not work on viruses but they do work on infections,chest infections,ear infections,chlamidia prevention,clap etc.

[SlickMonkey]

Where do you get this done? Sounds like a better idea than the OPs

 

Health Center Clinic

Dr. Direck

038-713-654

Best way to describe how to get there:

Walking Street to soi diamond, turn left on diamond. Take it to second street. Go across and the road turns into Soi 17. Follow soi 17 about a half mile on right. Near the market.

Total cost is around 1200 Baht. Ive got a record on file there and I just walk in and ask them to pull my file and do the same as last time.

[allwet]

Dr. Olivier Clinic is also a great option to consider. It's just down the street from Tukcom. He's a Western doctor and will take care of you.

[relaxd1]

I used to work in the medical profession for nearly 15 years and the phrase prophylactic antibiotics is a common phrase.

It means taking antibiotics as a preventative measure 500mg of Amoxicillin can be purchased in Thailand for penuts,a 5 day course taking 3 x 500mg tablets a day 15 tablets would cost 150 baht.

I have always done this,i arrive in the los and buy 15 tablets,i put 3 tabs in my pocket and take them morning, noon, and night,this stops me catching any nasties including chlamydia and syphalis but not herpes or hiv etc,it gives me some peace of mind and i enjoy my holiday more knowing that i have some extra protection from infectionns.

Not a good idea if you are allergic to penicillin

Your choice but not mine.Highly risky!

[Steelman]

I used to work in the medical profession for nearly 15 years and the phrase prophylactic antibiotics is a common phrase.

It means taking antibiotics as a preventative measure 500mg of Amoxicillin can be purchased in Thailand for penuts,a 5 day course taking 3 x 500mg tablets a day 15 tablets would cost 150 baht.

I have always done this,i arrive in the los and buy 15 tablets,i put 3 tabs in my pocket and take them morning, noon, and night,this stops me catching any nasties including chlamydia and syphalis but not herpes or hiv etc,it gives me some peace of mind and i enjoy my holiday more knowing that i have some extra protection from infectionns.

Not a good idea if you are allergic to penicillin

 

It's a really bad idea to take antibiotics if you do not have an infection. This is was there are so many drug resistant bacteria. People are getting serious infections from normal staph (part of normal skin flora) that was unheard of years ago.

[El Cata]

I got a horrendous infection from mosquito bites in the Dominican Republic last year & again during my 1st trip to Thailand in January.

 

If you are susceptible to such things, then a course of ABs is advisable, taken promply after your first bite.

 

Face it, you smell bad dude!!!

 

Last time, I stayed on the 3rd floor in a residential area, away from the vegetation & water that surrounds the hotels. I still got bit, although less frequently.

 

I took ABs throughout my 2nd trip; they did the trick.

 

Next time - mosquito net over the bed!!!

 

Peace.