Articles from Dr Fox related to travel medicine (information, advice, and treatment options).
Malaria is a disease that has been around for more than 4,000 years and is still causing major concern throughout the world. As a longstanding thorn in humanity’s side, it has led to a cornucopia of attempted discoveries, remedies and cures.
Derived from the Italian for ‘bad air’, malaria is one of the most prevalent and dangerous diseases on the planet that has affected – and killed – hundreds of thousands of people throughout history. Read in full
Children are much more at risk from serious complications of malaria infection than adults. It is generally recommended that unless absolutely necessary young children do not travel to malaria zones. If they do travel, children need to take the same types of antimalarial tablets/capsules as adults. Fortunately there is a choice of malaria tablets for children.
There is one major exception: children under the age of 12 years should not take doxycycline, as it can cause permanent yellow staining of the teeth in younger children. There is always an alternative to doxycycline, usually atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone) or mefloquine (Lariam). Read in full
You’re going on a trip. You’re so excited you think you’re going to vomit. No wait, it’s travel sickness again.
Whether you suffer from emetophobia or not, nausea and vomiting is never nice. Travel sickness can easily ruin that special trip to Disneyland, at any age. Tablets can seem like a miracle pill, but how do they actually work? Read in full
Millions of us love going on holiday or even travelling regularly as part of everyday life – but if you suffer from motion sickness, it can seriously hamper your efforts to get away and can put people off travelling completely.
Motion sickness and seasickness are both fairly common ailments, although more people do tend to get sea sick rather than feel queasy during car journeys. Luckily, there are some good treatments available that may well help to ease your symptoms. First of all, though, what are some of the key causes of seasickness? Read in full
In the UK Malarone is a prescription only medicine. This means Malarone tablets are not available without a prescription, except from some pharmacists using ‘patient group directions’ (a form of exception for the need for a prescription). Most pharmacists still require a prescription before Malarone can be supplied.
Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists with specialist travel medicine training, write the prescriptions. Usually there is a charge of between £10.00 to £25.00 for writing a prescription. The cost is set by the prescriber.
Dr Fox provides Malarone tablets at a low cost. Prices shown on the Dr Fox malaria tablets page.
Update September 2021: Malarone is Glaxo’s brand name for a medicine called atovaquone/proguanil. In February 2013, following a challenge to Glaxo’s patent, non-branded ‘generic malarone’ sold as atovaquone/proguanil became available as a UK licenced medicine. Malarone and atovaquone/proguanil are medically the same. A generic product called Maloff Protect (atovaquone/proguanil) is available to buy without prescription from a pharmacy, and is also supplied by Dr Fox on prescription. Read in full
