You're a star, Dr Apocalypse, thank you! I find first aid and appropriate medical care at home fascinating, so the depth and breadth of your answers is much appreciated.
Thank you also for suggesting the shift to Medical And Healthcare, and to the mods for doing it.
I've copied and pasted to my own computer, will read and digest.
Ask Dr Apocalypse
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
I'd always read 300mg which is the type I stock. But you definitely can give them a couple of pills to munch at that dose?DrApocalypse wrote: In a situation where there is help available it is a good medication to give immediately but this is obviously not enough by itself and they need hospitalisation if at all possible. If the S has truly hit the F and NO HELP is coming then get them to munch 300 or 600mg aspirin.
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
Wow!! So much information I love it!!
Also loving the name
Welcome to the forum
Also loving the name
Welcome to the forum
Behind every great man is an even greater woman. She carried you, raised you and made you who you are.
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
Welcome to the forum and thanks for the extremely useful info already!
Website: http://www.whenthefiresburn.co.uk
Twitter: @whenfires
Disclaimer: May contain Amazon affiliate links harmful to wealth
Twitter: @whenfires
Disclaimer: May contain Amazon affiliate links harmful to wealth
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
I was wondering if it might be a good idea to carry a couple of aspirin in my coat pocket. I have a first aid kit in my rucksack but sometimes that's under my desk when I go out at lunchtime. You never know when you might come across someone in difficulty.
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
Some really useful info in there... many thanks indeed... and welcome! 
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
Welcome! (I feel like a newbie myself still so feel a bit cheeky saying that!)
Great info - thank you.
My only observation is around your point that having domestic antiobiotics is potentially counter-productive and even harmful. I have a slightly different view in that if I'm in a situation where I am having to self-adminster powerful drugs to either myself or my family then things must already be pretty bleak and I am desperate and medically alone.
I would far rather have something to try than nothing. Hope is perhaps the most powerful drug of all.
I therefore, probably recklessly in your view, have a large supply of medicines to treat all sorts of things. In this context around infections, I have supplies that cover both bacterial and fungal infections, in the eyes, skin, toes, lungs, genitals, ears, etc. Most are strong generic versions of the standard flavours of antiobiotics. I have well researched, printed instructions, and experience of adminstering most of them under prescription at some stage in my life.
The risks for me feel relatively low, and as a last resort, when desperate, feels like an acceptable risk to take.
Clearly neither right nor wrong, just an opinion...
Great info - thank you.
My only observation is around your point that having domestic antiobiotics is potentially counter-productive and even harmful. I have a slightly different view in that if I'm in a situation where I am having to self-adminster powerful drugs to either myself or my family then things must already be pretty bleak and I am desperate and medically alone.
I would far rather have something to try than nothing. Hope is perhaps the most powerful drug of all.
I therefore, probably recklessly in your view, have a large supply of medicines to treat all sorts of things. In this context around infections, I have supplies that cover both bacterial and fungal infections, in the eyes, skin, toes, lungs, genitals, ears, etc. Most are strong generic versions of the standard flavours of antiobiotics. I have well researched, printed instructions, and experience of adminstering most of them under prescription at some stage in my life.
The risks for me feel relatively low, and as a last resort, when desperate, feels like an acceptable risk to take.
Clearly neither right nor wrong, just an opinion...
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
Welcome. Thanks for all the great info!
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DrApocalypse
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- Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2015 10:21 pm
Re: Ask Dr Apocalypse
Hi all,
That's my pleasure. Briefly touching back on the aspirin question, as with all drugs it's a balance of risk and benefit. The benefits in modern society of aspirin in suspected heart attack are that it might buy you extra time to save the threatened heart muscle through the mechanisms I descibe above and we give 300mg in that circumstance. The risks are pretty minimal with a one off dose but are essentially around an increased tendency to bleeding because clotting is slightly impaired.
In a SHTF scenario the risks of a one off dose of aspirin are even more outweighed by the benefits because you won't have much else to offer in the event of total social collapse. 600mg as a one off dose for most beople will be appropriate in this situation (allergy and underlying medical conditions notwithstanding).
Long term use of aspirin is associated with bleeding problems, and stomach ulcers as the aspirin impairs the protective mechanisms in the lining of the stomach. Generally you should never give aspirin to someone under 18 or so as young people can get a serious complication called Reye's Syndrome which can cause serious damage to liver, brain and other organs. It's rare but it occasionally happens.
