Packin' pills

[Gybson]

To you experienced cruisers... How do you pack pills? I take about 14/day (they're supplements/vitamins; I'm not sick) rather than packing all the bottles I was just planning on tossing them in Ziplocs to save space, but after doing so...I look like some kind of drug dealer... Will they care if they're not in labeled containers? Is there a better way?

[Smiling Cruiser]

Copy the labels from all the bottles. Be sure to get the description of the pill that appears on the label. If no description, then it is probably not a good idea to take the pills without the bottles.

[Gybson]

Dang... none of the bottles have descriptions on them... Gah, these bottles are going to take up a good square foot of suitcase space. :(

[skrufy]

I put my meds in a daily sorter. Depending on the length of the cruise I use a one week or a two week sorter. As for who will question the type of meds you are carring, the cruisec lines nor the TSA has ever bothered me. As a precaution I carry the med bottles with the labels on them. You never know when you will be challenged.

[Gybson]

I thought of that, but 10/14 of them are house pills. A normal sorter would probably hold 4 for each day. I mean, I can easily rattle off what they are if challenged... Garcinia Cambogia, mega red krill oil, vitamin d, raspberry ketones, vitamin b, milk thistle and CoQ-10.

[kona_wahine]

Daily sorter for me, but I only have one prescription and a vitamin.

[HawkIVette]

I take 8 pills a day-actual medicines, not supplements. I just throw the amount I need for the cruise in smaller older pill bottles and put them all in a shaving kit bag. No more room than a pair of shoes.

[kybluecruiser]

When i take my parents i make them pack the bottles just to be on the safe side.

[jamesr3939]

As a retired narc and frequent traveler who also takes a 1/2 dozen meds, nobody cares. If you don't have a 1000 of them wrapped in duct tape sequestered in a place the sun don't shine then neither TSA or anybody else has time to hassle you.

[n6uqqq]

Just stick to your ziplock bag idea and you will be fine.

[barbevrn]

If it is just supplements......leave them at home. I know, I know...... supplements can be as important as a prescription. But, could you do without them for a few days. I use a "pill pack" I often wonder what would happen if my 7 day cruise was extended several days. I don't take anything that would cause too much problems if I ran out for a couple of days. I know this is not so for a lot of people.

 

I'm wondering how many days extra a prudent person should pack?

[Flatbush Flyer]

This topic has been done to death all over cruise critic. The TSA does not require original containers. Nonetheless, have your pharmacy print duplicated labels and apply them to the bottom of your daily doser.

 

 

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[Lerin]

I wouldn't use the Ziplock baggie but not for the reasons mentioned.

With pills, it's probably best to have them in a container that can't be crushed.

 

One of those daily pill boxes would be best, but any sturdy box, tub, or container is fine. I keep medications in a little plastic case that used to be a travel sewing kit.

[pe4all]

DD is on some heavy seizure meds. We pack them in a 7 day a.m./p.m. pill holder. She takes 11 pills in the a.m., and 9 at night. We easily fit them in the a.m./p.m. spots. You can always split the pills in the holders by day - not morning and night dose, as we do. We carry a copy of the perscriptions with us - but have NEVER been bothered on any cruise we have been on. All meds go in our carry-on - perscription or otc. I have seen these 7 day pill holders in 3 sizes - even the largest size would take up a lot less space than separate pill bottles.

[RWolver672]

 

I'm wondering how many days extra a prudent person should pack?

 

That's why I take mine in the original bottles. And it happened on one cruise that I was hospitalized with a AAA right after getting off of the ship. We stayed in Florida for two weeks after the cruise before we could fly home.

[jackparts]

There are sometimes 10 of us on a cruise. No problem. However, for TSA we follow the guidelines. All pills in original prescription or vitamin bottles. Since 6 of us are medical problems, there are a lot of pills. We break them up into 4 gallon Ziploks and always get a "you gotta be kidding me " look. Never really had a problem.

[Daisyloo]

I just do the ziplock bag thing for stuff like you mention, and for aspirin, tylenol etc. I use a sharpie marker and just write on the baggie the pill name and dose. Has worked fine for me so far.

