Emergency Meds Rx

[Riplip]

Going to Cuba on a live aboard boat for 7 days in May, plan to hit my doctors office prior to the trip for similar request as above. The conversation/context piece is just as important.

 

[TRD1911]

Another decenting opinion from another emergency department nurse. It blows my mind that there are doctors willing to risk their license to practice by prescribing any narcs for "just in case". What they are doing is writing you a blank check to assess, diagnose and administer narcotic meds......something that requires years of schooling (beyond my own education) to safely do. I was prescribed percocet while in the Marine Corps and took them as prescribed. I may be naive to narcotics but I literally zoned out and watched infomercials for like 4 hours one night without realizing it.

Your best medication is comms. Carry a satelite communicator and get the professionals there as soon as possible. A broken leg on narcs is still a broken leg. No oxy or antibiotic is going to get you out of that.

 

[hflier]

You know folks it is entirely possible to present your opinions and views without being a jerk or hostile to others. Lots of good information here except for the occasional battles some feel they must wage.

Ron


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fwafwow]

For those who are carrying prescription meds in the backcountry, are you carrying each one in the original pill bottle? I was just putting mine into baggies, but seem to recall that one is supposed to keep the meds in the original pill bottle.

 

[BravoKilo]

Biggest threat to drug stability is heat and moisture. While original bottles are better than a baggie, either should work fine for the duration of a hunt. Might suggest something water/air tight if there's the chance of rain.

 

[fwafwow]

Biggest threat to drug stability is heat and moisture. While original bottles are better than a baggie, either should work fine for the duration of a hunt. Might suggest something water/air tight if there's the chance of rain.

Sorry, I should have been clear. My concern was running afoul of the law for carrying in anything other than the original container. Your point on stability is good one that I had not thought of though.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

I made a few straw packs with a couple ibuprofen each and used a different color straw for other pain meds.

 

[Ratbeetle]

Another decenting opinion from another emergency department nurse. It blows my mind that there are doctors willing to risk their license to practice by prescribing any narcs for "just in case". What they are doing is writing you a blank check to assess, diagnose and administer narcotic meds......something that requires years of schooling (beyond my own education) to safely do. I was prescribed percocet while in the Marine Corps and took them as prescribed. I may be naive to narcotics but I literally zoned out and watched infomercials for like 4 hours one night without realizing it.

Your best medication is comms. Carry a satelite communicator and get the professionals there as soon as possible. A broken leg on narcs is still a broken leg. No oxy or antibiotic is going to get you out of that.

I'm not pushing SOS for a kidney stone. However, as someone who has had over a dozen in the last 5ish years, including passing a 6mm stone just a few months ago, I know what a severe attack does and realize that one could leave me in the fetal position on the side of the mountain for several days.

I also know my body well enough to know that a 5-325mg Percocet and a 200mg ibuprofen takes enough of the edge off that I could get myself back to the trailhead.

I don't care what anyone else does or what they think is needed in the backcountry. If I have prescription pain killers available, a few will always be in my med kit.

 

[johnsd16]

IMHO the health care industry has brought this on single-handedly

Absurd, offensive, uninformed and flat out wrong. To your point, let’s try to avoid opinions on medical ethics and keep it to a civil discussion about what should legitimately be in a back country or travel kit. Some of this is also a humble brag on your part about how much backcountry time you do, how hardcore you are and how that justifies you having the “good stuff”, see who’s being preachy. Yes, read the whole thread.

Good doses of NSAIDs and acetaminophen
Anti diarrheals
Topical antibiotic
Maybe antiemetic

Better assets are non-medicinal items for cleaning and dressing wounds and more importantly common sense and basic knowhow in using them.

Special situations could justify some muscle relaxer or stronger pain medications like tramadol or low dose codiene, or hydrocodone but this would be a situation like an established history of back spasms or kidney stones KNOWN to be responsive to a particular agent AND dose. In the backcountry is NOT the place to be trying something new or at a new dose as the consequences could be life threatening. Similarly, using broad spectrum antibiotics on a whim can also have significant unintended consequences. For healthy people, there is really very little need for “emergency” antibiotics. What are you treating? If you don’t know, how do you know it will work? If you’ve never had the agent how do you know you aren’t allergic? Won’t interact with other meds?

 

[WannabeHunter]

Sorry, I should have been clear. My concern was running afoul of the law for carrying in anything other than the original container. Your point on stability is good one that I had not thought of though.

Yes, leave in original container or at least have the original container at the truck. I would always have the pills in the original bottle when I'm driving. As long as you can prove you have an RX for them you will be good, but it's just easier to have the bottle right there.

 

[WannabeHunter]

I've read through 90% of the post on this thread. I'm a little shocked by how many people prepare for the things that don't kill the majority of our population.

EVERYONE should be carrying at least 324 mg of Chewable Aspirin to treat acute MI (heart attack). Unless you have an allergy, and if you have an "allergy" you should read up on what the signs and symptoms of a true allergy are and then re-evaluate your "allergy". The aspirin could literally save your life.

I also have a very real and honest conversation with my hunting partners. You need to know of any medical condition that may warrant you knowing what to do if the worst case scenario happens. Diabetes, heart disease, etc. You are your hunting partner's initial medical rescue.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[wyosam]

For those carrying an epipen, I'd make it several and talk to your doc about additional medications to carry. Pretty much any allergic reaction worth using an epipen for will outlast the epi, and when the epi wears off, you can suddenly become much, much worse. Should have benadryl, pepcid/zantac, and possibly an oral steroid if your doctor is willing to prescribe it for your backcountry kit. I don't typically carry opioids anymore, though I usually bring valium because when my back gets flared up, it helps more than anything- mostly by making it possible to get some sleep. Other than that I pretty much just carry some ibuprofen. I'll bring a more comprehensive hit on an extended trip with a larger group (ie grand canyon river trip).