Daily Mail: The effect of vomiting and diarrhoea on medication

vomiting diarrhoea effect oral medicinesDr Steele, the Medical Director of the Dr Fox website, was quoted in an article in the Daily Mail published on 26th May 2014. The article, written by journalist Joani Walsh, was titled ‘On medication? A minor tummy upset can put you in peril: From heart pills to anti-stroke drugs, a bout of sickness may wipe out all your protection‘.

The article deals with the risks of vomiting whilst taking long-term medication and focused on the case of a Nurse, Victoria Ord, who contracted Malaria on a visit to Gambia. Vomiting of her malaria tablets left Victoria vulnerable to a serious malaria infection.

The Daily Mail article quotes Dr Steele as saying:

People think that once a pill is swallowed, the effect is immediate. Vomiting or diarrhoea can effectively mean a missed dose and it can be critical – enough to throw some patients on medication for heart problems into heart failure.

Whether missing one or more of your tablets because of vomiting will lead to serious health problems depends on which tablets and why they are being taken. People taking long term medication who plan to travel for prolonged periods in remote areas should talk to their doctors before they leave. Read in full

How do travel sickness pills work?

You’re going on a trip. You’re so excited you think you’re going to vomit. No wait, it’s travel sickness again.

Whether you suffer from emetophobia or not, nausea and vomiting is never nice. Travel sickness can easily ruin that special trip to Disneyland, at any age. Tablets can seem like a miracle pill, but how do they actually work? Read in full

What can you do about sea-sickness?

Woman aboard sailing boat

Millions of us love going on holiday or even travelling regularly as part of everyday life – but if you suffer from motion sickness, it can seriously hamper your efforts to get away and can put people off travelling completely.

Motion sickness and seasickness are both fairly common ailments, although more people do tend to get sea sick rather than feel queasy during car journeys. Luckily, there are some good treatments available that may well help to ease your symptoms. First of all, though, what are some of the key causes of seasickness? Read in full