Stomach Ailments

Stomach Ailments / See also Pharmacies

One of the most common ailments people deal with is diarrhea and this usually occurs within the first week. Many times the body is simply adjusting to its new environment, food and fluids. If the problems persists more that two or three days, it could be evidence that you have picked up bacteria, parasites or amoebas. To know what is causing the diarrhea, we recommend having a feces sample analysed in a lab. A print out of your results will be avaliable later the same day. It is advisable to then visit a doctor, (approximately Q75 -100) to give you an exam, analyse the lab results and offer a prescription. We recommend that you do not eat food sold in the streets or markets and that you do not drink tap water, eat salad or uncooked vegetables unless you believe they are safe. After a month or two you will learn which foods are generally safe. Alert Xela does suggest you try the open air foods on the perimeter of the Central Park market, especially those located on the south end.

Some tips on preventing stomach aliments are:

- Only drink bottled water or water that has been purified (or boiled).
- Do not eat food from street stands.
- Always wash your hands before eating. Instant hand sanitizing lotion is nice to have.
- Do not eat raw and unpeeled or unwashed fruits or vegetables.
- Do not eat salad or lettuce unless you are sure it has been disinfected

Please bring an adequate supply of any prescription medicines that you will need during your stay here. While there are many pharmacies here that sell a wide variety of medication, it is possible that you will not be able to find what you need. Also, bring a copy of your prescription with you and make sure you have the generic name of your medication if possible. It is possible that your medication is known only by the generic name here in Guatemala not the name the pharmaceutical company gives it.Quetzaltenango has dozens of pharmacies, 2 shopping malls with large supermarkets as well as a large outdoor marketplace where you can find just about any type of over the counter
medication or other items you might need. If you forget an item or two, it is highly likely you can find it in Xela.

Note: Malaria pills (cloroquina) are not necessary in Xela. However, you may want to consider them if you plan to go to the coast or the Péten. You may buy them over the counter in a local pharmacy; the dosage is customarily 500 mg at a time once a week one week before your trip until three weeks after. Also taking vitamin B1 (Anything with Thiamin) five days before you arrive in an area that has mosquitoes discourages them from biting you. / Top

Pharmacies in Xela:
Farmacia Herrera - 6a Calle 7-67 Zona 1 Tel. 612783 (least expensive)
Farmacia Roma - 1a Calle 14 Av. Zona 3 Tel. 612107 (credit cards accepted)
Farmacia Xelajú - 11 Av. 8-07 Zona 1 Tel. 614448
Farmacia Moreno - 12 Av. 5-44 Zona 1 Tel. 614371
Farmacia Méndez - 15 Av. 1-20 Zona 3 Tel. 630112 (2nd cheapest) Top

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