MEDICINE CABINET Stocking up for emergencies

The last thing you want to do when ill or injured is run to the drugstore.
By BETH FRANCIS
SCRIPPS HOWARD
You wake up in the middle of the night with a terrible stomachache and diarrhea.
Now is when a well-stocked medicine cabinet can be your best friend. Simply reach for an anti-diarrheal such as Imodium A-D or Kaopectate.
"The idea is to be prepared for everyday accidents and illnesses," said Jerry Meloche, a pharmacist in Naples, Fla. "Typically, you want to treat something right away. When you aren't feeling well or when you're injured, it's not the best time to have to run out to the pharmacy and hunt through the plethora of products on the shelves."
So what makes up a well-stocked medicine chest?
For starters, you want the basic supplies to treat wounds, said internist Dr. Ray Blair. That would include one box of self-adhesive bandages (such as Band-Aids) in assorted sizes, another box of larger self-adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads in assorted sizes, a tube of triple antibiotic cream such as Neosporin, a gauze roll, one roll of adhesive tape, a small pair of scissors and packages of alcohol or betadyne wipes.
A bottle of sterile saline can come in handy for washing out wounds, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide can help prevent infections in wounds, and a spray-pump bottle of Bactine is great for scrapes or sunburn.
Not only should these items be in your home medicine cabinet, they should also be in a self-contained portable kit, Blair said.
Replenish supplies
Both home and portable medicine kits should be checked several times a year to be sure things haven't expired, Blair said. And don't forget to restock when you use something, he said.
"If you use it, replace it, otherwise it won't be there the next time you need it," he said.
For pain relief and low-grade fever, Blair recommends extra-strength Tylenol as a staple for your medicine cabinet. "Almost everyone can take Tylenol, but not everyone can take Advil, aspirin or Aleve," he said. For example, people with kidney problems shouldn't take aspirin or Advil. Patients on blood thinners shouldn't take aspirin.
Meloche said for those people who can tolerate it, he recommends keeping a supply of Tylenol, Advil and aspirin.
Another must for the medicine cabinet is Benadryl, Meloche said.
"Benadryl is important for treating allergic reactions such as [to] bee stings or allergic reactions to medicines," Meloche said. "It can help save a person's life by giving them enough time to get to the emergency room."
A tube of hydrocortisone ointment can be used topically to treat rashes due to allergies, such as contact with poison ivy or poison oak or fire ant stings.
Treating coughs
To treat coughs that come along with the common cold and flu, cough syrup is always a good thing to have. But which cough syrup? The various mixes and matches on the shelves can be dizzying.
Robitussin DM is a good choice, as is Vicks 44, Meloche said. Robitussin has both a cough suppressant and decongestant to loosen up chest congestion. Vicks 44 is only a cough suppressant. Both of those are good for the general population. The tricky thing is that some cough syrups contain a decongestant, such as Sudafed. Some people, including those with high blood pressure, glaucoma or sleeping problems, are advised not to take Sudafed. But for those who can tolerate it, Blair recommends cough syrup along with Sudafed to relieve all your symptoms.
For nighttime cough relief, Nyquil can be effective, but again, not all people can take it. It contains a decongestant, and alcoholics should avoid it because it contains alcohol.
Other medicine cabinet musts:
UFor heartburn and indigestion, a bottle of liquid antacid such as Maalox or Mylanta.
UFor constipation, a nonaddicting gentle laxative such as Milk of Magnesia or Colace stool softener.
UFor gas, an anti-gas medicine such as Gas-X or Phazyme.
UFor diarrhea or constipation, a fiber product such as Metamucil or Citrucel.
UFor sunburn prevention and relief, a bottle of sunblock and a bottle of aloe-vera gel.
UA thermometer.
UFor possible sprain or broken bone, an elastic bandage.
UFor burns, a cream such as Foille.
UFor splinters, a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass.
UFor sprains or swelling, a cold pack.
UFor muscle aches, a hot pack.
Customize your cabinet
Different people need different things in their medicine cabinets, depending on their ages and medical conditions, Meloche said. And while you don't want to overdo, you want to be prepared.
"If you're not careful, you'll end up with a medicine cabinet the size of your refrigerator," he said.