Getting Sick in Aruba: My Real Experience with Hospitals, Urgent Care & Medical Costs

Let me start by saying: getting sick on vacation is the worst. Getting violently ill in a foreign country? A nightmare. But—spoiler alert—Aruba’s healthcare system seriously impressed me, and I want to share exactly what happened, where I went, what it cost, and which doctor I’d recommend in a heartbeat.

Day 1–3: The Warning Signs

We arrived in Aruba on Wednesday, May 7. By Friday, I wasn’t feeling like myself—just kind of “off.” No appetite, slight nausea, and a general sense of blah. We stopped by the Santa Anna Pharmacy in Noord (info below) and the staff recommended Kaopectate and Dramamine, both available over the counter. It helped a little, but by the next day, I knew something wasn’t right.

Saturday, May 10: When It Hit

That morning, we switched to a new Airbnb (Harbor House unit 202!). I wasn’t feeling great, but figured a low-key pool day might help. Surprise! It didn’t. By 4 PM, I was shivering on the couch wrapped in a blanket, and by 7 PM, I started vomiting—and it was brutal.

This wasn’t your normal “get it out and feel better” kind of sickness. I was nauseous nonstop. The vomiting came every two hours like clockwork. I was drenched in sweat, freezing cold, and completely unable to keep water down. I spent the entire night throwing up and shaking, sleeping in soaking wet sheets covered in my own sweat. NOT FUN. Thank goodness our Airbnb had a second bedroom—because I desperately needed a clean bed the next morning and had zero energy to wait around and wash sheets for two hours. The first bedroom actually had two double beds, so I made my boyfriend sleep in that room with me—but not in the same bed as me. I wanted him nearby in case I needed help, but also didn’t want him getting sick too. Thankfully he has been fine this whole time!

Sunday, May 11: Hanging On

I took the world’s slowest shower, out on some fresh clothes and moved into the second bedroom with a queen bed. So comfy and fluffy, it was like heaven. No joke. I almost cried. Still no food, barely sipping water. Then things got weirder—I developed a kaleidoscope-like vision issue in my right eye. My sight was blurry and filled with colorful shapes. Cool-looking for sure, but definitely not normal. I spent all day trying to sleep it off between vomiting and hoped it would just pass.

Monday, May 12: ER Time

I didn’t sleep well at all—I was waking up every hour, taking tiny sips of water because I was so incredibly thirsty, but still couldn’t drink much without feeling sick. By the time morning came, I knew I couldn’t just wait it out anymore. I needed professional help.

We headed to Urgent Care in Eagle Beach, but when we arrived, we were told there was no doctor on staff that day (apparently this happens—especially if they’re short-staffed, so always call ahead). They advised us to either go to the other urgent care near Café 080 in Noord or head to the ER, which was right behind the building.

We opted for the ER since it was close. The entrance was hard to find due to construction—it’s on the north side of the hospital. A kind attendant offered me a wheelchair, which I gladly accepted because I had zero energy left.

At the ER:

• Wait time: ~30 minutes

• Seen by two nurses and a doctor

• Symptoms discussed: nausea, nonstop vomiting, no food or water intake, visual disturbances, headache

They gave me an anti-nausea injection (in the butt, FYI), but I had to advocate for myself a bit—because that shot would wear off in 6 hours, and I didn’t want to end up right back there. They ended up prescribing six more anti nausea pills to take home, along with instructions to drink Pedialyte—and lots of it.  Spoiler alert: If you have never had it, the stuff is gross—thick, syrupy, and hard to get down when you’re already nauseous.  I found the Fruit Punch flavor to be a lot easier to drink than the Grape flavor. And it's best served as cold as you can get it!

Cost: $78 at the hospital, $49.92 at the pharmacy (1 med + Pedialyte)

Tuesday, May 13: Still Down

Still vomiting. No food. Crippling headache. We had to move Airbnbs again (yes, again), this time to the Bali Retreat, but thankfully our current host at Harbour House let us check out late. She also even offered to let us stay for a few more days no problem, but we had Bali already lined up, otherwise we would have stayed. As soon as we got to Bali Retreat, around 1pm, I went straight to bed. Sucks because this place is beautiful!

