First aid to buy medicines

By MartaR Posted On 25th February 2018 DUTCH, Health No Comments

Eventually I also fell to flu and after a weekend full of paracetamol, I’ve decided to write a short list of the common medicines…a short guide for who has just come to the Netherlands and has sore throats.
In fact, I am going to write about the standard medicines that we normally have at home, for small complaints such as flu, fever, sore throats, small wounds and diarrhea.
In the Netherlands it is possible to buy medicines at the pharmacy, supermarket and drugstore (like Kruidvat or Etos)…and I do not know what is best. In my opinion, medicines from different shops may have the same active substances and the costs are not necessarily higher at the pharmacy, as I initially thought.

What’s in the picture, from left to right:

Name	Translation	Active substance	Comments
Nurofen	–	Ibuprofen	For pain and fever(normally I use ibuprofen for headache)
Probactiol	Probiotics	Living bacteria, BlackBerry extract and vitamin D	In combination with strong antibiotics or in case of diarrhea. It contributes to restore the normal intestinal and immunity functioning
Paracetamol	–	Paracetamol	Suppositories, pills or powder. For fever and pain (this is my favorite in case of fever, with little side effect)
Oral Rehydratation Salt (ORS)	–	Sodium citrate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride	To be taken together with a medicine for diarrhea to avoid dehydration
Diarree	Diarrhea	Loperamide Hydrochloride	For diarrhea. It reduces the excessive activity of the intestine
Aspirine C	Aspirin C	Acetylsalicylic acid (possibly with vitamin C)	As described, it is for fever and pain from flu and cold. (I take it mostly in case of cold, but never in combination with menstruation)
Pleisters	Plasters	–	–
Ontsmettingsmiddel	Antiseptic	Alcohol	To disinfect small wounds
(Strepsils)	Throat lozenge	Amylmetacresol en 2,4-dichloorbenzylalcohol	Tablets for sore throat. Strepsils are not in the picture, as I finished them. Thus I had to find an alternative and used Antaflu keelpastilles
Antaflu keelpastilles Dropmint menthol Honey lemon menthol	Throat lozenge	–	Tablets for sore throat. I personally even prefer them compared to the Strepsils, and are much cheaper. But mind that these are not medicated tablet