travel first aid kit

[tres3]

what non-prescription items do you carry with you when traveling abroad? 

I usually carry ibuprofen, sudafed, benadryl, pepto, immodium, dramamine, band-aids, neosporin, anti-fungal cream and this time of year dayquill/night quill

Am I forgetting anything?

[sunnysally]

Be careful with the sudafed and benadryl it is illegal in many countries.

[mbcdefg]

Advil LiquiGels, chewable Pepto tabs, Band-Aids, tweezers, lip balm, Neosporin, safety pins, hand sanitizer, mini sunscreen tube, a couple of cough drops, those mini sewing kits you get for free at hotels. Cortizone lotion in the winter - my hands get really dry and cracked and itchy.

I carry most of this stuff in a little cosmetic bag in my purse on a daily basis anyway.

ETA: forgot an important one, my asthma inhaler

[marytini]

I do advil, tylenol, aleve, pepcid, colace, benadryl (for sleep). A few cough drops or throat lozenges in case I get a tickle in my throat on the plane.
I usually stash a few bandaids away too, if I think I have shoes that might rub.
I don't bring cold meds unless I already have a cold prior to leaving. If I need to, I buy stuff there...like Polish zyrtec!
I also always bring some kind of antibiotic eye drop. For some reason, I've gotten pink eye a few times while travelling (domestic) and I am super paranoid about my eyes, so I save the leftover drops and bring with me "just in case." Of note, I am a health care provider, so know the proper use of these.
Several tubes of chapstick...my lips always get so dry on a plane. ALso, regular eye drops for dryness (I wear contacts, but not on travel days).

[steamboat185]

We sometimes bring melatonin or Tylenol pm. I don’t use the Tylenol pm much since we travel with kids and it makes me groggy but I like to have a few just in case. We also throw in unmedicated eye drops. The kids will often claim to have “something” in their eyes and the eye drops help.

[wanderingback]

Usually nsaids and anti-diarrhea meds. I pretty much never take meds except for occasionally nsaids for a headache, so that's all I take with me. 
I'm also paranoid about getting a UTI, so I usually take some macrobid with me. 

[tres3]

Dec 12, 2019 21:46:07 GMT -5 sunnysally said:

Be careful with the sudafed and benadryl it is illegal in many countries.

really?  I guess i could see sudafed but what do you for allergic reactions? 

[GilliC]

It depends where I'm traveling, but the staples are ibuprofen, pepto bismol, band-aids, and Compeeds (a really good brand of blister bandages).

My extended kit also includes Neosporin, an ACE bandage, and immodium.

[sunnysally]

Dec 13, 2019 5:25:26 GMT -5 tres3 said:

Dec 12, 2019 21:46:07 GMT -5 sunnysally said:

Be careful with the sudafed and benadryl it is illegal in many countries.

really?  I guess i could see sudafed but what do you for allergic reactions? 

There are other antihistamines. I would ask your doctor for specifics about substitutes and which countries ban or strictly limit the substance. I know diphenhyramine (benadryl) is illegal in Zambia and limited to an amount that is smaller than a typical dose in Japan.

[gigem]

sunnysally tres3

I was just gonna reply with this and saw you got to it already. I just stumbled upon it before our trip there in 2016 and “glad” I did because Dh usually travels with some. That being said no one searches our bags.

I found out about it on the state dept/travel website and it links to the US embassy in Zambia site with all the chemical names of banned substances. I think I had to google a bunch to see if Zyrtec would be okay
travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Zambia.html

[lightbulbsun]

I usually take ibuprofen, dramamine, tums, and pepto. When we go somewhere where travel sickness is likely, sometimes we get a prescription of Cipro or something similar.

[goldengirlz]

Depends on where I’m going and if I’m taking DD or not. If it’s a major city, I figure I can get whatever I need there (I too have enjoyed collecting cold medicines from around the world!)

