Only 3 drugs

[Craig]

If you could only have 3 drugs in your supples - what would they be and why ?

I ask because Im trying to do a little caching and want to limit expendibles.

My picks :

1st Amoxycillin and Clavulanic acid - broad spectrum antibiotic. Covers most (but not everything ) pretty well.

2nd Morphine - who wants severe pain

3rd I get stuck here - I have about 10 drugs I want to give 3rd place to. Help !!!

cheers

Craig

[tangent]

what 10 are tied for 3rd place? - I'd settle for 12 drugs in a stockpile...

now, to just find a doc willing to write a script for some antibio's when I'm not sick and MS... ahhh... <SLAP!> WAKEUP! - must be having a "wet daydeam..."

[Reasonable Rascal]

Oh man tough one. I'd say an anti-inflammatory belongs in there. MS is good but serious stuff, whereas ibuprofen can be administered in dose from 200 to 1,000 mg - though 800 is the normal limit I have resorted to 1,000 per dose within the past year; multiple fractures make you want to do that when the hard stuff isn't enough by itself - has anti-pyrrectic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

If I had the choice of 5 drugs right off I'd say your first 2 picks, the ibuprofen as a multi-use med, a good decongestant (consider there is 5" of snow outside, actual temps of 22 Farenheit and a wind chill of about zero outside right now) and an anti-diarrheal such as Lomotil. As a substitute for the decongestant I'd say Epinephrine for bee
sting, etc.

I need more coffee if you intend to make me think this hard. ;-)

RR

[Craig]

My 3rd equals

*Ibuprofen - I agree with RR
*Paracetamol - I think you guys call it acetamenophen
*Lignocaine - LA many uses
*Epiphenrine
*Antihistamine - of some sort, double up as an anti-emetic
*Ketamine - for a bit of backyard surgery
*Lomotil
*Ciprofloxacin - as my second choice AB
*Salbutamol - think you guys call it albuterol
*antifungal ointment

[Reasonable Rascal]

For our American members Lignacaine is what we call Lidocaine, or by brand names such as Xylocaine.

Yes, Paramcetacol is our Tylenol and generic equivalents.

Antihistamine: I should have been more specific. Benadryl for instance serves as an antihistamine, antiemetic and a sleep aid also, depending on doses though they are close in all cases.

When we have several choices it gets much easier as we quickly see. Even limited to a handful of medications we can address a wide array of some of the most common problems. Pain, infections and common everyday illness have been and always will be with us, so address those first.

Outstanding subject for discussion. Now, can someone tell me which choice in IV fluids addresses the widest array of problems for which an IV is indicated? (ducking as he writes this)

RR

[Craig]

RR,
From a fluid point of view I would say normal saline or lactated ringers, in terms of versitility colloids cannot compete with crystalloids. I wouldnt have thought it was that controversal - or perhaps Im wrong ;-). Other fluids may be better for specific things, but we are talking a general purpose fluid.

Craig

[RESQDOC]

Ditto Craig, LR or NS, either are fine. The theoretical advantages of either are just that, theory, in most circumstances, especially hypovolemia. In general I prefer LR for the trivial theoretical benefit of the electrolytes, BFD.

Do remember that some medications are not compatible with some IV solutions, to wit:

Dextrose 5% Water (D5W) - Phenytoin

Sodium Chloride (NaCl) - Amphotericin B, Mannitol, Meperidine (= Demerol - Surprise!)
also, the following breakdown after a few hours: Cyclosporine

Lactated Ringers (LR) - Amphotericin B, Ampicillin (Surprise!), Cefamandole, Imipenem,Phenytoin, Potassium Phosphate also, the following breakdown after a few hours: Digoxin, Doxycycline, Heparin, Lorazepam, Midazolam

There are other rarer ones, if you were using them presumably you would take time to
learn about them.

As far as my 3 drugs:

1. Moxifloxacin or Levofloxacin or Ciprofloxacin, Augmentin would be a good choice also but does not have the Pseudomonas coverage I prefer.

2. Ibuprofen.

3. Morphine or Meperidine.

Know what #4 is? The best multivitamin available, with iron and as many trace elements as possible. Sounds silly, right? It’s not. Physical and mental stress combined with poor dietary options leads inevitably to malnutrition, immune system compromise, and further illness, poor wound healing, etc. Best cheap multivitamin = “One Source” from Wal-Mart, < $14.00 for 270. Maybe it should be #3.

