Some questions along the lines of "If you had to choose just one..."

Aleve Vs Advil: Apparently Aleve is generally preferable as it does the same thing and has a longer duration of effect. Any reason to carry both or prefer Advil?
Zantac vs Prilosec: Prilosec is the new hotness. Are there serious side effects or interactions that would point towards Zantac being better for EDC?
Dramamine vs Bonine: Bonine does what you want but with less drowsiness. When is Dramamine preferable?
Pepto-Bismol: Fluid vs chewable tablts vs swallowed caplets: The best-tasting one is probably the caplet... how much slower/less effective is it compared to the other types?

Without any arguments to the contrary Aleve, Prilosec, Bonine, and Pepto caplets sound like the way to go.

Here's a distillation of what I've learned recently. Please let me know if I'm off base:

Tylenol (acetaminophen) 350mg or 500mg tablet: Safe-ish pain relief for kids, nicer to the stomach, good for fevers and headaches
Aspirin (ASA) 81mg chewable: General pain relief (usually 320-500mg ... take 4-6 chewables?) and aid for heart attacks. Do they have larger doses in chewable form?
Aleve (naproxen)/Advil (ibuprofen): Good for aches and pains (musculoskeletal)

Generic Caffeine (Caffeine) 100mg: Pop a few to stay awake, or take 1/2 to 1 along with the above for extra help against headaches. Lower dosage is intended to help with this second use while avoiding jitters
Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCl) ?mg: Speaking of sleep, use this to get it. Also great for acute allergies (bee stings etc.) and can be good against seasonal allergies (but makes you sleepy)
Alavert (loratadine)/Zyrtec (cetirizine): Not really an EDC/emergency thing, but while we're on the subject they're apparently good against seasonal/pet allergies

Imodium (loperamide): The king against diarrhea
Dramamine (Dimenhydrinate)/Bonine (Meclizine): Anti-motion sickness
Zantac (Ranitidine)/Prilosec (Omeprazole): heavy duty antacid
Pepto-Bismol (Bismuth subsalicylate): Anti anything else that makes your tummy upset. Are swallowed caplets a decent alternative to the chalky chewables?

There we go: 10 OTCs to almost rule them all. Any suggestions? Where two are listed, which would you choose? Thanks!

Prilosec is considered more effective both from what I've read and experienced. I recall a Wall Street Journal story about how the owner of both the Prilosec and Nexium drugs had developed Nexium to prepare for Prilosec's patent expiraton. The company was spending millions advertising Nexium to doctors and patients to get them to switch even though Nexium never out-performed Prilosec.

I also wouldn't think of them as 'Heavy Duty Antacids'. Prilosec takes some time to work (at least a few hours). There are some variations of, IIRC, Zantac that are combined with traditional antacids that are better for immediate relief.

I use Advil over Aleve, because Aleve causes problems for me, and the liquid-caps Advil doesn't. I haven't tried the new liquid-caps Aleve yet though, if it doesn't cause a problem I'd prefer it. Before I developed a sensitivity to it, I prefered Aleve.

Prilosec takes longer than Zantac. If you expect to have a problem, use Prilosec. If you are reacting to a problem, take Zantac.

The chewable pepto tablets have never worked very well for me. But they are much more convenient to carry around than the liquid. I haven't tried the caplets.

I don't get motion sickness very easily, so I have no opinion on Dramamine/Bonine. When I have passengers for aerobatics, I usually give them one of those shocker watches. They seem to last longer with that. But everybody gets sick riding along for aerobatics, even instructors if things aren't going as planned.

Big thumbs up on Immodium! I take the kind that also includes Simethicone, which is anti-gas. I think they call it "Immodium Advanced". They used to have a chewable version, but it was NASTY.

I'd go diphenhydramine over other antihistamines, for an emergency kit. It has sedating properties for sleeping, anti-nausea properties, and of course for the emergencies, anti-allergic. For such multifunctional use you do generally need the antihistamine to be sedating. Diphenhydramine powder also has analgesis properties (similar to a local anesthetic.)

I like ibuprofen just because it works on me for muscle pain and headaches, more so than aspirin or tylenol. In an emergency situation, I think muscular pain relief is most important and ibuprofen seems to work well for most.

Eric

Tylenol - works more on the nervous system than musculoskeletal system, hence "pain/fever relief" without the anti-inflammatory effects of Aleve/Advil/Aspirin. However, max dosage is 4000mg daily. So, for those of you taking Norco or Vicoden, watch the acetominophen content in those as well, as it adds up!

