In Reply to: JBR: better late than never con't posted by hippiechicks on Tuesday, 26. April 2005 at 01:55 Bali Time:
Sinilar experience in the late 80s for me. The rash got worse and worse and was everywhere. I thought it was an allergy to sun block. Bad choice to stop using it!!! Funnily enough I was in Candi Dasa too (which has nothing to do with the story) We got back to Legian and by evening I was feeling really ill. The next day I got up looking like I'd gone 9 rounds with Mike Tyson, except I still had both ears. Most scary was that my throat was rapidly swelling and closing!!! Hotel called a Doc. I'd heard a lot about Doctors etc in Bali and if breathing wasn't such a lovely thing to be able to do I'd have been more scared of him than the swelling. However he turned up with imaculate white coat, bedside manner and English. Best of all those lovely disposable syringes. Anaphylice reaction he said. What was I taking. Malaria preventative. Ah yes don't take any more they make some people photosensaitive (sp?)to the sun. Needle and Phenergan pills. Started to feel better very shortly although I still had the post Tyson look for a few days.
I have never since travelled without some Phenergan pills. Never needed them since. Totally ruined my already dodgy relationship with my own Dr. who knew I had a history of allergies, didn't tell me of the risk and in any case told me I needed the damn malaria pills in the first place for Bali.