Cipro: Good investment or not???

[DW1]

Here's a question out of left field: Do any of you guys have any
experience with Cipro(ciprofloxacin)? I went with a friend of mine
to Peru in January when he went to get his fiancee. Took some of
his Cipro and had no problems, other than a bad sunburn(Cipro is
known to cause excessive sensitivity to sunlight). Just wonder if
the protection it provides against bacterial infection is worth
the cost. I plan on heading back down sometime in November and
would like a medicine that offers a little more protection
against stomach ailments than the usual Pepto-Bismol.

[Pete E]

... in response to Cipro: Good investment or not???, posted by DW1 on Oct 12, 2003

Cipro is a powerfull antibiotic. I know of no side effects other than the loss of sun protection of your skin,which all antibiotics do.And off course developing an immunity to it so it becomes less effective.I have been taking it for about a year,Its a treatment for ulcerative colitis,which I have.No problems.But the real progress came when I started taking the prednisone,a steroid that does wonders for skin problems.But they only want me to take it short term because of side effects.

Pete

[DW1]

... in response to Cipro: Good investment or not???, posted by DW1 on Oct 12, 2003

Thanks to everyone for their advice about the Cipro.

[Fuzzyone]

... in response to Cipro: Good investment or not???, posted by DW1 on Oct 12, 2003

My first trip to Peru  took it had no problems.... My second trip I figured
I would be alright and did not. Guess what when I got home I got
soooooo SICK I thought I was going to die. I would take it you never
know....

[Freddie]

... in response to Cipro: Good investment or not???, posted by DW1 on Oct 12, 2003

But be sure and have something handy. Don't wait until 2AM when you NEED it.

Whatever you take, Cirpo, Immodium, Pepto-Bismol or Kaopectate, also have plenty of bottled water available. You can also take other clear fluids and soup.

You need to keep hydrated and your system running smooth but without irritation.

Also when you feel like eating again try a BRAT diet.
Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast.

[zack]

... in response to Cipro: Good investment or not???, posted by DW1 on Oct 12, 2003

This is what the web had to say about this topic. If you want more info, such as causes, prevention, side effects, go to www.cdc.gov/travel/diarrhea.htm

Prophylactic Antibiotics for the Prevention of Travelers' Diarrhea

Controlled studies have indicated that a variety of antibiotics, including doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), trimethoprim alone, and the fluoroquinolone agents ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, when taken prophylactically have been 52%–95% effective in preventing TD in several areas of the developing world. The effectiveness of these agents, however, depends on the antibiotic resistance patterns of the pathogenic bacteria in each area of travel, and such information is seldom available. Resistance to fluoroquinolones is the least common but this situation is changing as use of these agents increases worldwide.

[david hagar]

... in response to Cipro: Good investment or not???, posted by DW1 on Oct 12, 2003

As a pharmacist, I suggest using the Cipro.  The side effect of a sunburn, is minor, compared to the advantages that it gives a person against the many infections of your country to visit.  Remember to take some generic Bactrim DS, as this drug is used against diarrhea, also

Beattledog

[surfscum]

... in response to Cipro: Good investment or not???, posted by DW1 on Oct 12, 2003

When I was first in Peru last summer, a doctor friend who was there was using Cipro as a general purposee drug to keep him healthy since he was only in country a week or so. He then gave me the rest of his pills and recommended it highly to me. You can buy it cheaply in Peru without a prescription from any pharmacy, which is what I have been doing. Now, when I go there, I start popping them to keep me healthy and it really works. And since Lima has such "wonderful" climate, you don't have to worry about sun exposure.

[Red Clay]

... in response to Cipro, posted by surfscum on Oct 12, 2003

So you're saying you eat and drink without being particularly careful and still don't get sick?

[surfscum]

... in response to Re: Cipro, posted by Red Clay on Oct 12, 2003

No, that's just the thing. I am EXTREMELY careful about what I eat there, but I almost always get some stomach bug. I don't drink the water, I don't eat veggies unless in a trustworthy chinese restaurant and I make sure the meat is cooked. I don't know what it is. I got so sick when I went in April cause the day before I left I slipped and ate at a seafood restaurant in Pimentel, near Chiclayo. I hit me just as I was about to board my flight from Houston to SFO. By the end of that day I had 104 temp, chills and aches all over. That one I understand because I slipped up, but Cipro had the fever gone in 24 hours and I was back on my feet in a few days. It made me realize that when I got sick back in Ecuador last year and thought it was a virus, it was probably the same and I should have taken Cipro. As it was, I suffered for about 8-10 days before I was close to normal.

So YES, I do endorse Cipro, but just research it first to learn its contraindications, side effects, etc.