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Online doctor

All it takes is three simple steps...

Step 1 Register online to create your secure online patient record

Step 2 Answer short questionnaire and make card payment for diarrhoea treatment pack

Step 3 Pick-up the medicines in chosen pharmacy or await delivery by post

Same day in-pharmacy pickup

or

Next day home delivery

Travellers' diarrhoea treatment pack - how we can help you plan ahead

Up to 60% of people experience travellers' diarrhoea when on a trip abroad. This service helps you plan ahead before you travel abroad to reduce the duration and symptoms of any diarrhoea you might experience on your trip.

About travellers' diarrhoea

Travellers' diarrhoea is one of the most common illnesses in people who travel abroad. The typical symptoms are diarrhoea accompanied by stomach cramps, feeling or being sick, loose bowels or a mild fever.

The medicines that are included in the treatment pack

This pack contains an oral antibiotic that treats most bacterial causes of travellers' diarrhoea. The pack also includes medicines to help ease the sickness and loose bowels that often accompany diarrhoea, together with Dioralyte oral rehydration sachets to help you avoid dehydration.

Effectiveness of the medicines in the pack

80% of people suffering from travellers' diarrhoea who take the oral antibiotic should see an improvement in their symptoms within two days. Most people find the medicines that help ease the symptoms of nausea and loose bowels to be effective.

How the service works

Simply complete our online questionnaire that asks questions about your general health. You then need to decide whether you want us to send your diarrhoea medicine in the post using Royal Mail Special Delivery or whether you would like to pick up the treatment from one of around 390 Lloydspharmacies throughout the UK. Finally you need to make payment online using a credit or debit.

When to take the oral antibiotic

You should consider taking the antibiotic if you have three or more loose stools in one day, or one to two loose stools a day for a period of three days.

How to take the oral antibiotic

The course of antibiotics consists of two tablets. Take one tablet initially, followed by another tablet 12 hours later. Both tablets should be taken with bottled water on an empty stomach. Do not take the antibiotic with dairy products such as milk or yoghurt, or with mineral-fortified fruit-juice (e.g. calcium-fortified orange juice).

Potential side-effects of the oral antibiotic

Like any medicine, this antibiotic can itself cause nausea and diarrhoea. Less commonly this antibiotic can cause headaches, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, or taste disorders. It can also make your skin sensitive to sunlight so you should ensure that your skin is suitably protected. Very rare side-effects include a fast heart beat or swelling of the Achilles tendon. This antibiotic can also reduce the effectiveness of the oral contraceptive pill so if you are on the pill you will need to use condoms while taking the antibiotic and for seven days afterwards.

Alternative treatment options

Most people find that even without taking the oral antibiotic their diarrhoea improves after several days. But taking the antibiotic should speed-up the recovery process.

How to take the other medicines and rehydration sachets

Take the medicine that helps ease symptoms of nausea as one tablet twice a day until your symptoms improve. You take this medicine by letting it dissolve inside your gum. To take the medicine that helps to control loose bowels, you need to take two tablets initially and then one tablet after each subsequent loose stool. Take one Dioralyte rehydration sachet after each loose stool. You need to mix the contents of one Dioralyte sachet with 200ml of bottled water.

Potential side-effects of the other medicines

The medicine that helps ease symptoms of nausea and vomiting can cause drowsiness, dizziness and mild reactions on the gum and on the skin. Side-effects are very rare from the medicine used to control loose bowels however an allergic reaction, a dry mouth and indigestion can occur.

Who should not use this service

You should not use this online service if you are allergic to ciprofloxacin, if you have severe liver or kidney problems or if you are a woman who is pregnant or breast-feeding.