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.