Malaria meds needed pre-trip to Lombok?

Hi forum! I'll be heading to Lombok in May 2009. Flying to Denpasar and then probably another flight to Lombok. Do I need to take malaria prevention medicines before I arrive and while I'm there? I've been told that Bali has mosquitos under control, making malaria meds unnecessary, but that Lombok is a different story.

On Lombok, I'll be visiting beaches (Gilis, maybe Kuta area), perhaps climbing Rinjani. I'm also considering one of the side trips packages to Flores/Komodo. Do Flores/Komodo require malaria prevention?

Advice much appreciated. If meds are required and you know of a certain sort that's best to use, love that advice as well.

Hi,

So far I have visited Lombok six times in that many years with stays ranging from 10 days to a month. While I am up to date on shots like Typhoid, Cholera, Tetanus and Hepatitis, I have never taken the Malaria pills. But then I have never ventured into the woods but always stayed in urban areas of Lombok and Bali.

There are some expatriates from UK and USA living there for extended periods. I wonder if they take any precautions. Then there are sojourners from Australia too. I suspect you will see postings from them.

Enjoy your trip.

Josi

Quote :

Bali has mosquitos under control,

I dont know about Bali having mossies under control, I see far more in Bali than I do in Lombok. And it is a bit of a myth that there is no malaria in Bali I know many people who have had it.

Malaria is not the only mosquito bourne disease you have to worry about, there is also dengue and now also
Chikungunya


There are no meds to take for the dengue & chikungunya so my personal advice would be to concentrate more on making sure you dont get bitten. Cover up well and use plenty of repellent. It is available everywhere here and much cheaper than at home at about $1. The two brands I use are Autan which is a liquid and Soffell which is a cream.

One bite is all it takes. I dont get bitten often but a single bite while out to dinner in December and I ended up in hospital with Dengue.
And I wasnt using any repellent at the time.

Oh my. Is there a hospital that can handle dengue & malaria on Lombok, or does one have to go to Bali (or further) to get treated?

Thanks for the info, all -- I'll be taking your advice, and likely getting on Malarone as well.

There are hospitals on Lombok that are used to dealing with these diseases. I happened to be in hospital in Bali as I actually started to get sick and the symptoms on the ferry on the way to Bali. But I contracted the Dengue in Lombok.

OK, good to know. Thanks so much. I can't wait 'til this trip, mosquitoes be damned!

I contracted malaria in Lombok a few years ago. Was all over including Bangko Bangko. Got careless. Didn't get sick until I was back in USA. Cerebral malaris. Except for the diladid pain med I would have been better off being treated in Lombok. Headache was a 10 Still think prevention is best and don't use meds. Bad for liver over prolonged period and eventually I will live there. Insa Allah. Tom.

Mosquitos are a problem right through-out Indonesia.
In Bali you need to watch out for Dengue Fever - these mosquitos bite during the day. There is malaria but it is considered a low-risk in the tourist areas.
In Lombok and islands East of Lombok you need to watch out for both Dengue and Malaria.

I have family who live where Josi stays on holidays and they have all had malaria. Anywhere near the beach you wil find malaria mosquitos in Lombok. In contrast, family who live in Mataram (the capital of Lombok) have not had malaria.

There are various malarial medications available and it depends which one you chose as to how long you need to take it before you arrive in the malaria area, and how long you need to keep taking it after you leave the malaria area. You really should speak to your GP in regard to which one is suitable for you.

As others have said, another very important aspect is mosquito protection - you need to make sure you avoid being bitten as much as possible. This includes wearing appropriate clothing (long pants, long sleeves in the evening and early morning - cotton is the best material in the climate), using an insect repellent, and sleeping under a mosquito net if possible. Where you don't have a net you should either fog your room before you go to sleep to kill any mosquitos and/or burn a mosquito coil (which you can buy everywhere very cheaply).

For repellents, you can buy something like Off in Lombok - I usually take some with DEET for the high risk times, but also a less toxic one that I buy in the health food shop that works extremely well (look for Tinderbox or Bushmans)

If you are staying in a nice hotel it is less of a problem as all the hotels spray for mosquitos, and you are in a closed air-con room. But you must be careful when going out for dinner in the evening or an early stroll on the beach in the morning.

All locals, expat and indigenous, are at risk of getting malaria or dengue, and a number of other nasty mosquito born viruses and diseases. There is no good long term option for malaria, and none for Dengue.

You need to discuss the options with your doctor and then assess the risk for yourself, as it really depends on where you are going to be staying, what time of year etc as to how high the risk is of malaria and/or Dengue. As I usually visit in the drier season (April through October) and I don't stay on the Gilis, my risk is less and I chose not to take anti-malarials. If I was staying on the Gilis I definately would take something. When I lived in Lombok I practiced prevention and did not take meds.

Hope that helps.

Noticed ur in CA. Go to ur county health dept. if u want meds
. they will insist it's necessary so have ur mind made up before u go. they will prescribe mefloquin i think saying chloriquin is obsolete and has resistance. cost about $10 a pill as i recall. one a week start 2 weeks before n continue 4 weeks after if my memory is correct.

Locked down my Malarone, thanks to all of you!

Take care.

mostly here b 4 u got they give u Doxycycline..these r antibiotics...but ver sun -sensitve so b care full and it's not prevention its to help u untill u get back home 4 better help;;
not long when i was in Bali ...120 people got dengue in a week
...but Denpasar
is more unhealthy than Kuta/// i find rummm stops al mosy problemsss....bundyrum..bye..