OKay, now back to the antibiotic issue!
Yes I totally understand the argument about being in the disaster situation and that it is better to have than not to. It is also true that, in that situaton, the relative risk of taking the antibiotic (whether or not they will help) will pale into insignifcance against the general environmental risks you will face. But those risks will still be present.
My position has to be, as a UK registered doctor, that I would not advise that you obtain/store/use prescription medication that is not prescribed, and there are many reasons for this but the key one is safety (your safety). The other reason, with antibiotics, is something called "antibiotic stewardship." This is basically our attempt to prevent what the press is calling the Antibiotic Apocalypse; the effort to reduce the resistance that is spreading amongst microbes to the drugs that we have.
This is, I completely agree, less relevant in the context of the end of the world because there may not be any doctors to prescribe or advise on their use. That is why I am in the process of putting together some guidance for the general population about antibiotic use in this scenario. If I were to do this I think it might have to go through a proper publisher and be medicolegally vetted so I do not get myself in trouble but if there is interest out there for a book resource I will definitely consider whether this is possible.
My argument there would be, if people are going to stockpile these medications come what may, it is better that they are well informed in the event of a disaster. My worry would be that there might be people out there who would use the resource INSTEAD of consulting with a doctor and this would lead to more antibiotic resistance and those people would risk adverse effects and worsening infections as a result of using not ideal treatments. As I said, it's a difficult area and there is not an absolute answer as how best to manage this if you are a prepper. the bottom line is that people can access medicines over the internet. I can't comment on the efficacy of these medications, or even whether there is active drug in them, but at least a resource would be available so people who are able to obtain UK pharmaceutical approved medications could use them appropriately where there was no medical advice available.
Watch this space...
Anybody else have any burning questions?
That's my pleasure. Briefly touching back on the aspirin question, as with all drugs it's a balance of risk and benefit. The benefits in modern society of aspirin in suspected heart attack are that it might buy you extra time to save the threatened heart muscle through the mechanisms I descibe above and we give 300mg in that circumstance. The risks are pretty minimal with a one off dose but are essentially around an increased tendency to bleeding because clotting is slightly impaired.
In a SHTF scenario the risks of a one off dose of aspirin are even more outweighed by the benefits because you won't have much else to offer in the event of total social collapse. 600mg as a one off dose for most beople will be appropriate in this situation (allergy and underlying medical conditions notwithstanding).
Long term use of aspirin is associated with bleeding problems, and stomach ulcers as the aspirin impairs the protective mechanisms in the lining of the stomach. Generally you should never give aspirin to someone under 18 or so as young people can get a serious complication called Reye's Syndrome which can cause serious damage to liver, brain and other organs. It's rare but it occasionally happens.
OKay, now back to the antibiotic issue!
Yes I totally understand the argument about being in the disaster situation and that it is better to have than not to. It is also true that, in that situaton, the relative risk of taking the antibiotic (whether or not they will help) will pale into insignifcance against the general environmental risks you will face. But those risks will still be present.
My position has to be, as a UK registered doctor, that I would not advise that you obtain/store/use prescription medication that is not prescribed, and there are many reasons for this but the key one is safety (your safety). The other reason, with antibiotics, is something called "antibiotic stewardship." This is basically our attempt to prevent what the press is calling the Antibiotic Apocalypse; the effort to reduce the resistance that is spreading amongst microbes to the drugs that we have.
This is, I completely agree, less relevant in the context of the end of the world because there may not be any doctors to prescribe or advise on their use. That is why I am in the process of putting together some guidance for the general population about antibiotic use in this scenario. If I were to do this I think it might have to go through a proper publisher and be medicolegally vetted so I do not get myself in trouble but if there is interest out there for a book resource I will definitely consider whether this is possible.
My argument there would be, if people are going to stockpile these medications come what may, it is better that they are well informed in the event of a disaster. My worry would be that there might be people out there who would use the resource INSTEAD of consulting with a doctor and this would lead to more antibiotic resistance and those people would risk adverse effects and worsening infections as a result of using not ideal treatments. As I said, it's a difficult area and there is not an absolute answer as how best to manage this if you are a prepper. the bottom line is that people can access medicines over the internet. I can't comment on the efficacy of these medications, or even whether there is active drug in them, but at least a resource would be available so people who are able to obtain UK pharmaceutical approved medications could use them appropriately where there was no medical advice available.
Watch this space...
Anybody else have any burning questions?