school me on meds
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You can get tetracyline at most feed stores (for horses, same stuff they give to people), but you'll have to find out the dosage and get gel caps at the health food store for it. Very inexpensive. I have 6 bags in the freezer.
If you go looking around on the Internet, you can find stuff like Keflex for fish tanks, again, same stuff, but you'll have to figure out dosages for humans. MUCH less expensive than a scrip.
I have to use a sleep medication that I buy from India (the stuff is made in Canada). It costs me $17 for 5 pills here in the States, and I get 90 of them from Noble Drug in India for $36, including shipping, and no doctor visit ($60) for a scrip...you might check them out, I think it's nobledrug.com. And I have not had any trouble with them getting here. And isn't that some crap...I have to buy Canadian drugs via India...WTH...is America Big Pharm's cash cow, or what?
If you go looking around on the Internet, you can find stuff like Keflex for fish tanks, again, same stuff, but you'll have to figure out dosages for humans. MUCH less expensive than a scrip.
I have to use a sleep medication that I buy from India (the stuff is made in Canada). It costs me $17 for 5 pills here in the States, and I get 90 of them from Noble Drug in India for $36, including shipping, and no doctor visit ($60) for a scrip...you might check them out, I think it's nobledrug.com. And I have not had any trouble with them getting here. And isn't that some crap...I have to buy Canadian drugs via India...WTH...is America Big Pharm's cash cow, or what?
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29 Posts
Depends on what specifically you are looking at.
OTC (over-the-counter) medications are often the most overlooked. Folks take them for granted since they are in almost every medication cabinet in the US Household. So, lets start with the basics:
The supply should be based on your perceived time away from "help" (30-90 days):
1. NSAID Pain management (motrin high dose)
2. Anti-fever/Pain Med (Tylenol)
3. Anti-allergen (both Prentative i.e. lortab, and treatment i.e. benadryl)
4. Anti-diarrheal (pepto, etc)
5. Antacide/GI: tums, etc
Prescription meds are available over the counter in most other countries. I stopped in a pharmacy in Belize and bought a bunch of antibiotics and whatnot.
1. A good broad spectrum anti-biotic will serve you well if not over used. I carried gatrifloxin and while I never used it i heard good stuff about it. Cefoteten (sp?) is also good. You can get ammoxacylin cheap as well.
2. Rehydrate can't be overlooked. Look at cerasport, etc or something that is rice-based and you should be kosher.
OTC (over-the-counter) medications are often the most overlooked. Folks take them for granted since they are in almost every medication cabinet in the US Household. So, lets start with the basics:
The supply should be based on your perceived time away from "help" (30-90 days):
1. NSAID Pain management (motrin high dose)
2. Anti-fever/Pain Med (Tylenol)
3. Anti-allergen (both Prentative i.e. lortab, and treatment i.e. benadryl)
4. Anti-diarrheal (pepto, etc)
5. Antacide/GI: tums, etc
Prescription meds are available over the counter in most other countries. I stopped in a pharmacy in Belize and bought a bunch of antibiotics and whatnot.
1. A good broad spectrum anti-biotic will serve you well if not over used. I carried gatrifloxin and while I never used it i heard good stuff about it. Cefoteten (sp?) is also good. You can get ammoxacylin cheap as well.
2. Rehydrate can't be overlooked. Look at cerasport, etc or something that is rice-based and you should be kosher.
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1,403 Posts
Medicguy is rite.
You really just need:
An anti inflammatory/pain Reliever
An anti allergen
An anti diarrheal
And maybe some antibiotics.
Tho most of my medical supplies are more towards wound care, IE blood stopping ability.
You really just need:
An anti inflammatory/pain Reliever
An anti allergen
An anti diarrheal
And maybe some antibiotics.
Tho most of my medical supplies are more towards wound care, IE blood stopping ability.
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When you look at the idea of "medications" don't forget some other often overlooked items:
1. Eye drops (if you can get an Rx drop for like pink eye thats good, plus other comfort eye drops)
2. chap stick/lip balm
3. skin contact meds (hydrocortisone cream, foot powder/atheletes foot stuff, etc)
1. Eye drops (if you can get an Rx drop for like pink eye thats good, plus other comfort eye drops)
2. chap stick/lip balm
3. skin contact meds (hydrocortisone cream, foot powder/atheletes foot stuff, etc)
being a corpsmen i learn how much you can really do with just the basics that were already said. if cost is an issue, read the ingredients on the high end brand name stuff, than look on the bottom shelf for the same stuff for less than half the price. i would also look into preventative meds. hand sanitizer, bacitracin (neosporin), meds for possible environments. if i was to be in an area of the world that has a lot of diseases or could easily breed those diseases i would be prepared medically for that. than find out everything you can about those meds, max dose, side effects, alternate uses. like benadryl, can be used to counter act other drugs, you can give a high dose of it to put someone down for minor surgeries. like everyone said dont over look OTCs.
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Many meds change chemically over time, and some change into something very toxic over time, so you have to do some research on which meds do what over time. Some meds must be kept cold, some meds must be kept away from sunlight (hydrogen peroxide).
However, I have taken ibuprofen, tylenol, and several allergy meds that were 5 years after the expire date. They worked (mostly) and I was fine.
I'm guessing many meds that do change, do so in the presence of oxygen, so vacuum packing them might help. As well as putting them in cool temperatures to slow the chemical reaction.
However, I have taken ibuprofen, tylenol, and several allergy meds that were 5 years after the expire date. They worked (mostly) and I was fine.
I'm guessing many meds that do change, do so in the presence of oxygen, so vacuum packing them might help. As well as putting them in cool temperatures to slow the chemical reaction.
