Essential OTC meds

Spring boarding off of the daypack help topic, which OTC meds do you find essential to have in a daypack first aid kit (or any kit for that matter) and for why?

Off the top of my head, I go with:

Benedryl- Allergic Reactions to foods, plants, insect bites

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)- Fever Reducer/Pain Killer

Aspirin - (reduces heart attack risk, maybe)/Pain Killer

Pepto-Bismol Chew Tablets- Nausea/Heartburn

Immodium AD - Anti-Diarrheatic

Neo-sporin - Anti-Biotic Wound Goo (I think I should patent that)

Saline Solution - Typically sold as nasal spray or contact cleaner, but good for sterile irrigation.

Any others you find indispensable?

Alka-Seltzer works much better on heartburn.

Jeanette Isabelle

I'd add ibuprofen. Pain killer and anti-inflammatory. Helps reduce swelling when you've hiked harder than you're conditioned for.

I'll second this. Also, it's good to have in case of a minor sprain. A large-ish dose has been a life saver the morning after a twisted ankle when I had another march ahead of me.

Just don't take a REALLY large dose; be educated about what is and isn't safe. Too much ibuprofen can be harmful, and I don't mean *way* too much.

Just those two, plus hand sanitizer and chapstick ( spf)

For a daypack you are primarily providing yourself with meds instead of for family/friends/public so it makes sense to tailor the meds for yourself.

Since my own kit includes benadryl, lotradine (Claritin), loperamide hydrochloride (Imodium), triple anti-biotic, povidone iodine, 81 mg ASA, Tylenol, and Tums, I would say we are on the same track. Currently the Tums are going to be discarded in favour of Gaviscon (antacid with bicarbonate soda) and I will toss the standard strength Tylenol (vestige of the commercial kit) in favour of x-strength Tylenol.

I base this on my allergies, heartburn, heart attack prevention, pain management and nature's favourite -- diarrhea! I go with what works for me.
The anti-biotic and povidone iodine are for general wound management. I also usually carry a very small bottle (15ml) of hand sanitizer to keep my hands clean before meal prep. This is matched with the AMK .5 kit which originally was a lightweight solution but is now severely modified. It is now about 4.5 oz. in weight.

Not only is the type of meds customized to suit me, the quantities of each of each are designed to suit me and my activities.

I know people may say "just don't over-exert an you won't need it," but I find that if the sun is a little brighter than I expected or my hiking partners are any faster than I am, I tend to sweat more or work harder (and also sweat more) than I would otherwise.

I find ibuprofen a giant help for joint pain, and it reduces swelling. NUUN Active Hydration Tablets (or powdered sports drink mix) are a great way to help with hydration, but I suppose maybe they don't count as "medication" exactly.

IIRC its four grams TOTAL. That means eight extra strength and you're at the limit. If you're also taking cold medicine w/Tylenol in it you're over.

My must haves include:
-tylenol and/or advil adults and child (for migraines and mechanical injuries)
-benedryl adult and child (for allergic reactions )
-claritin (for seasonal allergies on overnights)
-chewable immodium (for upset tummies)
-children's gravol (for longer hikes and overnights)
-gravol (for overnights)

Caffeine.
-Blast, a man of few but very potent vices.

ASA also helps decrease mortality from an acute MI, not just prevent it. Use the chewable children's style for fast uptake.

you might include some meclizine (Bonine, Antivert) for acute dizziness, nausea due to motion sickness... or benign positional vertigo

Besides some of the items mentioned, I carry Caladryl, hydrocortisone cream, sudafed, tincture of iodine, and vaseline.

The sudafed comes in handy because if you wake up with a cold, the sudafed will completely dry your nose out and you can hike better. It was originally developed for the astronauts because they couldn't blow their noses while wearing a suit/helmet. You only need two tiny pills for the whole day.

If you aren't in an area with nasty bugs, then the Caladryl and hydrocortisone may be overkill. In the south, they are definitely required carry for me.

The vaseline is for covering dug-in ticks which makes them release, and also doubles as an emergency fuel, medicine for chapped lips, and jock itch or any kind of rash.

While neosporin and a band-aid are useful for cuts, The tincture of iodine is for scrapes and then can be left open to the air.

I pretty much carry the standard stuff, but I always keep some Medi-Lyte electrolyte tablets in all my FAKs. Most of the kits large enough to hold it have Burn-Away Plus, too. And I like to keep a couple forms of Hemcon/Celox as well.

For strictly day trips:
Tylenol
Motrin
Benadryl

Everything else can wait til I get home.

