Meflequione is the malaria medicine the Peace Corps distributes. Sometimes it can cause people to have nightmares. We have heard stories about vivid dreams of snakes crawling everywhere, spiders, and rat infestations, etc. Ben has had no problem what so ever, and I have had minor problems but not enough to want to switch to the other peace corps drug of choice: doxycylcine. Mef, you take weekly but doxy you take daily. They’re both not great drugs and have their positives and negatives, but I’ve decided the risk of a little liver damage is more favorable than the risk of getting cerebral malaria.
But recently I have had some dreams where I wake up and think ‘NO!’. Dreams of death, spiders, snakes, baboons….hardly. I have had dreams where I’m at my favorite restaurants enjoying delicious meals and drinks with old friends! The hardest part is waking up and realizing it will most likely be 2 years until these dreams come true. Food dreams…they are the worst.
I was prescribed Mef in the military in order to serve in the middle east. I stopped taking it after four weeks due to the nightmares. Other units took it on Mondays, and the next day became known as 'psycho tuesdays'. The US military has discontinued its use.
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