Aleve/Advil - whichever. Personally, Aleve didn't work for me. Watch out for stomach ulcers if you use it too much. 24 hour coverage versus 4-6 hour. BTW, works for pain and fever just like tylenol. Theoretically, Advil could be used in a pinch for heart trouble (in lieu of Aspirin), but you'd have to repeat the dose.

Aspirin - same as Advil, but better cardiac effects. standard dose is 325 mg (that's 4 baby Aspirins).

Benadryl - generation 1 antihistamine. More sedative effects than a Gen. 2, like Claritin or Zyrtec. Theoretically you could use any of the 3 to treat allergies. Benadryl used cuz it sedates the patients (a sleeping patient is an easy patient!)

Caffeine- sure, helps with headaches, just like Excedrin. Or just drink a cup of coffee - roughly 100mg caffeine, depending how strong you like it.

Pepto/Zantac/prilosec- different methods of working, all antacids though. I would assume Pepto works fastest while the other 2 are better for "chronic" indigestion - the aluminum in Pepto can cause problems long term.

That's off the top of my head. Any other healthcare providers, correct me if I'm mistaken!

IMHO/YMMV:

Er docs often order full doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen simultaneously for fever reduction and occasionally pain control. No cross-overdosing, different pharmacology, quite effective: take both. Subsequent doses are skewed cuz acet is given every 4, ibu every 6-8, hours

Aleve/naproxen is longer-acting than ibuprofen, but no more effective. Either can cause stomach irritation/bleeding. Take the ibu, it's cheaper.

You can chew any size aspirin if you are desperate enuf.

dramamine/bonine is a wash. Dramamine puts you to sleep, and nausea is much less troublesome to the sleeping.

H2 blockers-zantac, prilosec are effective and pretty safe. Pepcid/famotidine is effective, safe and cheap.

Alavert et al are approximately 15% as effective as a benadryl. their claim to fame is the non-drowsiness factor. Doesn't matter which one you choose, if any.

pepto-bismol is 19th century pharmacology. Use pepcid et al for GERD. use loperamide for diarrhea, use maalox/tums as an antacid, leave the pepto at home. Enough of it turns the stool black and scares you.

Generic caffeine-only if you tend to dose off during crises. Ups your chances of needing the h2 blockers, antacids, and loperamide, especially if used in conjunction with aspirin or nsaids. Take the caffeine-enhanced snickers bars instead.

Speaking as somebody with Asthema, allergies and gastric reflux, I can make comments on some of these. After decades on various prescription drugs, some things cease working after a while, so I've gotten switched around a bit.

Tylenol (acetaminophen) Best for sinus headaches

Aleve (naproxen)/Advil (ibuprofen): Prefer Advil for muscle aches, etc. Didn't seem to get much impact from Aleve, but didn't do extensive testing.

Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCl) - On me, ineffective for general allergy symptoms any more. Keep it around for emergencies.

Alavert (loratadine)/Zyrtec (cetirizine) - Currently on Zyrtec after Claritin became ineffective, seems to work well enough

Imodium (loperamide): Keep for emergencies, always seems to work.

Zantac (Ranitidine)/Prilosec (Omeprazole): Was on Zantac until it became ineffective. Now on Nexium, works GREAT! Never tried Prilosec.

To put my two cents in, I can comment on Aleve and Prilosec out of the products you listed. I used to use Motrin but when that made my stomach bleed my pharmacist recommended Aleve. Now i swear by them and they even work better than Motrin. On the subject of Prilosec you might like to be aware that here in Michigan I can get the generic Omeprazole over the counter now at a significant savings and they work just as good. I've been on both these medications for years now and I consider them medicine cabinet staples.

+1 on Maalox. It will knock down a severe bout of acid reflux in short order. I used to take Prilosec but didn't like the idea of taking a daily dose for only occasional problems. Now I just down Maalox (liquid or tablets) whenever AR rears its ugly head and it's usually gone within 10 minutes. I keep Maalox in my vehicle, in every bugout bag, at my desk at work, at home... it's rarely more than an arm's length away.

My ten would be similiar. I'd go with advil over aleve, but rather than the alavert/zyrtec option or the pepto (worthless for me), I'd rather add real, behind the counter sudafed (works better than benadryl with my allergies) and some kind of cough reliever/mucus buster.