That evening, my friend Dawn—who owns The Hidden Jewel Airbnb in Aruba that I work with, also has a medical background, checked in on me. Well, thats not accurate as she checked on my daily and offered her help in ANY way that she could, which was so appreciated!! I told her about my symptoms, especially the eye issue. She immediately suspected an ocular migraine, which made total sense after I Googled it. She brought me Excedrin Migraine that evening and even a Coke (bless her). I took both and managed to eat a few spoonfuls of chicken noodle soup. I felt so much better!  I thought I was cured!

(Spoiler: I wasn’t.)

Wednesday, May 14: Back to Urgent Care (Café 080 Location)

I slept good, almost the entire night, but I woke up dry heaving and with extreme headache and neck pain. Still nauseous. This time we went to Cuidado Médico Urgent Care, across from Café 080, and I’m SO glad we did. I was seen by Dr. Isabel Yagua Tromp, who confirmed the ocular migraine diagnosis almost immediately.

This place was wonderful, so clean and everyone was friendly and spoke 4 languages!  Dr. Tromp gave me:

• Wait time: 20 mins

• A Zofran injection: Prevents and treats nausea and vomiting

• An IV push for hydration

• Took my vitals and blood pressure

I was monitored for 15 minutes, and I felt like a whole new person after the treatment. She also prescribed:

• A nasal migraine spray (Neusspray)

• Ondansetron for nausea and vomiting

• Esomeprazole PCH (brand name: Nexium) which reduces stomach acid

Cost: $316 for the visit, $99.89 at the pharmacy

Thursday, May 15: Round 3 (Neck Pain & Muscle Tension)

I barely slept—maybe 2.5 hours total between 2:30 and 5:00 AM. The pain in my head and neck was insane—easily a 9 out of 10. And that’s saying a lot because I have a high pain tolerance. Years ago, I was in a car accident where I broke my pelvis in three places, had a collapsed lung, and had to go through three months of intense physical therapy just to walk properly again and get rid of a limp. So yeah… I know pain. We had to check out of our Airbnb early due to some schedule changes, so we were out the door by 7:50 AM and headed straight back to Café 080 Urgent Care. My boyfriend dropped me off while he unloaded our stuff at the new place. (Pro tip: Even though Aruba is very safe, don’t leave your luggage in plain view in the car—better safe than sorry!)

Luckily, I got to see Dr. Tromp again. She said my neck and upper back were extremely tight from all the vomiting and stress. She gave me:

• Two injections 

• Dexamethasone: Reduces inflammation and calms your immune system.  Helps with severe headaches (like migraines), allergic reactions, or swelling. It’s a steroid.

• Ketorolac:  A strong pain reliever and anti-inflammatory.  Used for short-term relief of moderate to severe pain (like after surgery or intense migraines). Not a steroid—it’s more like a supercharged ibuprofen.

• Prescriptions for:

• A muscle relaxer

• Voltaren Emulgel: topical anti-inflammatory cream

• Prednisolon PCH:  educes inflammation and calms overactive immune responses.  Treats a wide range of conditions like severe allergies, asthma, autoimmune issues, and inflammation from infections or migraines.

• Etoricoxib Auro:  A strong anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, taken by mouth.  It reduces inflammation with less risk of upsetting your stomach compared to traditional NSAIDs like ibuprofen.

• Wait time was 20 mins

  
  

We filled the prescriptions at Botica Di Servicio Eagle, but realized they gave us only 3 out of 4 meds. My boyfriend had to go over to BENU Pharmacy at Superfood Plaza to get the missing one. Note: BENU is to the left of Superfood’s entrance, not inside Bliss Beauty & Health.

I took the muscle relaxer, applied the cream to my neck and back, and finally got a solid 2-hour nap. Woke up, went to the bathroom and slept for another 2 hours! Ate a very small dinner. Kept it down, no more nausea! Showered and applied the cream, took the meds and went back to bed. Sadly, I didn't sleep the best and had a hard time falling asleep, but I felt so much better so who cares. Can always nap tomorrow! Finally fell asleep a little after 1am.

Cost: $234 for the visit, $129.39 at both pharmacies combined

Friday, May 16: Finally Turning a Corner?

