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Food Poisoning in Portugal What to do next.
Sickness, diarrhoea and cramps after something you ate in Portugal? Most cases settle within a week. SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) is a sensible first call and will tell you where to go; what it does not do is take a history and judge how dehydrated you are. Pomodoc connects you by video with an English-speaking doctor licensed to treat you in Portugal, for a fixed €40, to decide whether you need treatment, rehydration support or to be seen in person. Dark urine, dizziness on standing or not passing much are the signs to act on.
Portugal has a national health line on 808 24 24 24 whose whole job is telling you whether to go anywhere. For this illness that is a good first call.
- €40
- per consultation
- No insurance
- or Portuguese health number
English-speaking doctors, licensed to treat you in Portugal.
Medical Advice for a Stomach Upset in Portugal
NHS guidance describes food poisoning as feeling sick or being sick, diarrhoea, tummy pain, a high temperature and feeling generally unwell, usually starting within a few hours or days of eating something and usually settling within a week.
With Pomodoc, you can speak directly with an English-speaking doctor by video wherever you are in Portugal. Talk through what is happening, how much you are keeping down, and whether this needs in-person care.
- Consult securely by video
- Avoid unnecessary travel and waiting rooms
- Get clear guidance about your symptoms and treatment
- Access care while travelling or living in Portugal
SNS 24, or a Video Doctor?
The question with a stomach upset is usually whether you need to go anywhere. Portugal has a line built for exactly that question, and it is worth knowing which one you want.
SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24
- answers health questions around the clock, every day
- triages what you describe and refers you onward, which gov.pt calls prioritisation, advice and referral
- can tell you whether a centro de saúde or an urgência is the right destination
- is the health service's own front door, so its referral carries weight locally
For an ordinary case that may be all you need, and calling it is a sensible first move. What it does not do is assess you as a clinician or decide on treatment.
A consultation instead gives you
- a doctor who takes a history and judges how dehydrated you sound
- the conversation in English, from wherever you are staying
- thresholds for overnight, so you know when to stop waiting
- a clear answer on whether this needs in-person care at all
Pomodoc connects you with an English-speaking doctor by video, licensed to treat you in Portugal, for €40 per consultation. Fixed price, no surprises.
If SNS 24 tells you to rest and drink fluids and you are reassured, that is the right outcome and it did not need us.
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How It Works
Medical advice by video in three simple steps
Start online
Tell us where you are in Portugal and what is going on. It is a short form, not an appointment request.
Join by video
See your English-speaking doctor using your phone, tablet or computer.
Get clear guidance
Discuss your symptoms and receive advice about your next steps.
Why Use Pomodoc?
Explain it in English
Describe your symptoms and ask questions in English, instead of translating them first at a farmácia counter.
You do not have to leave the bathroom
This is the illness where getting anywhere is the hardest part. A consultation happens where you already are.
An assessment, not just a direction
A triage line tells you where to go. A doctor tells you what your symptoms point to and whether going anywhere is necessary.
Understand what to do next
A doctor can help you decide whether you need treatment, rehydration support or an in-person appointment.
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More About Stomach Upsets in Portugal
Why SNS 24 suits this illness particularly well
SNS 24 is the Portuguese health service's own front door: alongside the line on 808 24 24 24 it runs a portal, an app and a physical counter. gov.pt describes the line as available for health queries 24 hours a day, every day, and the SNS describes its role as prioritisation, advice and referral in case of illness.
With a stomach upset the decision is almost always about whether to go anywhere rather than what to take, which makes a triage line an unusually good fit. It is also open at three in the morning, which is when this illness tends to make its point.
Health centre or emergency department
Portugal splits non-emergency care between centros de saúde, the local health centres, and hospital urgências. Using an urgência for something a health centre could handle means a long wait behind people who are more unwell than you.
Which of the two fits your situation is exactly the judgement SNS 24 makes, and it is also something a doctor can tell you before you set off across a city.
What to ask a farmácia for
Rehydration salts, mixed with water, are the main thing, and a pharmacist is the person to ask for them. They replace what a heavy episode takes out of you, which is the part that actually helps you feel better.
