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?
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.
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.
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