Survival Medication Options: Stockpiling, Utilizing and Sustaining a Medication Cupboard

Disclaimer: This can be a common overview and never an in depth checklist on medicines to be stockpiled for an emergency. Seek the advice of your doctor about private suggestions which will fluctuate because of age, pre current situations, potential conflicts with different medicines it’s possible you’ll be utilizing, allergy symptoms, and different issues.

For years, preparedness methods have emphasised the significance of getting pure treatments in your medical storage, just because catastrophe occasions could go away you with out the medicines so broadly obtainable as we speak. Antibiotics and different prescription medicines must also be accrued however are more durable to acquire in amount. That leaves the medicine that would be the cornerstone of your survival medication cupboard: over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.

OTC medicines are medicine that cope with all kinds of frequent medical points. They’re vital to offer reduction from ache associated to accidents, signs of respiratory and intestinal infections, allergy symptoms, and different points. Many OTC medicine had been as soon as obtainable solely by prescription however are actually obtainable to be used by most of the people. They signify a particular alternative for the ready citizen to have a stockpile of vital therapies for varied issues.

Survival Medication Options

Given the complexity of producing prescribed drugs, these medicine will likely be practically inconceivable to provide after a collapse. Even aspirin, the oldest manufactured drug, gained’t be obtainable (at the very least not in a type you’ll acknowledge). Which medicines are sensible (and inexpensive) to build up for potential catastrophe settings? Right here’s a partial checklist of an important, with a short description and dosing suggestions. Be aware that the generic identify is used first, with U.S. model names following in parentheses.

Above: Each household medic wants a survival medication cupboard.

Acetaminophen 325 mg (Tylenol)

A well-liked ache reliever and fever reducer. Though it’s not used as an anti-inflammatory, this drug is great for remedy of ache and fevers and, in decrease doses, fashionable for youngsters. Tylenol is available in common (325 mg) and further power (650 mg); adults take one to 2 each 4 hours.

Ibuprofen 200 mg (Motrin, Advil)

A well-liked ache reliever, anti-inflammatory, and fever reducer. This medicine is helpful for a lot of totally different issues, which makes it particularly helpful as a stockpile merchandise. It may ease ache from strains, sprains, arthritis, and traumatic damage. As properly, it will possibly assist cut back irritation within the injured space. Ibuprofen can be helpful in lowering fevers from infections. The draw back to ibuprofen is that it will possibly trigger abdomen upset and is dangerous in these with kidney and liver illness. Ibuprofen 200 mg can be utilized one or two each 4 hours, three each six hours, or 4 each eight hours (most 3,200 mg per 24 hours).

(An apart: Sufferers with warmth stroke obtain little profit from efforts to scale back their physique core temperature with ibuprofen or acetaminophen; these medicine work finest when the fever is attributable to an an infection, and don’t appear to work as properly when an infection isn’t concerned, akin to in warmth stroke.)

Aspirin, 325 mg

If you have already got ibuprofen and acetaminophen in your medical storage, why contemplate aspirin? Aspirin has been round because the late nineteenth century as a ache reliever, fever reducer, and anti inflammatory. It has anti-coagulant (blood thinning) properties as properly. Aspirin can be helpful to deal with older of us with coronary artery illness and a historical past of coronary heart assault or stroke. If you happen to suspect somebody is at the moment having a coronary heart assault, have them chew a complete grownup aspirin instantly. It’s fascinating to notice that the energetic ingredient in aspirin may also be obtained by chewing on a lower strip or a tea product of the underbark of a willow, aspen, or poplar tree. Take two grownup aspirin (325 mg) for ache, fever, and irritation as much as each 4 hours. One child aspirin (81 mg) every day is used with coronary artery illness and as an anticoagulant. In survival settings, increased doses could also be applicable to interchange stronger blood-thinning medicine like Coumadin (warfarin), however the quantity wanted hasn’t been totally researched. Look ahead to abdomen upset and watch out in these with kidney and liver illness.

Loperamide (Imodium) 2 mg

There’s a excessive chance of meals and water contamination points within the aftermath of a catastrophe, so this medicine is crucial as an anti-diarrheal. By slowing intestinal motility, it helps forestall water loss and, thus, dehydration. Dehydration because of diarrheal illness killed extra troopers within the Civil Struggle than bullets or shrapnel. The same old dose is 4 mg (two tablets) after the primary unfastened bowel motion, and a pair of mg (one pill) after every subsequent unfastened bowel motion. Not more than 8 mg (4 tablets) needs to be taken in any 24-hour interval. As well as, contemplate stocking some rehydration salts, a significant mixture of electrolytes added to water to revive stability.

