what is in your traveling medicine cabinet?

[OnTheBrink]

What do you take with you for "just in case" items to make up your traveling medicine cabinet? This would be for 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 7 and 3.5).

[jeanlyon]

Mine is Ibuprofen (headaches, muscle strains), a First Aid kit of bandages, dressings. Antiseptic, insect repellent, insect bite lotion. Same as you have at home I would think.

 

Don't forget there is a hospital and medical unit on board if you really get sick.

[notentirelynormal]

Neosporin, sun screen, aloe vera cream and a little container holding various headache remedies....aspirin, sudafed, aleve etc cos you just don't know what kind of a headache it will be.

 

I also include another little baggie with things like safety pins, nail file, clear nail polish, and personal items like the once a month kind. While they do sell most of these things on board the stores aren't always open when you need them and they are costly. About a week before we leave I put a baggie on the counter and when I use something I put some (like a safety pin) in the baggie figuring if I needed it at home, better to take and not use then need and not have.

[luvdmouse]

I've learned from having very sick children on vacation, that I always pack any medical item I may need. Then I usually don't need any of it. This cruise we are also packing our friend the pediatrician and her family. I told her I would bring the over the counter stuff in case.

 

My medicine bag consists of: cough medicine, benadryl, tylenol, both for kids and adults, fever all, pepto for kids, immodium for adults, neosporin, bandages, thermometer, motrin, aleve, and advil.

 

Hope this helps.

[ispooks]

i also take most of my medicine cabinet... cold medicine, cough medicine, childrens advil, regular advil, benadryl itch cream, bonine, band aids, pepto bismal, sunscreen, sudafed, tums, and vaseline... - that covers most of it...

 

i have to tell you, i have used a lot of these on various vacations - u don't always want to buy it on the ship - worst case, it comes home with u...best case, it is with u when u need it...:)

[mjmalino]

I would also pack some seasick meds, for kids and adults, just in case.

[CanadianTwosome]

We have prepackaged first aid kits in our house, car and ready for a suitcase. We added to it with more bandages, including various band-aid type strips, some fabric, some waterproof, blister pads, and various painkillers for adults and children. The sunscreen, bug spray, lotions and other 'warm weather' items are in their own container since they don't always go along.

[abitaturbodog]

For me, it would be easier to answer the question - What don't you take?

 

I pretty much pack up my medicine cabinet and then some. The really important stuff like Motrin, Tums and my Epi-pen go in my carry on, everything else goes in the luggage.

 

I just figure it's better to be prepared.

[KC_fn]

In general, my packing philosophy is: When in doubt, leave it out. The one major exception is the travelling medicine cabinet.

 

I pack every over-the-counter med we might conceivably need, knowing that we will use little, if any, of it. But we found out the hard way that cruiseships carry very little in the way of standard drugstore supplies, and what they do have is pricey. And I just don't want to risk getting caught without some antihistamines in case of an allergy attack -- it would ruin my cruise.

 

To save space, I have a supply of tiny (2" x 2") zip-top baggies. Rather than pack the whole box of Sudafed, I dump some tabs in the baggie and label it with name and dosage info. This probably-won't-need-it pharmacy goes into one gallon-size zip-top baggie and tossed into the suitcase. Prescription meds and a small supply of Tylenol go in my purse.

 

As far as actual content:

• Tylenol, Motrin
  
• Ginger candy, seasick bracelets (we aren't prone to seasickness, but if we were, I'd carry Bonine in my purse)
  
• Zycam tabs, Sudafed, decongestant spray, antihistamines, cough drops
  
• Pepto tabs, Rolaids, Immodium
  
• Bandaids, antibiotic ointment, cortisone cream, Oragel tabs
  
• Aloe gel, bug repellant, after-bite stick

[OnTheBrink]

I would also pack some seasick meds, for kids and adults, just in case.

 

What is good for kids? My daughter, almost 7, will likely benefit from something. She gets quesy quite easily (as do I).

[mjmalino]

Well, last year I bought regular Dramamine. Not kids, not the less drowsy formula. My rational was that it was approved for 2 and over (my kids were 8 and 9) and being our first cruise, didn't know if we would even need it and didn't want to pack more than necessary. Well, my 8yo DS needed it the first day and the Dramamine made him very sleepy. We also gave it to both boys before our whale excursion, just in case, and they were falling asleep. For our cruise this year, I have purchased children's Bonin, which I have since heard may have less severe drowsiness effects. I will take the Dramamine, for my DH and I, just in case.

 

Hope this helps.

[larronry]

My neighbor was able to find children's bonine at CVS and DH uses the adult version for myself. I have the patch (prescription). Dramamine knocks me out.

[IAO]

What isn't in it? For the kids, I take Motrin, Tylenol and Dramamine (only give the kids 1/2 a tablet) as well as a thermometer. Plus, I take bandaids, neosporin, sunscreen, Immodium, Excedrin migraine and some migraine patches, ibuprofen, my own personal meds, after sun cream. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but that's the gist of it.

[CanadianTwosome]

For some illnesses, while it feels horrible, the 'visits to the bathroom' are the best thing - to 'get the poison out'... but for seasickness and other ailments that can cause vomiting that isn't helping anything, oral meds sometimes won't do any good because the ill person can't keep them down long enough to have any effect. We're very fortunate in our family that we aren't prone to motion sickness, but my mom ALWAYS had Gravol suppositories for my sister. Nobody likes 'em, but a little discomfort at the bottom is sure a lot nicer than hours of heaving and cramping!! :)

[Brenda33]

Always remember the "what ifs". My son uses a nebulizer everyday for prevention of asthma, so of course I have the machine and preventative medicines. However, when he gets "sick", he needs a special medication to put into that machine. Therefore, I bring a bunch of the special medication just in case he gets sick. Always remember the special "what ifs". Other than that, I take everything!!