I'm a pharmacist - these are the 5 medicines I'd always pack for a holiday, including one most people forget

When packing a suitcase, paracetamol and Imodium don’t quite have the same holiday ring to them as a new bikini and summer dress. But, like a new two-piece and floral midi, they can most definitely make or break a holiday.From different temperatures, rich new foods and predictably a bit too much booze, our bodies can be thrown a little out of whack when we travel abroad.And when you’re vacationing somewhere rural (or where you don’t speak the language), it’s always a good idea to pack your own supplies.Como se dice ‘Paracetamol’ en Español?But looking in my medicine cabinet, it’s hard to imagine what not to bring. So, we asked pharmacist Abraham Jacobson Khodadi, or ‘Abraham the Pharmacist’ as he’s known to his 850,000 social media subscribers, for his top tips on what to pack... Abraham Jacobson Khodadi is a pharmacist with over 850,000 subscribers online.PainkillersNow, this may seem obvious but according to Khodadi it’s the thing most people pack badly.He says: ‘Paracetamol and ibuprofen are not interchangeable,’ news to me!Khodadi explains that while paracetamol is for general pain, ibuprofen is for anything swollen or inflamed. So, pack both and remember paracetamol is for anything from a sunburn, hangover or a twisted ankle and ibuprofen for a rolled ankle, toothache or a back ache.Oral rehydration saltsAs Khodadi puts it: ‘These are for when you’ve been ill at both ends in a hot country.’If you're travelling somewhere hot, these are essential to bring away with you. He says: 'This is the one that actually keeps you out of hospital.'After a day’s vomiting or diarrhoea in a hot country, Khodadi says you haven’t just lost water, but also the salt that your body holds onto. In that case, plain water or a fizzy drink just won’t put those back.Instead, you should take an oral rehydration salt sachet, allowing sodium and salt to re-enter the body even when everything else has shut down. Oral rehydration salts can help with both vomiting and diarrhoea.Loperamide‘This is the one that stops the runs,’ according to Khodadi, ‘the tablet you take when you’ve picked something up from food or water and you can’t be more than ten feet from a toilet.’And while loperamide won’t treat the infection, it will buy you some control which might be particularly needed if you’re travelling home on a long flight.This isn’t one for children or for those with a bowel condition, so Khodadi says to check with your pharmacist before taking them.Khodadi also warns: 'If there's a high fever or blood in the stool, then that's a see-a-doctor situation rather than a tablet one.'Non-drowsy antihistamineKhodadi recommends packing a non-drowsy antihistamine for bites, stings and pollen you’ve not encountered before.He says: ‘The non-drowsy ones are the daytime choice’, after all you don’t want to miss out on any sightseeing while busy napping in the hotel.Khodadi also recommends a tube of 1 per cent hydrocortisone cream to treat the problem locally. Non-drowsy antihistamine is a holiday lifesaver for new kinds of pollen and bug bites.AntacidKhodadi says to pack an antacid for the indigestion and reflux that holidays practically guarantee.He says: ‘Rich food, more alcohol, eating far later than you do at home and then lying flat is a perfect recipe for acid coming back up, and on a plane the drop in cabin pressure makes trapped gas expand on top of that.’According to Mr Khodadi, ‘An antacid is the fast fix,’ neutralising the acid already there and making sure the stomach’s contents stay put!If you’re prone to indigestion most nights while on holiday, Khodadi suggests an acid-reducing tablet that works more slowly but lasts far longer.He also mentions that its worth mentioning any other tablets that you’re taking to your pharmacist as antacids can stop other medicines from being absorbed properly.