Melatonin for jet lag is one I try never to forget — it’s Rx-only in some countries so you can’t just buy it in a local pharmacy. Stomach meds are a staple because it’s the most common ailment I tend to get. I also got athlete’s foot on a beach vacation once and now I travel with anti-fungal cream in my liquids bag.

In DD’s bag, I make sure I have children’s Advil and antiseptic cream. And anti-itch cream if we’re going somewhere with mosquitos. Sunscreen and aloe vera when I remember (DH NEVER forgets sunscreen which means I’m more likely to.) Oh, and Band-Aids have been clutch.

And then of course all my own prescriptions ...

ETA: I keep lists on my phone of essentials and modify accordingly. But this way I’m less likely to forget something without having to bring everything everywhere.

[mich1]

I leave for a cruise to South America on Wed. and I just finished putting our kit together. This was after visiting the ship’s store on our last trip and seeing a little bottle of Advil was $12, and DH catching a cold as we left the ship and needing to hit a pharmacy in Barcelona.

What I have packed is anti diarrhea tablets, NyQuil liquigel capsules (my go to for colds), benedryl, Sudafed, Afrin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, cough drops, alcohol wipes, band aids, antibiotic ointment, and benedryl cream (I can get hives from the sun). I need to remember the sunscreen too. I also added 2 types of seasickness meds. Even though DH and I have never gotten seasick, we are going around the horn on this trip and it might be rough.

[tres3]

Dec 14, 2019 14:03:37 GMT -5 mich1 said:

I leave for a cruise to South America on Wed. and I just finished putting our kit together. This was after visiting the ship’s store on our last trip and seeing a little bottle of Advil was $12, and DH catching a cold as we left the ship and needing to hit a pharmacy in Barcelona.

What I have packed is anti diarrhea tablets, NyQuil liquigel capsules (my go to for colds), benedryl, Sudafed, Afrin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, cough drops, alcohol wipes, band aids, antibiotic ointment, and benedryl cream (I can get hives from the sun). I need to remember the sunscreen too. I also added 2 types of seasickness meds. Even though DH and I have never gotten seasick, we are going around the horn on this trip and it might be rough.

have fun. We went around the horn plus Antarctica 2 christmases ago. It was absolutely amazing. I hope you get the same weather we did. It was super smooth. 

If you are stopping at the Falklands I highly recommend during the Volunteer point excursion with Patrick (not through the ship). 

[mich1]

Dec 14, 2019 19:43:08 GMT -5 tres3 said:

Dec 14, 2019 14:03:37 GMT -5 mich1 said:

I leave for a cruise to South America on Wed. and I just finished putting our kit together. This was after visiting the ship’s store on our last trip and seeing a little bottle of Advil was $12, and DH catching a cold as we left the ship and needing to hit a pharmacy in Barcelona.

What I have packed is anti diarrhea tablets, NyQuil liquigel capsules (my go to for colds), benedryl, Sudafed, Afrin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, cough drops, alcohol wipes, band aids, antibiotic ointment, and benedryl cream (I can get hives from the sun). I need to remember the sunscreen too. I also added 2 types of seasickness meds. Even though DH and I have never gotten seasick, we are going around the horn on this trip and it might be rough.

have fun. We went around the horn plus Antarctica 2 christmases ago. It was absolutely amazing. I hope you get the same weather we did. It was super smooth. 

If you are stopping at the Falklands I highly recommend during the Volunteer point excursion with Patrick (not through the ship). 

I wanted to go on that trip, but DH really wanted the tour about the Falklands war.  

We do have the trip to Iguazu falls at the end.  No Antarctica on this trip.  

[scout8]

Ibuprofen
Imodium
Sudafed
Pepto Bismol
AZO
Benadryl
Melatonin
Antibiotics
Hydrocortisone cream
Ambien
Nose saline spray for the plane

I get sick a lot when I travel and I've been stuck too many times in foreign countries trying to explain what I need to a pharmacist. I bring it all with me now!



ETA: I'm going to add Tylenol to my list from now on. DH got a high fever on this trip (food poisoning?) and the Advil didn't work well. I think Tylenol is a better fever reducer.