A Super Useful list of medicines to pack while traveling to India will certainly make life easy for a lot of first time travelers. Staying fit and healthy during a trip will be of utmost importance to enjoy and experience India to the fullest.
So carrying basic over the counter medicines for basic ailments will really help in case of any issues. I personally carrying these medicines whenever I am going on trips within India. And I am curating this list of medicines to pack while traveling to India to help out you guys.
Medicines To Pack While Traveling to India
Carrying basic medicines for common ailments is always advisable when traveling to India or any country for that matter. They are really come in a real handy if you get sick in the middle of the trip.
I personally always make it a point to carry them while I am going on trips and you should.
Also, I always consult my doctor before taking any medicines and this list has been verified by a doctor as well. I have curated this list just so that you have an idea. You should also consult your doctor before taking any medications and also its dosage.
If you are not seeing any improvement after taking these medicines, you must consult a doctor immediately.
| Medicines for Diarrhea
Loperamide Diphenoxylate/Atropine Bismuth Subsalicylate |
| Medicines for Acidity
Antacids Pantoprazole |
| Medicines for Fever
Paracetamol Tylenol Ibuprofen |
| Medicines for Common Cold
Phenylephrine Chlorphenamine |
| Medicines for Motion Sickness
Promethazine Dimenhydrinate Domperidone |
| Medicines for Allergies
Cetirizine Hydroxyzine |
| Common Antibiotics
Penicillin Azithromycin |
| Medicines for AMS
Diamox Dexamethasone |
Medicines For Diarrhea/ Loose Motions
One of the most common ailments that foreign travelers usually suffer from in India is Diarrhea. There is even a funny term to it known as Delhi Belly. It is kind of travelers Diarrhea.
The cuisine in India especially the street food and restaurants heavily rely on spices. So Diarrhea is a common ailment.
Therefore, I would really advise that you pack some over the counter medicines for Diarrhea and loose motions so as to remain healthy on your trip.
Loperamide, Bismuth subsalicylate, are some of the generic medicines which are used to treat loose motions and Diarrhea.
In case you don’t feel better after taking them, I would advise to consult a doctor as you might need antibiotics as well.
My doctor recommended me Racecadotril capsules for diarrhea. Also prescribed a combination of Satranidazole and Ofloxacin. But these are certainly not over the counter medicines. So please consult your doctor.
By the way, here is a detailed guide on backpacking heaven for Himalayas, Kasol. I am sure this will be quite helpful if you want enjoy the charm of the Himalayas in India.
Medicines for Acidity
Acidity is another one of those common ailments that you might get affected by. Although not serious of an ailment but still can ruin your mood when on a trip.
Again with restaurants and food vendors in India using copious amounts spices and masalas, having acidity is actually quite common.
So I would really recommend you bring some basic medicines to relieve the acidity. Antacids are the basic medicines that really help treat acidity and provide relief.
Some of the common antacids in India include Gelusil, Diegene. They are quite widely available here in India, but you can choose the similar ones available in your country.
Another common generic medicine to treat acidity is Pantoprazole. Pan 40 is one the most popular brands. It is usually taken before meals. Like before breakfast or before dinner.
Medicines for Fever, Bodyache, Headache
Fever is one of the most common ailments that people tend to suffer from. Suffering from a fever in the middle of the trip can really ruin your holiday or vacation.
So carrying basic medicines for fever is really recommended when traveling to India. Sometimes Fatigue or a simple flu can result in Fever.
The generic medicines for Fever include Tylenol, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen which really help to bring down the fever and inflammation.
They also help with the symptoms like headache, bodyache etc as they are basic analgesics as well.
Whenever I am traveling within India which is of course my home country, I make sure that I carry basic over the counter medicines for Fever. Dolo 650, Combiflam, Crocin are the go to over the counter medicines for Fver in India.
By the way, here is a detailed 7 day itinerary for Spiti valley which is a huge hit amongst international travelers thanks to its celestial landscapes, rustic villages, ancient monasteries and wonderful people.
Medicines for Common cold
Common cold as the name suggests is one of the most common aliments that people tend to suffer from. So i would really encourage you to bring some medicines to treat it.
Generally common cold symptoms include cough, blocked nose, runny nose, sore throat. Although not a serious ailment in any way, but it can certainly play a spoilsport and really slow you down on a trip.
Exploring, sightseeing, hiking etc becomes quite difficult if you are suffering from cold. The usual common cold medicines have a combination of Paracetamol, Phenylephrine ,Chlorphenamine to treat the symptoms.
Common over the counter medicines like Wikoryl, Febrex Plus have the combination of all the above medicines.
In case you have cough or sore throat you can go for lozenges and cough syrups. But cough syrups really make you drowsy. So you are really better off taking the aforementioned medicines.
I personally suffered from a cold during my recent to trip to Himachal and it really slowed me down for a week or so. But fortunately I had carried common cold medicines. This really helped me get through it and recover.
