Emergency self-medication

Some guidelines for the adult traveller on emergency Self Medication

Professional advice should be sought when you are ill but sometimes this is impossible if you are in remote places. Most of the medications described below are only available on prescription but your doctor may be prepared to give you courses to take away with you.
You should make sure you understand clearly, through discussion with your doctor, when to use each medicine, the correct dose and what side effects might occur.

Sudden onset, but not severe, diarrhoea
Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of clear fluids.(e.g. water, juice, coconut milk)
Imodium may help if diarrhoea continues or if you have colic. Taking too many may make you feel sick and constipated later on.

Sudden onset, more severe, diarrhoea and/or feeling unwell
Avoid dehydration by drinking as above. You can also use dioralyte rehydrating solution.
If you have fever, profuse diarrhoea, or blood in the motion take a short course of ciprofloxacin..(Augmentin and doxycycline may also help). Use imodium as above.

Persistent diarrhoea (may be due to giardiasis or amoebic infection)
Diarrhoea sometimes grumbles on, often with nausea, anorexia, a lot of wind and frothy smelly motions. Medical attention should be actively sought but if delayed you could try metronidazole (flagyl).

Malaria
There are many causes of fever but malaria can be very serious and need prompt treatment. Remember malaria occurs occasionally even if you are taking your anti-malarial tablets correctly.
You may get severe shivering followed by sweating. A clue is that between fevers you may not feel too bad. If in doubt consider fever to be due to malaria until proved otherwise.
You must try to get a doctors help but if this is delayed take quinine 600mg (2 tablets) three times a day for 3 days and one tablet of doxycycline one capsule(100mg) daily for 7 days at the same time. (Quinine can give buzzing in the ears especially if you have been taking mefloquine for prevention - if this happens reduce to two doses of 600mg per day).
Fansidar on its own ( 3 tablets only, all at once) is an alternative treatment but it occasionally fails to cure - quinine rarely fails.

A bad sore throat, cough with green spit, badly infected skin sores or bites.
Take augmentin. (Doxycyline is an alternative)

Itchy bites
Anthisan cream may help. Remember anthisan itself sometimes causes a rash. Promethazine is an oral antihistamine (anti-allergy drug and mild sedative). It may help if lots of bites stop you sleeping.

Infected bites and skin sores
Use fucidin ointment (or iodine)on the sores.