Medicines kit

[dfcatch]

or not fussy :shock:

Ouch! ...

 

[Foreigner]

My kit always includes plenty of condoms. One for each day I am away, and a spare just in case.

A flash light would be handy as well, just in case you dropped those.

 

[richie9x]

I can't really see the point of taking a whole lot of medicines that you probably won't need, unless you are going to a remote place where they are very difficult to get. Of course if you are on a prescription take those and enough enough supply for your trip. If you have a reoccurring condition then take with you the medicine that works best for you.

Personally I have never taken any medicines with me. The few times I have fallen sick overseas I have just seen a doctor or pharmacist and got the medicine there. Most international hotels have the details of english speaking ones.

When i was in China I caught a bad cough. Some of my colleagues there offered me a whole lot of local remedies - antelope water, dandelion tea and this thick black tar like cough syrup. None of those worked so I went to the doctor and got a guaifenesin based cough syrup. It is good if you know the generic or scientific names for medicines rather than the common brand names,

 

[albatross710]

I can't really see the point of taking a whole lot of medicines that you probably won't need.

OK I understand your view but in my experience I now carry a small lunchbox sized kit that just lives in my travel bag. For me it is about the time it takes to go off and find that doctor. Usually my travels have appointments all day and/or my flight connections go straight through. I'm not expecting to treat a broken leg but just those niggling issues that can be resolved easily when I have 'choices' in my bag.

Incidentally in 5 years I've never been questioned on the contents by customs.

 

[casanovawa]

My worse experience, and one or two others i have seen, you feel that sick and nauseous, that you don't even feel like getting off the bed let alone trotting out to find a doctor or medical centre... In Singapore my 'friend' did go out touring to all sorts of places while i was lying in the foetal position on the bed, i eventually dragged myself to a clinic across the road and got given panadol and charcoal tablets that reallllly helped!!!

And its great if your with friends but if travelling on your own you can really be in strife in terms of getting water and fluids etc plus i stay at hostels more than hotels so not sure if a doctor makes house calls to them... If you have something that can at least dull the nausea, pain and maybe stop things coming out both ends your in a much better state to then go looking for help...

And if you end up having to call doctors etc overseas i imagine the cost will be quite high and often there is some excess in your travel insurance, to me it makes much more sense to just spend $50 on a few different medicines that you can then keep around the place for normal times and can keep in your travel kit for several years and many trips...

Pretty cheap insurance to not screw up a $3000-5000 holiday in my books...

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Drugs often have different names in other countries and too many various drugs carried by a pax can cause consternation
with customs.However it can be also be difficult to purchase many of the products you are familiar with particularly in Asia.

If you do wish to carry drugs, and as mentioned in earlier posts, the policy within the pharmac_ profession is to advise that the drugs are in their
original packaging, labelled with your name and accompanied by a script and only in a quantity that is relevant to your time away.
In other words it would not be logical to take 100 Endone with you on a weekend get-a-way to Indonesia.

 

[The Rok]

Only thing I ever carry really are inhaler for asthma, nasal spray for sinuses and Nurofen Plus for everything else.

 

[JohnK]

I generally take have a supply of the following with me when I am overseas.

- Paracetamol (sometimes with codeine, and yes I know)
- Naprosyn SR 1000mg
- Anti-biotics (some form of Amoxycillin)
- Anti-virals
- Mylanta or QuickEze rolltabs
- Phenergan
- Pantoprazole
- Lasix (more so in extremely humid climates)
- Xanax (or Valium)
- Dulcolax
- Imodium

Some are prescription medications from Australia, some over the counter medications from Australia and some I purchase overseas, such as Amoxycillin, if they are cheaper or do not require prescription.

 

[Foreigner]

I generally take have a supply of the following with me when I am overseas.

- Paracetamol (sometimes with codeine, and yes I know)
- Naprosyn SR 1000mg
- Anti-biotics (some form of Amoxycillin)
- Anti-virals
- Mylanta or QuickEze rolltabs
- Phenergan
- Pantoprazole
- Lasix (more so in extremely humid climates)
- Xanax (or Valium)
- Dulcolax
- Imodium

Some are prescription medications from Australia, some over the counter medications from Australia and some I purchase overseas, such as Amoxycillin, if they are cheaper or do not require prescription.

I'll be keeping a kit, whether travelling domestic or overseas.

 

[cove]

Wow JohnK if you took a lot of those you could rattle when you walk those golf courses.

 

[JohnK]

Wow JohnK if you took a lot of those you could rattle when you walk those golf courses.

Hahaha. Some I take regularly and some I take not so regularly

One needs to be prepared especially after drinking 3-4 litres of fluids on a hot day and not able to go to the toilet naturally.

 

[maninblack]

Hahaha. Some I take regularly and some I take not so regularly

One needs to be prepared especially after drinking 3-4 litres of fluids on a hot day and not able to go to the toilet naturally.

John K, I think you have a very well considered kit but this may be getting into the 'too much information' category

 

[yo yo ma]

Its worth mentioning that some over the counter drugs may be banned overseas, for instance in the UAE codeine, amphetamines, methadone, robitussin, valium, xanax, Actifed compound linctus, tamiflu, reductil, Ritalin...

