Oral rehydration salts
No prescription neededDiarrhoea and rehydration
Comes as:SachetPowder
Usual adult dose
Dissolve one packet in 1 litre of clean, boiled and cooled water. Adults: drink as much as wanted, at least 200 to 400 ml after each loose stool. Children under 2 years: 50 to 100 ml after each loose stool; 2 to 10 years: 100 to 200 ml. Make fresh every day and throw away after 24 hours. Keep breastfeeding.
Your doctor may give you a different dose. Children's doses depend on weight.
Side effects
Common
- vomiting if drunk too fast (wait 10 minutes
- then give slowly in small sips)
Serious — get help
Stop taking it and see a doctor straight away if you notice:
- swelling of eyelids or face (too much given or made too strong)
- signs of severe dehydration that do not improve
Do not take it, or take care, if
- Do not make it with less water than instructed (too strong is harmful)
- Severe dehydration, unconsciousness or inability to drink — go to a clinic for a drip
- Blood in stool, high fever or diarrhoea in a young baby — see a doctor
Interactions
No important interactions are listed in our database. Still tell your doctor or pharmacist everything you take.