MEDICINES TO BRING WHEN TRAVELING ANYWHERE
Every time I ask myself, what are the medicines to bring when traveling? Then I Google and browse many websites to end with a long list of drugs and creams. Guess what? 99% of these drugs I don’t need and I never used, not even a once. So I decided to write about the medicines to bring when traveling. So I started to prepare my own list.
Medicines to bring when traveling
It is tough to find a universal list. As you know, the environment and climate differ. It is not the same in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Antarctica. Eventually, the health hazards and the drugs needed also varies. So I decided to start a series of articles, including the medicines to bring when traveling to different areas, the required drugs for various activities and medications for different age groups.
So here is the first article about medicines to bring when traveling anywhere. This is the essential checklist which later on we can add other drugs depending on the area we are going to. I cut the essential list into five medicines only.
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These five medicines to bring when traveling, in my opinion, are crucial, and you should not travel anywhere without it. Bring at least four tablets of each drug.
1) Your prescriptions
Your prescription is the number 1 priority. If you suffer from a chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease, don’t forget to pack your prescribed medicines. Also, bring enough amount to cover you during your stay. For many reasons, it is better to bring your medicine and not to buy when you are traveling. Even if you are purchasing the new prescription from a developed country, the concentration or packaging divers from one country to another. So it is not wise to risk your health during traveling. Anyhow don’t forget to bring a copy of your prescription.
Also, don’t forget the medications that you might need, such as a mild sedative or sleep aid, antihistamine (for allergies), motion sickness medicine, decongestant, and mild laxative.
2) Pain and fever medicine
These drugs are universal, useful for many symptoms, and generally save. For headache, trauma, unexpected fever, or sunstroke. Acetaminophen and aspirin are well known. But my recommendation is Ibuprofen. Because it is efficient for both high temperature and as a pain reliever.
Drug: Ibuprofen (Actiprofen, Addaprin, Calprofen, Advil, NeoProfen)
Dose: 200-1200 mg per day
Precautions: Always take with meals to avoid gastric acidity. Ask your doctor if you are allergic to Aspirin or have any kidney or liver disease or pregnant
3) Diarrhea medicine
Traveler’s Diarrhea could be dangerous and may be fatal in some endemic and rural areas. The dangers mainly come from dehydration and loss of minerals such as Sodium, Potassium, and Glucose. That’s why medications to diarrhea include both loperamide to stop lose motions beside excessive fluid intake to compensate for loses. Besides, always follow healthy hygiene habits.
Drug: Loperamide (Imodium, Imodium, Kaopectate II, Maalox pepto-bismol)
Dose: 4 mg after first loose stool, then 2 mg after each subsequent stool (Maximum 8 mg/day)
Precautions: May cause allergy. Must be avoided in bloody diarrhea, high fever, and if constipation must be avoided. Avoid in children under two years.
4) Antiseptics
Logically, antiseptics Such as Betadine, Savlon, or Dettol are essential and mandatory when traveling anywhere in the world. Always follow the international guidelines for drinking healthy water. The risk is higher, especially when you go to rural and overcrowded areas. The risk includes diarrhea, food poisoning.
5) Sun protection
The travelers usually underestimate sunburn risks. Even if you travel to Europe or areas with modest temperature, the ultraviolet rays could harm your skin deleteriously. It is advised to use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) 30 and higher and if visiting tropical areas or beaches should be minimally SPF 50. Read our guide for the best sunscreen.
The most valuable advice here is that don’t forget your travel insurance. You don’t know what you may face out there. After all, you are an expert traveler, and you are the one to estimate the expected health hazards in your destination. But don’t ever underestimate the risks. If you bring only four tablets of the drugs as mentioned earlier, the total will be 20 tablets only. Twenty tablets will not take much space in your bag, but it could solve a major problem and save some of your precious time.
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Traveler78
Hello, My name is Yahya. I am 39 years old and soon will be 40. I was born and lived in the historic city of Cairo, Egypt. I Work as a doctor; cardiologist. Traveling is my passion. I am proud to be the owner and creator of Traveler78 website. If you like the material on my website, please subscribe to my website and share it with your friends. Also, you can follow me on your favorite social network. For further information, please contact me either in the comments or via E-mail.
25 Comments
aisasami
I don’t take a lot of medicine on my travels as Japan is very strict about what to bring into the country. If it’s not prescribe, I rather buy in the country.
Amila@leisureandme
Usually I pack all these medicine.However until recent I didn’t pack Diarrhea medicine.After a recent experience of encountering with Diarrhea,now I pack.
Traveler78
Thanks and good luck
Enriqueta E Lemoine
Such a helpful post. We tend to think that we can have a CVS or a Walgreens around the corner. Thanks for sharing!
Traveler78
Yes, that would be nice
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen
Great tips! These are also the medicines that I make sure I bring whenever we are travelling.
Traveler78
Thank you, I hope it helps you
Mommy Sigrid
Since we have allergies, we bring them, too, for the kids and us. Some bandages as well as probiotics. And oh, sanitizers.
Traveler78
Yes true
Natalia
Oh wow! That’s a great list to keep in mind before setting out for holidays. I guess I always take all of these things with me! 🙂
Traveler78
Thanks, I hope it helps
Samantha
NEVER be without stomach stuff, that’s for sure. Travel brings it all out, does’t it?
Traveler78
yes and that was mentioned under category one, your own prescription
Brittany
That’s a lot of medicines to bring on a trip….but you never know what could happen. It’s always important to be prepared! Thanks for the reminder!
Traveler78
I believe that’s not too many medications. I mentioned five medicines, and if you bring four tablets of each drug, so the total is 20 tablets, not too much at all.
Patricia M.
I wish we had followed this list couple of times we traveled and my husband got sick. It makes for a bad vacation.
Traveler78
well it is not late to follow
Amber Myers
Yup, I make a list so I don’t forget. I once forgot some cold medicine and naturally my daughter got a cold.
Traveler78
Thanks, Amber Myers. your own prescription is number one priority
Cristina Petrini
I always take almost a month to prepare my travel medicine beauty!
Traveler78
Fair enough, make sure to forget any of your medicines
Agnes
I love traveling too and the only medicines I used to carry are pain killers. Now I have a list of what I require the next time I need to travel. Thank you, Yahya.
Traveler78
Welcome Agnes enjoy your trips
Krysten Quiles
Amen to all of this. It’s especially important when you’re traveling somewhere that you may not have access to all of these. Thanks for sharing!
Traveler78
Welcome Krysten