Medication – ‘sick day rules’

When you are unwell some medications that normally help keep you well need to be stopped temporarily as they can put you at higher risk of becoming more seriously unwell. 

Short term illness such as, vomiting, diarrhoea (passing looser or more frequent stool than is normal for you) or fever sweats and shaking for more than 24 hours. (This would include the fever with the coronavirus).

 STOP taking the medications listed below.

ACE inhibitors: Medicine names ending in “pril”, eg lisinopril, perindopril, ramipril

ARBs: Medicine names ending in “sartan”, eg losartan, candesartan, valsartan

NSAIDs: Anti-inflammatory pain killers, eg ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen

Diuretics: Sometimes called “water pills”, eg furosemide, spironolactone, Bendroflumethiazide, indapamide

Metformin: A medicine for diabetes

Restart when you’re well (after 24-48 hours of eating and drinking normally.) If in doubt, contact your pharmacist, nurse or GP. Medicines to stop on sick days