And, if I can get on my soapbox for a minute... aspirin. It is NOT a miracle, cure-all drug. Sure, it's light and cheap, so fine, if you want to carry it, go ahead. But don't think that popping an aspirin will stop a heart attack cold in its tracks. Ask ANYONE that's been treated for a heart attack - you don't get an aspirin and the staff walks away. It stops platelet aggregation, ie, clots. It doesn't break down the clot that's already there, it doesn't relieve spasm of blood vessels, it doesn't make your heart return to it's normal function. Yeah, sure, you may decrease some of the damage of a heart attack, but it's still going to be happening.

Bottom line - if you get a heart attack in the woods, you're going to make it out, or you're going to die. A few aspirin isn't going to do as much as a lot of people seem to think.

+1 for adding Ibuprofen in addition to the Acetaminophen. The two work differently on reducing pain. As long as you stay within the label recommendations of each, you can take them at the same time. The combined pain killing effect is greater than either alone, and in some cases, equals that of low dose opioids.

I found this out about 10 years ago when I had surgery and was in a lot of post-operative pain. Any opioid they gave me provoked severe dizziness and vomiting. I was given them both and it controlled the pain. Other Doctors I'm asked since then confirm that this is an acceptable approach when the pain is not controllable by either alone.

The scenario I'm thinking of is a broken bone and the potential for serious pain. The combo might make the pain bearable. Plus, you don't have to worry about trying to carry around a controlled substance.

Note: always double check with your Doctor or Pharmacist; they may have a different opinion,

Basically I go easy on drugs - I am not into playing doctor. I will pack some baby aspirin, perhaps ibuprofen for personal use.

I carry what is necessary for the most threatening and most likely scenarios: Benadryl and epi-pens for anaphylaxis (My son has a prescription), ibuprofen for inflammation and fever, acetaminophen for fever and pain. I do have some Imodium, but I would hesitate to use it except to just get a person to a place where they can more practically deal with the problem. Imodium does not treat the disease, it only paralyzes the intestinal muscles to prevent evacuation of the bowels. It is best to get it all out and hydrate to actually get better. I guess it depends on how far you have to go to get to treatment. Rice and charcoal (hard wood and small amounts mixed in the rice) are good for getting the patient better if you can't get them out; it helps get rid of the cause, provides nutrition and slows down the bowel movements. When it comes to fever, unless it is higher than 102 (medical professionals weigh in on that number), I would not try to reduce it if you are in a remote location far from treatment, The fever will actually help to kill the infection and is not dangerous unless it gets too high. I know this thread was dealing with OTC meds, but I do carry Cipro as well. I carry it when I travel, and have it for camping and backpacking when I need it. it is good for intestinal infections (not parasites) and other infections. I would hesitate to use it on anyone else unless I felt the risks justified it though. If you have a cooperative doctor and can demonstrate that you are going on some sort of expedition, they can give you prescriptions for these things and instruction on their use.

DF118 Forte (Dihydrocodeine), Tetracycline, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol + Caffeine combo, Benedryl or Zirtek, Malt Whiskey miniature, Aspirin, Oralyte and a small 10ml bottle of Bog Myrtle essential oil.

Some of the above aren't OTC meds though and Immodium isn't carried (better out than in and the Oralyte is used to take care of the loss of fluids, salts etc)

Edit - Forgot about the Dequacaine Lozenges

Not to divert the thread, but here is a link to the Special Operations Medical Handbook on scribd. You will either have to upload a document of pay a small fee for downloading it: Special Operations Medical Handbook

* DayQuil
* Advil
* Extra-Strength Tylenol
* Pepto-Bismol
* Tums
* Benadryl
* Aspirin
* Oral Rehydration Salts

You say that like it's a small thing. Saving heart tissue with $0.02 worth of an OTC drug that also is great for everyday aches and pains, and is essentially weightless? Sounds like a good deal to me.

That combo of ingredients in Excedrin is apparently great for headaches and migraines (and probably other sites of pain). Unfortunately, I get a painful stomach ache whenever I take any aspirin, so I learned long ago that Excedrin is not for me. Pity. So I carry both acetominophen and ibuprophen tablets in one of those little lip balm-sized travel cases with me most of the time.

And in situations where aspirin use would be discouraged, like with a sick child with a fever, a combination medication like Excedrin lacks the flexibility of separate medications. But, as with most things in life, there's always a trade off somewhere in any choice.

I agree, but if you check out lots of these med threads, there seems to be the perception (perhaps just by me?) that everyone thinks a little aspirin is the same as a cath lab. It's not. (disclaimer: I'm kind of in a pissy mood these last few days, so there's a good chance I'm just projecting it)

Enough of my soap box, I'll actually contribute something useful.

Someone mentioned rice water and charcoal for diarrhea. I can't comment on the charcoal, but we use something called Cera-lyte in our aid station for diarrhea. It's rice based, tastes horrible, but helps "plug up" and rehydrate.