I'd also toss in some emer'gen'c or a multivitamin w/ potassium (I have a hard time keeping enough potassium in me for some reason), and a small vial of salt (multipurpose).

I just use Aspirin (Bayer Back & Body 500-mg and 32-mg of Caffeine in them) for mild pain like a headache. Also good for heart issues.

Any real pain I use Percocet, prescribed for motorcycle accident related pain problems. I also have Vicodin, someone gave me about 100 of them. But I never felt the need to use them.

I have hay fever (not this year for some reason?) and for it I use Benadryl Allergy it seems to work as well as the Claritin my Doc prescribed for me.

For diarrhea I have Imodium in the first aid kit (never actually used it, but it’s there if I do need it.)

For stomach problems I have Tums tablets. They work fast and well.

Theraflu and various other cold remedies as I don’t know what others I’m with may want to use.

Sawyer DEET-Plus composite insect repellent lotion.

Neosporin for cuts.

Therapeutic Mineral Ice for muscle aches.

Solarcane spray for sunburn pain, but it doesn’t seem to really do the job. Percocet does, as does Unguentine burn cream.

Anti-Fungal cream for athlete’s foot (never had a need for it yet.) Also have some Bold Bond powder.

Itch-X for any rash or itching issues.

Superglue for a deep gash that I need to stop the bleeding if I’m far (days) away from help. Never needed it yet.

Baby Orajel for dental pain (never needed it yet.)

Sting kill swabs in little glass vials you just break, squeeze and rub on a bee sting (never used them yet.)

Skin Shield, it’s liquid bandage you put on with a brush and it dries fast. But it stings like heck in any open wound. So I use it to keep abrasion down to help prevent blisters from forming. A few layers and it protects your skin great.


Tecnu for poison ivy, but after getting it several years ago I have become very good at avoiding it. Also gasoline works very well to get rid of poison ivy. To test this I purposely walked bare foot through some last summer while camping and then took a paper towel full of gas and wiped my foot down and never got poison ivy at all.

SPF-15 lip balm.

Sun block.

I’m sure there are lots of other over the counter meds I have in various kits, but this is what I thought of off the top of my head.

Thanks for all the replies! The strategies for pain, allergies, and stomach problems all seem to vary quite a bit. I think different people respond differently due to many factors, so ideally I'd be able to try them all, but that takes time, money, and me getting hurt a whole lot.

Part of the point of this thread is to see what is generally effective and safe, and I've definitely gotten some ideas. For example, Nexium/Prilosec aren't an emergency use sort of thing, instead use Zantac to stop acid production and a neutralizer (Tums/Maalox/etc.) for immediate relief.

I'm still a bit torn on the pain killer issue, and replies here have been mixed as well.

nursemike: would the side effects of 50mg of caffeine really be so horrible as to outweigh its usefulness in aiding pain killers? Coffee is pretty accessible, but sometimes a pill's even easier. Re: Snickers I have heard that caffeine is best taken with food.

nursemike again: Advil packaging (200mg caplets) say adults should take 1 every 4 to 6 hours, and Tylenol (500mg caplets) say adults should take 2 every 4 to 6 hours. Perhaps this is a good combo in terms of timing after all?

http://www.tylenol.com/product_detail.jhtml?id=tylenol/headbody/prod_ex.inc&prod=subpex
http://www.advil.com/products/advil/caplets_label.asp

BobS: I didn't really want to get into topicals, but while we're on the subject apparently Water Jel makes some good stuff for sunburns that you might want to try.

Re: Sudafed/Benadryl, it seems that Benadryl is vastly more flexible and preferred as the EDC of choice by many, in spite of the drowsiness (which as some have mentioned can be a feature). It's interesting to note that before I moved, I had to take so much Sudafed for hay fever that it became ineffective for me. So YMMV indeed.

So in the end it looks like these 7 are the most important:

Tylenol
Aspirin
Advil/Aleve (still not sure)
Benadryl
Imodium
Dramamine
Maalox/Tums/Rolaids

With a stronger acid inhibitor, allergy med, and caffeine being useful if you'd be well served by them. Any other thoughts? Thanks again!

Benadryl has another benefit in that it reduces itching, and while the drowsy effects are not always wanted, it’s a good trade if it reduces itching that’s driving you up a wall.

