Travelling to India in January

[gordon1103]

Hi all,

I have seen similar threads on this forum re: crohns/UC and India, but wanted to ask if anyone has been to India with IBD? We are going to Bhuj for 4 days. It is is relatively small (<200,000 people) and we are going with the Royal Society (...so we will not be living in poverty!).

I am worried about two things:

1) getting the so called "dehli belly" and dealing with that (especially because I am with a group of people I am unfamiliar with)
2) flaring while I am there.

Any tips for avoiding either? People mention probiotics? Some others mention charcoal is good for absorbing nasty toxins. Can I bring my own food to India just incase?

Sorry if this has been shown in threads before, but I am new here : )

Cheers,
Gordon

 

[pamshusband]

Hello Gordon-- I have Crohn's and a I went to India 3 years in a row. At the time, my crohn's was moderate. If you stay at Western/deluxe hotels and eat at them, you should have no problems if you follow simple precautions--no tap water. I even ate street food in Delhi.
India is great, have fun

 

[Goddess]

According to my doctor (and the state's L&I doctor), my initial Crohn's attack was precipitated by a mystery bug I caught in India. The epidemiologists got all interested for a while, but the final conclusion was, "it's from India, could be anything. We probably don't even know about it yet". And the Crohn's was kind of more important.

I do know that one thing they did find that I had was a strain of E. coli that was practically impossible to get rid of. They kept thinking I had C. diff., but I never did...but the E. coli was a lot tougher than anyone had seen.

Apparently the "Superbug" from India that you read about is actually a "Superbug gene" that intensifies the resistance of whatever it attaches to. One doctor thought that might be it, but in the end they mainly cared about the Crohn's, and me, too.

Interestingly, what finally did it in was the colonoscopy prep! It could just be coincidental, because goodness knows they were throwing enough antibiotics at it, but I really do think that the GoLitely is what got rid of it.

BUT...here's what's most relevant to your own situation: I was on a business trip, stayed in Hiltons and Radissons, and ate in the hotels only, aside from a Thumbs-Up Cola in an airport (no ice). I had plans to travel more "Lonely Planet" after business was done, but got sick before I could make it that far.

I was eating breakfast with one of the Indian professors who was traveling with us, and we were in the hotel's "garden buffet". He said, "it's very nice here, but 2 blocks away there's probably an unofficial toilet...and the air's all the same".

Thank goodness I took along promethazine and Immodium (loperamide) and Tylenol (acetominaphen). Probiotics couldn't hurt.

I would highly recommend evacuation insurance, just in case. Maybe you won't need it, but if you do, you really do.

Not to scare you, but it did scare the hell out of me.

On the good side, lovely people!! Went to 5 different cities and had a great time, aside from the nearly-dying part.

 

[gordon1103]

Thank you both for the feedback. Sounds like an eventual journey Goddess!

I am going for 4 days to a place called Bhuj. One day in the field, and the other 3 in meetings.

I will just keep my fingers crossed and take the correct precautions!

Thanks!

 

[rob101]

Hi Gordon , I have been to India many times over the last 20 odd years. You should be fine if you follow the normal travel rules ie eating in busy restaurants avoiding buffets where the food has sat around for a while not eating salads etc or iced drinks.Make sure the bottled water seal has not been broken and use bootled water to clean your teeth etc. Also antibacterial handwash is a good idea.
Invest in some good probiotics would be a good idea too.
Enjoy your trip as India is a fantastic country.