Pepto-Bismol (Bismuth sub-salicylate) 262 mg

This versatile OTC drug can deal with various issues, together with heartburn, indigestion, nausea, fuel, and diarrhea. It’s thought of the drug of selection for traveler’s diarrhea. Remember that it turns bowel actions a black coloration. It is available in common and further power. Dosing could fluctuate, however 524 mg (two regular-strength tablets) orally each 30 to 60 minutes is usually beneficial. Use not more than eight doses of normal Pepto-Bismol in 24 hours. Whole remedy ought to final not more than two days.

Above: Pepto will even work for traveler’s diarrhea.

Laxatives/Stool Softeners

Many lengthy shelf-life meals are binding and trigger constipation. Subsequently, stool softeners and laxatives could also be useful additions to medical storage. There are lots of differing types that work in numerous methods to assist evacuation. Laxatives and stool softeners aren’t precisely the identical factor, nevertheless. A laxative is a substance that helps you’ve got a bowel motion. Stool softeners like docusate (Colace, Senokot) moist and soften the stool. All stool softeners have a laxative impact, however not all laxatives soften the stool. Mineral oil, bisacodyl (Dulcolax), and glycerin are examples of the latter. Most of those medicines are meant for short-term use and solely when vital.

Above: Gastrointestinal meds.

Meclizine 12.5, 25, 50 mg (Bonine, Antivert)

With diarrheal illness, you typically have nausea and vomiting, so that you’ll need to have meclizine available. It’s a medicine that helps forestall nausea and vomiting. A typical choice to forestall movement illness, meclizine helps with dizziness and tends to behave as a sedative as properly. As such, it might have makes use of as a sleep assist or anti-anxiety medicine. Take one 25 mg pill an hour earlier than boarding, or 50-100 mg every day in divided doses for dizziness, anxiousness, or sleep.

Omeprazole 20-40 mg (Prilosec) or different antacids

In a state of affairs the place we eat meals to which we’re not accustomed, points with abdomen acid can come up. Antacids will calm heartburn, queasiness, and abdomen upset. Dosing could fluctuate, however 20 mg of omeprazole as soon as a day earlier than a meal is an efficient begin. Various viable alternate options can be found like cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), and others. If in case you have already stocked ranitidine (Zantac), remember that older variations have been discovered to trigger sure cancers. The present model, nevertheless, is identical as Pepcid. Calcium carbonate (Tums) or magnesium sulfate (Maalox) are additionally nice to stockpile of their strong varieties. Rolaids is an OTC that mixes each calcium and magnesium. These medicines are helpful for acid reflux disease and ulcer illness.

Pseudoephedrine 30 mg, 60 mg (Sudafed)

Pseudoephedrine is used to deal with nasal or sinus congestion attributable to respiratory allergy symptoms and infections. It’s additionally used to alleviate ear congestion attributable to otitis media and different ear irritation. Take as much as 60 mg each 4 to 6 hours. Sudafed has been used within the manufacturing of methamphetamine, so that you normally need to ask the pharmacist for it. Pseudoephedrine can be present in various anti-allergy meds which include it together with different substances. These could add the suffix “-D” to the model, akin to Claritin-D, Zyrtec-D, and Mucinex-D.

Above: Meds to ease respiratory signs and allergy symptoms will enhance work effectivity.

Diphenhydramine 25 mg, 50 mg (Benadryl)

An antihistamine that helps alleviate the itching, rashes, nasal congestion, and different signs of allergic reactions. It additionally helps dry the nasal passages however may additionally trigger dehydration in some. On the increased 50 mg dose, it makes an efficient sleep assist. Use 25 mg each six hours for gentle reactions, 50 mg each six hours for extreme reactions or sleep.

Above: Meds to cope with respiratory signs will assist.

Antibiotic Ointment (Neosporin, Bacitracin, Bactroban)

In conditions the place we’re left to fend for ourselves, we’ll be chopping wooden and performing all kinds of duties that may expose us to threat of damage. When these accidents break the pores and skin, it places us in peril of infections which can trigger severe sickness. Antibiotic ointments are utilized on the web site of damage to forestall this from occurring. It needs to be famous that triple antibiotic ointment gained’t treatment a deep an infection; you would want oral or IV antibiotics for that, however utilizing the ointment instantly after an damage gives you an excellent likelihood at stopping it. Apply three to 4 instances a day.

Above: Rashes and different pores and skin points will likely be commonplace.

Hydrocortisone cream (1%)

Hydrocortisone cream is a gentle steroid used to deal with varied varieties of pores and skin irritation, like circumstances of dermatitis that trigger redness, flakiness, itching, and thickening of the pores and skin. Its versatility makes it an excellent different for allergic dermatitis, eczema, diaper rash, and many others. Apply three to 4 instances a day to affected space.