I woke up feeling better! My headache was down to a 2 out of 10, I am keeping down fluids, and even had a few bites of eggs and bacon for breakfast (progress!). The sun has been hiding all morning, which made it easier to take it easy and rest.  The light still bothers me, so wearing sunglasses inside is helping. I am also feeling a little dizzy and lightheaded still, so being careful when I get up too quick.  But making steady progress! Medicine is amazing!! I just hung out on the couch all day and tried NOT to sleep so I could sleep at night and worked on my website and blog posts:)

Saturday May 17-Minor step Backwards

I woke up Saturday morning feeling pretty good—finally. I hadn’t slept much (maybe from 2:00 to 4:30 AM), but the nausea was gone, and I even had a little appetite for the first time in over a week! It felt like I had turned a corner, and I was cautiously optimistic.

But then… I made a terrible mistake.

Since I hadn’t eaten much all week, we thought making sandwiches for lunch was a smart idea—something easy and light to reintroduce food. WRONG. Big mistake. HUGE. 😂

About 30 minutes after eating, around 1:00 PM, I felt awful. My stomach was uncomfortably bloated, I started getting a migraine again, and everything spiraled from there. I had to crawl back into bed and spent the rest of the day throwing up every two hours until 10 PM. Misery.

Eventually, I took another muscle relaxer, reapplied the cream to my neck, back, and shoulders, and finally started to feel some relief. I was able to get a few hours of sleep—thankfully—but it was such a disappointing setback after feeling so hopeful that morning.

Sunday May 18-Turing a Corner-HOPEFULLY!?

I woke up Sunday morning finally feeling a lot better. I actually managed to sleep through most of the night, waking occasionally to take small sips of water and Pedialyte—and for the first time, I was able to keep it down. No nausea. No headache. Just a little groggy, but honestly, I’ll take that any day after the week I had.

Today’s plan: take it slow. I grabbed some Gatorade, which has been way easier to drink than Pedialyte, and it seems to be helping more with hydration. Going to stick with the basics—some chicken noodle soup and a bit of watermelon, and just keep it simple. No big plans, no risks, just rest and gentle recovery.

Final Thoughts & Tips

•  Doctor in Aruba: I highly recommend Dr. Isabel Yagua Tromp at Cuidado Médico Urgent Care (Café 080 location). She was thorough, caring, and absolutely saved me.

• Urgent Care vs. ER: While the ER was cheaper, the Urgent Care gave me better, more personalized care and a more accurate diagnosis.

• Call ahead: Especially at the Eagle Beach urgent care. They may not always have a doctor on duty.

• Pharmacy Tip: Always double-check that you’ve received all of your prescribed medications before leaving the pharmacy. One time, we were told upfront that a medication wasn’t in stock and were directed to a different pharmacy. But another time, we received only 3 out of 4 prescriptions and didn’t realize it until we got back to the Airbnb. When my boyfriend returned to ask about the missing one, they just said, “We don’t have it.” He politely told them, It would be really helpful if you could let people know when something’s missing. Thankfully, they did tell us we could get it at BENU Pharmacy at Superfoods Plaza, but it could have been avoided with a heads-up.  

• Pedialyte: Not cheap and be sure refrigerate it to make it more tolerable.  Like super cold.

• Migraine symptoms: If you ever experience blurry vision, nausea, and neck tension together, it could be an ocular migraine—don’t panic, but definitely get medical help.

Costs of medical visits (3) and prescriptions (15):

Date       | Location                     | Description                              | Amount

-----------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------|---------

May 9      | Pharmacy                     | Kaopectate & Dramamine                   | $28.11

May 12     | ER (Hospital)                | Visit, anti-nausea injection             | $78.00

May 12     | Botica Eagle Pharmacy        | 1 medication + Pedialyte + juices        | $49.92

May 14     | Urgent Care (Café 080)       | Visit, Zofran shot, IV push              | $316.00

May 14     | Botica Eagle Pharmacy        | 3 prescriptions + Pedialyte              | $99.89

May 15     | Urgent Care (Café 080)       | Follow-up visit, 2 injections            | $234.00

May 15     | Botica + BENU Pharmacy       | 4 prescriptions (muscle relaxers, etc.)  | $129.39

-----------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------|---------

TOTAL      |                              |                                          | $955.31

We also have travel insurance through Travel Guard.  I will be updating this blog post about filing claims to be reimbursed.

