So, my malaria prophylaxis delivery stops if there's a shutdown. I have three pills left.

[Recursion]

Take them, on the assumption it ends quickly? Or delay them until if and when I get a mosquito bite?

Obviously I'm not literally soliciting medical advice; just giving an example of how a shutdown affects those of us in the Foreign Service. And anyone with malaria prophylaxis experience please feel free to chime in. (These are the pills that give you the weird trippy dreams.)

[MADem]

1. DEET. Use it constantly and liberally.

Try not to be out and about at dusk and dawn. Get a good mosquito net for your bed. Best way to avoid malaria is to not get bitten by a mosquito.

I know that sounds snarky, but that's NIH advice....

Malaria prevention without drugs: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8094574

[Recursion]

2. Thanks! See my Lounge poll. I think I'm going with liberal Gin & Tonic applications

Here goes!

[MADem]

7. That'll work!

And if you don't want to over-Deet, there are other chemicals that will keep the skeeters away. AND that Skin So Soft stuff from Avon actually does work.

[Warpy]

3. DEET will help, but so will visiting a local pharmacy

and either buying the local pills or even a change in medication.

While quality control has been a problem in a lot of Indian drug companies, they're getting a bit better these days.

This is what I'd do. My mother had malaria. I don't want it.

[Recursion]

5. My grandfather did too

Said he's never been as smart as he was before he had it.

If so, he must have been terrifyingly smart before, because that man can still run circles around me mentally at 92.

[jberryhill]

4. I found the dreams disturbing

[Recursion]

6. Not to go TMI but mine are vividly erotic

I'm fine with this side effect

[Hekate]

8. Add a mosquito net to your bed if you have not already

Best of luck.

[pnwmom]

9. I'm so sorry! How unfair that you should have to worry about that. n/t

[JackintheGreen]

10. Worry less?

No, I'm serious.

I have lived in Pakistan for the last year and have't been taking any prophylaxis. I use the local spray and plug in fogger at night and pretty much just cross my fingers. Dengue is a bigger problem here, but transmission is the same.

Before this I live in India for 2 years. Took mefloquine the first year (the nightmare tablets) and while I didn't have the side effects, my daughter did. Ran out after a year and never refilled locally. I caught chicken gunia once (awful!) but have so far avoided malaria in 3+ years in South Asia.

I don't want to be flip. In any given malarial country there definitely are places where you should take mefloquine or its sister. But if you aren't in one of those places, stick to gin and quinine water. Better slep; no nightmares; delicious!

[fadedrose]

11. You may have to go to the emergency room

That's the real reason we have emergency rooms...

Just hope you have health coverage to cover it....

Good luck.