By the way, if you are traveling to Indian state of Himachal Pradesh for the first time, here is a detailed things to pack for a trip to Himachal. I am sure this will be quite helpful.
Medicines for Vomiting, Nausea
Motion sickness is one of the huge problems that a lot of travelers go through during their trips. Especially when traveling in the mountains.
Being motion sick while on a road trip is a terrible feeling. You tend to miss on out so much in terms experience and landscapes. Vomiting, Nausea are the common symptoms of being motion sick.
So in my opinion you should carry basic over the counter medicines for the same. Some generic medicines for motion sickness are usually anti histamines and they include Promethazine, Dimenhydrinate, Domperidone
Avomine is one of the most popular brands to treat the symptoms of motion sickness in India.
Medicines for Allergies
In my opinion, carrying basic medicines to treat allergies is a must while traveling to India.
Generic Medicines like hydroxyzine, cetirizine really help to alleviate the allergy symptoms. So make sure you carry them.
These medicines for allergies also sometimes help in common cold. Also, they can make your really sleepy. So doctors usually recommend them to be taken during bed time. So that you don’t feel drowsy.
Cetirizine personally helped a lot to alleviate the symptoms of blocked nose and cold during my recent winter trip the Himachal Pradesh India.
Atarax is one of the common anit-histamines usually used to alleviate itching and other allergy symptoms.
If you like treading on off the beaten path, here is a list of beautiful unexplored places near Kullu and Manali, two of the most famous destinations of Himachal.
Common Antibiotics
While antibiotics are something that you should not consume without consulting your doctor, but here are some of the most common antibiotics that doctors usually prescribe in case of mild infections.
Penicillin, worlds first antibiotic is till date one of the most common anti-biotics.
Azithromycin is another one of the most common anti-biotics that doctors will prescribe you in case of mild infections.
But I’ll reiterate again, antibiotics are not like your over the counter medicines. They have to be taken super cautiously. One cannot consume them for mild ailments like common cold etc.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most dangerous effect over-abuse of strong antibiotics for small ailments like common cold which don’t really need strong antibiotics.
Medicines for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
High-Altitude valleys of Ladakh, Spiti are quite popular amongst international tourist and travelers. All thanks to eccentric culture, pristine hiking trails, rustic villages and incredible hospitality by the locals.
But traveling to high-altitude valleys comes with its own risks. The major one being the acute mountain sickness. The symptoms include headache, nausea, tiredness due to lack of oxygen at the higher altitudes as a result of rapid altitude gain.
One usually suffers from AMS above 3000 m when there is a rapid gain in the altitude without proper acclimatization. The key to tackle AMS is just proper acclimatization. But here are some medicines that can help prevent and treat AMS.
Diamox is usually taken as a preventive medication for AMS. When you know that you don’t have enough time and you are going to rapidly gain altitude in a matter of hours. That’s when Diamox comes in handy.
You have start taking it in advance, like a couple days before you hit the higher altitudes to help your body acclimatize faster.
Dexamethasone is another AMS medication that is given once it is certain that you have been affected by AMS. it basically helps you descend to all lower altitude quickly. By the way, here is detailed blog on how to tacke AMS in high altitude valleys like Spiti or Ladakh.
Medicines for Your own Specific Ailments
If you are suffering from some chronic disease or are on lifelong medication for certain ailments like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease make sure you carry your own medicines as well.
Even though you might find the generic medicine here in India, but its always better to carry the brand that you prefer from your own country.
Also if you are traveling in the remote regions of India, finding such medicines will almost be next to possible. I have been to such regions where finding even the basic medicine is quite a hassle.
By the way, here are my top backpacking itineraries to explore beautiful Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It will be certainly quite helpful to the first time travelers.
First Aid Kit, Pain Relief Sprays, Insect Repellents
Carrying basic first aid kit items like antiseptic cream, bandages, antiseptic liquid will be helpful in case there are small wounds. So make sure your add them to the list of medicines to pack while traveling to India.
Betadine is one of the most popular antiseptic cream in India, while Dettol and savlon are the most popular antiseptic liquids. Apart from that applying anti-bacterial cream like soframycin really helps in the healing of wounds.
Another great addition to the basic first aid kit would be the pain relief sprays. If there any injuries or musculoskeletal pain you the topical pain relief sprays will surely provide you with much needed relief.
Basic analgesic medicine can also help mitigate the pain. So make sure you carry them while traveling to India.
Make sure that you carry insect repellents, especially mosquito repellent sprays. There are a lot of mosquitos found in the outdoors in a lot of parts of India especially during the monsoons and winter.
By the way, here are 31 compelling reasons why you should really travel to the Indian Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh.
To conclude, I hope this comprehensive list travel medicine kit for India has given you a fair bit of idea of what medicines you need to carry on your trip. In my opinion, carrying basic over the counter medicines for common ailments is really a good practice not only to India, but to other places as well.
In case you have issues regarding what medicines to carry while traveling to India, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me in the comments below. I’ll be really glad to address all your queries.