NHS advice on fluids applies otherwise: small sips if you feel sick, and avoid fruit juice and fizzy drinks because they can make diarrhoea worse. Pharmacies operate a duty rota, the farmácia de serviço, and every pharmacy is required to display the duty rota where it can be seen.
Words that help at the counter
| In Portuguese | What it means |
|---|---|
| uma intoxicação alimentar | food poisoning |
| gastroenterite | gastroenteritis, a stomach bug |
| tenho diarreia | I have diarrhoea |
| sais de reidratação | rehydration salts |
| tenho vomitado | I have been vomiting |
| a farmácia de serviço | the duty pharmacy, open out of hours |
| as urgências | the emergency department |
| Fala inglês? | Do you speak English? |
Sais de reidratação is the phrase to ask for. Farmácia de serviço is what to look for on the duty rota a pharmacy displays after hours.
Good things to know.
Should I call SNS 24 about a stomach upset?
It is a good first call for this illness. gov.pt says the line answers health queries 24 hours a day, every day, and the SNS describes its role as prioritisation, advice and referral. With a stomach upset the question is usually whether you need to go anywhere, which is what the line is for.
How do I find a pharmacy open at night in Portugal?
Portuguese pharmacies run a duty rota, the farmácia de serviço, and every pharmacy is required to display that rota where it can be seen, so a closed pharmacy is a reasonable place to look for the one that is open. SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 can also point you to an open service, and it runs through the night.
What should I ask a Portuguese pharmacy for?
Sais de reidratação, rehydration salts, mixed with water. They replace the salts and fluid a heavy episode takes out of you. Ask a pharmacist for them, and after hours every pharmacy is required to display the farmácia de serviço rota where it can be seen.
Centro de saúde or urgências for a stomach upset?
A centro de saúde handles everyday problems and an urgência is for emergencies, so for an ordinary stomach upset the health centre is usually the right destination if you need one at all. SNS 24 will tell you which, and a doctor can too before you travel across a city.
Do I need a Portuguese health number for this?
Not for a Pomodoc consultation. You pay €40 per consultation directly, it is a fixed price, and no Portuguese registration or local insurance is involved.
When is a stomach upset an emergency in Portugal?
NHS guidance lists vomiting blood, green or yellow-green vomit, severe tummy pain, a sudden severe headache, a stiff neck with pain on looking at bright lights, blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, severe difficulty breathing, being confused or not responding as usual, and possibly having swallowed something poisonous as emergencies. In Portugal call 112 or go to the nearest urgência rather than waiting or booking anything.
How much does a Pomodoc video consultation cost?
€40 is the fixed price of the video consultation with a doctor. It includes the consultation and, where clinically appropriate and local rules permit, a prescription. Medication you buy at a pharmacy, and any in-person care you go on to need, are separate. There is no subscription and no booking fee.
Sources
- Portaria n.º 277/2012, de 12 de setembro (consolidated text)Diário da RepúblicaThat pharmacies must display the duty-pharmacy rotas (escalas de assistência farmacêutica) in a visible place (Article 6).
- Food poisoningNHSThe symptom list; that it usually settles within a week; the fluids advice including small sips and avoiding fruit juice and fizzy drinks; the reasons to seek advice; and the emergency symptoms.
- Contactos de emergência em Portugalgov.pt, Governo da República Portuguesa112 as the medical emergency number, and SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 being available for health queries 24 hours a day.
- Linha SNS 24Serviço Nacional de SaúdeThat SNS 24 provides prioritisation, advice and referral in case of illness, and that it operates as a portal, a telephone line, an app and a counter.
Sources last checked: . General information, not a diagnosis.
Need Medical Advice in Portugal?
Speak to an English-speaking doctor by video and get guidance from wherever you are.
- €40, fixed price
- Licensed in Portugal
- English-speaking doctors
- Prescriptions where available
Video consultations are for suitable non-emergency medical concerns. In a life-threatening emergency in Portugal, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department. For health questions that are not emergencies, SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 can point you to the right place. This page is general information, not medical advice about your own situation.