Took one 20mg Prilosec (prescription) and it severely dulled my taste and gave me borderline runs, 2 apparently common side effects. Don't think I'm gonna take it again. Zantac (with occasional use) has no detectable side effects for me. FWIW, if you're interested in an herbal option, I've started grinding fennel seeds for making tea (or chewing on them) and so far so good for relieving stomach discomfort. Great licorice taste too. Apparently they've been used for centuries to aid in digestion and are said to have a minor antimicrobal effect. I'd always wondered why they're served after meals in Indian restaurants.

I find that by the time its time to take the next Aleve dose, I've been back in pain for a few hours. Plus I know that the prescrption dose of Advil goes up to 800mg, and 600mg is common. I know military medics carry advil - in fact they are often referred to as "Ranger M&Ms"

Then again, I go through so much Advil (and prescription pain killers) that you'd think I was nuts - it's rare for me to be more than afew feet from at least one bottle of Advil (chronic wounds with a high pain factor are in the 'don't wish this on my worst enemy' category)

As I've said here a bunch of times, I have a chronic wound condition, and I regularly get the "itchies" - my MD said "drop a benydril"

RE Sudafed - love the way it works, can't take them anymore, HBP will do that to you

Okay, here's what I take:

Tylenol/Aceteminophen: for general pain relief, combined with Ibruprofren when necessary. It is a hepatotoxin if overdosed. It does not cause stomach irritation like Nsaids do (Naproxen, Ibuprofren, Aspirin). It is also much gentler on your heart.

Iburprofren: for Inflammations and fever. Aleve is not as effective for me, though it seems to be for my wife and kids. Due to the side effects with the stomach and heart, I try to limit my intake of Nsaids now.

Aspirin/Caffeine: For the occasional really bad headache, I reach for the Excedrin or generic equivalent. Again, I try to limit my intake on these.

Pepcid AC in chewable tablet form: Tastes like Pepto tablets, but with the extra medication it will be much more effective than the standard pepto.

Prilosec: For when my indigestion/heartburn becomes chronic, I take the recommended 14 day course. You take Prilosec once a day for 14 days to sort of reset your digestive system. I probably wouldn't have to do this if I watched what I eat more, but I am still a bit of a pig. You are only supposed to take Prilosec for one 14 day course every 3 months. If I get into trouble in between courses, I will turn to Pepcid AC for temporary relief.

Benadryl: For when I unknowingly consume crab (what I call the "Hitch" effect, after the character that Will Smith played in the movie of the same name).

Allegra D: The only otc (at least in Canada it is) or prescription allergy medicine that keeps my hayfever under control and doesn't put me on the canvas.

Nizoral: Topical, for any and all fungal infections, dandruff attacks.

Tea Tree Oil/Campho-Phenique: Topical skin treatment for slivers, abrasions, minor cuts and scrapes, acne, fever or cold blisters/sores, campho phenique is especially good on very chapped lips.

Great topic. I'm going to get generics of each, in small bottles to add to kits and around the house, likely change them out every year

If you've got a problem with high blood pressure the recommended otc pain relievers are: Tylenol, ibuprofen, & naproxen (best to worst). Tylenol has no effect on BP & naproxen has the most effect.

Anything with a decongestant in it (i.e. antihistamine xD) will probably cause a BP increase.

Caffeine is good for headaches and alertness, but increases gastric acid production and bowel motility. For some folks. Caffeine is fine if it works for you.

In the ER, Ibuprofen is usually dosed at 10 mg/kg of body weight, dosed every 6-8 hours.. Dosage varies with body weight, gastric tolerance, severity of symptoms from 200-800 mg, higher doses taken less frequently. Tylenol is usually dosed at 15mg/kg every 4 hours, from 625 to 1000mg per dose. OTC packaging instructions are written by lawyers, not clinicians, and are thereby constructed to decrease liability rather than to increase effectiveness.

Sudafed is a decongestant, works by vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow to swollen nose mucous membranes. Take too much and you get rebound effects, and the swollen membranes get more swollen. Benadryl is a histamine blocker, no rebound effects-different drugs, different mechanisms.

In all cases, the best medical advice comes not from web forums but from your personal physician who knows your medical history, allergies, and can tailor the advice to you. Your physician may even choose to provide you with prescription meds for your kit, which meds may be much more effective than the OTC alternatives.

