The home medicine chest - What YOU MUST HAVE IN IT

You have a splitting headache and you rummage through your bag, pockets, upturn the files on your table but still can’t find that damn pain killer tablet that can provide you with the much needed relief. Worse still you can’t even find that pain balm you bought a couple of years ago - If this sounds all too familiar, it is time you got yourself organized and set up a medicine chest at home. If you have an infant or a little kid at home you will need 2 medical chests - one for the adults at home and another for the kid.

Before we look at what MUST go into that medicine chest a few tips on maintaining the medical chest:

1. Your medicines and medicine chest should not be exposed to direct sunlight
2. Remember that all medicines need not be refrigerated - some people put everything into their refrigerators. Read the storage instructions and store medicines appropriately. If a medicine needs to be refrigerated, then put it there but also add a small note to your medical chest informing anyone who will need to use it that a particular medicine can be found in the refrigerator.
3. Make it a habit to clean you medicine chest regularly - do it at least once a month: throw away damaged and expired medicines, check to see if you need to replenish certain medicines, and rearrange and put things back in order.

Now let us look what YOU MUST HAVE in your medicine chest. We will start with the general one for adults:

1. Pain killers and fever medicines: This is an absolute must. Typically you should have Ibuprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) - Buy at least two strips of each. Common paracetamol brands available include Crocin, Calpol, Dolo-650 - You could buy any of these. Internationally a paracetamol brand that is more readily recognized is Tylenol. Ibuprofen brands include Ibugesic, Brufen in India and Advil, Motrin internationally. Also keep a bottle of pain balm - Tiger balm, Amrutanjan are good choices.
2. Antiseptic/Disinfectant: Keep a bottle of Dettol or Savlon to wash cuts, abrasions, and any injury. Always dilute the disinfectant before applying it to the cut or wound.
3. Antibiotic cream/ointment/gel: Keep a tube of antibiotic cream/ointment/gel. Soframycin ointment or Neosporin ointment should do. Apply an antibiotic only after you have washed and cleaned the wound. Additionally keep a tube of Burnol cream in case of mild burns, scalds, and boils.
4. Aspirin: Absolutely essential. Aspirin originally a pain killer is now more often used as an anti-clotting agent. If you see someone gasping for breath or holding his/her chest, complains of chest pain then he/she could well be suffering a heart attack, immediately pop an aspirin into his/her mouth and ask him/her to chew on it.
5. Anti-allergics: Keep a strip of anti-allergic tablets. Buy a strip of cetrizine - cetzine or zyrcet. Take it when you have an allergy (allergic cold/cough, skin allergies, allergies due to insect bites etc.). Although cetrizine is supposed to be non-sedative, exercise caution. Do not take it if you have to drive or need to be involved in some motor action.
6. Betamethasone/Hydrocortisone cream: Keep a tube to provide relief in skin allergies, hives, itching, contact dermatitis (skin allergy due to contact with a substance), bug/insect bites. A tube of Betnovate should suffice.
7. Anti-diarrheals: Keep a strip of loperamide (Lomotil, Lomofen, Immodium) and it can help stop that diarrhea. Always go to a doctor if your stools have a foul smell or if the diarrhea does not stop. Also keep a strip of lactobacillus (the good bacteria) which can help restore the balance of good and bad bacteria in your stomach - Sporlac is a good choice.
8. Rehydration solution/salts: Keep a sachet of ORS - Electral or Electrobion are good choices. They will help restore the electrolyte balance in your body after a bad bout of diarrhea and/or vomiting. The patient should also be given the ORS even during the course of his/her diarrhea. Note: Once reconstituted the ORS should be consumed within 24 hours.
9. Nausea and Vomiting: Domperidone is a readily available OTC medicine for nausea and vomiting. Keep a few tablets (you don’t need an entire strip). The brand Domstal is available across medical shops in India.
10. Cold, Cough, and a stuffy chest: I am not a great fan of cough syrups. I prefer plain steam inhalation to relieve congestion and regular salt water gargle to clear irritation in the throat. In India you also get a medicine called Karvol Plus - This is a caplet that contains tea tree oils, menthol etc. and is a great addition to plain steam. All you have to do is to cut the tip of the caplet with a scissor and pour the liquid into the hot water, then drop the caplet shell as well into the hot water. Inhale deeply for instant relief. You can also apply Vicks Vaporub or Amritanjan on your chest, back and neck to relive the congestion.
11. Heart Burn: Commonly known as acid indigestion is a burning pain/sensation in the chest/neck region particularly after a heavy meal. While preventive steps include making lifestyle changes like stopping smoking, eating low fat diets and maintaining regular eating habits, you can keep antacids like gelusil and also certain medicines like ranitidine that can prevent excess acid release - commonly available brands include Zinetac, Rantac, and Aciloc.
12. Bandaid, bandages, gauze, cotton: Buy a variety of sizes. Also keep plain adhesive tapes which can be used to hold a medicated pad or surgical gauze. Also keep a roll of cotton and gauze bandage to wrap larger wounds and prevent leakage from the injury.
13. Elastic wrap, compression bandage: Keep a roll ready in case of severe sprains, and when you have to support a limb or joint before going to the doctor.
14. An accurate thermometer: If you know how to read a mercury thermometer that is ideal, else a digital thermometer should do. Do not buy the fever strips and ear thermometers - they are useless.
15. Measuring cups/jars/beakers: Keep a couple of measuring cups and/or jars to accurately measure dosage of liquid medicines.
16. Scissors: Keep a pair of scissors permanently in the medical chest. You don’t want to be running around the house looking for one when you have to cut a strip of bandage to dress a wound
17. Tweezers: Keep one in the chest in case you want to remove wood splinters, or any foreign body that has become embedded in the skin.

