Medical supplies we need at home

LOL we can't get cough syrup and codeine tablets here in the U.S. without a docs script. Too many addicts!

I'm probably gonna need some joint supplements - apparently I have moderate cartilage loss in my inner knee joints - at least on the right knee - they told me nothing about my left knee so I'll ask when I see again. I refilled my inhaler, have my epipens, have benadryl, and got more ibuprofen even though it doesn't help with my knee pain (it helps with other pain luckily)

So adding to the list - various supplements (fiber, calcium, magnesium, zinc *those three can also be a combined supplement*, vitamin D)

Piedylte or Gatorade for electrolyte replenishment
Zofran for nausea (rx)
Anti diarreahal medicine (Immodium)

For elderly or people with untreated or treated high blood pressure you should never use ibuprofen it increases blood pressure. Tylenol is the only one you can use or aspirin. Low dose aspirin can also save someone who is having a stroke or heart attack by crushing and putting below tongue. Buys you time til ambulance comes

Mucinex for chest congestion, it's an expectorent. (Generic is guaifenesin - but the Name brand is the only one that lasts 12 hours) Loosens it so you can cough it up.

Cough Suppressant: Dextromethorphan (DM on the bottles) if you don't have high blood pressure. RX cough syrup if you do.

(Typically, cough it up during they day, suppress it at night so you can sleep. If it's a dry cough, suppressant all the time.)

Decongestant for sinus congestion. Type depends on individual tolerance. Pseudophedrine if you can take it (very bad for blood pressure), others if you can't.

Raw Honey. I have asthma and often get bronchitis - and hot (not boiling) water with honey is a lifesaver. Most people recommend adding lemon but it irritates my throat. But I will drink a gallon of hot water with honey a day and get a LOT of relief.

If you have anyone with asthma or COPD in the house - albuterol for the nebulizer. Potentially a back up nebulizer if you only have one.

Vicks sinus inhalers - I just discovered them this winter and they are amazing. They ease sinus pain when I can't take a decongestant. (High blood pressure, so can only take them sparingly)

Benadryl as stated above - an antihistamine that works wonders for: Runny nose due to a cold, allergies, allergic reactions like hives. Only lasts 4 hours. Also works for some as a sleep medicine. Generic has worked fine for me.

Club soda/seltzer water and saltines - my go to stuff when I'm nauseous.

Peppermint essential oil (do NOT diffuse if you have young kids or pets, but you can sniff it from the bottle)

USK mentioned aspirin - you can buy powdered aspirin - just make sure you get the one without the caffeine.

For other first aid needs:
Triple Antibiotic Ointment - I prefer the one that also has pain control
Benadryl Cream - if anyone in the house ever breaks out in hives
Disinfectant: lots of options, iodine wipes are great, can use on pets too.
Bandaids: all of them
Gauze pads
Non stick gauze pads
NuSkin is optional
Butterfly strips to hold wounds together are optional
First aid tape
Bandage self cling wrap - the colored kind they sell for use on pets is usually cheaper.
Burn gel (grabbing a hot pan on the stove - you want to be able to treat it without going to a doctor)
Cortisone cream or spray: calm any itching
Eye wash
Sting relief pads or StingEze


Sourcing: Amazon, CVS.com or drugstore of your choice, https://www.e-firstaidsupplies.com/

I just ordered a bunch from e-firstaidsupplies.com last night, because they had by far the cheapest price on individual packets. I want to be able to hand a few to neighbors if they're in need, and not have to worry about a tube being shared/contaminated. (first aid kit refills if those are what you're interested in)

Other stuff: If anyone has chronic pain, SalonPas pain patches are wonderful, as is Stopain Roll on.

Antacids!!!!!

Oh - lozenges are great to have (I buy the huge bags of Ricola at Sam's Club), but Sucrets or Chloraseptic lozenges should be on hand too, for painful sore throats.

Sinus saline spray

And, I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, Boost Oxygen. An over the counter way to raise your O2 levels at least a little bit. When I had bronchitis and an asthma flareup, a large can lasted maybe a week? With something like this I would hit it hard and often, so I'd do a few large cans per person. (Online from swansons health with a coupon, or in person at big 5 with a coupon)

Last first aid note: If you have dogs and cats - trim their nails! You don't want a bad scratch while you're SIP.

