If you’ve experienced traveler’s diarrhea, then you know it can be extremely uncomfortable and an inhibitor to your trip.
While less common to tourists than in other notorious countries, TD is something to be conscious of in the Dominican Republic. I lived in the country for 2.5 years, and I can only recall two situations in which I got sick – once from contaminated food and again from drinking cheap rum.
If you need more reason to be cautious, I will also mention that in the DR, the toilet situation often leaves something to be desired no toilet seat, no TP, etc.
There are certain precautions you can take, including:
Be careful what you eat – I will make a point of taking us to established restaurants with food handling standards that I am comfortable with, but you can never be too careful. Raw vegetables are known to be common carriers of bacteria.
Don’t drink tap water. Ice is typically fine, as it’s made with clean water in the DR.
You may want to purchase medication ahead of time, especially if you tend to have a sensitive stomach or love to eat raw veggies. There are plenty of over-the-counter options, but you can talk with your doctor, and they may even be willing to prescribe you some anticipatory antibiotics and other treatments.
My mom swears by taking her “one little pink pill” (Pepto Bismol or the generic equivalent) every day when she travels in order to prevent sickness. There are many different theories on what you can ingest to protect your gut before and during travel. Three common ones that I am aware of are the aforementioned Pepto Bismol, probiotics, and activated charcoal.
Click here for an overview from the CDC if you want to learn a bit more about this topic,
