If possible, try the pharmacy first. My spouse was sick with D and couldn't get out of bed.

We figured out food poisoning, and the pharmacist suggested a few items to help. Probably cost $20 total.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just fyi most medication of that type is available without a prescription in France so a simple trip to any pharmacy will be sufficient.

But you should not take antibiotics just because you think you need them.

(Most often your infection is viral—for which antibiotics do not work. Overuse of antibiotics is a big problem, and leads to antibiotic- resistant microbes)

I expect that op’s daughter didn’t need an antibiotic either (she didn’t have a step test) but the doctor prescribed one to “cover bases”. most likely a pharmacist wouldn’t give an antibiotic without a definitive diagnosis. And I don’t think antibiotic overuse is really that much of an issue now, I’ve almost never had an antibiotic prescribed to me in the last 25 years and each of my kids has only had them once. I’ve spoken with lots of other parents who also have almost never been given antibiotics for themselves or their kids. Unlike when I was a child and given amoxicillin what seemed like several times a year.

Next time bring medicine, thats what smart travelers do

Anonymous wrote:Most decent European hotels will schedule a physician to come to your room. In Croatia that cost me $300. But, I might add, the guy was gorgeous ! 😘

Ha no. We tried that. We were in Austria staying at a Marriott. I had to uber my dh to the hospital.

Also, the 4 night stay he had there didn’t cost us a dime. We were reimbursed 100%

We called a doctor to come to our AirBnB near Tulum and it was about that cost too. But much less trouble than finding a doctor and going to a regular waiting room.

^EUR100, of course

A few years ago we had to call an ambulance for DH. The ambulance team demanded to be paid in cash it was around $100 I think?
They took him to an emergency room where after a long wait he was treated (no surgery) and given a script. He gave his contact and insurance information. We never received a bill from the hospital, and there was no EOB from insurance for that visit.

Most decent European hotels will schedule a physician to come to your room. In Croatia that cost me $300. But, I might add, the guy was gorgeous ! 😘

Anonymous wrote:Just fyi most medication of that type is available without a prescription in France so a simple trip to any pharmacy will be sufficient.

But you should not take antibiotics just because you think you need them.

(Most often your infection is viral—for which antibiotics do not work. Overuse of antibiotics is a big problem, and leads to antibiotic- resistant microbes)

Wish I knew this before! My DD spent 2 days puking in our hotel room and I ended ho taking her to the American Hospital. It was an expensive cab ride there and back and about $500. But the total cost of the 5 medicines they prescribed was $30 euros. That would not have been the case in the US!

Anonymous wrote:Parisian here. And SOS Médecins is considered the expensive option, people! No one in France pays 130 euros for health care if they can help it

OP here. For sure! But when you are travelling with a teen who can barely get out of bed, it well worth it. Even more so since our medical insurance here will reimburse.

Parisian here. And SOS Médecins is considered the expensive option, people! No one in France pays 130 euros for health care if they can help it

Just fyi most medication of that type is available without a prescription in France so a simple trip to any pharmacy will be sufficient.

Thanks for the tip!

Thought this was it worth knowing. DD was sick in Paris so hotel receptionist called SOS Medecins which sent a doctor to the hotel on a Saturday. He diagnosed her with a throat infection, and wrote prescription for antibiotics and a few other things and we went to the pharmacy around the corner which filled the order in less than 3 minutes. He charged €130 and I paid €15 for antibiotics, throat medicine and paracetamol. Very smooth and easy.