Anyone getting Boost Oxygen?

It says 200 - 1 second "shots". So I think you press it 1 second and breath. I have a couple of them I have had pneumonia twice so I have a couple of them just in case. Thinking of getting a couple more.   

I have some boost o2. But I don't think it will do much good for pneumonia. Would be better to get an oxygen concentrator. People with pneumonia need oxygen by liter per minute. A few puffs here and there won't come anywhere near being sufficient.

I used boost at high altitude a while back and the can still has o2 in it. I checked.

1 thing I found in my first aid supplies that I didn't know I had, smelling salts.

Probably time to find where I stashed my first aid books and get them in a central location.

Wrist and ankle and knee supports, or Ace bandages, all might come in handy. and those little finger cut things that you can slip over your finger if you have a cut are useful too.

Q10 is such a good compliment for statins, Germany has it available on perscription as an adjuvant.

Usk wrote: For elderly or people with untreated or treated high blood pressure you should never use ibuprofen it increases blood pressure. Tylenol is the only one you can use or aspirin. Low dose aspirin can also save someone who is having a stroke or heart attack by crushing and putting below tongue. Buys you time til ambulance comes

Ibuprophen won't impact BP, but if anyone is on blood thinners, use it sparingly. Ibuprophen will thin blood further. Same as aspirin. I know aspirin can buy some time during a heart attack, but I don't know about stroke. Could you provide a link to that information? No worries if you can't. I'm good at doing my own research

KiwiMum wrote: Penham wrote: Benadryl, EpiPen, inhalers, tylenol  Is the epipen for people with allergies? Or does it have some other use? And same question for the inhalers? Benadryl is a cold and flu med I think. Tylenol a pain killer available over the counter. I'm hoping the ibuprofen would do the same job.

The Epipen is for severe allergies, but it can also be used in the case someone is having breathing problems. Inhalers are the same for asthma, but can be used for bronchitis, pneumonia, etc, which are usually secondary issues with flu like illness. The Benadryl can be used for allergies, as in itching and is an antihistamine, dries up runny noses etc.

They still work, even when expired. 

Aspirin Taken Right After a Stroke May Prevent a Second One

By Andrea M. Braslavsky

une 1, 2000 -- Chalk another one up for aspirin: Researchers have concluded that giving aspirin to stroke victims as soon as they arrive at the hospital reduces their risk of having a second stroke.

In the first few days after having a stroke, patients are at high risk of having another one, says Richard Peto, a professor at Oxford University and co-author of an analysis published in the journal Stroke. "We found that aspirin didn't do very much for repairing the damage done already by the initial stroke, but ... it reduced the likelihood of having another stroke in the hospital," he tells WebMD.

I did. Maybe not enough or again maybe not needed. Only 3 canisters. I work in public safety and have children and step children ranging from 46 to 12. My youngest is the 12 year old and I have a 1 year old granddaughter, and 2 in their 20's. Nobody is doing anything but me. I have spent so much money in the last few weeks. Its things I can cycle out later . When my husband finds out! I was a member here earlier and I think my name was grits. I had trouble logging in a few ago and re-registered. I welcome any advice and thoughts. I just want to do the best for my family and friends that are not worried. Seeing pictures or Italy and shelves with nothing there.

CST wrote: I did. Maybe not enough or again maybe not needed. Only 3 canisters. I work in public safety and have children and step children ranging from 46 to 12. My youngest is the 12 year old and I have a 1 year old granddaughter, and 2 in their 20's. Nobody is doing anything but me. I have spent so much money in the last few weeks. Its things I can cycle out later . When my husband finds out! I was a member here earlier and I think my name was grits. I had trouble logging in a few ago and re-registered. I welcome any advice and thoughts. I just want to do the best for my family and friends that are not worried. Seeing pictures or Italy and shelves with nothing there.

One other consideration when stockpiling meds - make sure they’re ones that you know are safe for whoever might need them. Naproxen has already been mentioned, and one of the side effects is water retention. I was prescribed it a few years ago, and one dose shut my kidneys down - fortunately it’s temporary, but I didn’t pee for almost a day and a half.