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Travelan: The Newest Addition to My Travel Medical Kit

Travelan helps to prevent travelers' diarrhea

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Travelan.

I’ve always been someone with a weak and sensitive stomach.

So, you better believe my travel medical kit includes pills to treat everything from nausea to heartburn to travelers’ diarrhea. Motion sickness pills have proven useful when taking the long, overnight bus rides in the Baltics. That chalky, pink stuff has helped cut through excess acid after stuffing my face with spicy currywurst in Berlin.

Other tablets have helped me to NOT have to visit the toilet every 30 minutes while suffering from a case of good, old-fashioned traveler’s diarrhoea in Central America. As luck would have it, I ate and drank pretty much everything the same as my travel partner, but I was the one to end up feeling flat for several days instead of enjoying my trip. Go figure!

Memories of such experiences have me wary of travel to places like India. While it’s definitely on my list, I’ve already come to terms with the idea that I will probably sacrifice some travel time to a bout of Delhi Belly, or two.

Or not…

I recently learned about a product called Travelan, which is used to actually prevent travelers’ diarrhea before it starts. Oh yes, it is definitely the newest addition to my travel medical kit. Here’s why:

Prevent traveler's diarrhea with Travelan
All packed up.

What is Travelers’ Diarrhea?

Travelers’ Diarrhea is known by many names: Montezuma’s Revenge, Delhi Belly, Bali Belly, Tourist Trot, and so on. No matter what funny name it is called, it is, by no means, a fun experience for the person affected. Trust me!

TD can completely debilitate a traveler for several days, up to a week, as I’ve learned from first-hand experience. Common symptoms include nausea, frequent and urgent diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and vomiting. In other words, you feel terrible and are confined to a space that is no further than a quick leap to a toilet.

Contracting TD often occurs in developing countries where health and safety standards aren’t as high. It happens after ingesting water or food that has been contaminated, most likely with e.coli.

Although TD will often clear up on its own after a few days, it is generally not something travelers are able to ignore. It will eat into some of that precious travel time.

When you’ve been saving and planning for that special trip for months (or years!), no one has time for that.

What is Travelan?

Travelan is the only over-the-counter (OTC) method of preventing travelers’ diarrhea that is also not an antibiotic. One Travelan before every meal is all it takes to protect against the major strains of E. coli by up to 90% (proven in clinical trials). In addition to E. coli, Travelan actually protects against the most common strains of bacteria that lead to the dreaded Montezuma’s Revenge.

With Travelan, you can actually prevent TD instead of just trying to treat the awful, soul-sucking symptoms.

travelan travelers diarrhea preventative
One box of Travelan is good for 10 days of travel.

How Does Travelan Work?

To protect against TD, Travelan should be taken before every meal (and snack). Each tablet contains Bovine Colostrum Powder enriched with Exteri-Toxigenic E.coli (ETEC) antibodies. These antibodies grab hold of the ETEC in the gut and keep it from sticking to the lining. They also neutralize the toxins these bacteria produce which would otherwise make us sick.

Who Should Take Travelan?

Travelan is a perfect product for those planning to visit a country where it is recommended to not drink the water, avoid ice cubes, only eat peeled fruit, and so on. Any country with lower health standards than your home country would be a good destination for the use of Travelan.

Travelers' Diarrhea World Risk Map

How Do I Buy Travelan?

Travelan is currently sold in the USA, Canada and Australia. You can pick it up at most pharmacies for around $30 for a 10-day pack. It’s a small investment that could save you from days of ruined travel plans.

Travelan can be shipped anywhere in the world when purchased from Travelan.com.au. It is also available on Amazon in the US and eBay in Australia.

travelan prevent travelers diarrhea

Written by Brooke

I run the show at Her Packing List and love packing ultralight. In fact, I once traveled for 3 entire weeks with just the contents of a well-packed 12L handbag. When I'm not obsessing over luggage weight, I'm planning adventures or just snuggling with my pet rabbit, Sherlock Bunz.

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Comments

  1. Kathy T says

    Thanks for your post on Travelan. I travel a lot, and often to countries with risk of getting TD. Next up is a volunteer stint in Kathmandu, followed by travel in India. I have mostly avoided TD by frequent hand washing, hand sanitizer, and careful eating. I decided to take Travelan on this next trip, but I’m worried it might cause constipation. Thoughts?

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