Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
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Karangasem, Bali
I've been thinking about this for a while and hope others will contribute their personal experiences - laughing not allowed (but expected, anyway).

This may be old hat to those (Ozis) that grew up in the tropics but as a northern hemisphere baby I've noticed some interesting conditions and diseases that I attribute to the tropics and I would be very interested in a frank and unembarrassed exchange of experiences and, better still, cures you may have found.

There is really only one caveat: some of the things I/we have seen may equally be cause by advancing age and senility although I won't be 60 till my next birthday therefore "advancing" may not be correct either.

1) Good friend has had 2 attacks of what she calls "shingles" since she's been here for almost 2 years - this is a viral herpes disease of the nerve fibers that is supposedly incurable but she had it last over 25 years ago so 2 attacks in such a short time must be brought on by something else possibly tropical? It does fade after a while but is very painful and can be unsightly as long as it lasts.

2) Not such a good friend has had on his (largely bald) head an annoying skin condition that causes scaling and skin to flake off, accompanied by painful small lesions in the skin on his forehead and scalp. Doctor (European) told him it was sun damage and to take a cream called Solarize or aze or some such. This made the conditon worse. He tried many things but it only got worse - doctor had told him to avoid washing it with soap as that dried skin out more. Largely cured he says, and it does look better, by using as much soap and water as he could as it is apparently some kind of fungal or bacterial infection. Could be mites as my cat has that and it causes hair loss and sores on the pussy - told him to leave off my cat and he might get better, dirty bastard!

3) Various itchy sores and infections in those folds of skin the better fed of us have instead of a life ring. Can get quite serious and spread over a large area if ignored as we do until it gets down as far as the family jewels. Scratching those can be entertaining, I will admit, but not 8 or 9 hours a day and they do not hold up to such punishment well.

Unfortunately Tattered Sack Syndrome (TSS - you saw it here first!) will not win any Nobel prizes me thinks.

Local doctors give the usual anti-bacterial creams and pills (as fecking usual - idiots give those for anything and everything) but fact is it seems to react best to anti-fungals and regular washing (can also be fun...).

That's all I can think of for now but I'm sure more will occur.
 

samsiam

Member
Feb 2, 2014
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Herpes...sores on pussies...and fat wrinkle scabs.....nice life you lead out in the sticks.
 

sherm

Member
Nov 17, 2011
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Shingles = Chicken pox which we have all probably had. In US docs are pushing injections to inhibit. Big $$ pharma.

I notice I am particularly prone to staph infections here. Looks like little blisters at first that crust over, itchy and painful. I have had on arms and chest. I think maybe I pick up during the odd massage in the south. Antibiotic cream seems to fix quickly.

#3 certainly sounds like maybe a fungal condition similar to ringworm. Never had anything like taht here, but at home when one of the cats headbumps my ankles I can count on getting infected. Anti-fungal creams eventually cure it.
 

Smoke

Active Member
Dec 3, 2011
1,395
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Sanur
2) Not such a good friend has had on his (largely bald) head an annoying skin condition that causes scaling and skin to flake off, accompanied by painful small lesions in the skin on his forehead and scalp. Doctor (European) told him it was sun damage and to take a cream called Solarize or aze or some such. This made the conditon worse. He tried many things but it only got worse - doctor had told him to avoid washing it with soap as that dried skin out more. Largely cured he says, and it does look better, by using as much soap and water as he could as it is apparently some kind of fungal or bacterial infection. Could be mites as my cat has that and it causes hair loss and sores on the pussy - told him to leave off my cat and he might get better, dirty bastard!

Dr.Smoke thinks it could be Psoriasis and yes different kinds for scalp and rest of body .. google it and help your
Not such a good friend
out
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
9,317
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Karangasem, Bali
Haha another one just occurred to me:

For those that have spent their lives in boxer shorts or y-fronts or basically any underwear, probably like most of us, beware the sudden change to a sarong with out any underwear, probably again like most of us. This can cause some painful strain in those bits that hang around and aint used to all the freedom.

Just soes you knows it... haha
 

samsiam

Member
Feb 2, 2014
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Been commando for decades....you no idea.