Additionally, the US Army has put out a memo that a 20oz Gatorade G2 w/ 1/2 gram of salt mixed in is a good field-expedient version of the latest WHO oral rehydration solution. I'm not 100% positive, but I think the typical "fast food" salt packets are either 0.5 or 1 gram of salt. Might be worth snatching a handful if you're doing some long-term outdoor activities. It would be REALLY nice if G2 came as a powdered solution.

I also would consider some sort of electrolyte/rehydration powder one of those in-between things. Although not a drug, rehydration is one of the most effective things you can do for any number of situations that may afflict someone out on the trail. Even simple things, from a headache due to a bit of dehydration, to a sunburn, to low blood sugar, to a bout of diarrhea, etc. could benefit from effective rehydration (which is not necessarily synonymous with "electrolyte replacement," but few of us truly need that vs needing rehydration)

Aspirin
Motrin
Alcohol wipes in case I even look at poison oak
Hand sanitizer (see above)

It's a day hike, I'm not summiting Everest or going on safari.

My EDC has immodium, pepto chews, tylenol, benadryl, generic cold pills for sinus issues and Pepcid. I call it my 'Urban FAK". Tested after hundreds of rich meals and trips to Vegas. Generally though, I'm handing these out rather than taking myself. I've never taken heartburn med but given out dozens to friends.

I don't actually carry any ointments due to size but I'll consider it after this post.

I don't carry ibuprofen basically because I can't take it realize after typing above that I'm doubling up on the acetaminophen w/ the Tylenol and cold pills. So I'll probably take out the Tylenol and add some Advil.

MDinana...I purchased G02 powder... 1oz, (30g) packet to be mixed with 16.9fl oz water from Sweetbays, a local Florida food chain

mixed a couple of my own home brew Oral Rehydration Salt packets and used the vacuum food sealer (no vacuum) to package

Good to know! I'll keep an eye out next time I go shopping.

MDinana... Sorry, I misread your post.... the packet is G02 not G2 (regular not the low carb)

did a little testing of some of the formulations on the net..the concentrations are pretty close to the Gatorade formulas....you can come up with a DIY version using

sugarless Kool Aid
Mortons lite salt (potassium and sodium chloride)
sugar

most of the recipes are for a 2qt solution...what I use is less than the amounts of solutes in the posted recipes, and "real lemon" concentrate

Advil is a brand name for ibuprofen. If you can't take ibuprofen, you might want to stay away from Advil. . .

IzzyJG99,

Everything goes through the liver. It is all bad for it. It is just a matter of degrees. I prefer ibuprofen over acetaminophen.

^ But ibuprofen is not meant for the head. Some of us can get ridiculous headaches from things like the weather (pressure changes) and in any survival (or other) situation the head has to be straightened out first before anything else.

Let's face it though: if you know this about yourself, you wouldn't be piddling with OTC drugs, there's much better stuff and it's cheap.

Edit: forgot to mention: along with a spare house/car key and my wallet, a little container of Tylenol #1 equivalent is my essential EDC (OK, it does have a few non-OTC items in it if the light OTC dose doesn't work). Not having any of those "urban survival" items when I need them could lead to a very bad day for me.

I carry Benadryl(tm), acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Immodium(tm), and antacid tablets. Covers most of the everyday stuff.

Your wish is my command!
http://www.powdermixdirect.com/G2-Powder-Sticks-p/fcg2000.htm?1=1&CartID=0

This gets more into the realm of food rather than meds, but I always carry a few packets as they weigh very little and work wonders for me. I've been toying with the combination of tanking up with G2 and magnesium/calcium (Rolaids NOT Tums) before the hike and before bedtime to ward off cramping. I have to do some more testing before I adopt this as a practise.

BTW, I was reading an article today that discussed regular dietary electrolytes. Apparently people who take too much sodium but not enough potassium are walking heart attack time bombs. http://www.canada.com/health/High+salt+potassium+early+death+Study/5088674/story.html
Potassium is available in a great many vegetables.

Umm...yeah I know that. As I stated I usually am handing out meds than taking them. Just b/c I don't take Ibu. doesn't mean I shouldn't carry it for someone who can.



Long story short. I don't take Ibu. b/c of my issues with getting Rhabdo through extreme exertion and the damage its done to my kidneys. As an ultra-endurance athlete/triathlete I have to be VERY careful with my kidneys.

Definitely be careful with the Ibuprofen. I was taking 10-12 200mg Ibuprofen tablets a day instead of large amounts of Vicodin. I ended up with multiple kidney stones. I now take it sparingly. It is, however, included in my FAK along with asprin and Tylenol.