How much water per day?

1.5-2 L in normal conditions. +500 ml/h during exertion. +500-1000 ml in heat. More during breastfeeding, fever, diarrhea.

Plain water or electrolytes?

Under 1h exertion — water. Over 1h or diarrhea/vomiting — electrolytes (ORS). Severe dehydration — medical emergency with IV fluids.

How do I check dehydration in a child?

Urine (dry diaper over 6-8h = alarm), dry mouth, sunken eyes, crying without tears, persistent skin turgor, apathy. At any suspicion — pediatrician.

Do tea or coffee dehydrate?

Coffee in moderate amounts does not significantly dehydrate (diuretic effect compensated). Alcohol, however, clearly dehydrates.

Dehydration — causes, OTC, when to see a doctor

3 recommended OTC drugs

4,387 pharmacies available

Saruri de rehidratare orala

GES 45 · Humana Elektrolyt · Hidrasec

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Electroliti sport

Isotonic · Powerade

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Diosmectita

Smecta

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Informativ. Nu înlocuiește sfatul medicului. Consultă medicul sau farmacistul înainte de a lua orice medicament.

Degrees of dehydration

Mild (2-5%): thirst, dry mouth, dark yellow urine.

Moderate (5-10%): intense thirst, fatigue, headache, dizziness, scanty and dark urine, skin with slow turgor, tachycardia.

Severe (over 10%): hypotension, thready pulse, confusion, oliguria/anuria, sunken eyes, mottled skin — medical emergency.

OTC treatment

Oral rehydration salts (ORS):

GES 45, Humana Elektrolyt, Hidrasec.
Drink in small, frequent sips.
Adult: 200-400 ml after each stool/vomiting.
Child: 10 ml/kg after each loose stool.

Water, clear soup, weak tea — in mild dehydration.

Isotonic drinks — for athletes, not ideal in diarrhea (osmolarity).

Natural coconut water — natural alternative rich in potassium.

Signs you're drinking enough

Light-colored urine (light straw yellow).
6-8 urinations/day with normal volume.
Don't feel frequent thirst.
Skin with normal turgor.

Special losses

In persistent diarrhea/vomiting, in small children, in elderly, in endurance athletes — increased need. During intense exertion — weigh yourself before and after, compensate 1.5x losses.

Medical disclaimer: the information in this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical or pharmacist advice. For diagnosis and treatment consult a healthcare professional.

Dehydration doesn't wait for office hours. If you need a medicine at 2 AM or on a weekend, open the map with the 24/7 filter on and find the nearest on-call pharmacy. Major cities have several round-the-clock pharmacies — the per-city pages below list them all, with address, phone and verified opening hours.

Call ahead before you leave, especially at night — on-call schedules can change and stock for some prescription items may be limited between deliveries.

Beyond the OTC products listed above, you can also browse whole medicine and supplement categories, with prices compared across Dr. Max, Catena, Tei, HelpNet and the rest of our network. Category pages are in Romanian — the comparator works the same way for you.

Open the interactive map and grant location permission — you'll immediately see pharmacies sorted by distance, each with its opening hours and a one-tap route in Google Maps. If it's night or a weekend, switch on the 24/7 filter to keep only the on-call ones. For dehydration most of the listed remedies are over the counter, so you can walk in without a prescription, but check stock and prices first to avoid wasted trips.

If you have a preferred active ingredient (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), search it in the comparator before you leave — you'll see which chain has it cheapest near you and whether it's in stock. For chronic prescriptions, save your favourite pharmacy in the app and turn on hours notifications — it saves unnecessary trips, especially when treatment for dehydration runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

If any of these signs appear, consult a doctor — OTC treatment is not enough:

Severe dehydration (confusion, hypotension, oliguria)
Inability to rehydrate orally (continuous vomiting)
Children under 2 with moderate-severe signs
Elderly with cognitive changes
Diabetes with very high glucose

How much water per day?: 1.5-2 L in normal conditions. +500 ml/h during exertion. +500-1000 ml in heat. More during breastfeeding, fever, diarrhea.
Plain water or electrolytes?: Under 1h exertion — water. Over 1h or diarrhea/vomiting — electrolytes (ORS). Severe dehydration — medical emergency with IV fluids.
How do I check dehydration in a child?: Urine (dry diaper over 6-8h = alarm), dry mouth, sunken eyes, crying without tears, persistent skin turgor, apathy. At any suspicion — pediatrician.
Do tea or coffee dehydrate?: Coffee in moderate amounts does not significantly dehydrate (diuretic effect compensated). Alcohol, however, clearly dehydrates.

Dehydration — what to take?

What you can take for dehydration

Degrees of dehydration

OTC treatment

Signs you're drinking enough

Special losses

24/7 pharmacies for dehydration

Medicine categories for dehydration

How to find a pharmacy fast for dehydration

When to see a doctor

Common questions

Find the nearest pharmacy
— with prices and stock.

Degrees of dehydration

OTC treatment

Signs you're drinking enough

Special losses

When to see a doctor

Find the nearest pharmacy — with prices and stock.

Find the nearest pharmacy
— with prices and stock.