[jagdkampf]

1. Aspirin
2. Flagyl
3. Keflex
4. epinephrine 1:1000
5. lidocaine 2%
6. liphylized tetracaine
7. Ketamine
8. antacid tablets
9. ephedrine
10. oxymetrazoline nasal spray

no way I could do with just 3.
Jag

[tangent]

this is the non-Rx stuff I carry:

3 ibuprofen, 200mg - (analgesic(pain relief), anti-inflammatory(swelling) for aches,
strains, sprains, and other muscle and joint injuries, tooth-ache, menstrual
pain, etc. Do not take with aspirin as they compete with each other. 1-4
tablets up to 4 times daily)
4 non-aspirin pain reliever (acetaminophem, 325mg - best drug for fever and flu,
headache, minor muscle and joint pain and menstrual cramps, will
reduce fever, does NOT work as a anit-inflamitory(swelling) 1-2 tablets
every 4-6 hrs) This is generic Tylenol.
3 nasal decongestant (pseudoephedrine, 30mg - shrinks mucous membranes and
opens airways. Use with caution in hypertension, heart disease, thyroid
disease, or diabetes. Also useful as a stimulant to counteract drowsiness.
1-2 tablets every 6-8 hours)
2 antacid (calcium carbonate, 420mg - take as needed. chalk is the same thing and
can be used as an expedient)
1 electrolyte tablets (to replenish electrolytes in case of vomiting, diarrhea or heat
exhaustion)
1 laxative
1 Dio-Tame (for indigestion, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach)

add to that (call it a wish list, in some cases) :
lido
epi
codine
MS
anti-bio's

[Flotsam]

1. ibuprofen/acetaminophen - either works well for analgesic/antipyretic concerns

2. immodium - works well for diarrhea (I though you filtered/boiled/treated the water... :smile: )

3. benadryl - sleep aid, antihistamine, antiemetic, antitussive - pretty darn versatile for an OTC drug.

I feel that these 3 , along w/ some bacitracin, topical fungicide, and maybe some pepto-bismol would cover many, if not most of the things you are likely to encounter. They have the added benefits of being extremely well tolerated and inexpensive.

For Rx drugs,

Morphine is good, so is Dilaudid. Oxycodone or Codeine are pretty inexpensive and work well as oral drugs.

Cipro is a great drug, and Levaquin has become a big gun around here for Pneumonia. Keflex is decent for minor skin/wound infections & is relatively cheap. Keflex, Cipro and Flagyl would be pretty potent allies in an aid bag.

Diflucan - excellent oral antifungal

Epinephrine - anaphylaxis, and in a lower concentration for cardiac arrest

Baclofen/Flexeril - a good muscle relaxant would be nice to have.


Lidocaine/Bupivicaine - both are great (esp. in combination) when doing minor surgery.

A good short acting inhaler - albuterol/atrovent works pretty good on our post-op patients


Other drugs that would be nice to have

Colace/etc.. - sometimes you need help on the throne (i generally prefer stool softeners to stimulant laxatives) - mineral oil also works here and can be used for lubricating tools & sharpening stones

a food Multivitamin as previously stated

Glucose tabs/hard candy

[humble1]

Welcome. New to this forum, I'll chime in on this one.
Morphine - still the gold standard
Ativan - anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedation
Benadryl - antihistamine, antiemetic, sedative
dexamethasone, methylprednisilone (steriod of your choice) allergic reactions, HAPE, HACE, head and spine trauma, pain
Levaquin - broad spectrum
Lidocaine -
Epi - cardiac, hemostasis
NS
Polysporin
ASA - still the best antiplatlet therapy
APAP - kids
Compazine Supp -
and last but not least, Ketamine

[cayoung]

Speaking for myself only, and as a nonmedic. The medicines I find most useful are:

Nuprin. Best form of ibu I've found.

Sudafed. And some of the cough and cold mixes with acetaminophen do nicely for coughs and colds.

Tums, Rolaids, or some form of calcium carbonate tablets.

Nasal spray, oxymetazoline does well for me.

Tylenol #3 with codeine. Don't use them often, but sure come in handy.

Allegra. About a buck a capsule, but sure does a nice job for my allergies.

Naturally, for another individual, insulin or maybe Lopressor might be higher on the list.

[MIKETM]

humble1, I'm goin with you dude, You got the list...........(I'll bring the lomotil for myself)