Do you have an Expat Medicine Kit?

[Mark Berkowitz]

During my first year in the Philippines, I had pneumonia… (well, I think it was pneumonia since I had a fever and my lungs were full of phlegm and I had difficulty breathing). As amazing as it sounds, my wife nursed me back to health with OTC medications, including Bioflu and Solmux.

I really should have gone to a doctor or a hospital but money (actually the lack of money) was an issue for me back then.

It sounds amazing how well some of these OTC medicines work!

Now that the phlegm season is back, I’ve restocked my Expat medicine kit with: Alaxan, Bioflu, Solmux, Sinuatab and Lomotil.

It surprises me that Lomotil (for diarrhea) is an OTC medicine over here, since you need an Rx for it in USA (because it’s chemically related to Demerol and it has similar effects).

[Jack Peterson]

Do you have an Expat Medicine Kit?

 

YEP!

[Queenie O.]

I used to stock Zithromax because every so often we'd get a sinus or ear infection, and it seemed to really get rid of it fast. Those antibiotic meds are now prescription only.  I've never had much luck with OTC meds, so I don't stock them. It has helped me to take a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar in a glass of water at least once a day to keep my system more alkaline and less acidic that might feed an infection. It seems to work for me--I had a cold lately and always in the past it would turn into an infection, but this time it just ran it's course and was gone. That's if I tend to limit my sweets intake too. As far as diarrhea meds go--that's a great one to stock, as well as making sure you have an ACE bandage around or ice pack it you need it.

On a similar vein, as far as a first aid kit goes, ever since we had our house built, we always had a well stocked kit around in case one of our workers got hurt.  A pet peeve of my Filipino husband, is how if a road accident here occurs, often Filipinos will not assist their fellow citizens, and will just stand by and wait for a policeman/ ambulance to show up. Twice since we've lived here, two young teenagers had spills on their scooters outside our house. We helped them with minor first aid, and my husband drove them home, and returned their damaged bikes home for them. My husband says that while living in the US, he observed that most people will help out without thinking twice, and he wants to set an example like that here. A first aid kit for your place is a good thing to have around if you or anyone that you know needs it.

Edited June 26, 2017 by Queenie O.

[robert k]

Does Tanduay count? I brought a large size buy one get one equivalent to Immodium AD, vitamin C 500mg 500 count bottle. largest bottle of 325mg aspirin I could get. Needing some nasal drops or saline spray and seeing the prices, I bought a little plant sprayer and a bottle of Tanduay for a touch of what started as nasal bronchitis. Don't mix it too strong spraying it up your nose and you can breathe it into your lungs also. It seemed to knock about 10 days off the recovery time from the first bout.

GF gave me scabies that she got from her boy. I bought out the pharmacy of permethryn to treat everyone in her house and myself. They couldn't seem to use it properly although I explained at length and multiple times. So even though I got rid of the infestation, I got reinfected. Luckily her sister decided to split us up anyway because it wasn't enough I gave her money for school, she wanted money to go out and party, and I refused. I googled the second best treatment for scabies and bought some Malathion which is basically fruit fly pesticide in the US and for 165 pesos for 1L I had enough to treat/cure a fair sized village. One of the most important things in my Philippine medkit is Dr. Google.

[Dave Hounddriver]

Yes.  I love it that the majority of meds I use daily are not prescription meds here because in Canada they are, which requires tedious doctor visits so he can make his money for prescribing what I was going to buy anyway.

Even here, the doctor's prescription for antibiotics is a joke. At Generics pharmacy you can go in there with a skin infection and get a 7 day supply of antibiotics. Cost for prescription 100 pesos.  You can take the prescription to 10 different places and get it filled (careful as some will write on the prescription that it has been filled but most won't).  Then you take them home and stock your medicine chest or put them in your sari sari store and sell them at a profit to people who don't want to go to the doctor.

[Reboot]

Quote

Do you have an Expat Medicine Kit?

Don't we all?

 

[Queenie O.]

10 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Even here, the doctor's prescription for antibiotics is a joke. At Generics pharmacy you can go in there with a skin infection and get a 7 day supply of antibiotics.

Dave--what if you don't have a skin infection?!

[Dave Hounddriver]

32 minutes ago, Queenie O. said:

Dave--what if you don't have a skin infection?!

Open front door, look left, then look right.  If you don't see someone with a skin infection then you are not in Philppines.  Just ask them to come to the doc with you and give them a mickey of Tanduay. 

Edited June 26, 2017 by Dave Hounddriver

[mogo51]

11 hours ago, robert k said:

Does Tanduay count? I brought a large size buy one get one equivalent to Immodium AD, vitamin C 500mg 500 count bottle. largest bottle of 325mg aspirin I could get. Needing some nasal drops or saline spray and seeing the prices, I bought a little plant sprayer and a bottle of Tanduay for a touch of what started as nasal bronchitis. Don't mix it too strong spraying it up your nose and you can breathe it into your lungs also. It seemed to knock about 10 days off the recovery time from the first bout.

GF gave me scabies that she got from her boy. I bought out the pharmacy of permethryn to treat everyone in her house and myself. They couldn't seem to use it properly although I explained at length and multiple times. So even though I got rid of the infestation, I got reinfected. Luckily her sister decided to split us up anyway because it wasn't enough I gave her money for school, she wanted money to go out and party, and I refused. I googled the second best treatment for scabies and bought some Malathion which is basically fruit fly pesticide in the US and for 165 pesos for 1L I had enough to treat/cure a fair sized village. One of the most important things in my Philippine medkit is Dr. Google.

Yes I would think Tanduay would definitely count.  Best to take 2 large mouthfuls before starting first aid treatment.

[mogo51]

5 hours ago, Reboot said:

Don't we all?

 

When I get sick, I will call you for assistance.