What health related items do you take on a cruise?

[no1racefan1]

This is what I plan on bringing:

Prescriptions, daily supplements, vitamins, etc.

Airborne and/or emergen-C

Eye drops

Tylenol

Benadryl

Bonine

Tums/licorice tablets

Covid tests

Alka-seltzer cold & cough

Throat lozenges

Mini first aid kit

Sunblock

 

Just the covid tests and cold medicine are new additions since last time we cruised.

 

[evandbob]

Up to date vaccinations.  We just had our annual flu shot and COVID booster for our next cruise in 3 weeks.

[tw0sugar5]

Is it weird that I consider SPF part of my beauty/skincare routine rather than healh-related?

[Nebr.cruiser]

On 9/26/2023 at 2:52 AM, sydney dog said:

I knew someone was going to post this but at this point in my life I know my body.  I get bronchitis several times a year and although Antibiotics are not the typical cure for bronchitis it is the only thing that works for me.  I am not a smoker and actually do have Antibiotic resistance from being prescribed them as a child for every sniffle I had.  That's what my doctor did at the time.  After all it was the goto drug in the 80's.

I'm the same way, only for me it is sinus infections.  After dozens of them, or more, I know the signs and symptoms and the only thing that stops them are antibiotics.  I, too, am concerned about overuse of antibiotics, but it can take weeks, even a couple of  months, for me to kick a sinus infection on my own. 

 

And I do take several other prescriptions for allergies, which seems to be what brings them on.  Luckily, after starting the generic for Celebrex (for pain) almost all of my allergy symptoms, especially the awful chronic coughing, are gone.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Nebr.cruiser

[no1racefan1]

2 hours ago, tw0sugar5 said:

Is it weird that I consider SPF part of my beauty/skincare routine rather than healh-related?

I guess not, I think I'm the only one that listed it as health-related, LOL.

[simplelife]

In addition to my regular daily meds and supplements, I take Acetomenophen, Ginger capsules ( for nausea and seasickness), antacids, Imodium, Azo (just in case of UTI); decongestant,  cough drops, band-aids

 

OTC meds are available in the shops (When they are open) and are very pricey, so I bring these on "just in case" I keep small amounts of these in a zipper pouch that I can just throw in my travel bag 

[ladysoleil]

These are some good lists. I bring most things that folks have mentioned. Also like to bring an ace bandage as I'm slightly prone to ankle sprains. I also make sure I bring a big Ziploc which I can use as an ice pack if needed for any minor injuries. Also bring a couple of kn95 masks just in case someone gets sick. 

[9tee2Sea]

I always bring Multi-Vitamns, Vitamin C, D Zinc.  Down those all every morning during breakfast.

[Swells1]

I bring the entire pharmacy. I get two weeks of vacation time, and I refuse to be ill for any of it. I bring medications that I have literally never taken, but I'm not taking any chances!

 

Because I take my time and pack well, everything fits in a 5"x7"x.5" pouch.

[aungrl]

20 minutes ago, Swells1 said:

I bring the entire pharmacy. I get two weeks of vacation time, and I refuse to be ill for any of it. I bring medications that I have literally never taken, but I'm not taking any chances!

 

Because I take my time and pack well, everything fits in a 5"x7"x.5" pouch.

Now THIS is impressive!  (Packing it so neatly and so small that it will fit into your pouch, I mean.)

[Mangrove Snapper]

32 minutes ago, Swells1 said:

I bring the entire pharmacy. I get two weeks of vacation time, and I refuse to be ill for any of it. I bring medications that I have literally never taken, but I'm not taking any chances!

 

Because I take my time and pack well, everything fits in a 5"x7"x.5" pouch.

 

I love the color pattern you did with the Tums and the way the Advils fit together so it looks like a honeycomb.  We also use these types of bags to bring medication but we clearly need to step up our game.  That is seriously good packing.

 

And I agree with you - we bring a lot of "just in case" medications, as well.  You never know. 

[capriccio]

11 minutes ago, Mangrove Snapper said:

 

And I agree with you - we bring a lot of "just in case" medications, as well.  You never know. 

We do too but before each cruise I need to check what has expired otherwise I could be bringing OTC that I have never used or used many years ago and are way passed their expiration dates.

[clo]

On 9/22/2023 at 11:13 AM, Lois R said:

I can't remember the last time (if ever) I have brought the original bottles with me.

But last trip to France, not a cruise, I took the meds in the little plastic boxes and I printed from Mychart (does everybody have that?). All in a large zipping bag. The TSA people appreciated it.

[clo]

1 hour ago, capriccio said:

We do too but before each cruise I need to check what has expired otherwise I could be bringing OTC that I have never used or used many years ago and are way passed their expiration dates.

I call it our "what if" bag and just recently checked for really old stuff. A year or so, no problem.

[jsn55]

21 hours ago, Swells1 said:

I bring the entire pharmacy. I get two weeks of vacation time, and I refuse to be ill for any of it. I bring medications that I have literally never taken, but I'm not taking any chances!

 

Because I take my time and pack well, everything fits in a 5"x7"x.5" pouch.

