Traveller's Diarrhoea Treatment in Spain with an English GP
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, MD
Licensed Physician No. 484814280 · Official Medical College of Bizkaia (Spain)
Private video visits for diarrhoea and stomach bugs, in English.
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera
Licence No. 484814280 · Urgent, non-emergency care
Quick answer
Most traveller's diarrhoea settles in a few days with oral rehydration salts and light food. Loperamide can help adults with watery diarrhoea, but not with fever or blood. Antibiotics are kept for severe cases. Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, a GP licensed in Spain, can assess you by video and tell you if you need tests, treatment or in-person care.
Common Symptoms
Diarrhoea on a trip can upset all your plans, and it is hard to know what is safe to take or whether you need antibiotics. Traveller's diarrhoea and other stomach bugs may cause:
- Frequent loose or watery stools
- A sudden, urgent need to go
- Stomach cramps
- Feeling sick (nausea) or vomiting
- A mild fever
- Tiredness and weakness
- Signs of dehydration, such as thirst, dark urine and feeling dizzy when you stand
Being ill with diarrhoea far from home is miserable, and it can wreck a flight or a long-planned holiday. The first aim is to stop you getting dehydrated. The second is to spot the few signs that mean you need a test, an antibiotic or a hospital visit. Most people need neither and are better within a few days.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is an independent, bilingual GP licensed in Spain. Book a 15-minute video consultation in English or Spanish for €50, with a private electronic prescription issued under Spanish law when clinically appropriate.
How We Treat It
The doctor asks how long you have been ill, how often you go, and whether there is blood, fever or vomiting. He also asks how much you can drink, where you have travelled, recent antibiotics, pregnancy, your immune system and other health conditions. Treatment usually focuses on:
- Oral rehydration solution (suero oral, sold in every Spanish pharmacy) and what to eat
- A medicine that slows the bowel (loperamide) for adults with watery diarrhoea and no fever or blood, when suitable
- Antibiotics only for severe illness, fever with bloody diarrhoea, or people at higher risk, chosen by the doctor
- A stool test when the diarrhoea is bloody, severe or lasts more than 14 days
- Advice on when you can travel, eat normally and return to work
- A medical report and an itemised invoice for your travel insurer
Do not take a medicine that slows the bowel if you have a fever or blood in your stools. A prescription is never automatic: it is issued only where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation.
Do you need antibiotics for traveller's diarrhoea?
Usually not. The International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) guideline says mild diarrhoea, which does not stop your plans, needs no antibiotic. Moderate diarrhoea may be treated with one. Severe diarrhoea, or diarrhoea with fever or blood, should be. Azithromycin is the preferred choice for severe or bloody diarrhoea.
Antibiotics have downsides. They can cause side effects and a further bowel infection called C. difficile, and travellers who take them are more likely to bring home antibiotic-resistant gut bacteria, according to the CDC. That is why the doctor weighs the benefit carefully.
What should you drink and eat with diarrhoea?
Oral rehydration solution is the most important treatment. It replaces water, salt and sugar in the right balance, which plain water and sports drinks do not. Ask for suero oral at any Spanish pharmacy, and sip small amounts often, especially after each loose stool.
Eat light, plain food as soon as you feel like it. There is no need to starve. Avoid alcohol and very sugary drinks until you are better. Babies should keep breastfeeding or having their usual milk.
Should you carry a standby antibiotic for a trip abroad?
If you live in Spain and are travelling to a higher-risk region, such as parts of Asia, Africa or Latin America, a doctor can assess you before you go. ISTM advises against taking antibiotics to prevent diarrhoea for most travellers. A standby antibiotic for severe illness may be considered for some people, for example on remote trips far from medical care, after a proper assessment.
How do you avoid traveller's diarrhoea?
Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after the toilet; hand gel is less effective against some stomach viruses. In higher-risk countries, choose food that is freshly cooked and served hot, fruit you peel yourself, and bottled or treated water. Tap water in Spain is generally safe to drink.
