Thorn Tree travel forum

Swine flu

US CDC now has a page on Swine Influenza (Flu), including current Health Advisories.Recommendations will help travelers reduce risk of infection and stay healthy.

This is a thread for discussing the current outbreak of swine influenza. Travelers and locals are invited to post updates and other relevant information

Stitch in side

I live in China, where seeing a doctor and having tests done is so much cheaper than the US. There's not one, but two hospitals less than a ten minute's walk from the front gate of my university.

In the last few days I've occasionally had a short, sharp pain in my left side, where you might get a stitch in the side while exercising. This has nothing to do with exercise, though possibly has to do with eating, as it happens after eating. May be a coincidence. I've been eating way too much sugar for a long time, and I don't think I've had as much water as I should have lately. I don't drink alcohol, so my liver should be happy, but I'm wondering about my pancreas and more particularly about kidney stones. I 've read up on kidney stones, but what I haven't found is if sometimes you get a split second of pain a few times a day if that's kidney stones or something else. A few times there... more »

Keeping eye drops cool in Asia

Hello

I need to take 2 x 25ml bottles of eye drops with me whilst backpacking through Asia which should be kept below 25C (and the closer to fridge temp the better as it's very soothing at this level).

Short of lugging a fridge around, any ideas on suitable cooling/refrigeration methods would be gratefully received.

Ta
Christoph

Storing Malarone?

Hi everyone,

I've got my Malarone for my trip to Ghana/Burkina Faso and I leave January 6. The drug information packet says it needs to be stored at 77F, and no lower than 59F (this seems oddly warm).

My problem is that I'm in the Northeastern US and the heat in my apartment is out- it's well below 59F. The travel medicine doctor is on vacation until December 27. Could the Malarone become ineffective if I keep it in my cold apartment until I leave?

I apologize if this is a stupid question. I've never taken an antimalarial before, and I really don't want to be the only person on my trip to get malaria. Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Round the World Trip Vaccinations etc

Hello All,

Me and my boyfriend are going travelling from Feb 7th. We have a round the world ticket and will be covering india, nepal, thailand, laos, cambodia, singapore, australia, NZ, chile, argentina, bolivia, peru, ecuador and brazil.

We have had our boosters for thyphoid, polio, tetnus, diphteria & hep A. We are getting our yellow fever and we will be getting anti-malarials, although we are struggling on which ones to take. The travel clinic recommended doxycilin but my doctors said not to take that one as it is the weakest. I have had a read up on them and I was thinking proguanil sounded ok but I am hoping someone who has taken antimalarials can offer some advice. Why are there so many?

We have also been recommended to get rabies, jap b, hep b, cholera and meningitis acwy (specifically for doing the everest base camp trip. Do you think these are all needed? I would... more »

Psoriasis

Hello...can anybody help me? i have a psoriasis and it's all over my back...i'm looking for some cure for this cause it's making me uncomfortable and it's so itchy. thanks for the help.

travelling with bipolar disorder

Hi,

My husband was diagnosed with bipolar disorder earlier this year. We've been together for about 8 years and have always enjoyed travelling together, and have travelled and worked in several countries over the years, including the developing world. It's something we'd hoped to do again at some point, but now we're not sure how it would work as travel insurance seems to be a big issue. Is there anyone out there who has been able to get travel insurance with bipolar disorder? We're based in NZ, so if anyone knows any insurance providers in NZ who might provide insurance, that would be even better. Thanks very much.

Warm face but cold nose!

Right now I am sitting in front of a radiator, sitting on a heating pad and bundled up in layers of clothing.
My face is so hot that my cheeks and forehead look like I am sun burned, yet my nose is still super cold.
I guess maybe I have a circulation problem in my face? I know my nose is the farthest thing out from my face,
but the temperature difference seems a little extreme. My ears almost never get cold, even uncovered with my
hair completely pulled back. My nose is the first thing to get cold, then my feet, then my hands. I can't blame this on
a cold or flu, because it has been happening for at least a few years. No one else in my family has this issue, and my
nose isn't any larger than anyone else's!

I looked for answers on Web MD. The closest thing I could find was Reynauds, but my fingers do not appear to change color.

If this is a circulation problem, is... more »