I have felt the coolness of the water in the bowl at times though.
 

matsaleh

Super Moderator
May 26, 2004
2,471
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Legian, Bali
Most local men wear shorts under their sarongs. Just wearing underwear is not considered polite and going commando wouldn't even be considered.
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
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Karangasem, Bali
Matsaleh I'm sure you speak from experience (that's a story I'd love to hear) but I'm talking about just around the ranch - not shopping in town or, God forbid, walking up stairs where one tends to tread on the sarong and pull it off - I speak from some experience too.

Frankly I never understand how the locals can wear so much cloth under the sarong and then complain about the heat - underwear, shorts, under-sarong, over sarong and then sash.

That's 5 layers and I'm hot with it all flapping in the breeze!
 

mrsgabry

Member
Sep 8, 2009
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Vienna/Nusa Dua
Hi Markit,
can contribute something to point 2: your friends skin condition could very well be sun damage. In this case Solaraze would be the right thing to use. It is true that the skin condition gets worse in the beginning but after a while new, healthy skin will grow. So it can be that the improved condition now is a result to the use of Solaraze. I know this because I had a small lesion myself and my doctor prescribed this cream and it worked wonderfully. Tell your friend to google it - he will find all necessary information.
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
9,317
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Karangasem, Bali
Hi Markit,
can contribute something to point 2: your friends skin condition could very well be sun damage. In this case Solaraze would be the right thing to use. It is true that the skin condition gets worse in the beginning but after a while new, healthy skin will grow. So it can be that the improved condition now is a result to the use of Solaraze. I know this because I had a small lesion myself and my doctor prescribed this cream and it worked wonderfully. Tell your friend to google it - he will find all necessary information.

He said he'd already tried that as it was recommended by his German doctor but after using for a long time with no improvement he said he gave up and started to simply forget it and just stay away from it with soap and water. Apparently this made it even worse so after many different creams, pills and powders he just gave up and tried to forget it - this worked. He said when he finally started just using soap and water as normal it went away - go figure?

sure you are stud

Sam your general contributions here on the forum are on the literary level level of noise - why do you bother?

Are you just bored living in Hackney? Go wash your y-fronts it's already September.
 

samsiam

Member
Feb 2, 2014
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Huh....noise enough to annoy you grumpy ****....so cant be all bad......got any good cheese to go with that ?
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
9,317
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Karangasem, Bali
Shhhheeeet that don't annoy me, fecking professionals have tried to do that.

I'm damned sure not gonna let some bald headed gonzo sitting in his greasy unders stabbing away at his splotchy crumb filled keyboard in some skanky suburb of London get even close to that.... no chance.

Instead of sniping from the sidelines why don't you tell us about your fun filled new life in... where was it again? Croyden?

You can tell us the truth you know, we will understand.

Just cause you aint ever got further east than Dover don't make you a bad person. Lots of people want to live in Bali, just cause you can't manage to really do it isn't going to make us think one little bit less of you as that would hardly be possible.

Now come on! Man up.
 

samsiam

Member
Feb 2, 2014
860
1
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Shhhheeeet that don't annoy me, fecking professionals have tried to do that.

I'm damned sure not gonna let some bald headed gonzo sitting in his greasy unders stabbing away at his splotchy crumb filled keyboard in some skanky suburb of London get even close to that.... no chance.

Instead of sniping from the sidelines why don't you tell us about your fun filled new life in... where was it again? Croyden?

You can tell us the truth you know, we will understand.

Just cause you aint ever got further east than Dover don't make you a bad person. Lots of people want to live in Bali, just cause you can't manage to really do it isn't going to make us think one little bit less of you as that would hardly be possible.

Now come on! Man up.

Yes...you dont sound annoyed at all.....:icon_razz: ...I larf n larf n larf I do
 

davita

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2012
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Where's CROYDEN:icon_question:....I was thinking markit meant CROYDON but, never mind.....I googled...it's in Jamaica man...:confused:
 

bakung

Member
May 4, 2011
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0
16
Couple years ago my youngest brother came over for a holiday and as usual you cant tell them anything as being younger they know it all ?. Got Skygardenitis so had to have a week on orange juice and penicillin to clear it up before home and now has to live in fear in case i let it slip to the boss at home. He though take precautions meant hide his wallet fecking idiot.
 

davita

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2012
4,441
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Wrong way round davita, Jamaica is in Croydon ( or 95% of it is )?.

Very funny bakung....I also larfed and larfed...almost fell over my rastafarian dreadlocks...:highly_amused:
 
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