Antibiotics

[JonoMathew]

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I have a large selection of painkillers such as paracetamol, ibruprofen and asprin. Is it worth stockpiling co-codamol or any others? What other medications would you stock pile? Thanks again

I keep quite a few paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin as you do. I do also keep a fair number of boxes of cocodamol, but not so many because it raises a few eyebrows at the chemist if your seen buying to often. I can't spread the purchases around as there not many places here that keep them.

I do have quite a few of the 'extra strength' painkillers that are paracetamol\asprin\caffeine.

I look at it this way.

Paracetamol are so\so as a painkiller but can help with a fever.
Ibuprofen also for pain as an antiinflammatory.
I keep aspirin as I take low doses each day. Not prescribed but I've had a lot of relatives have heart attacks so its what I choose to do.
Extra strength painkillers for back ups to my main painkiller, and I find them more useful in case of bad headaches and the like.
I keep cocodamol in my stocks as a more potent painkiller, and as my wife can't stomach tramadol.
I have a stash of tramadol (prescribed), which I build up stocks slowly in case tshtf.
For major problems, in an emergency I have morphine. Leftovers from when I last collapsed with chronic back pain.

Cold and flu capsules, anti diarrhea pills, anti histamines all form part of my stocks. It could be a never ending shopping list, but don't get to bogged down on it. Balance your preps, pick up a little here and a little there and the pile soon builds up.

I know opinion here is a little divided on the topic of anti biotics. I fall on the side of the fence that is pro keeping some. I do want to get some amoxicillin as my wife is prone to chest infections, and has even had this develop into pneumonia twice. As that's what finally killed off my dad I'd rather get some so if shtf the missus would have a little safety net.

Thanks, that is a great help. I must admit I do have a good few piled up but alot will probably be out of date now. I do need to 're stock and you have mentioned things I never thought of.

I wish I knew a way to get my hands on amoxicillin in bulk but the that of course runs the risk of buying rat droppings off the net.

Over the coming weeks I will be making multiple trips to chemist etc. Thanks again

[ParamedicPrepper]

Don't get to hung up on thinking you need loads of antibiotics as, no offence, but you have t a clue what you would use for what reason. If your that sick that it's life or death or sepsis develops then IV antibiotics will be required together with other aggressive treatment. A few amoxicillin won't help you.

Amoxicillin is a broad spectrum so generally will fight a chest infection but will also work for a range of other infections as well. Skin infections require a more suited abx such as flucloxacillin. Urine infections require something along the lines of trimethoprim or nitrofurantoin. Then if your allergic to penicillins you may need a macrolide such as clarithromycin or erythromycin.

Now we have just mentioned several abx for only a few types of infection and the list is much longer. Knowledge is the key in most cases as how would you know if someone had a urine infection? Can you do urinalysis and culture theirburine to see which abx they're sensitive to?

Stick to the basics, stock up on the meds u will use. I have spoke about such meds on a previous thread and 20 to 30 quid on a website like pharmacy first will get you a shed load of OTC meds u will actually use

[Deeps]

diarrhea pills

As well as the anti poo pills it might be worth getting some to give you a good pull through as well. Potentially your diet might be all over the place and you 'back up'.

[Brambles]

Don't get to hung up on thinking you need loads of antibiotics as, no offence, but you have t a clue what you would use for what reason. If your that sick that it's life or death or sepsis develops then IV antibiotics will be required together with other aggressive treatment. A few amoxicillin won't help you.

Amoxicillin is a broad spectrum so generally will fight a chest infection but will also work for a range of other infections as well. Skin infections require a more suited abx such as flucloxacillin. Urine infections require something along the lines of trimethoprim or nitrofurantoin. Then if your allergic to penicillins you may need a macrolide such as clarithromycin or erythromycin.

Now we have just mentioned several abx for only a few types of infection and the list is much longer. Knowledge is the key in most cases as how would you know if someone had a urine infection? Can you do urinalysis and culture theirburine to see which abx they're sensitive to?

Stick to the basics, stock up on the meds u will use. I have spoke about such meds on a previous thread and 20 to 30 quid on a website like pharmacy first will get you a shed load of OTC meds u will actually use

Best bit of sensible advice about Antibiotics and medication I've read in a long time. Thanks for that.

[Arzosah]

Absolutely, thats really useful.

I haven't stocked any antibiotics (new shorthand! "abx", thanks for that ) but I have loads of the first aid OTC stuff - ibuprofen, paracetemol, the sort of things that BritCit mentioned. I also have a lot of bandages and dressings - I had a cyst a few years ago, and experienced first hand the number of dressings that even a wound thats only half an inch across will need.

