Stock your cabinet with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, readily available in your nearby pharmacy. Follow this list and you will be ready for almost any minor injury the world can throw at you: fever or pain ailments; antifungal meds for infections; stomach and intestinal disorders; cough and flu meds, and anti-itch creams.
A Warning for OTC Drug Use
One must keep in mind that just because a medication is available OTC doesn’t mean it is safe to use without reading the dosing instructions and following it closely.
OTCs can have significant side effects – they can interfere with prescription drug absorption or efficacy. So care must be taken. One common example is that Warfarin users shouldn’t take OTC ibuprofen because of the risk of bleeding ulcers. If you have any concerns at all about the safety of drug interactions, ask your pharmacist or doctor.
Pain and Fever Medications
There are three major drug categories to treat pain and fever: acetaminophen; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, and aspirin. If using any of the three for sprained joints, use RICE first, then take the appropriate pain reliever. RICE stands for Rest; Ice; Compression and Elevation for sprained joints. RICE makes the pain and anti-inflammatory drugs more effective.
Acetaminophen is the most common OTC medication used for fever and minor aches and pain. It is especially important to administer this to people who cannot take anti-inflammatories like NSAIDS or aspirin.
The adult dosage is four grams a day to prevent liver toxicity. Anyone suffering from cirrhosis or hepatitis should avoid acetaminophen. Dosages for children and teens are based on weight so be careful about dosing amount. Tylenol and Panadol contains acetaminophen.
Most NSAIDs are available over-the-counter to treat fever, inflammation and pain. The NSAID ibuprofen is often prescribed for minor orthopedic injuries because it lowers both pain and inflammation. This med is also used for fever in all age groups.
With overuse, there is the potential for bleeding from stomach or bowels. It is also not recommended for individuals on blood thinners. Examples of NSAIDs are Motrin and Advil.
Aspirin or salicylic acid has been used for generations as a pain, anti-inflammatory and fever medication. Aspirin is the first line of defense against sudden heart attacks and strokes because of its anti-clotting properties.
Because of aspirin’s side effects, physicians may recommend other pain reducers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Also, don’t give aspirin to anyone under the age of 14. There is the risk of contracting Reye’s syndrome which causes fatal brain swelling in infants and children.
Individuals with stomach bleeding problems or stomach ulcers should not take aspirin. Those on blood thinners, of course, have to be careful combining the two. Examples of OTC aspirin are Bayer, St. Joseph’s and Anacin.
Decongestants
Head off that awful sinus pain. Decongestants come in pill or liquid form and work by shrinking engorged and irritated blood vessels in the nasal and sinus passages. The active ingredient in Sudafed is pseudoephedrine, which has adrenaline-like qualities. This drug should never be taken by those with high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat or heart palpitations.
If you can’t find pseudoephedrine on the shelves with other OTC meds, it is because it is federally controlled. Because of that, it is found behind the pharmacy counter. Nasal spray decongestants act like oral meds but works mainly on a contained area with no pesky speedy side effects. The common ingredient is oxymetazoline and is found in Afrin and Dristan.
Salt water nasal sprays and humidified air are good non-drug alternatives when you just don’t feel like popping any more pills.
Cough Treatments
Benzocaine is the active ingredient in cough drops and sprays that help to control sore throat symptoms. If you have a dry, hacking cough and it is not bringing up any phlegm, look for a cough suppressant like Robitussin or Pertussin. If your cough is producing mucus, look for a cough expectorant, one that will loosen and bring up mucus. Initially, as the phlegm breaks up, you may cough more but that should subside as less mucus crowds your large bronchi.
Heartburn
This illness is described as a burning sensation in your upper abdomen to chest which sometimes leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The old stand-by Pepto-Bismol is always good for indigestion, diarrhea and nausea. It has anti-bacterial, antacid and anti-secretory traits, all helpful to treat heartburn. Pepto-Bismol often causes black stools -- unsightly but harmless.
Alka-Seltzer, or tablets of bicarbonate, are good for relieving heartburn. Gas-X is used to relieve and reduce gas and that bloated feeling which accompanies it. Another antihistamine that is useful to control stomach acid is found in Tagamet and Zantac. Proton Pump Inhibitors decrease acid and is found in Prilosec and Prevacid.
Rolaids, Tums and Phillips Milk of Magnesium are antacids. They work to bring immediate relief for acid indigestion and heartburn and come in liquid or tablet form. There are aluminum-based antacids which cause constipation and magnesium-based products that cause diarrhea. Maalox combines the two in hopes of staving off both.
Itches and Skin Rashes
Think pink! We've talking about calamine lotion. If you are old enough to remember this family favorite being slathered over your chicken-poxed skin, you know that this lotion works. It is good for poison ivy as it helps with the itching and dries weeping rashes. There are also antihistamine creams like Benadryl Itch Stopping Cream, which help relieve intense itching. Cortisone, one to ten percent, cream or ointment may relieve a persistent itch not addressed by the other creams. Antifungal creams are more effective at clearing up athlete’s foot or jock itch than powders or sprays. Lamisil, Micatin, and Lotrimin can all be used for both.
So if your medicine cabinet is lacking any one of these medicine cabinet must-haves, visit your local drugstore and stock up. While there, don’t forget to grab some bandages and medical tape, antibiotic cream and gauze. These are the first things you will notice missing from a cabinet when a child or a spouse comes screaming up to the house with a boo-boo.
Itches and Skin Rashes
If you are old enough to remember the pink stuff, calamine lotion, being slathered over your chicken-poxed skin, you know that this lotion works. It is good on poison ivy as it helps with the itching and dries weeping rashes. There are also antihistamine creams like Benadryl Itch Stopping Cream which helps to relieve intense itching. Cortisone, one to ten percent, cream or ointment may relieve a persistent itch not addressed by the other creams. Antifungal creams are more effective at clearing up athlete’s foot or jock itch than powders or sprays. Lamisil, Micatin, and Lotrimin can all be used for both.
So if your medicine cabinet is lacking any one of each type of medication for common ailments, you may want to visit your local drugstore and stock up. While there, don’t forget to grab some bandages and medical tape, antibiotic cream and gauze. These are the first things you will notice missing from a cabinet when a child or a spouse comes screaming up to the house with a boo-boo.