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2,251 Posts
With above..Don't forget
Doxycycline(for vector pathogens)
Benadryl
P+Iodine
Vicks
Oragel
Lidocain crm
Sulfur powder
Zinc oxide crm
acidophilus tabs....lack of, is a major contributor many problems
Gentian violet sol... this stuff stops surface infections cold
Saline solution.. Eye and wound flush
2 or 3 inch wide nylon med tape.. can make your own large band-aids outta this
Doxycycline(for vector pathogens)
Benadryl
P+Iodine
Vicks
Oragel
Lidocain crm
Sulfur powder
Zinc oxide crm
acidophilus tabs....lack of, is a major contributor many problems
Gentian violet sol... this stuff stops surface infections cold
Saline solution.. Eye and wound flush
2 or 3 inch wide nylon med tape.. can make your own large band-aids outta this
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2,251 Posts
At most pharmacy stores, ebay and WallM.
There are weak crms sold over the counter(usually in a burn crm), I'v seen it with aloe gel as well. The strongest OTC I'v seen(outside the hospital) is a pre-tattoo spray on ebay. If you know a Doc or nurse there is numbing crm for IV starts
I don't do this (wouldn't have a problem using these meds if I had to) but some people buy antibiotics from Veterinarian supply stores like this one http://www.lambertvetsupply.com/Antibiotics-Non-Prescription.php
Topicals for animals can be found at http://www.lambertvetsupply.com/Topicals.php
The post below has links to good SHTF recommendations that apparently have the approval of Nurses, EMTs and Paramedics from this site.
Keeping meds in a cool dry place will slow their natural decomposition and even if a med's expiry date is past that doesn't mean the med is bad, harmful or won't work. In a SHTF situation when desperation sets in you'll know what to do with meds that are expired.
Topicals for animals can be found at http://www.lambertvetsupply.com/Topicals.php
The post below has links to good SHTF recommendations that apparently have the approval of Nurses, EMTs and Paramedics from this site.
Keeping meds in a cool dry place will slow their natural decomposition and even if a med's expiry date is past that doesn't mean the med is bad, harmful or won't work. In a SHTF situation when desperation sets in you'll know what to do with meds that are expired.
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I don't think she's ever treated a gunshot wound in the field.....It's a whole different ball game than in the controlled space of the ER.
Besides, tampons work better for abdominal GSWs than maxi pads. Go ahead, jam on in the hole, it's sterile and you're not going to do any more damage to the area, the damage is already done. The tampon absorbs blood and that blood clots which encourages blood around it to clot as well. In the field I'm more worried about keeping the red stuff in so the pt. can remain as hemodynamically stable as possible. Abdominal shots bleed like a son of a bitch, then bleed some more. I'd much rather have that blood clotting on the inside and slowing the overall bleeding then just absorbing it as it leaks out....
Besides, tampons work better for abdominal GSWs than maxi pads. Go ahead, jam on in the hole, it's sterile and you're not going to do any more damage to the area, the damage is already done. The tampon absorbs blood and that blood clots which encourages blood around it to clot as well. In the field I'm more worried about keeping the red stuff in so the pt. can remain as hemodynamically stable as possible. Abdominal shots bleed like a son of a bitch, then bleed some more. I'd much rather have that blood clotting on the inside and slowing the overall bleeding then just absorbing it as it leaks out....
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Ok, this is what I dug up so far.
- From http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5796/expired_prescription_medications.html
Tetracyclines become dangerous past their expiration dates; expired tetracyclines can cause serious damage to the kidneys.
Dr. Tedd Mitchell states that as long as you do not unseal a manufacture's container, a drug may be good far beyond its expiration date. We know this because back in 1985 the Air Force wound up with a stockpile of medications that were just about to expire. Not wanting to throw away medicine (and money) unnecessarily, the Air Force asked the Food and Drug Administration to check the drugs for safety and effectiveness. The FDA estimated that 80% of the medication would remain safe for nearly 3 years past their expiration date.
- From http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5236/expired_drugs_are_they_safe.html?cat=5
Tetracycline type antibiotics and some seizure medications can cause serious toxicity if taken beyond the expiration date. Liquid drugs are less stable than tablet/powder/capsule medications. Some medications are especially affected by age.
- From http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5796/expired_prescription_medications.html
Tetracyclines become dangerous past their expiration dates; expired tetracyclines can cause serious damage to the kidneys.
Dr. Tedd Mitchell states that as long as you do not unseal a manufacture's container, a drug may be good far beyond its expiration date. We know this because back in 1985 the Air Force wound up with a stockpile of medications that were just about to expire. Not wanting to throw away medicine (and money) unnecessarily, the Air Force asked the Food and Drug Administration to check the drugs for safety and effectiveness. The FDA estimated that 80% of the medication would remain safe for nearly 3 years past their expiration date.
- From http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5236/expired_drugs_are_they_safe.html?cat=5
Tetracycline type antibiotics and some seizure medications can cause serious toxicity if taken beyond the expiration date. Liquid drugs are less stable than tablet/powder/capsule medications. Some medications are especially affected by age.
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what is with people saying "These will hold a whole lot of blood"?I guess it's some ingrained reluctance to make a mess or something,because it sure doesn't help the patient.I kinda get the same twitch when i see someone put an abd pad on a half inch hole,it's just there on top and you aren't getting efficient pressure because it's too big.Roll up some 4x4s or use some kling and pack it already.
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Some oral glucose is a good thing to have around too... It's not D5w but if you run into a diabetic emergency its better than nothin.
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