Has anyone given anti-malaria (Lariam) pills to kids while travelling to India?

nn23 · Nov 27, 2010

We are making a trip to India soon and the Passport Health said that it will be good to give Lariam to my 2-yr old as a prevention against Malaria.

Has anyone used this?- we will be travelling to Bombay, B'lore, Kerala and punjab as well, so quite a lot

TIA!

Pavarun · Nov 28, 2010

I have used the anti-malarial when I travelled to India with my almost-2 year old. My ped suggested that I visit a travel medicine clinic, since my son was about a month short of 2, so the travel medicine clinic gave me the prescription. It is a quarter tablet once a week to be taken every week and about 4 weeks after you come back I think.

I too was travelling a lot and some of the places were notorious for mosquitoes, so I wanted to take the precaution.

nn23 · Nov 30, 2010

Thanks! yes thats the dosage they told me 2....just wanted to make sure its safe to give & doesnt have major side effects

gokusha · Nov 30, 2010

HI,

I recently returned from India just 10days back. Its raining over there, so its better to give anti-malarial medicine as per doctor suggestion.

I gave my 2yr kid everyweek quater tablet as per her pedi's pres.

Happy journey.

DNM · Dec 1, 2010

My son was 10 months, but tall and wellbuilt for his age, when we travelled, Our ped referred us to the travel clinic as well. Everything was so expensive! However, I stopped the larium when DS had a stomach infection and non stop diarrhoea for the entire 6 weeks we were there. He lost weight and was gaunt and I was not going to add to the strain on his tummy. I told the ped about it only when we got back and the doc was okay with that. I will probably do the larium pills next time we go, we will see.