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My son is not feeling well while away in israel
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Oct 10 2021, 6:04 pm
I sent my son to learn in israel and he says sonce he’s there he’s nauseous and feels stomach upset.
Im so nervous abt him.
Anyone in israel can give me advice as to what to do. Its so hard being so far.
He also says he’s a bit constipated.
Whats an equivalent to something like miralax?
Any other ideas.
My son is in yerushalayim near geula.
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dena613




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 10 2021, 6:06 pm
Does he have insurance?
Can he go to a meuchedet office?
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dena613




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 10 2021, 6:06 pm
Don't remember what miralax would have been called.

There are loads of pharmacies in geulah.
He can ask a pharmacist
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amother
NeonOrange


 

Post Sun, Oct 10 2021, 6:14 pm
First he needs to stop drinking tap water. The particles / minerals in the water can cause stomach aches and nausea. Only filtered / bottled water. I haven't lived there for a while so I'm not sure which water is the best but you should be able to find out. And no drinks /food unless the water has been boiled. IY"H this will help him feel better.
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amother
DarkOrange


 

Post Sun, Oct 10 2021, 6:28 pm
I could have written your post my daughter is in Israel for the year and called to tell me that she is nauseous. I told her to try chamomile tea, tums, Pepto, coke etc. it's so hard being so far away.
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notshanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 10 2021, 6:31 pm
Yeshiva/ seminary food can be very oily at times. Also certain items like Israeli cheese my stomach never got used to . The first thing I would try is watching what he eats and not eating any fried or heavy foods.
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Teomima




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 10 2021, 6:42 pm
I believe Normalax is the same thing and it's OTC at any pharmacy. Superpharm is a major local chain, here's their link to the product:
https://shop.super-pharm.co.il.....w_wcB

Amother NeonOrange, I've never heard of anyone needing to boil Israeli tap water. It's perfectly safe to drink. Yes the mineral content is likely different from what OP's son is used to, but not enough to cause these symptoms. If he wants to drink bottled water, that's fine, but boiling water is overkill.

OP he should make sure to drink plenty. I can't tell you the number of times I've encountered visitors who just don't get that you really need to hydrate well in Israel, far more than what people usually drink abroad. Even a full 8 cups isn't enough here. Even if you're going to throw it all up, it's important to get enough water in. If he can't, he should find out his insurance instructions for going to the clinic to get iv fluids if necessary.
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etky




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 1:51 am
Teomima wrote:
I believe Normalax is the same thing and it's OTC at any pharmacy. Superpharm is a major local chain, here's their link to the product:
https://shop.super-pharm.co.il.....w_wcB

Amother NeonOrange, I've never heard of anyone needing to boil Israeli tap water. It's perfectly safe to drink. Yes the mineral content is likely different from what OP's son is used to, but not enough to cause these symptoms. If he wants to drink bottled water, that's fine, but boiling water is overkill.

OP he should make sure to drink plenty. I can't tell you the number of times I've encountered visitors who just don't get that you really need to hydrate well in Israel, far more than what people usually drink abroad. Even a full 8 cups isn't enough here. Even if you're going to throw it all up, it's important to get enough water in. If he can't, he should find out his insurance instructions for going to the clinic to get iv fluids if necessary.


This. Why on earth would the water need boiling?
Israel is far from a third world country and the water quality is monitored.
Very rarely there is a local problem somewhere with contamination and then it is announced on the news that people in the affected area must boil their water until the problem is fixed.
I've been here over 40 years and never experienced that in the Jerusalem area.
Yes, Jerusalem water has a very specific taste that might be hard to get used to so bottled water is indeed the answer to that sensory - not health - issue.
I agree with the poster who said that the food at his yeshiva is probably the culprit.
For constipation, in addition to whatever he might be given at the pharmacy, exercise (even just some walking) is extremely beneficial as well as upping consumption of fruits and vegetables.
BTW, it's been quite warm here still in October - in the mid-eighties in Jerusalem.
Drinking water is extremely important and also helps against constipation.
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DrMom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 1:56 am
I am sure he has insurance. Why doesn't he consult a doctor?

If he decides to just go to a pharmacy and get something, make sure he knows that many medications that are over-the-counter in the US are prescription-only or are dispensed by the pharmacist at the pharmacist counter in Israel.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 2:16 am
Teomima and Etky, there is definitely something to not drinking the tap water in a place that you are not used to. I personally had shilshul for a while in the beginning, right after I made aliyah. Your body has to get used to it, but nausea and diarrhea can happen from the NEW tap water.
I know a few people that when they come to Israel, they never drink tap water for this reason alone.
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amother
NeonOrange


 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 2:19 am
etky wrote:
This. Why on earth would the water need boiling?
Israel is far from a third world country and the water quality is monitored.
Very rarely there is a local problem somewhere with contamination and then it is announced on the news that people in the affected area must boil their water until the problem is fixed.
I've been here over 40 years and never experienced that in the Jerusalem area.
Yes, Jerusalem water has a very specific taste that might be hard to get used to so bottled water is indeed the answer to that sensory - not health - issue.
I agree with the poster who said that the food at his yeshiva is probably the culprit.
For constipation, in addition to whatever he might be given at the pharmacy, exercise (even just some walking) is extremely beneficial as well as upping consumption of fruits and vegetables.
BTW, it's been quite warm here still in October - in the mid-eighties in Jerusalem.
Drinking water is extremely important and also helps against constipation.