Clinical Evaluation & Evidence-Based Protocol for Traveller's Diarrhoea Treatment
During a telemedicine consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera (licensed medical practitioner No. 484814280 at the Official Medical College of Bizkaia), clinical evaluation adheres strictly to evidence-based medical (EBM) standards. The doctor conducts a thorough history, evaluating symptom duration, aggravating factors, prior treatments, and drug allergies to establish an accurate differential diagnosis.
Private Electronic Prescriptions (Receta Médica) Issued Under Spanish Law
When clinically indicated, Dr. Yelamo issues a private electronic prescription (Receta Médica Electrónica Privada) under Spanish law. The digital prescription contains a secure QR verification code accepted at all 22,000+ registered community pharmacies across Spain for immediate medication dispensing.
Itemized Invoices for Travel & Private Health Insurance Reimbursement
After your consultation, you receive an official medical report and an itemized invoice. The invoice shows Dr. Yelamo's licence details and tax ID. You can send it to your travel or private health insurer (such as Bupa, Allianz, Cigna, AXA or a US travel policy) to claim the cost back.
Preparing for Your Online Medical Consultation
Before your appointment, note when your symptoms started and any medicines you have already tried. Have your allergies and your usual prescriptions to hand. For a skin, rash or eye problem, sit in a well-lit room so the doctor can see it clearly.
Clinical Follow-Up & When In-Person Urgencias Are Necessary
Video care works well for common infections, mild sudden symptoms, skin rashes and repeat prescriptions. Some warning signs need emergency care in person: severe shortness of breath, a high fever you cannot bring down, chest pain or a stiff neck. If you have any of them, call 112 in Spain straight away.
When to Seek Immediate In-Person Care
Seek urgent in-person care, or call 112, if you have:
- Blood or black, tarry stools
- A high fever
- Severe or worsening stomach pain
- Vomiting that stops you keeping any fluid down
- Confusion, fainting or a very fast heartbeat
- Passing very little urine, or none for many hours
- Severe illness in pregnancy, in a baby or older person, or with a weak immune system
- Diarrhoea that started during or soon after antibiotics
Frequently asked questions
Can traveller's diarrhoea be treated online in Spain?
Many cases can be assessed by video, as long as you can keep fluids down and have none of the warning signs above. If an antibiotic is clinically appropriate, Dr. Yelamo issues a private e-prescription you can collect at any Spanish pharmacy.
Do I need antibiotics?
Not always. Most cases get better with fluids and simple care. Whether you need one depends on how ill you are, whether there is fever or blood, where you have travelled and your health risks.
Can I take an anti-diarrhoea medicine?
Some adults with watery diarrhoea can take a medicine that slows the bowel, such as loperamide. Do not take it if you have a fever or blood in your stools, and do not give it to young children.
Can I buy Imodium in Spain?
Loperamide, the medicine in Imodium, is sold in Spanish pharmacies, often as Fortasec, and some packs do not need a prescription. Do not use it if you have blood in your stools or a high fever, and do not give it to children under 12 unless a doctor advises it. Drink oral rehydration solution to replace lost fluid.
How long does traveller's diarrhoea last?
Most cases last a few days and settle within a week. Diarrhoea that lasts more than 14 days is called persistent and needs a stool test and a medical review.
Can I fly with diarrhoea?
You can if you feel well enough, can drink and are not dehydrated. Carry oral rehydration solution, and get advice before flying if you have a fever, blood in your stools or feel faint.
Is it food poisoning or a stomach bug?
They often feel the same. Food poisoning tends to start within hours of a meal and other people who ate it may be ill too; a stomach virus such as norovirus spreads from person to person. The care is the same: rehydration, and medical help if warning signs appear.
When can I go back to work or school?
Stay off work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting, as the NHS advises. Wash your hands well and do not prepare food for others in that time.
Sources and clinical guidelines
By city
Public hospital emergency departments, pharmacies on duty and when a video visit can help, city by city:
Online consultations are for urgent, non-emergency care. In a medical emergency call 112 immediately or go to your nearest emergency department.
Every day · 07:30–20:30One named doctor, from first call to follow-up
Book a secure 15-minute video consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera for €50. Appointments every day, 07:30–20:30 (Spain time). For urgent, non-emergency care; in an emergency, call 112.
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