hello, I am medic mark,ask me a question.

[medicmark]

one thing we need to look at with med kits is, are they immediate aid kits or are you looking at longer term care in a true shtf situation?

having just completed the futurelearn course, delivering care in humanitarian crisis, my medical preps are changing. all the trauma kit stuff is great, but what kit do you have for dealing with infective diarrhoea, or a tooth abscess?
how much med kit do you have? all of this depends on YOUR perception of risk and the shtf situations your prepping for.

II would suggest you invest your time in knowledge, learn on the above course, read up about cholera, dysentry and the other types of illness which can occur in disaster type situations.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Mark up diohrea tablets and rehydration salts + water filtration for clean water and a chemical toilet with plenty of the needed chemicals

Got a basic dental kit and clove oil

[Arzosah]

Mark, I need to check with you about pain killers - we have a situation currently where prescribed morphine isn't working, but ibuprofen *are*, which seems weird to us as lay people. Is there anything the ill person or the surrounding family can do to aid the workings of medication? Even the ibuprofen apparently only reduces the pain to a dull roar, "like toothache"

I'm thinking of herbal interaction, fluid intake, that sort of thing?

[ParamedicPrepper]

Mark, I need to check with you about pain killers - we have a situation currently where prescribed morphine isn't working, but ibuprofen *are*, which seems weird to us as lay people. Is there anything the ill person or the surrounding family can do to aid the workings of medication? Even the ibuprofen apparently only reduces the pain to a dull roar, "like toothache"

I'm thinking of herbal interaction, fluid intake, that sort of thing?

What and where is the pain is a good pointer?. Morphine should be part of a regime of pain killers. Look up the WHO ladder for pain that explains the additive effect of several different pain killers that act in different ways.

Have they liver problems? Or excessive alcohol in take? The morphine gets in the body but it's up to the liver to process it into something the body can use.

I'm interested in pain relief and how it works as my father in law has had chronic pain from a problem with his manhood for last year or so and the morphine works well but only if the paracetamol and other pain relief are taken regular as well

[Arzosah]

Paramedic Prepper, thanks for your fast reply. I found the WHO ladder under palliative cancer care, which is the right place for the situation I'm asking about, sadly.

No excessive alcohol intake, though I don't know about the state of his liver, no one's mentioned anything problematic. A fit, early 70s male, I don't want to write anything more than that on an open forum, since it's not my own stuff. It gives me a direction to research, though, thank you.

Sorry your father in law's having such problems

[ParamedicPrepper]

Paramedic Prepper, thanks for your fast reply. I found the WHO ladder under palliative cancer care, which is the right place for the situation I'm asking about, sadly.

No excessive alcohol intake, though I don't know about the state of his liver, no one's mentioned anything problematic. A fit, early 70s male, I don't want to write anything more than that on an open forum, since it's not my own stuff. It gives me a direction to research, though, thank you.

Sorry your father in law's having such problems

Arzosah i'm sorry to hear that, I didn't mean to come across insensitive with the WHO ladder I use it for pain in general. Maybe a good place to look would be at stages of cancer and whether it is at a stage where it has spread to the liver, as this may affect the function of it. I'm sure its all in hand but pain clinics at local hospitals (GP referral) are the best places for this as they know what pain relief for what type of pain if that makes sense. But like i say i'm sure that's all being looked at already.

Good Luck - If I can offer any advice on anything I'm more than happy to try and help

[Arzosah]

Not insensitive at all! I meant, that was absolutely right!

I'm seeing them in 2 - 3 weeks, unless everything goes wrong even before then. I don't want to be one of those people who butt in, full of half knowledge recently acquired online, but intelligent questions about the liver and absorption of drugs are a different matter.

I'll pm you after that, if I may.

All the best.

[Memphis]

Hi Mark, thanks for giving your time to answer all of these questions, very good of you sir! And everyone else offering their knowledge

My question is on courses, I've read through the whole thread and I've seen the courses you've recommended and talked about, but in light of recent terror attacks and knife crime being on the rise, I'm quite interested in training to become more of an already knowledgable asset to the blue light guys should i be in the wrong place at the wrong time, stablising and helping treat a victim with knife wounds or shrapnel wounds and such?

There seems to be a gap between the sub £100 basic first aid courses or the extensive £500 plus solent medical courses you linked to. Do you know of any course like i'm looking for in the middle or are the expensive courses the best option for that?

Ta,
Memphis

[Rykard]

Hi Mark,
is there a natural alternative to hay fever remedies? I seem to suffer intermittently. I don't want to spend loads on piriton though..

[Deeps]

Hi Mark,
is there a natural alternative to hay fever remedies? I seem to suffer intermittently. I don't want to spend loads on piriton though..

Buy the cheap ones, the 'unbranded' ones are just as good. There are different anti histamines too so some work better than others, I've moved onto loratidine, have a play around and see whats best for you. They're something else I stock up on.

I just typed anti histamines into google, 14 for 89p