UPDATE ON TRAVEL INSURANCE 6/26/25

I had to file the insurance claim within 15 days of the policy’s end date and upload all of my receipts from the ER, urgent care, and pharmacies. It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing—I had to resubmit everything four times before I finally got a response and was able to close out the claim. But the good news? A check for $935.31 will be arriving in the mail within 7–10 business days!

____

Urgent Care and Hospital Info:

📍 Cuidado Médico (Urgent Care) – Café 080 Location

Website: https://cuidomedico.com

Doctor: Dr. Isabel Yagua Tromp

Services: General medicine, migraines, IVs, labs, X-ray, MRI, CT scan

Location: Across from Café 080, Noord

📍 Urgent Care – Eagle Beach Location

Website: https://cuidomedico.com

Also operated by Cuidado Médico – Call ahead to confirm doctor availability!

📍 Horacio Oduber Hospital-Eagle Beach Location

https://www.arubahospital.com/

📞 If you need an ambulance, call 911, just like in the US.

⸻

Pharmacies:

Botica di Servicio (Palm Beach, Eagle Beach, Santa Cruz & San Nicolas)

Locations: https://boticadiservicio.com/#anchor-locations

Santa Anna Pharmacy (by the Taco Bell on Rte 3) in Noord

Noord 41B Aruba

*I have been here several times for non prescription items, the pharmacists are VERY helpful here with suggestions!!

BENU Pharmacy

Locations: https://benucaribbean.com/

Oduber	-	Downtown
Trupiaal	-	Ponton
Kibrahacha	-	Bubali
Central	-	St Cruz
Centro Medico	-	San Nicolas
San Lucas	-	San Nicolas

BotPlease also note that not all pharmacies are open on Sundays!

Please check online first to see who is open!

To the people of Aruba:

I also want to take a moment to talk about the incredible people here in Aruba—the ones we’ve gotten to know over the years who truly make this island feel like home. The generosity and kindness I’ve experienced over the past week while being sick has honestly blown me away. It reminded me that there are still so many good people in this world—people who genuinely care, who show up, and who want to help without expecting anything in return. And in a time when it can feel like everyone is divided or just looking out for themselves, that kind of support means everything.

From Dawn, the owner of The Hidden Jewel, checking on me daily, bringing meds and drinks, and offering anything she could… to the owner of Harbor House unit 202, who kindly offered to extend our stay because I was so sick and couldn’t move. And the people of the Bali Retreat checking in on me, asking if there was anything they could do for me during our short stay. Just awesome.

And then there was the staff at Bingo Café—when my boyfriend went in alone for dinner on Wednesday night, the whole team immediately asked, “Where’s Alanna?” When they heard I was sick, they wouldn’t let him pay for his bar special (it was lasagna—my favorite, of course, and I couldn’t even eat it!)—and they sent him home with free food and warm rolls just for me. I mean, come on… the sweetest.

And speaking of sweet… a huge thank you to my boyfriend, who was absolutely amazing through all of this. He drove me everywhere, waited in pharmacy lines, ran out to get Pedialyte, chicken noodle soup, watermelon, bread, and anything else I needed—and sat with me through the worst of it. I seriously couldn’t have done it without him.

Even Richard from the Aruba Ray Comedy team reached out to offer me homemade chicken noodle soup. I mean… who does that anymore? Amazing!!

And I also want to say a huge thank you to all of my followers who messaged, commented, and sent such kind, encouraging words while I was going through this. I honestly can’t tell you how much it meant to me during those rough days when I was curled up, miserable, and scared. Your support truly lifted me up—and reminded me why I love this little community we’ve built together.

It’s these people—the locals, the expats, the small business owners, the neighbors—who make Aruba so special. And when you spend time here, really spend time here, you’ll feel it too. The people who live here and love this island… they get it. And once you do, it’s hard not to fall in love with Aruba just a little deeper.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever needed medical help while traveling or if you have any follow up questions for me! And if you’re feeling awful on vacation… don’t wait. Get help. You’ll thank yourself later.