A conference goers bag of drugs?



I was musing on the drugs I need to take with me while travelling. Here is the first go at a list. This trip, I packed only one item.....

  • DEET (for pesky insects that love your blood even more you do - thanks Dr. Congreve!).
  • Aspirin (for the inevitable headache, fever and as a bonus an anticoagulant for flights, especially in economy seats - one of Nature's true gifts - aspirin that is, not economy class seats).
  • Paracetamol (headache from sporadic/atypical alcohol consumption).
  • Loperamide (disturbed digestive habits, fluid loss).
  • Azithromycin (just in case of serious life threatening infections, often difficult to get abroad, use responsibly - thanks Dr. Schoichet!).
  • Loratidine (anti-histamine, insect bites, bed-bugs, allergies, etc).
  • Diphenhydramine (a sedative anti-histamine for disturbed sleep patterns, or to block out the presence of your annoying fidgety neighbour on the plane).
  • Ranitidine (for inevitable over-indulgence and subsequent disturbed digestion).
  • Neomycin Sulfate, Polymyxin B, Bacitracin Zinc, Pramoxine (for itches, cuts, grazes and other stuff).
  • A quality sunblock (so obvious, it goes without saying).
Of course, you should use common sense and judgement in such matters, and also take the advice of your personal doctor or physician ;)