Cheap medicines you should all have

[ParamedicPrepper]

I am currently a paramedic and previous to that I was a Pharmacy Technician so it is fair to say i know my medicines!

The medicines I am going to list are all available from your local pharmacy or supermarket. They are very effective if used in the right way.

Firstly the biggest problem I have is around cost of drugs. Paracetamol and ibuprofen together make for awesome pain relief. A box of each would cost less than a pound and last several days. You can buy the same drugs in brand form such as panadol and nurofen. They work no better than the generic drugs but cost 3 to 4 times the amount. They work no different whether branded or not.

Pain

Paracetamol - temperature and pain - 30p for 16 tablets. The adult dose is 2 tabs not 1! 1 will not work.
Brands: panadol, anadin

Ibuprofen - temperature, pain and swelling. 40p for 16. Take with food or they can cause stomach upset when taken for a long time.
Brands: nurofen

Co-codamol 8/500mg - moderate to severe pain. 80p for 32. This is a pharmacy only drug, but can be bought from a pharmacy without a prescription.

Gastro

Loperamide - anti diarrhoea - £2 for 12 capsules. Great for preventing dehydration
Brands: immodium

Oral salts - rehydration - £2 for 6 sachets. Contain just the right amount of salts to rehydrate
Brands: dioralyte

Ranitidine - heartburn - £1.50 for 12. Great for heartburn and bloating
Brands: zantac

Buscopan - anti spasmodic - £3 to £5. Great for diarrhoea cramps

Allergy

Loratadine - hayfever/allergy - 1.50 for 30
Brands: clarityn

Chlorphenamine - allergy - 2.00 for 20. Pharmacy only drug
Brands: piriton

Theres plenty more but a few of the basics that you can stock up on cheap in comparison to the brand prices. Always follow the directions on the pack and do not mix products containing paracetamol obviously!

[Deeps]

Thanks for posting the info, 1 question I've wondered about from time to time, the adult dose of 2 paracetamol/brufen, does it matter what size you are ? There's a big difference between 8 and 18 stone, do us 'larger framed types' need the same as the ickle ones ? Some things I get but for things like swelling etc....does it make a difference. Just picking your brain, I hope you don't mind.

[ParamedicPrepper]

Thanks for posting the info, 1 question I've wondered about from time to time, the adult dose of 2 paracetamol/brufen, does it matter what size you are ? There's a big difference between 8 and 18 stone, do us 'larger framed types' need the same as the ickle ones ? Some things I get but for things like swelling etc....does it make a difference. Just picking your brain, I hope you don't mind.

To be fair, in the grand scheme of things it does not make much difference. Paracetamol, if used regularly should take into account weights under 50kg and use half the adult dose. Children is very weight specific that is why doses were changed several years back to take into account different weights.

1gram is the standard and should work for someone weighing 60kg to someone 100kg.

The same for ibuprofen. The packets say max 400mg every 6 hours. The British National Formulary states 2400mg is the max in 24 hours for an adult. That means 600mg every 6 hours. Not that i am offering this as advice as you should always follow the pack but you get my drift.

Overall the standard doses work for everyone.

In hospitals the spotlight is put on the smaller people so they are not overdosed and everyone else has the standard dose and I have never seen a problem.

Hope that helps

[Arzosah]

Surely no prepper would buy branded ibuprofen etc, they're massively more expensive than your quoted prices, which are what I *would* expect to pay - paracetemol for 30p for 16, etc?

[ParamedicPrepper]

Surely no prepper would buy branded ibuprofen etc, they're massively more expensive than your quoted prices, which are what I *would* expect to pay - paracetemol for 30p for 16, etc?

I would hope so to. But people do get drawn into branding and it is a bug bear to see people waste money on meds that work no differently!

[Deeps]

Thanks PP, aye, its confirmed what I suspected, I generally don't take them but I do have an arthritic elbow from time to time (well its arthritic all the time but not always a problem ) so I sometimes fire into them. More curiosity and thanks for getting back to me.

[AlwaysPrepping]

Hey,

Firstly that is a brilliant post you have put up, and secondly i am on a repeat prescription for lansoprazole, is there any non prescription medicine that you know of that could replace this in a time of need.

Thanks.

[Decaff]

Co codamol for 80p??? Where from please as I've never paid less than upwards of £1.50 for mine, feeling robbed now

[ParamedicPrepper]

Hey,

Firstly that is a brilliant post you have put up, and secondly i am on a repeat prescription for lansoprazole, is there any non prescription medicine that you know of that could replace this in a time of need.

Thanks.

Thanks and yes there is. Ranitidine or brand name zantac is the cheaper option at around 1.50 for 12. Or a new over the counter is nexium. Which is in the same drug group known as proton pump inhibitors and comes at about 5 pound for 7 tabs.

Co codamol for 80p??? Where from please as I've never paid less than upwards of £1.50 for mine, feeling robbed now

80p when i was in pharmacy 3 years ago but pharmacy first an online pharmacy is the cheapest I have found drugs and used their online shop for sometime. 32 co-codamol for 0.99p

Prices i put were rough from what i could remember from 3 years ago

[unsure]

ranatidene [sp] i get from asda pound for 12 but they are 75mg . i`m currently on 300mg a day .
neurofen , again asda pound for 8 .
these are not offers but the normal every day price .