I gave a similar response in a travel question a week or so ago. Standard disclaimers apply, and please forgive my spelling of various drugs:

I carry Ibuprophen for gneral aches and pains. It works for me, as well as working as a good fever reducer and anti-inflamatory. I also like that the toxic dose is significantly higher than the theraputic dose. If I get confused and take an extra dose too soon it is unlikely to cause me great harm. Too much acetomenophen scares me.

I use Aleve/naproxin too, but I find it less useful. I made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomache once, and it's not something I'll ever do again. Not a problem with ibuprophen. That said, when my back is really messed up, the 12-hour dosing sure is convenient. For heavy duty pain, I keep some legally perscribed percocet in my kits.

Benedryl has way too many uses not to bring it along. Aside from being great for allergies, it is useful as a sleeping pill and to prevent motion sickness.

I guess if you really need it, immodium does the trick reasonably well, but the few times I've used it, it's been really unpleasant. I do find pepto bismol chewables to be useful and not terribly unpleasant to take.

I've got little experience with the others. One word of warning - if you get sudden pain in a joint, especially around your big toe, stay away from the aspirin. I recently discovered I'm prone to gout, and aspirin makes it much worse. Another mistake I will not be repeating.

My two cents as a former infusion pharmacy manager and chronic over-analyzer and over-preparer-

1) Regardless of OTC med preferred, and your own physiology will tell you, as the prior posts show, keep it in its original packaging whenever possible- the drug makers know if it needs cotton to keep it dry and unbroken, or if blister packs maintain freshness, etc., and, in these trying times, airport and customs folks question any "unidentifiable meds". Plus, in trying times, like when you may be manic for relief, you won't make a mistake by misremembering or by ingesting improperly labeled meds.

2) Analgesics in general have an adverse effect on your liver if combined with alcohol. Advil makers dispute this, but keep that in mind. Combining Advil and Tylenol is fairly common as they do offer different relief modalities. Aspirin therapy has become so common that you can now buy the smaller dose recommended for stroke and heart "prevention". And the reason it is sold that way is because many folks do have stomach issues with different analgesics in larger doses. So always keep track of your "dose".

3) Studies show that although superglue can be useful in emergencies, it can also irritate the skin, kill cells and cause other side effects, particularly when used on deep wounds.
There is a safer alternative. In 2001, the Food and Drug Administration approved a similar, antibacterial form of the substance called 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate, which is marketed as Dermabond. I'm sure it costs more.

4)Know the source of your gastric distress, and if chronic, seek advice. Pepcid chewables (Pepcid Complete) give you both short term and long term relief. We often introduced Pepcid into infusion bags to counter the effects of drugs that cause some heartburn or gastric distress (on a doctor's orders, of course, which the pharmacists would often seek since they knew the side effects intimately). But if the other products offer relief, use them, naturally, and watch your dosage over time, 24 hours being a good indicator.

5) Same with Immodium- know why you're experiencing the "runs", and let them run(no pun intended)their course if possible, unless chronic, and follow package directions, including replacing those fluids quickly.

6) Often our patients experienced a reaction to the medication they were infusing, and Benadryl in oral form was the first line of treatment that the nurses and pharmacists monitoring the infusion administered, effective,oh,let's say, greater than 60% of the time. So again, knowing if it is an allergic reaction helps you self prescribe, but if in doubt, these medical professionals always fell back on the Benadryl first, before seeking other relief methods or stopping the infusion altogether.

7) Motion sickness is, I know you all know this, inner ear related, so again, make sure your "mal de mar" is indeed motion activated and not more serious. The Dramamine or Bonine won't hurt, and you should take it before the event for best results. I experienced extreme motion sickness scuba diving, and learned to take a dose the night before and then a half tab before getting on the boat, on a full stomach(my brother was a commercial fisherman and used this method on the first trip out each season while he got his sea legs). After a few concurrent dives, I would acclimate, but nothing like blowing chunks in your regulator and chumming the water to make you look for relief. Bonine always made me less drowsy but didn't always last as long.

5) Caffeine used to be a common first step for chronic migraine sufferers before the new drugs came out, as was oxygen therapy at high liter flows for short periods ( such as, 10 liters for 15 minutes). So if no other alternative, and depending on your pre-existing level of caffeine intake (creating resistance and thus requiring larger doses), perhaps effective. Caffeine, that is, oxygen requires a prescription.

Sorry, long winded, hope this helps!

Thanks nursemike for the specific answers, and everyone else for the recommendations and anecdotes.

It's certainly true that professional advice is best, but I like to get insight from multiple sources, adding grains of salt as necessary. =)