Let us now look at the baby’s medical chest. Several items would be common but there may be variants:

1. Pain killers and fever medicines: Acetaminophen (paracetamol) syrup and Ibuprofen (Ibugesic Plus)
2. Antiseptic/Disinfectant: Dettol/Savlon liquid,
3. Moisturizing cream/lotion: Keep a good brand of moisturizing lotion and/or cream to prevent skin dryness.
4. Topical calamine lotion or Hydrocortisone/Betamethasone cream: For allergies, insect bites etc. Wycort is a brand of hydrocortisone that is available in India. You can also use betnovate (Betamethasone)
5. Antibiotic Cream/Ointment: Soframycin ointment
6. Antiallergic medicines: Cetzine zyrup
7. Nausea/vomiting: Domstal syrup
8. Stomach pain due to gas, bloating, colici pain: This is very common in children and can cause a lot of discomfort. Babies usually cry and writhe in pain. Gripe water, Omum water, Colicaid can all provide quick and effective relief
9. Digital Thermometer: You can measure the temperature by placing it in the rectum or under the armpit.
10. Bandaid, bandages, gauze, cotton: Buy a variety of sizes. Also keep plain adhesive tapes which can be used to hold a medicated pad or surgical gauze. Also keep a roll of cotton and gauze bandage to wrap larger wounds and prevent leakage from the injury.
11. Chest congestion/Cold/Cough: Vicks Vaporub rubbed into the chest, neck, and back. In case of severe congestion in the chest, you can give steam inhalation but you must exercise extreme caution. Place the baby on your lap, cover the vessel containing hot water with wire mesh or use the sieve from your kitchen. Hold the baby’s head with both your hands and hold her over the steam for a few seconds and then pull away. Do this a few times. Do not hold the baby over the steam for more than a few seconds at a time. A very good ayurvedic medicine for children is Sithophaladi churna which should be available in most ayurvedic shops - a pinch of the powder has to be mixed with honey or ghee and given to the baby.
12. Nose block: Pure saline drops (Available as Rhine drops in India) or Otrivin pediatric drops are good choices to unblock baby’s nostrils.
13. Measuring cups, dropper, and oral syringe: Depending on the age of your baby store one or all of these as most medicines for children are liquid preparations and need to be measured out.
14. Scissors: Keep a pair of scissors permanently in the medicine chest. You don’t want to be running around the house looking for one when you have to cut a strip of bandage to dress a wound
15. Tweezers: Keep one in the chest in case you want to remove wood splinters, or any foreign body that has become embedded in the skin.
16. Torch/Flashlight: Keep a small torch/flashlight for checking your baby’s nose, throat, mouth, and ears.
17. Bandaid, bandages, gauze, cotton: Buy a variety of sizes. Also keep plain adhesive tapes which can be used to hold a medicated pad or surgical gauze. Also keep a roll of cotton and gauze bandage to wrap larger wounds and prevent leakage from the injury.