[pct-l] Antibiotics

[David Thibault]

Most docs won't give you any antibiotics but you can ask.  If you just ask
a GP what to bring on a thru hike they will say nothing or maybe an OTC
anti-diarrhea meds.  Actually a good thing to have.

I don't carry any general purpose antibiotics but if I did it would
probably be ciprofloxacin.  It is a powerful general antibiotic but has a
side effect that it can cause tendon damage - not something you would want
to risk on the trail unless the issues requiring the drugs is pretty bad.

As for giardia  most docs use Metronedazole (flagyl)  but for hiking I
think Tinidazole is a better choice because it is a one dose pill.  It is
hard to screw up taking the correct dose when it is one pill and it is a
little more effective (from what I have read).

Again most docs are not keen to give these out but I usually explain the
situation (on the trail days from nearest town) and the fact that I've had
giardia several times before (and yes I do treat my water - at least  most
of the time) so I know the symptoms and have used these meds before.
I am not a doc and don't even play one on TV.

Day-Late


>
>
> Hello All,
>  What kind of Antibiotics should I bring with me on the Trail? What about
> something to knock down giardia? Any advice on medicine to bring would be
> most helpful. Thanks, Mark
>
>
> .