(You didn't know this blog would be educational, did you?)
Malaria is a serious disease caused by the bite of a parasite-infected mosquito. There are four types of malaria, one of which can kill you. Of course Sierra Leone has all four types, and the "killer" malaria is resistant to some antimalarial medications. It's a given that you need to take drugs (and avoid mosquito bites - a real challenge for a "mosquito magnet" like me) to prevent malaria when visiting Sierra Leone. (Unless you are old-school missionary and go with the "pray & trust God" approach.) Oh, you might also like to know that you can get malaria even while taking antimalarial drugs. Ridiculous sickness, isn't it?!
Here are the antimalarial drug options in a nutshell:
- Mefloquine: Pros - Taken once a week, pretty inexpensive (about $30/month). Cons - weird (but supposedly rare) psychological side effects like dizziness, anxiety, vivid nightmares, hallucinations, and depression.
- Doxycycline: Pros - Inexpensive (about $33/year?). Cons - Taken daily, causes sun-sensitivity, yeast infections are common.
- Malarone: Pros - Least severe side effects. Cons - Taken daily, Expensive!! (about $188/month).
Based on my research on the subject, I had pretty much eliminated mefloquine as an option because it just doesn't seem wise to mess with your brain. But I also had questions about taking a drug (doxycycline) that makes you sensitive to the sun while living 6 degrees above the equator. I've taken Malarone when traveling to Cambodia without side effects, but its cost makes it impractical for a 2-year assignment.
So when the travel clinic doctor suggested I take mefloquine (That's what he took when he served in the Peace Corp.), I wasn't thrilled. However, he convinced me that I should do a little experiment. He'd prescribe 2 mefloquine, and if I didn't have any of the rare side effects, he'd prescribe 2 more because any side effects would manifest in 4 weeks. I figured if I was going to take it for 2 years, it wouldn't hurt to take it for a couple weeks this summer and agreed to give mefloquine a try. (And, again, the side effects are supposed to be rare.)
I guess I'm glad I did the experiment because I found out I cannot take mefloquine! The first week was fine. The second week was a different story. Here's a question to get you ready for my experience...Have you ever
a. Stuck your tongue on a battery?
b. Touched an electric fence?
That electric zing you get from either of those scenarios is how my hands, arms, feet, and legs felt. Plus, my head was "fuzzy" - kind of like that heavy jet-lag feeling - and I was jittery and anxious. And did I mention my ears were ringing? I was a mess!
And I was supposed to be leaving for vacation and couldn't imagine getting on an airplane feeling the way I did. I went to the doctor the day before we left for Florida, and he prescribed an anti-anxiety medication and commented, "You're going where for two years?" as I left. I didn't feel like myself for a full week. It was better when I was active or moving because when I was still, I really felt the "electric current" in my extremities.
Mefloquine has a 3-week half-life, which means tomorrow marks the day when all traces of that nasty drug should be out of my body. I think I'll celebrate the end of my "experiment"! (And just in case you're curious, I'll be taking doxycycline when I leave for Sierra Leone.)