The other thing I've kept (not bought) - I saw a tip about saving plastic squeeze bottles, like the big tomato ketchup bottles you can buy, or shampoo, come to that. If you need to sprinkle water (I don't really want to use the term "irrigate", because the water might be clean, having been through a filter, but its not medical saline) then use one of these. I just have 3 nice big bottles, empty, in a plastic crate thats half full of other stuff.

[JonoMathew]

Don't get to hung up on thinking you need loads of antibiotics as, no offence, but you have t a clue what you would use for what reason. If your that sick that it's life or death or sepsis develops then IV antibiotics will be required together with other aggressive treatment. A few amoxicillin won't help you.

Amoxicillin is a broad spectrum so generally will fight a chest infection but will also work for a range of other infections as well. Skin infections require a more suited abx such as flucloxacillin. Urine infections require something along the lines of trimethoprim or nitrofurantoin. Then if your allergic to penicillins you may need a macrolide such as clarithromycin or erythromycin.

Now we have just mentioned several abx for only a few types of infection and the list is much longer. Knowledge is the key in most cases as how would you know if someone had a urine infection? Can you do urinalysis and culture theirburine to see which abx they're sensitive to?

Stick to the basics, stock up on the meds u will use. I have spoke about such meds on a previous thread and 20 to 30 quid on a website like pharmacy first will get you a shed load of OTC meds u will actually use

That makes sense. Being a smoker I can occasionally get a chest infection but your advice is spot on.

[jansman]

diarrhea pills

As well as the anti poo pills it might be worth getting some to give you a good pull through as well. Potentially your diet might be all over the place and you 'back up'.

I second that! Something I have kept in after a bout of serious sh#ts many moons ago ( and I mean serious) after being lazy about water disinfection in Belize.It weren't pretty!

[ParamedicPrepper]

Absolutely, thats really useful.

I haven't stocked any antibiotics (new shorthand! "abx", thanks for that ) but I have loads of the first aid OTC stuff - ibuprofen, paracetemol, the sort of things that BritCit mentioned. I also have a lot of bandages and dressings - I had a cyst a few years ago, and experienced first hand the number of dressings that even a wound thats only half an inch across will need.

The other thing I've kept (not bought) - I saw a tip about saving plastic squeeze bottles, like the big tomato ketchup bottles you can buy, or shampoo, come to that. If you need to sprinkle water (I don't really want to use the term "irrigate", because the water might be clean, having been through a filter, but its not medical saline) then use one of these. I just have 3 nice big bottles, empty, in a plastic crate thats half full of other stuff.

I had an abscess a few months ago and that was 6 weeks of dressing changes that impacted on my supplies big time!

There was a study into potable water and saline for irrigation a few years ago and the result was if you can drink it then it's safe to use for irrigation. Saline is generally 0.9% in concentration and that is matched to the eyes salinity level. So if u have saline then use for eyes, if it's a wound use tap water. There was no vast difference between boiled and in boiled water

[jansman]

Like^^ Very useful information. Thank you.

[Deeps]

Absolutely, thats really useful.

I haven't stocked any antibiotics (new shorthand! "abx", thanks for that ) but I have loads of the first aid OTC stuff - ibuprofen, paracetemol, the sort of things that BritCit mentioned. I also have a lot of bandages and dressings - I had a cyst a few years ago, and experienced first hand the number of dressings that even a wound thats only half an inch across will need.

The other thing I've kept (not bought) - I saw a tip about saving plastic squeeze bottles, like the big tomato ketchup bottles you can buy, or shampoo, come to that. If you need to sprinkle water (I don't really want to use the term "irrigate", because the water might be clean, having been through a filter, but its not medical saline) then use one of these. I just have 3 nice big bottles, empty, in a plastic crate thats half full of other stuff.

I had an abscess a few months ago and that was 6 weeks of dressing changes that impacted on my supplies big time!

There was a study into potable water and saline for irrigation a few years ago and the result was if you can drink it then it's safe to use for irrigation. Saline is generally 0.9% in concentration and that is matched to the eyes salinity level. So if u have saline then use for eyes, if it's a wound use tap water. There was no vast difference between boiled and in boiled water

Thanks for the info, I carry a few of the eye skooshers, as much with irrigation in mind as for eyes. While I'd have used tap water if there wasn't anything else its good to know that its just as good as the saline stuff. I love this place, loads of useful stuff, cheers amigo.