Post Exposure Rabies Vaccine.... Do's and Don't's?

[moonshinerat]

Hi, I recently was bitten by a rabid dog in Ecuador where I am currently living. The wound was just a scratch made through my jacket and no blood was drawn. As a precaution I am now receiving post exposure rabies shots. However, after surfing the net for several days I cannot find the method of treatment I am receiving or the do's and don'ts whilst being treated.

All websites state a series of five injections in the arm but I am receiving seven injections, one daily in the abdomen followed by one after ten days then twenty days then twenty eight days... ten in total. Also the nurses tell me that I strictly cannot drink any tea, coffee, hot chocolate (decaf or normal), alcohol or exercise or have sex (protected or not) for four months. I cannot find this information anywhere on the internet and nobody else having rabies vaccine seems to have been told the same. Please can anyone clarify this treatment and the advice I have been given. Where I live is pretty cold and not being able to have hot drinks is hard enough without the added stress of not being able to celebrate my first wedding anniversary properly.

Many thanks.

[laowai336]

I got the exact same advice last week in China. Can anyone answer this question please? I can't find anything in the drug information for the immune globulin or the vaccine itself that warns against exercise, coffee, etc...

Thanks!

[Arkitxn]

I just finished rabies vaccine here in Seattle.  No word of caution about any of what you just spelled out (no hot drinks, no sex - what a bummer).  Mine were all in the arm (after the first one in the butt).  

BUT....who knows what kind of vaccine they are giving you.  Are all anti-rabies vaccines the same?  Do you know a doc in the States you can call?  Or email the CDC or public health.  

I would first find out the chemical name of the vaccine and what is in it.

In any case - GOOD LUCK.  

[sevan]

I am in Russia getting the vaccine - I get a series of 6 in the arm...have one to go.  The doctors told me no drinking, no lying out in the sun, no swimming in rivers/lakes/ocean for NINE months.  No explanation given as to why

[sevan]

Oh, and I was told not to "over-exert" myself.  I have a 1-month-old daughter, so I don't sleep much and am regularly feeling "over-exerted"

[moonshinerat]

Hi folks,

Just to let you know that I had another problem in Ecuador which prevented me having access to my last two shots. I have spoken to someone who worked at the Centre for Tropical Disease in London. The vaccine still remains nameless in my case, but I have been told that there are three mainstream vaccines out there. Mine was probably an older type vaccine as used in Europe upto 15 years ago, made from chicken proteins.

It has now been confirmed that the no hot drinks rule was to stop abdominal pain, nothing to do with caffeine or anything. The last three shots of my ten were just precautionary. The over-exertion thing is to stop the disease from spreading throughout your body quicker. I would definitely take note of this as Rabies effects parts of your nervous system and anything that slows it down will give the vaccine more time to work. As for the alcohol, this isn't too important to me but i have had two glasses of red wine on my anniversary without any noticable effect, and the guy from London just told me not to over do it in case the vaccine reacts with the drink.

Hope this clears a few things up for you guys, I'll press on with finding out more about named vaccines.

[moonshinerat]

Nine months dude? I'll find out about this as quick as I can.

[Pinkerbelle]

I'm in China, going for my third [of five] shot today. When I got the first shot, I was given the option of taking a domestic Chinese vaccine or some "foreign manufactured" vaccine, which I chose. I'm not sure what the name of the vaccine is, because it's all been transliterated into Chinese, but based on the sound of the words it might be made by the drug manufacturer, Wampole.

Anyway, my shot schedule had written instructions not to consume alcohol, tea, spicy food, sour food or garlic until a week after my last injection. I've been looking all over the web and the only things I've found to support this have been 1. from foreign countries (I'm American) and 2.only alcohol/tea related.

I'm sure healthcare in these countries is completely standard, but I've experienced some really weird Chinese superstitions regarding healthcare and do's and don'ts. Has anyone actually seen this in writing from a Western country?

[boyet813]

Hi im edgar petallo from the philippines.The teeth of the puppy penetrate on my skin when i gave that puppy his food..i got a very tiny wound, however i consulted immediately the physician and he gave a series of 5 shots of verorab( anti-rabies vaccine ).==THAT WAS 3 YEARS AGO..(2006)
Now my problem is,.Last night( July 9, 2009) i got a single non-bleeding scratched just  below my antecubetal fossa, made by the nail of my 2 month old puppy which is not immunized..
My question is: do i need another shot or booster dose of anti-rabies vaccine? Would that vaccination i had 3 years ago,  protect me from rabies?

==I had this scratch just last night( July 9, 2009) now is JULY 10, 2009..The puppy is still under observation..and he's still alive and kicking..
==Please help me..

[boyet813]

GOOD DAY!!!

I'm edgar petallo from the philippines and i have a very important question.
*How many years of protection would those 5 series of anti-rabies(VERORAB) shots guarantee?
(I had it, 3 years ago last 2006)

Because my 2 month old puppy, (not yet immunized) accidently scratched my skin when he jumped off the floor ( i was actually carrying him).
It's a SINGLE NON-BLEEDING scratched (non-penetrating i guess) just below my antecubital fossa.
It happened just last night ( july 9, 2009)and just this morning ( july 10, 2009) i went to a tertiary Hospital to have it checked by the doctor..(Dr. A)
I was actually inquiring about the booster shot of anti-rabies vaccine..and i told him everything about my problem..
He looked at the scratched and told me there's nothing to worry about..so he didnt give me any medications. He just told me to put that puppy under observation..So far the puppy is alive and kicking!!

But im not still fully convinced..now i want to know the DURATION OF TIME regarding the protection of those 5 shots of verorab which Doc B personally administered..3 years ago.

can i still get a BOOSTER DOSE of anti-rabies vaccine even if i got those 5 shots 3 years ago?? ( Three years ago, Doc C (doc B's sister) told me that there's a booster dose after a series of 5 shots..but i did not get it for some reasons..)

Please help me..tnx.
GODBLESS!