Medical bag?

We leave for London in a week for our cruise so starting to gather stuff. Besides prescriptions and vitamins, what do you take in case of minor upsets? As I get older, I like to be prepared. I think I've gathered a good assortment of over the counter drugs but thought I would ask more experienced cruisers. Thanks.

I pack the following:

Cipro

Z-pac (3 day dosage for URI)

Tylenol

Advil

Aspirin

Zantac

Pepcid

Imodium

Bonine

Dulcolax

Alka Seltzer

Bandaids

Alcohol wipes

Polysporin

Cough meds

Sudafed

It may sound like a lot but I am risk averse

This is what I carry with me when I travel (quite frequently for work).

http://www.magellans.com/magellan-s-day-night-pill-organizer

With 16 individual pouches I can bring pretty much everything that i might need. From Advil to Zofran.

As to what to bring, here is what i would want to have with me:

- Ibuprofen (Advil)

- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

- antihistamine (Sudafed)

- Any type of allergy medicine (Claritin, etc)

- Tums

- Immodium (cause you never know when you might eat something bad)

- Guaifenesin (Mucinex, it loosens congestion. Good to have if you start to get a cold)

- Heart burn medication (again, cause you never know)

- Zofran

I'm sure that I have others in my bag, but this is what I can remember off the top of my head.

What is zofran?

MY motto is: The least medicine is the best medicine ! too many side effects on most meds/

What is zofran?

Anti-emetic.

One thing I learned a couple of years ago is that on the ship you are not limited to the over the counter medicines available in the boutique. If you go to the medical center, you can get many of the over the counter medicines listed above. As long as you don't ask to see the doctor, you only pay for the medicine you purchase. It goes on your shipboard account and can be paid for with shipboard credit.

Depends on where I'm going somewhat, but in general:

anti-itch cream (I get bitten by any creature around)

antihistamines

bonine

bandaids

painkillers of choice

laxatives

if somewhere tropical

immodium

DEET bugspray

cipro equivalent if destination requires

Not a lot really.

I just bring CVS with me.:D

it is prudent when travelling to carry medicines (over the counter and prescription) in their original packages or they might be mistaken for something else by Customs.

And while the Doctor's Office on the ship might well sell OTC things when I became ill (bronchitis) on one cruise and called my own doctor who told me what I should take and that I should get it from the Ship's Doctor, when I went to see the gentleman he said he would not sell me that particular item without him having examined me. (For a $500 fee!) I decided that I would stick with the bronchitis until I got home. From then on I travel with a large variety of antibiotics (all prescribed by my doctor) and in case of need can e mail or call him and he will tell me what to take!

I also take the prescriptions with me for each prescription drug I carry along.

Coritison cream & neosporin in additon to a number of the others mentioned.

I don't think I have a dr that will prescribe just in case antibiotics, but I think I have the other items covered. Thanks so much for the info.

We travel to Africa quite a bit and we take Cipro, Malaria pills aka Malorne, in addition Ducolax, in addition those small pills that keep you from pooping and a lot of deet.

Funny, we have never had any problems. We take the basics as well and we have traveled around the world to exotic countries. Never a problem but better to be safe. We always talk to our Doctor about medications we might need. It depends on where you are going.

I always pack a thermometer, and most of the over the counter meds other people have listed.

We get a prescription filled for Cipro if we are travelling to areas where Cipro is recommended by our travel doctor. I do not know of any doctors where we live who will prescribe other antibiotics without personally seeing the patient at a time where the antibiotic is necessary. We would be told to see a physician wherever we are travelling.

I also ensure that we have copies of any medical information that would be necessary or beneficial in the case of an emergency such as prescription medications, inoculation history, history of surgery, allergies (also wear a medic alert bracelet), etc. I am sure that there are many travellers who do not do this, but, after having one experience where this was necessary, I am happy to pack my "medical kit".

After reading Suite Travels post, I will also add that we take Malarone, etc. and whatever other drugs our travel doctor recommends for the specific locations where we travel.

Where do you find travel doctor? I do have health issues and medications that make me more susceptible to infections? I think I need a travel doctor.

it is prudent when travelling to carry medicines (over the counter and prescription) in their original packages or they might be mistaken for something else by Customs.

I agree. We take our prescriptions and OTC medications in their original bottles.

We take a small first aid kit with various sizes of band-aids, an antibiotic cream or ointment, Liquid Bandage or New Skin, moleskin (great in case of blisters on your feet), alcohol swabs, cold pills, cough drops, aspirin, and Alka-Seltzer.

I also take a small can of Lysol or a similar disinfectant (I got one at the dollar store today).

Where do you find travel doctor? I do have health issues and medications that make me more susceptible to infections? I think I need a travel doctor.

Our local hospital has an international travel medicine clinic.

rcandkc, I just did a quick search of international travel clinics in Texas and many are listed.

We are Canadian so your system might be different, but we have to pay when we go to the travel clinics here. We pay for any inoculations, and medication prescribed through the travel clinic.

When we travel, I carry the International Certificate of Vaccination which includes dates of our Yellow Fever Vaccination as well as all other vaccinations we receive. It's a good way of keeping track of whether another tetanus shot is required, etc.

per the advice from a military doctor for travel abroad, chewable Pepto Bismal which has several uses:

- taken in advance of possible exposure to local food (think exotic locales), it provides a degree of barrier

- taken after mild stomach upset/nausea, provides relief

- also provides some effects similar to, but way less severe than, Imodium (i.e., try this before using Imodium which is very effective, but doesn't turn off easily)

Absolutely agree with Portolan about Pepto Bismal. We were advised of its use about 10 years ago and now always take the caplets (not the chews) with us and take each morning. Works for all of the reasons above.

This is all such good info. Thanks! Keep it coming for all us that don't know all the good remedies and proactive things we should do.

per the advice from a military doctor for travel abroad, chewable Pepto Bismal which has several uses:

- taken in advance of possible exposure to local food (think exotic locales), it provides a degree of barrier

- taken after mild stomach upset/nausea, provides relief

- also provides some effects similar to, but way less severe than, Imodium (i.e., try this before using Imodium which is very effective, but doesn't turn off easily)

Agreed.

One other thing I want to add to this list is a few pain killers such as Percocet or Vicaden. God forbid you have an abcessed tooth or any other issues. The medical center is always available and a nurse attends to it all day and night. If it is a serious emergency the ship doctor will be there ASAP.

Our doctor gives us a limited supply of things we need when traveling and can give us our yellow fever vaccine. Better to be safe when you are traveling .....land or sea.

Click here for the travel information from the CDC for travelers to the UK.

One other thing I want to add to this list is a few pain killers such as Percocet or Vicaden. God forbid you have an abcessed tooth or any other issues. ...

But be careful taking something like that to some countries, even with a prescription. Like Singapore.

Hi, I haven't seen this listed, so thought I would share. An additional item I take is an Ace bandage. A few years ago, I twisted my ankle (not horribly, but enough that I needed support). I sent my husband out (forget what foreign country it was) to find me an Ace bandage. It took a while and a lot of perseverance and sign language, but he finally was successful. So, now, since we tend to do more active excursions, I pack one in my medical kit.