As I arrived on the boat to work for the next three weeks, I was dismayed to discover that I was coming down with a bad head cold.

I carry a prescription decongestant as well as several over the counter medications for this eventuality.

I find that I may not have packed sufficient quantities of some otc meds and 1 of my meds have been used and not replenished.

I am going to make a Cold/Flu Kit (CFK?) to be kept on the boat. I am thinking of having the following items in it:

15 day supply-EXTENDRYL G TABLETS - Prescribed decongestant
6 bt - Sambucol Elixer
1 bt - Mucinex D
2 pk - Sudafed
2 bx - TheraFlu
2 pk - Cough Drops

What else am I missing??? I have other OTC (Ibuprofen, Immodium, etc) and prescribed (broad spectrum antibiotics) meds in my regular FAK that is a part of my PSK.

I need some input from y'all ETS'ers.

-NyQuil/DayQuil (come in gel caps)... sometimes all you want to do is pass out for 12 hours ;-)
-Buckely's cough syrup (can clean the tarnish off your silverware and fix er' up at the same time!)

Nyquil, and the new formula of DayQuil (add sudafed if needed), in gelcap form.

And a couple of packages of ginger altoids or GinGins (the hard ones, not the chews), tea, honey, and REAL lemon drops or packets of crystalized lemon juice. Then again, I turn into a big baby with a head cold. I'd rather have cracked ribs.

Check for cross dosing with OTC medicines. Pseudoephidrine is used for the decongestant in a lot of the OTC formulas.

My wife swears by these , but she has stopped using them after hearing rumors that they can cause cancer...

extendryl g is guiafenesin and phenylephrine-loosens secretions and shrinks blood vessels in mucous membranes/decongestant

Sambucol elixir-elderberries?check with local herbalist

Mucinex d-guiafenesin and dextromethorphan-see above+cough supressant, DM overuse causes sedation/hallucinations called robi-tripping.

Sudafed-pseudoephedrine, or chlorpheniramine maleate, see phenylephrine above

Theraflu- acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine maleate, dextromethorphan, and pseudoephedrine.

IMHO:

Ditch the mixtures, keep the elderberries if they work for you.
acetaminophen/ibuprofen for pain
Guiafenesin +big glass of hot water+hot shower to empty clogged sinuses or get stuff out of lungs: next person to use the shower will not thank you.

sudafed or chlorpheniramine or phenylephrine for a runny nose. Don't mix em, don't overmedicate, they all have rebound issues and using too much or for too long will make the congestion worse. BTDT.

dextromethorphan to stop a dry cough or to let you sleep.
benadryl at night to reduce runny nose and sleep.

Buy them in separate pill form, so you don't take something you don't need just cuz its all in one bottle.

Honey, lemon and bourbon for severe cough, dry throat, loneliness, weltschmerz, ennui...or just cuz.

I am sold on Airborne, as directed, at the first hint, and Zicam oral spray. As a psuedo clinical study, my wife and I both caught the same cold, I did as noted, she did nothing, mine lasted, oh, 2 days of runniness, then stuffiness and coughing and she had it for 2 weeks, intense.

I'm also a firm believer in thinkin' positive- I was sure the nostrums would work, she was resigned to riding it out.

Unscientific, but there it is............

1 Pkg. TheraFlu + 7 Oz. Warm H2O + 1.0 Oz. Jack Daniels (or your fav.) + Honey= Good Night sleep with no Hangover!!

Check PM for reaction issues

Hold on a moment there amigo, Mucinex D is not expectorant and cough suppressant. The "D" stands for Decongestant, and can be pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine combined with expectorant in an extended release formula. You don't want to be overdosing on decongestant, as it screws with your blood pressure.

I wouldn't want the information on this forum to be cause for someone getting hurt. We gotta check those labels before we post here, and anyone thinking of using OTC medicine should read the label before use, regardless of what is said here.

Some people (my late mom for one) gobble a lot of chewable Vit C at the first sign of a cold...

I've found that drinking a pint of prune juice helps reduce coughing: makes one think twice beforehand...;-)

[quote=nursemike

Honey, lemon and bourbon for severe cough, dry throat, loneliness, weltschmerz, ennui...or just cuz.


[/quote]
Sound right to me
Make sure you take daily vitamins and lots of Vitamin "C"

I have seen to many studies badmouthing Airborne but every study support Zicam. I use Zicam and think it works quickly.

I was given AlleRX by an SF doctor and have sworn by it since. I always care it in the bush and stock at home. Its a prescription drug but not an antibiotic. Its been around for so long that most doctors will write it based on request. Its one pill for day and one for night. For 12 hours it will completely, I mean COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, wipe out the stuffiness. Its akin to a massive dose of Sudafed. The night time has a slight sleeping agent, won't knock you out but help you fall asleep.

Very old school:
Generic Vick's Vapor Rub. A dab under the nose helps with dry cough, nasal and chest congestion and annoying post nasal drip.

It is also good any time there are bad smells you can't stay away from. If society and normal life breaks down the smell of rotting garbage and raw sewage could be a constant. Cuts the worse of the smell of a rotting corpse.

Also has use in lighting fires and as a light grease.

Handy.

I had a bad experience taking OTC medication containing chlorpheniramine maleate. I had taken the daily dose for about a week when I started to not feel like my normal happy self. I became very moody and upset over the smallest problem, it did not help that I was doing a very difficult and boring job at the time. The day after I ran out of the medication it was like I was back to my old self, the world was a good place again.

I now take pseudoephedrine as a decongestant, and have no problems.

Mike