Clotrimazole, Miconazole cream/powder (Lotrimin, Monistat) (1-2%)

Infections could be bacterial, however they may also be attributable to fungus. Widespread examples of this is able to be athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), vaginal infections (monilia), ringworm, and jock itch (tinea cruris). Clotrimazole and Miconazole are examples of anti-fungal medicines that may be helpful to deal with these situations, which will likely be simply as frequent off the grid as they’re now, if no more. Apply twice a day for exterior infections. Though most anti-fungal vaginal lotions are utilized internally as soon as every day, remember to use as directed on the packaging, as they might come in numerous strengths. In some, the entire remedy course is over in someday; in others, three days or every week.

Multivitamins

In survival settings, the shortage of entry to an excellent number of meals could result in dietary deficiencies, not simply in energy however in nutritional vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C deficiency, for instance, results in scurvy. To stop these points, it’s best to have loads of multivitamins in your medical storage. Regardless of suggestion on the bottle, you gained’t need to take these every day; many multivitamins provide you with greater than you want if taken every day, and also you’ll simply excrete what your physique can’t soak up.

Above: Nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements can keep away from deficiencies.

[NOTE: The paragraph below contains information regarding veterinary antibiotics and the titles of my books that contain information about them for survival purposes.]

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are usually prescribed drugs in the US, however sure veterinary equivalents used within the aquarium and avian pet trades could also be choices for long-term survival eventualities solely. For extra data, contemplate a replica of The Survival Medication Handbook: The Important Information For When Assist Is Not On The Means (4th Version) or Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Illness: The Layman’s Information. Remember that antibiotics solely deal with bacterial illness; they’ve little or no impact on viral diseases.

Above: Preserve quite a lot of antibiotics in storage.

The excellent news is which you could most likely get hold of a big quantity of the entire above medicine for an inexpensive amount of cash. To retain full efficiency, these medicines needs to be obtained in capsule or capsule type; keep away from the liquid variations of any of those medicines if in any respect potential.

When storing, do not forget that medicines needs to be saved in cool, dry, darkish locations straightforward to entry however away from youngsters. A drugs saved at 90 levels will lose efficiency a lot sooner than one saved at 50 levels.

Insulin Storage Suggestions

Entry to insulin is crucial for Kind I diabetics. Primary types of insulin (NPH, common) can be found in lots of states with out a prescription. Insulin is finest refrigerated (36 levels F to 46 levels F), however not frozen. Sealed vials normally are good for a 12 months.

Above: Unopened insulin lasts a 12 months. Opened lasts 28 days.

Be aware: For the least discomfort, refrigerated insulin needs to be warmed after dosing however earlier than injecting.

If refrigeration isn’t an choice, maintain insulin vials between 59 levels F to 86 levels F. These will final about 28 days with out dropping efficiency.

Different suggestions to assist insulin last more:

• Use an insulated container to maintain insulin cool if touring.
• Preserve insulin away from heating sources (however don’t let it freeze).
• Retailer insulin away from daylight.
• Label the vial with the date you first opened it and the date 28 days afterward (when it loses efficiency).
• Monitor your provide carefully. If you happen to use greater than 33 models a day, a 1,000-unit vial will final lower than 30 days.
• All the time maintain additional vials of insulin within the fridge.

As well as, your medical storage ought to embrace OTC provides apart from medicines. A very good number of bandages and dressings are essential to cope with wounds and orthopedic accidents. Antiseptics akin to povidone-iodine answer (Betadine), chlorhexidine (Hibiclens), Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK), and isopropyl alcohol will assist forestall infections and save lives.

Above: A wide range of non-drug provides can be important.

Over-the-counter medicine are simply one other weapon within the survival medication cupboard; accumulate them in addition to prescribed drugs for continual diseases and different issues. Overview medical histories with group members to get an thought of what may be essential to maintain them wholesome. Pure alternate options are additionally vital, akin to aloe gel for burns. Actually, you’ll finally run out of the commercially made merchandise. Provides to deal with bleeding wounds or different trauma are additionally crucial to have obtainable. With an excellent stockpile, you’ll have all the things it’s good to maintain it collectively health-wise, even when all the things else falls aside.

In regards to the Writer

Joe Alton MD, FACOG, FACS is an actively licensed doctor and surgeon, medical preparedness advocate, and New York Occasions/Amazon bestselling creator on medical matters associated to austere settings. He’s a member of the Wilderness Medical Society and an authorized Superior Wilderness Expedition Supplier. His Survival Medication Handbook (4th Version) gained first place within the 2022 Ebook Excellence Awards in medication, and his e-book Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Illness gained the identical award in 2020. His survival medication web site at doomandbloom.web has over 1200 articles, podcasts, and movies.

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Written by Joe Alton MD, FACOG, FACS