Travel Pharmacy – must have OTC drugs in your travel bag

Vacation getaways should serve as times for relaxation, entertainment, and escape. Getting sick while on holiday can be a real nightmare. Use this checklist as a guide to medications you may need in your medical kit when travelling - you may need less or more, depending on the activities you may undertake, and the remoteness of the area you visit. Mild pain relievers Ibuprofen (Nurofen, Motrin, Ibuprom, Ibumetin, Ibalgin, Dolgit, Brufen, Advil and etc.) is a painkiller available over the counter without a prescription. It can be used to: ease mild to moderate pain – such as toothache, migraine and period pain control a high temperature (fever) – for example, when someone has the flu (influenza) ease pain and inflammation (redness and swelling) caused by conditions that affect the joints, bones and muscles – such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis ease pain and swelling caused by sprains and strains – such as sports injuries Common side effects : nausea or vomiting constipation or diarrhoea indigestion (dyspepsia) or abdominal pain Paracetamol (Panadol, Tyllenol, Calpol, Adol, Benuron, Dafalgan, Doliprane, Efferalgan) is a commonly used medicine that can help treat pain and reduce a high temperature (fever). It's typically used to relieve mild or moderate pain, such as headaches, toothache or sprains, and reduce fevers caused by illnesses such as colds and flu. Paracetamol is often recommended as one of the first treatments for pain, as it's safe for most people to take and side effects are rare. an allergic reaction, which can cause a rash and swelling blood disorders, such as thrombocytopenia (low number of platelet cells) and leukopenia (low number of white blood cells) liver and kidney damage if you take too much (overdose) – this can be fatal in severe cases Motion-sickness medication. Motion sickness, or travel sickness, is a common problem that affects almost everyone. The severity of motion sickness and how quickly it develops depends on the intensity of the movement. Even people who are rarely troubled by motion sickness can feel unwell if the movement is enough. Symptoms can include: a feeling of uneasiness or stomach discomfort; sweating/ cold sweats; dry mouth; burping; nausea; vomiting (infrequent in adults); dizziness or feeling light-headed; headaches; and Yawning and sleepiness. Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Gravol, Vomex, Calma, Valontan, Aviomarin, Arlevert) is an over-the-counter medication used to treat motion sickness and nausea. Side effects: little or no urination; confusion, mood changes; tremors, restlessness; a seizure (convulsions); or fast or irregular heartbeats Antidiarrheal to Prevent Traveler's Diarrhea Traveler's diarrhea happens when you consume food or water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. You can take the following precautions to prevent traveler's diarrhea when you go abroad: Do not drink any tap water, not even when brushing your teeth. Do not drink unpasteurized milk or dairy products. Do not use ice made from tap water. avoid all raw fruits and vegetables (including lettuce and fruit salad) unless they can be peeled and you peel them yourself. Do not eat raw or rare meat and fish. Do not eat meat or shellfish that is not hot when served to you. Do not eat food from street vendors. You can safely drink bottled water (if you are the one to break the seal), carbonated soft drinks, and hot drinks like coffee or tea. Depending on where you are going and how long you are staying, your doctor may recommend that you take antibiotics before leaving to protect you from possible infection. Loperamide (Imodium) is a medicine to treat diarrhoea. It can help with short term diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Loperamide is available over the counter without a prescription. Loperamide is also available combined with simethicone. Simethicone is used to treat wind. Having the 2 medicines together helps if you have diarrhea with painful stomach cramps and bloating. If you are an adult and you get short term diarrhea, take 2 tablets or capsules straight away. Do not take more than the recommended amount. Too much loperamide can cause serious heart problems (including a fast or irregular heartbeat). Common side effects: constipation feeling dizzy feeling sick headaches wind Mild laxative Bisacodyl (Dulcolax, Muxol, Fleet, Purga, Brooklax) is a laxative. This type of medicine can help you empty your bowels if you have constipation. It comes as a tablet and a suppository (a medicine that you push gently into your back passage). Bisacodyl tablets take 6 to 12 hours to work. The suppositories take 10 to 45 minutes to work, so it's best to stay close to a toilet. The most common side effects are feeling sick (nausea), diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps. Serious side effects: feeling dizzy blood in your poo being sick (vomiting) Electrolyte supplements – Oral rehydration solutions (ORS) Diarrhea or vomiting can cause dehydration, which means the body lacks enough fluid to function properly. Dehydration is particularly dangerous in children and the elderly, and it must be