Home Symptoms Heatstroke

Heatstroke — what to take?

Heatstroke is body overheating above 40°C, with thermoregulation dysfunction. Medical emergency. Factors: exercise in heat, small children, elderly, diuretic/anticholinergic medications.

4 recommended OTC drugs
4,387 pharmacies available

OTC — no prescription

What you can take for heatstroke

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

Forms

Heat exhaustion — prodrome: headache, nausea, weakness, excessive sweating, rapid pulse, temperature 37-40°C. Reversible with cooling and hydration.

Heatstroke proper (heat stroke) — above 40°C, cessation of sweating, confusion, convulsions, coma. EMERGENCY — mortality 20-70% without treatment.

First aid

  1. Immediate move to shade/air conditioning.
  2. Remove unnecessary clothes.
  3. Rapid cooling: wet towels, ice on neck/armpits/groin, ventilation.
  4. Hydration with water or electrolytes (only if conscious and tolerating).
  5. Call 112 for confusion, vomiting, irregular pulse, loss of consciousness.

Symptomatic OTC treatment

Oral rehydration salts for mild exhaustion.

Paracetamol — does NOT lower heatstroke fever (not infectious fever). Can be used for persistent headache.

After-sun lotions, aloe vera, panthenol — for associated solar erythema.

Antihistamines — for solar urticaria.

Prevention

  • Avoid exertion in sun between 10-16.
  • Hat, light clothing, long sleeves.
  • Hydration 2-3 L/day in heat.
  • SPF 30-50 reapplied every 2h.
  • Attention to children, elderly, chronically ill.
  • Never leave child/pet alone in car in heat.

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.

Nights, weekends, holidays

24/7 pharmacies for heatstroke

Heatstroke 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.

Search the pharmacy

Medicine categories for heatstroke

Step by step

How to find a pharmacy fast for heatstroke

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 heatstroke 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 heatstroke runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

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

  • Temperature above 40°C
  • Confusion, loss of consciousness
  • Cessation of sweating in heat context
  • Convulsions
  • Persistent vomiting
  • Children under 2 years or elderly with symptoms

Frequently asked

Common questions

Exhaustion or heatstroke — the difference?
Exhaustion: sweating, <40°C, conscious. Heatstroke: >40°C, confusion, cessation of sweating, possible coma. Heatstroke is an emergency!
How much water in heat?
2-3 L/day at rest, 4-5 L/day during exertion. Water + electrolytes during prolonged exertion. Urine should be light-colored.
Children — how do I protect them?
Mandatory hat, never alone in car, frequent hydration, avoid sun 10-16, SPF 50 reapplied often, light clothes with UPF.
Do medications favor heatstroke?
Yes — diuretics, anticholinergics, antidepressants, antihistamines, beta-blockers reduce heat tolerance. Extreme caution.

See also

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