This photo is hilarious.  I thought I was the most meticulous packer in the world, but I'm nothing compared to you.  Love all those little bags just the right size.  "Being sick" anytime is something that fills me with dread.  To prove your point, in October I could tell that I was developing a cold the second day after the 10-hour flight.  I gobbled Vitamin C, drank gallons of water, read/slept for 48 hours ... and beat the cold to death before I boarded my cruise.  Had I not had a bunch of Vitamin C pills with me, I would have had to waste precious rest time trying to find some from an airport hotel.  

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, Swells1 said:

I bring the entire pharmacy. I get two weeks of vacation time, and I refuse to be ill for any of it. I bring medications that I have literally never taken, but I'm not taking any chances!

 

Because I take my time and pack well, everything fits in a 5"x7"x.5" pouch.

 

1 hour ago, Mangrove Snapper said:

 

I love the color pattern you did with the Tums and the way the Advils fit together so it looks like a honeycomb.  We also use these types of bags to bring medication but we clearly need to step up our game.  That is seriously good packing.

 

And I agree with you - we bring a lot of "just in case" medications, as well.  You never know. 

 

Yes, Swells1... quite a lovely arrangement!

 

We also use the tiny (generic) ziploc type plastic bags, and they are very handy indeed.

But as Mangrove Snapper mentioned, we now also need to step up our game, too! 🙂 

 

However, for ALL of our Rx meds, we label them by asking the pharmacist to print out an extra set of "labels" for each med. That means we get an official "stick on" label that is exactly the same as what the pharmacists slap on the little amber plastic vials.  Those are usually waaaay too big for the meds actually dispensed...  This is because some years ago, our local pharmacies did away with the smallest sizes, to stock less inventory.  Thus, often the dispensed quantity barely covers the bottom of the cylindrical container, and it almost never fills more than about 1/10 to 1/4 of the volume.  That's a LOT of wasted space... the air in those containers.  And worse, because they are cylinders rather than rectangles, none of the containers fit neatly together... lots more wasted space between the containers, too.  Plus, it's all rigid.  😠

 

With these little ziplocs, one can squeeze almost all of the air out.  (BTW, we do the same when we put things like chopped veggies/etc., into the freezer with the "freezer" Ziploc bags.)

These can then be mostly flattened nicely and stacked, or perhaps stuck in between other items in the "med kit".  We just hand label any simple OTC meds.

 

As for the question, "Is that legal" (or insert substitute word for "legal")?

Yup, at least where we live.

We "got the idea" when one of our regular Rx fills was dispensed in that exact way:  In a little ziploc-style bag, with the label slapped on the side.  (If necessary due to size, we just spread the label around the edge so it's slapped on both sides.)

We each looked at what we were handed, and the proverbial light bulb went on over each of our heads. 

 

It makes the packing so much easier, and eliminates soooo much otherwise-unused space.

 

No, we don't re-date them every time we get a new refill.

Those "good until" dates are very conservative.  If one has the original packaging available (sometimes our meds are dispensed in the manufacturer's original package), that "good until" type date is usually much later than the relatively standard "one year from date of initial Rx fill" that the pharmacy label displays.

 

Likewise, we have letters from physicians documenting the medical need for some of the meds.  We don't update these each time, and not each year, either.  As long as there is relatively recent and *official* medical documentation, it's fine.  We've almost never needed to show any of this, but we feel much better having it with us, especially since some of our meds are not necessarily considered innocuous in other countries, or even in the USA.  We check very carefully for the med rules in any country we'll be visiting, and get ALL of the necessary approvals when needed.

 

The only "problem" we've had is that Japan does *NOT* allow any of the original formulation Sudafed tablets.  And the newer, OTC formulation of Sudafed [kept behind the counter, not on the shelves, although no Rx is needed, at least in our state] has never worked for us.

{And surprise!  It was recently announced that the newer Sudfed version... does NOT work when taken orally. And those *pills*... are taken *orally*, or at least by us...!}

So we crossed our fingers and toes, and hoped for "no bad head colds..."

 

Finally, we've added those Covid test kits.  WE want to control any testing that is "just in case".  We don't need/want any cruise officials to know if we used a test if it was *negative*.  If it were ever to be positive, we'd be the first to announce that to whatever "authorities" need to be notified, and we'd obviously sequester until safe, etc.

But we do NOT want to get "more room service than we planned" IF we are negative.

We do the same thing at home, "just in case".

(DH's University teaching finally went "in person" starting Sept, 2023, so there's now a lot more "exposure", TO us as well as possibly from us if he were to bring something home. Before that, we were almost entirely isolated, due to very high risk concerns.  We took our first short domestic (USA) flight/trip this past weekend (since December, 2019).

There's still a WORLD OUT THERE!  ✈️ 😁 😁 🎉 

 

GC

[screwsmcernst]

We take all the things mentioned by everyone else, and I also take moleskin.  This is felt adhesive sheets that you can cut to the size you need.  I use it if I get a blister on my feet.  It keeps shoes from aggravating the blister even further.