I couldn't drink the tap water in Jerusalem and there are plenty of other people who can't. It's harder than normal water
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etky




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 2:30 am
shabbatiscoming wrote:
Teomima and Etky, there is definitely something to not drinking the tap water in a place that you are not used to. I personally had shilshul for a while in the beginning, right after I made aliyah. Your body has to get used to it, but nausea and diarrhea can happen from the NEW tap water.
I know a few people that when they come to Israel, they never drink tap water for this reason alone.


But how long should it take to get used to the water?
I get that someone who is here on a visit might be wary of the effects of the different mineral profile and/or taste of the water here but someone who is here for the year needs to acclimate.
For drinking they can get by on bottled water (even though that is a pretty expensive and inconvenient proposition) but insisting that only boiled water is used for food prep is impractical for someone who subsists on institutional food and unjustified from a health perspective.
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Success10




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 2:46 am
It is the water. It just takes time to adjust. It's not bad, evil or third world water. It's just different than what his gut is used to. Takes about a month to adjust. Boiling has been suggested before, if he truly never adjusts, that might be an option.
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amother
RosePink


 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 3:31 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
I sent my son to learn in israel and he says sonce he’s there he’s nauseous and feels stomach upset.
Im so nervous abt him.
Anyone in israel can give me advice as to what to do. Its so hard being so far.
He also says he’s a bit constipated.
Whats an equivalent to something like miralax?
Any other ideas.
My son is in yerushalayim near geula.

Possible causes of nausea:
- undercooked food
- salmonella, listeria
- flu
- coronavirus
- too much oil
- dehydration

I would suggest, both to rule out dehydration, prevent it, and release the constipation, that your son make sure he is drinking LOTS of fluids.
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6000miles




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 3:36 am
I agree with the poster saying not to drink tap water. The first few times I came to Israel I got terrible stomach pain, nausea, and constipation from the water. And I have IBS so I knew it's from that. Now after 5 yrs living here I still don't drink tap water, even though my body is used to it already.

Tell him to drink ONLY mei Eden or ein gedi bottled water, and it will pass within a few days. Miralax is called normalax and they sell it in most pharmacies (green and purple box/bottle).
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Aylat




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 3:40 am
I agree it could be the water, but boiling the water will concentrate the minerals and make it harder. Bottled water, not boiled.
And hopefully he will adjust after a while.
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essie14




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 4:46 am
Agree with all the other posters. If he is able to walk to a pharmacy, he can go anywhere, there are loads of pharmacies in Jerusalem, and ask for something to relieve his symptoms.
If he's too sick for that, he needs to see a Dr. Presumably he has health insurance, he needs to find a GP who accepts his insurance.
It's still summer weather here in Israel and he needs to drink A LOT.
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ora_43




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 5:02 am
shabbatiscoming wrote:
Teomima and Etky, there is definitely something to not drinking the tap water in a place that you are not used to.

The poster they were replying to was talking about boiling the water. That's not something you do because the water is from a place you're not used to, it's something you do if the water might have dangerously high levels of bacteria. That's the part that's not relevant here. OP's son might be reacting to a slightly different type of minerals, but the sanitation level is fine.
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amother
Snow


 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 5:04 am
Israel is not some third world country.

If he's in a formal learning program, then presumably they have arranged medical insurance. Let him see a doctor.

Yes, changes in diet and dehydration could very well be the problem. He could also be feeling homesick and anxious. A doctor will get to the bottom of things.

I hope he feels better soon.
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amother
NeonOrange


 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 5:08 am
6000miles wrote:
I agree with the poster saying not to drink tap water. The first few times I came to Israel I got terrible stomach pain, nausea, and constipation from the water. And I have IBS so I knew it's from that. Now after 5 yrs living here I still don't drink tap water, even though my body is used to it already.

Tell him to drink ONLY mei Eden or ein gedi bottled water, and it will pass within a few days. Miralax is called normalax and they sell it in most pharmacies (green and purple box/bottle).


Thank you, lived there for 4 years and only drank bottled water, usually Mei Eden, wasn't sure if 20 years later the brands changed but I see they're still the same ;-)
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