treated promptly to avoid serious health problems. Dehydration occurs when the body has lost too much fluid and electrolytes (the salts potassium and sodium). The fluid and electrolytes lost during diarrhea need to be replaced promptly - the body cannot function properly without them. Dehydration is particularly dangerous for children, who can die from it within a matter of days. Although water is extremely important in preventing dehydration, it does not contain electrolytes. To maintain electrolyte levels, you could have broth or soups, which contain sodium, and fruit juices, soft fruits, or vegetables, which contain potassium. For children, doctors often recommend a special rehydration solution that contains the nutrients they need. ORS (Trioral, Oralyt, Neolyt, Drip Drop, Dioralyte, Normalyte) is a sodium and glucose solution used to treat children with acute diarrhea. In most parts of the world, these packets of ORS and special drinks for children with diarrhea are widely available in pharmacies, shops, and health centres. This packet of ORS is to be mixed with the recommended amount of clean water. Although these 'salts' are specially made for the treatment of dehydration, they can also be used to prevent dehydration A basic oral rehydration therapy solution can also be prepared when packets of oral rehydration salts are not available. It can be made using 6 level teaspoons (25.2 grams) of sugar and 0.5 teaspoon (2.9 grams) of salt in 1 litre of water. The molar ratio of sugar to salt should be 1:1 and the solution should not be hyperosmolar. The optimal fluid for preparing oral rehydration solution is clean water. However, if this is not available the usually available water should be used. Oral rehydration solution should not be withheld simply because the available water is potentially unsafe; rehydration takes precedence Oral antihistamines Antihistamines are medicines often used to relieve symptoms of allergies, such as hay fever, hives, conjunctivitis and reactions to insect bites or stings. They're also sometimes used to prevent motion sickness and as a short-term treatment for sleeping difficulties (insomnia).Most antihistamines can be bought from pharmacies and shops, but some are only available on prescription. There are many types of antihistamine.They're usually divided into two main groups: older antihistamines that make you feel sleepy – such as chlorphenamine , hydroxyzine (Atarax) and promethazine newer, non-drowsy antihistamines that are less likely to make you feel sleepy – such as cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin) and fexofenadine (Allegra). Side effects of older types of antihistamines can include: sleepiness (drowsiness) and reduced co-ordination, reaction speed and judgemen – don't drive or use machinery after taking these antihistamines because of this risk dry mouth blurred vision difficulty emptying your bladder Side effects of non-drowsy antihistamines can include: headache dry mouth feeling sick drowsiness – this is less common than with older types of antihistamines Anti-Itch cream Whether an itch is related to a summertime bug bite, dry skin, or an unfortunate encounter with poison ivy, the urge to scratch it can be uncontrollable. And it's fine to indulge in a bit of gentle scratching to tame the uncomfortable sensation of itchy skin. But if you find yourself scratching to the point of distraction, or so much that you're damaging your skin—which can allow bacteria in—you may be on the lookout for strategies to stop the itch. You can try an OTC itch reliever right away for bug bites and rashes. Hydrocortisone creams are used on the skin to treat swelling, itching and irritation. They can help with skin problems such as: eczema psoriasis contact dermatitis prickly heat rash insect bites and stings nappy rash There are different types of hydrocortisone skin products. Creams are most common, but there are also hydrocortisone ointments and lotions. As a general rule: hydrocortisone cream is better for skin which is moist and weepy with clear or yellow fluid hydrocortisone ointment is thicker and greasier - it's better for dry or flaky areas of skin hydrocortisone lotion is a liquid - it's good for treating the scalp and large or hairy areas of skin Most hydrocortisone skin products are mild. You can buy them from pharmacies. Sometimes hydrocortisone is mixed with antimicrobials (chemicals which kill germs) to treat skin problems caused by bacterial or fungal infections. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is used to temporarily relieve itching and pain caused by minor burns/cuts/scrapes, sunburn, insect bites, minor skin irritations, or rashes from poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. It belongs to a class of drugs known as antihistamines. This product may also contain other ingredients (skin protectants such as allantoin, zinc acetate) that may help relieve symptoms such as dry skin, weeping, or oozing. References: https://www.nhs.uk/ https://www.mydr.com.au/travel-health/motion-sickness https://rehydrate.org/diarrhoea/fact-sheet.htm https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-164367/anti-itch-diphenhydramine-topical/details By Mehdiyeva B.