Traveler's diarrhea in Santander: when an online GP visit can help
In Santander or anywhere in Cantabria and unwell? Here is where to go.
€50 · 15-minute video visit
Urgent, non-emergency care by video · Emergencies: call 112
- Same doctor every time
- English or Spanish
- Every day, 07:30–20:30
- 5★ · 221 patient reviews
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera
Licence No. 484814280 · Licensed in Spain
A stomach bug can upset travel, work and holiday plans. It is harder when you do not know the local system. This page explains when a video visit with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera can help, when you should go in person, and where to go in Santander.
Can an online visit help?
Many uncomplicated cases can be assessed online, provided hydration is possible and no red flags are present.
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
What the doctor can do by video
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.
When to go in person or call 112
A video visit is for urgent, non-emergency care. If you have any of the signs below, do not wait for a video visit: go to a hospital emergency department (urgencias) or call 112.
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
In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. It is free, works from any phone in Spain, and you can ask for English.
Public hospital emergency departments in Santander
These public hospitals have emergency departments (urgencias). Go to the nearest one if you have warning signs. Opening and access can change, so check the hospital page if you can.
Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla
District: Santander
Avenida de Valdecilla, 25, 39008 Santander
Hospital Comarcal de Laredo
District: Laredo (eastern Cantabria, including Castro Urdiales)
Avenida de los Derechos Humanos, 40, 39770 Laredo
Hospital Sierrallana
District: Torrelavega (central and western Cantabria, including Liébana)
Barrio de Ganzo, s/n, 39300 Torrelavega
Pharmacies on duty in Santander
Outside normal hours, a pharmacy on duty (farmacia de guardia) stays open in each area. The official list shows the pharmacies on duty in and around Santander.
General Council of Pharmacists: pharmacies on duty in CantabriaPublic healthcare in Santander
Public healthcare in Cantabria is run by the SCS, the Cantabria health service. Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla in Santander, Hospital Comarcal de Laredo (for Castro Urdiales) and Hospital Sierrallana in Torrelavega (for Liébana and Potes) all have emergency departments. Dr. Yelamo's practice is private and online: it is not part of the SCS.
Price and days
- Urgent Care video visit: €50 for 15 minutes, paid online when you book. No subscription. You get an itemised invoice for your insurer.
- Visits run every day, 07:30–20:30 (Spain time). You get a secure video link by email and WhatsApp.
- A private electronic prescription under Spanish law is issued only if clinically indicated after a video assessment. It is never guaranteed.
Every day · 07:30–20:30See Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera by video
A 15-minute video visit for €50, any day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time).
See available timesMore about this condition
Full guide: Traveller's Diarrhoea Treatment in Spain with an English GP
Video GP visits in Santander: Online doctor in Santander