Medical Essentials - can u help?

greenevergreen

Dear all

I have antimalarial tablets (Avlocor/Proguanil) and would like to know can you tell what medicines can you suggest i buy when i arrive in India for:
1) Diahorria
2) Stomach upsets

Is the anything else i should get ( I have antibacterial hand solution and wet wipes)

Thank you for your help!!!

farangsville

it depends how long you're going for. take rehydration sachets (or alternatively if you get the shits, drink loads of water, fruit juice and salty foods), loperamide (essential for long bus journeys), paracetamol/asprin and basic first aid kit stuff. if you're going for a long period of time, take more (loads of info on this site), including maybe a sterile kit for remote areas.

f

mira4bai4

Basically take what medicines are important for you, pretty well everything else is available there, medicine shops & chemists are every where it is good business. Fruit juice, sugar and salt for re-hydration, or a small Tetra pack of juice plus salt as they are very sweet already. Amoxicilin may be good to have on hand but then while it is a general antibiotic, good for the fevers and flu etc. One thing to consider is a good concentrated disinfectant that you can mix up for cleaning the bathroom if required or washing fruits if needed, good to have 200ml on hand for washing the boots after standing in something.

iwanttogoback

imodium for diorhea - you should be able to buy it much cheaper in india but it is probably worth taking it cos you really don't want to be looking for a chemist when you really want a toilet.
if you suffer from hayfever take lots of antihistamines - i found that the pollution made it flare up.
lots of wet wipes, and make up a little pack to take out with you daily with a few imodium, paracetamol, disinfectant, wet wipes and any other meds you need. saves having to carry the whole lot around. i just used a small cosmetics bag and chucked it in my day pack of a morning. oh, and lots of toilet paper or tissues, nothing like using an indian toilet and looking around for the toilet roll... still, if you forget you'll only forget once!

jennifericous

im bringing my anti-malarials, immodium, motillium and paracetomol.
my friend just got back from australia where she met a lot of backpackers who had come from india, she said they all brought their own medical kit. including things like IV's and syringes etc. anybody think that is necessary? surely u can get clean medical equipment if you happen to be admitted to an indian hospital.

Nick-H

I bring Kaolin and Morphine Mixture 'cos I find it better than the more 'advanced' stuff like imodium. In cities/towns you will never be far from a chemist. However, do not go to them for advice: they just sell the stuff. buy what you decide you need, or get advice from a doctor.

I've had one of those clean needles etc packs in my bag for years... Chances are that the day I need it it won't be with me or I'll not be conscious anyway, so I think itr was a waste of money. A good doctor or private hospital should be fine. Might be a great thing to have off the beaten track, though

Take bare minimum first aid. No one needs to have to go out to by plasters when they've just sliced a small piece of skin off their finger, whatever country they are in. Have some painkillers in your pocket for the trip: bad headaches and long flights can easily occurr on the same day.

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

gs_uppal

1. Imodium for diarrhoea, approx Rs 12 for 4 caps, if that doesnt hel[p then you'll have to go in for antibiotics (like Norflox 400 2 tabs a day for 4 days with Multivitamins like Becosules 1 cap a day, and sporolac to maintain your bowel flora)
+ Take as much Electrolytes for rehydrating your body fluids, you can take Electral(no flavour) or Electrobion(orange or lime flavour)
2. Cyclopam for Stomach Ache, approx Rs 10 for 10 tabs (max 3 tabs a day)

AnnieG

I wouldn't take (don't take) malaria tablets ..... they are not good for you, don't necessarily prevent malaria, and large parts of India are not malaria zones anyway.

Otherwise, as the others have said, the chemists in India are very well stocked with just about everything at FAR lower prices - in fact, its a good place to stock up with all sorts of things.
AnnieG

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AnnieG

Live life to the full - you never know what's around the corner.

Nick-H

Shhh! you'll start the next IM big pro/anti antimalerials thread!

farangsville

don't take antibiotics for flu. try not to take them at all if possible - just in case of bacterial infections.

AnnieG

Sorry! I should have known that that one has already been flogged to death in here!