Correct about some medications having restrictions overseas but most of these listed are not OTC drugs. All require a prescription except codeine in low dose combination products (Panadeine) and cough elixir - Robitussin and Actifed. Good point about keeping your prescriptions.

 

[JohnK]

John K, I think you have a very well considered kit but this may be getting into the 'too much information' category

Fluid retention? Bloating? Doesn't that happen to everyone in the warmer climates?

 

[aussiejohn]

With a bit of luck you might be able to get most things overseas - in all but the remotest areas.

However if you only need something simple like a strong pain killer, well in a lot of places that is not easy.

I was in Kuala Lumpur a couple of years ago and after flying cramped up in cattle class on Air Asia X, I was in agony with my neck and an excruciating headache. One time when I really needed my super strong prescription painkillers, which I didn't take as I was only going to be away for about 10 days. I usually only have a few Panadol in my travel kit for minor emergencies like headaches and sore throats etc.

Went off to see Watson's (the Asian chemist chain) and ask what was the strongest painkiller they could sell me. Turned out to be Panadeine which don't work for me, but anything is better than nothing. To get a single strip of 10 tablets, not a box, I had to sign a poisons register type thing, have my passport photocopied, give the address of the hotel I was staying, and jump through a few other hoops.

Since then, I've had back problems, and the Physio I was seeing has told me that Panadol is the best thing. I pooh poohed that as they never work for me with the pain I get. However he told me that if you take them religiously every 4 hours (max 8 a day) for a few days, they will work better than anything else with no side effects - and you can usually travel with them without too many problems - or buy paracetamol more easily OS - remembering of course that it's called acetaminophen in the US and Canada! I got stuck many years ago so now I know!

 

[christinam]

Valium (sleep on the flight and when I arrive), antibiotics (non-penicillin ones, can be hard to get in some countries), cold and flu (hard to get in the US), strong pain kilers (panadeine forte or one of those family), voltaren forte, ural, fiber supplements, throat lozenges, pawpaw ointments (or 8 hour cream - for dry lips / elbows etc)....haven't taken Vicks before, but will add it to the bag!

My medicine bag is quite large - the size of a regular sponge bag so I take it in my big case. I take at least one sheet of every medication in a smaller medicine kit I have for my carry-on bag.

I got caught once with no antibiotics in London and had to call out a locum doctor at 2am when I came down with tonsillitis. Was a very expensive exercise for my company, as it was a work trip so they had to foot the bill.

Some countries are very easy to buy medication in (Thailand, Mexico - no script needed, just ask for what you want....even 10mg Valium just sold over the counter!) but there is nothing worse than being caught without something you need when you are sick.

I used to take a doctor's letter, but have got slack in recent years. Anybody who checks my bag will think I am the biggest hypochondriac walking the planet!

 

[baggers89]

Panadol
Telfast
Eye drops
Kwells (usually I don't need them, but if theres a big storm...)
Stingose
Strepsils

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Valium (sleep on the flight and when I arrive), antibiotics (non-penicillin ones, can be hard to get in some countries), cold and flu (hard to get in the US), strong pain kilers (panadeine forte or one of those family), voltaren forte, ural, fiber supplements, throat lozenges, pawpaw ointments (or 8 hour cream - for dry lips / elbows etc)....haven't taken Vicks before, but will add it to the bag!

My medicine bag is quite large - the size of a regular sponge bag so I take it in my big case. I take at least one sheet of every medication in a smaller medicine kit I have for my carry-on bag.

I got caught once with no antibiotics in London and had to call out a locum doctor at 2am when I came down with tonsillitis. Was a very expensive exercise for my company, as it was a work trip so they had to foot the bill.

Some countries are very easy to buy medication in (Thailand, Mexico - no script needed, just ask for what you want....even 10mg Valium just sold over the counter!) but there is nothing worse than being caught without something you need when you are sick.

.

Before buying drugs over the counter in Asia, South America, India, Africa and etc google "Fake Drugs" It is a multi million dollar business. I once needed medication in Thailand - was offered the "Local Product" for about $A2 for a box of 25, or the
"Imported" product at $5 each. Both in a similar package. The expensive product claimed to be made in Germany - the
local version had no place of manufacture.

 

[Foreigner]

I've added Diprosone to my kit following trip this week, where one arm had rashes for unknown reasons. After 3 applications, symptoms gone.

 

[albatross710]

Earlier in this thread I mentioned the Travel Doctor's kit. We were travelling as a family of four at Christmas and took our original kit with us. As it turned out we traveled from Cambodia to Vietnam on Christmas eve. 3:30am on Christmas morning one of the teenagers was vomiting with diarrhea from some dodgy airport food the previous afternoon. We were able to use the Norfloxacin and Gastrostop to start getting things under control.

While it can be extreme to carry some of these things, Christmas day was tamer than expected but we weren't running around DaNang on Christmas Day trying to find a doctor and medicines. Drs and medicines would certainly be available it's just not a good way to spend Christmas Day.

While I've got the kit out here are a few of the other items onboard when we travel:

Loperamide
Tinidazole
Buscopan
Stemil Tablets
Roxithromycin
Paracetamol
Avomine
Soframycin
Docusate
Dressings and Bandages

Alby