[bunchesofun]

That's why I take mine in the original bottles. And it happened on one cruise that I was hospitalized with a AAA right after getting off of the ship. We stayed in Florida for two weeks after the cruise before we could fly home.

 

Another good reason for bringing the pill bottles. I usually put my pills in a weekly pill case for convenience, but also bring the rest of the pills in their original bottles just in case.

[cruzcrazy336]

Since you are talking about vitamins and supplements, maybe you could go online and get the descriptions. This way you could print them out to bring along. That would be a lot easier than carrying the containers.

I usually don't worry about vitamins, but I don't bring as many. As for prescriptions, I bring the print out that comes with the prescription.

[Need-a-vacation]

I usually pack an extra 2-3 days for a week trip. I figure any delay longer than that and I can figure something out. None of mine are for life threatening issues, so missing a day isn't catastrophic. I get mine in 90 day bottles through the mail order pharmacy and I really don't want to take the whole bottle with me and risk losing a couple months worth of meds. I use a pill sorter or the tiny baggies and write the day on it.

 

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[Tacosha]

If you go on Amazon.com, you can do a search for "extra large pill organizer" and find a lot of options that are large enough to carry lots of horse sized pills. I use a pill organizer that's for AM/PM and that works for me. I use a labeler to note my meds/vitamins and daily dosage and stick the labels to the bottom-side of my pill organizer. The purpose of that is so if there is an emergency and I'm hospitalized, others will know what meds I'm taking...as I don't feel like packing large original bottles. I also try to carry an extra weeks worth just in case I'm stuck somewhere longer than planned.

 

 

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[sewut]

We have always used the weekly pill sorter and put mine and hubby's in a ziploc together. Bad idea. They opened and the pills got mixed up. We found these little mesh bags at Walmart in the Pharmacy area that zip closed. They have tiny ziplocs for pills. You can write on the ziplocs, then we can each have a mesh bag (different colors). I also print out the prescriptions from the Walmart website where I order them and then list the supplements on the back.

[sjn911]

We have always used the weekly pill sorter and put mine and hubby's in a ziploc together. Bad idea. They opened and the pills got mixed up. We found these little mesh bags at Walmart in the Pharmacy area that zip closed. They have tiny ziplocs for pills. You can write on the ziplocs, then we can each have a mesh bag (different colors). I also print out the prescriptions from the Walmart website where I order them and then list the supplements on the back.

Thanks to OP and everyone and sewut..this is a good local option.

 

My last trip was to visit my dad in his winter manufactured home I had never seen. Tuscon is cool I must say, lots to see and do and so glad he does it and shared it.

 

Last few trips I have packed all pills in their Rx bottles in a small padded "waterproofed" lunchpack I found in like new condition at a second hand shop. It is about 6 by 8" but takes a good third of my old big purse style

American Tourister carrey on. I make sure I go with extra and not at end of Rx cycle. And then I just use a big pill size weekly holder I got at a grocery store and believe it or not about 12 supplements do fit in.

 

This is one that I have worried about..thanks for supplement ideas and if have to shrink..the pill id and Rx ideas.

 

I just keep my rx pills in this lunchpack now, found i like it day to day better..and drag it around to where I want to take them and have extras in the medicine cabinets...

 

The extras we all take as we aged and with more info from ever 40 on... in just over the counter and vitamins...thank God for added health and protections but well yeah the world can think we are nuts..LOL.

Edited May 21, 2014 by sjn911

[maldenmusic]

I just put my vitamins, calcium, etc in zip lock bags. No one has ever looked at them.

[mousey]

I've never had any one ever ask me about my medications. I figure if push came to shove, they could call the Kaiser pharmacy, which I have on my cellphone and get confirmation that the pills are necessary and legal.

 

But seriously, I've traveled all over the world by every kind of transportation and not once ever have my meds been questioned. So I don't think tossing them into a plastic Ziploc bag will be a problem. In the future, when you buy your refills...take a quick picture of the label with one of the pills beside it with your cellphone.