Donald and Bonez, Many thanks for the correct name! Sounds like a brilliant medicine to take as a precaution!
I have a fairly weak stomach for bugs/foreign foods (although I absolutely love spicy foods and ethnic foods, go figure). One thing that has worked wonders for me in all of my past travelling adventures is: Probiotic Acidopholous. It's available in capsules at any drug store, Costco, etc. Get the kind that have a guaranteed number of live bacteria. Take one capsule, 3 times a day. I usually start taking them about 7-10 days before my trip and then throughout the trip. I never have an upset stomach or any other common travellers ailments once I started taking these probiotics. I believe they work by replacing the "good" bacteria and digestive enzymes in your stomach that are slowly removed over time. They also seem to give you the ability to eat foreign (to you) foods as your stomach now has the proper enzymes to break the foods down properly. (Much like 'locals' don't get sick on their water, but we foreigners do. They have the enzymes and built-in immunities to handle the bacteria in their water that we don't have). Give it a shot, it's inexpensive and absolutely works!!
I've been to Mexico several times....... Mostly Playa and Tulum. I've only gotten sick once and it was diagnosed as Salmonilla :/ I religiously don't drink the water and brush my teeth with bottled water. More than likely it was something I ate and not the water. In anycase, the Dr. said to take Acidopholus as CurlsandSmiley mention above.......... It really didn't help me much...... it was 2 weeks of hell....... I should mention that this was in Tulum and I think the standards are a bit different than Cancun
I have gotten sick at TTR and another resort. I do not blame the resort. I use bottled water, etc...I think sometimes are immune systems are compromised at certain times of the month, are not used to the Mexican bugs and sometimes bacteria might not get washed off the fresh fruits and vegetables as well as they should...etc, etc, etc.... If you get sick at the resort, you can go into the gift shop. They do have prescription medicine available without a Rx. If we are there, seek us out as Tom is a Pharmacist and I am a RN...he has been known to help people pick out their meds when they have been ill at the resort as the packaging is in Spanish. Anyway, if you feel that you have contracted "Montezuma's Revenge", then buy some Cipro, an antibiotic available at the gift shop. If not, I believe there is a Pharmacia within walking distance. Some docs will give you a 'script, just in case which is nice to have on hand, especially if you have a weak stomach or are prone to catching weird, international bacteria. So Ciprofloxacin, plenty of bottled water, and rest. Hopefully, this will not happen to you. It did to me a couple years ago. Took a day away from the sexy pool. Hubby filled me in later and I was able to go to Paty 'O's later so thank goodness it did not last 3 days.
I forgot to add Immodium to the list of what you should take if you have "Montezuma's Revenge". They do have it in the gift shop, as well.
Antibiotics like Cipro supposedly require a prescription now. Some new law that started about a year ago in Mexico. I am not sure if they are enforcing it or if you can still walk into any pharmacy and pick up Cipro anymore. Does anyone know? I've never gotten sick in Mexico and have been going for about 25 years but my ex used to...but he never did in Cancun.
Oh, I did not know that....news to me. I have a friend who as recently as January 2011 got meds without a Rx but it was not in Cancun. If your are prone to getting sick, then I would suggest calling your doctor and asking for a "just in case" Rx.
prescriptions... My last 3 trips have been to TTR Cancun and haven't been sick once I do drink the Dukoral vaccine. Plus, I told my dr. that I was travelling to Mexico so she gave me a prescription for Cipro which I fill in Canada and bring with me (just in case). Also, I take Zantac, for the crazy bad heartburn I get from drinking "purple shit"...lol...my favourite drink:ernaehrung024:
Another possibility of getting sick while on vacation is that everyone gets there on a flying petri dish (airplane) It isn't unusual come in contact with germs from coughing, sneezing, etc. in a tightly enclosed area like an airplane. One of the tricks that I have been told to do is use a nasal saline solution several times while flying. It keeps the nasal pasages moist so they don't dry out and crack from the dry air in the plane. This helps prevent germs from getting into your system. I don't know if there is any real evidence to show it works, but I do it anyway.
We are heading to Temptations March 19th to the 26th and already called our doctor for a prescription just in case we get the bug!
