I leave next week and I've been eating yoghurt about 3 times a week for a month now. Hopefully I'll be able to get it while I'm there. Also I'm going to pick up something like Probiotic tablets before I go. I'll check with the pharmacist to see what exactly.

During the trip I drink a lot of bottled water, especially after a night out. With all the food on offer it's easy to go with what's most appetizing, which isn't always what's best for you, so I try to eat one healthy meal a day, usually lunch.

What health issues I've had usually have more to do with drinking too much crappy draft at AI nightclubs than bad food or water (I don't drink much liquor).

Rgds

The only precaution I take is to get a prescription for cipro from my doc. I have taken it down to Mexico 3X and have never had to use it. Here is my advice: if you swim in the cenotes, be careful not to get a mouthful of that water. Eventhough it is crystal clear it is very high in minerals and will make you sick.

Pack an anti-diarrheal (Immodium). I started to have problems last week one morning, took a pill and was fine within an hour or two.

To avoid getting sick:

1. Watch how much sun you get. Only you know how much you can tolerate.

2. Don't drink a lot of alcohol and no water.

3. Watch what you eat, too much junk food with no healthy food will make you sick.

Basically if it would make you sick at home it will on vacation. Just use your common sense. If you walk into a restarant and it is dirty and disgusting, walk out just like you would at home. Most people can eat all of the fruits and vegetables that are prepared at any of the hotels and restaurants in the Cancun area but you know if you have a sensitive stomach that will need to be babied.

Dear Cherry2000:

There are many opinions on this topic, but I will give you mine.

1. YES, some 20-25 years ago we went to Acapulco and I got Montezuma's Revenge, had it for weeks after our return. My wife, a few years later got it in Cancun (Sheraton). From them we continued going to Jamaica, with no problems.

2. Last three years, my GF insisted on Cancun and not Jamaica. First time we went to PDC (Gala) and then 2X to Dreams. We would eat the salads, just so great, all of the fresh stuff! We would eat everything, and at Dreams even brushed our teeth with the tap water.

3. Look, Cancun is not the Cancun that your mother and father went to. Now, the resorts have triple filtered water, so do the normal restaurants in the Hotel Zone. Please understand that the resorts DO NOT want you to get SICK. They try so hard to keep everyting as clean as it can be, so to keep you healthy and happy.

4. There are some reasons for problems:

A. Drastic change in temps will give you a problem.

B. Drinking more than you noramlly do.

C. Eating food that has a lot of HOT peppers, will do it every time, unless you do it at home.

We do take some Immodium as well, just in case, but have not used it. We always have LOMOTIL, just in case, but you can get it anywhere in MX without a prescription.

I would not do anything at all. Just go and enjoy, everything is super clean, including the water and food.

I agree with Rack. Everything is super clean.

Something I'd like to add is that I didn't get sick, yet hubby did. And by "sick", I mean just a little stomach issue, nothing that wouldn't happen at home.

WE both think that it had nothing to do with Mexico & cleanliness, and everything to do with what he ate/drank. As an example, we're beer drinkers, yet we had a few mixed "fruity" drinks. Something he would never do at home. We ate lots of different salsas etc, which isn't part of our normal diet.

I ate yogurt while I was there, but because I liked the apple flavor at the resort that you can't buy in the states. After reading about yogurt on the forum, am I a little convinced that it helped me in some way, yes. Will I overload on yogurt this time, no.

Just remember that the food is different, and prepared differently. I kinda compare being on vacation & food to eating out every meal. If you don't do it normally, it's probably going to throw your system for a loop.

Try new foods & drinks, but in moderation, and have a great time!!!!!!

While on a current hoilday to Mexico I had a three day encounter with this scoundral. A nice lady (a nurse) said the B.R.A.T System would help me out.

B = Bananas that you have to peel

R = Plain white cooked rice, as plain as you can get

A = Apples that require peeling

T = Dry toast

I tried this system and it seemed to work.

Have gone to Mexico for the past 15 years and have never gotten sick - I am leaving in three weeks for Cancun.....I always drink the water and eat anything I want in the hotels but when at outside restaurants, I drink bottled beer, soda and water only (no drinks with ice)and avoid salads - once you do get sick, a veteran traveler told me to stop eating food and just drink water until it goes away - food irritates the situation even more.

Montezuma's revenge (disambiguation). Montezuma's Revenge (var. Moctezuma's Revenge) is the colloquial term for any cases of travelers' diarrhea or other sicknesses contracted by tourists visiting Mexico. The name humorously refers to Moctezuma II (1466-1520), the Tlatoani (ruler) of the Aztec civilization who was defeated by Hernándo Cortés the Spanish conquistador.

Symptoms

While many gastrointestinal illnesses fall under the umbrella term "Montezuma's Revenge", approximately 80% of cases are caused by bacterial infection. The most common organisms are enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Campylobacter jejuni. It is likely that residents have developed a tolerance to these organisms, but they cause sickness in visitors who consume the same food or liquids.

Symptoms range from mild to severe and may include:

* Nausea and vomiting

* Diarrhea

* Abdominal pain (cramps and colicky pain, strange bowel movements)

* Malaise and weakness

* Fever

Extremely watery or purely watery diarrhea with nausea constitutes gastroenteritis; frequent diarrhea with straining (tenesmus) and abdominal pain constitutes dysentery.

Treatment: It is estimated that 40% of foreign travelers: vacations in Mexico are disrupted by infection. [1] Most cases are mild and resolve in a few days with no treatment. Severe or extended cases, however, may result in extensive fluid loss and/or dangerous electrolytic imbalance which pose a severe medical risk and may prove fatal if mismanaged. The oversight of a medical professional is advised.

Mild cases are best treated by drinking liquids to replace fluid loss, combined with a light diet. It is important to include sources of electrolytes in the diet as drinking water alone in large amounts incurs the risk of hyponatremia which can be quite dangerous.

Treatment of traveler's diarrhea includes antibiotics and anti-diarrheal medications. A typical regimen would include a loading dose of loperamide (Imodium) and a fluoroquinolone antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin. Over the counter anti-diarrheal medications do not cure the underlying illness but may provide temporary relief allowing the traveler to enjoy brief sight-seeing excursions or endure a plane trip home.

Treatment for mild Montezuma's Revenge: 2-3 bottles of pedialyte + antacid + anti gas, along with plenty of water. Do not forget to eat as soon as possible. Eat mild food at first such as rice and crackers until more complex foods can be handled.

Avoidance: To avoid Montezuma's Revenge, travellers are recommended to avoid food and drink that can harbor bacteria cultures. Dry, processed, or cooked foods are safe, as long as they have not been handled or rinsed with local water. Bottled beverages are safe if they come from a major manufacturer, although ice cubes added to the drink may make it unsafe - this depends on the source of the water in the ice. Fruit drinks pose a risk if they are prepared with unfiltered water or by fresh squeezing. The traveler should also refrain from ingesting any water while showering or brushing their teeth. If the traveler has a significant underlying disease, antibiotic prophylaxis may be in order while in country. Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole are effective[citation needed]. Consuming a steady amount of foods containing Acidophilus[citation needed], such as yogurt, can also greatly reduce the risk.

Not all water supplies in Mexico are contaminated and many hotels have water purification systems that eliminate risk. Certain resort destinations also have large-scale water purification systems which provide safe water city-wide. Roadside and popular food stalls specifically should be avoided.

Acidophillius. Start taking it a week or so before leaving home. I've gotten sicker in France and Germany eating different foods than I ever have anywhere in the Caribbean.