This is part of my on-going series of posts on Health Care for Christian Scientists & Former Christian Scientists.
REMEMBER when taking ANY KIND OF MEDICATION:
- Read and follow the label directions.
- Be sure you’re giving the right medicine and the right amount
- Use the correct dosing device.
- Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider before giving two medicines at the same time.
- Follow age and weight limit recommendations. If the label says don’t give to children under a certain age or weight, don’t do it.
If you have ANY questions about medications, side effects, other drug interactions, etc. talk to your doctor OR drug store pharmacist – they are actually more knowledgeable than doctors a majority of the time since unlike doctors their entire training is focused on pharmacology (although you should always question your doctor when receiving meds). If the symptoms do not improve, contact your doctor.
Always be upfront with your doctor about ALL medications &/or supplements you are taking to prevent drug interactions.
Keep in mind: Drugs usually don’t work “instantaneously.” Wait about 20 minutes. Also if buying otc meds (non-perscription), buy the kind that have only one active ingredient (read the label.) e.g., just pseudoephedrine, not pseudoephedrine with tylenol and dextromethorphan. That way you can be sure you’re taking only the drugs you need/intend to take. It’s too easy for people to over-dose on some drugs if they are wrapped up with others (e.g., taking tylenol AND nyquil, which won’t kill you but isn’t good for your liver) plus why deal with side effects from taking drugs for symptoms you don’t even have?
You don’t want to exceed the amount of medication needed in a certain time period. This is particularly important if you are taking multiple medications at once. For example if you have the flu you might be taking a daytime flu medication, but then you will want something to knock you out for the nighttime (proper rest is key to recovery). Both drugs have high doses of acetaminophen so you need to include that variable when planning your dosages, i.e., if they both say do not exceed 4 doses every 24 hours, then you would take 3 doses of the daytime, and one dose of the nighttime.
A large glass of water, a small snack and sitting down for a few moments often helps a number of problems.
http://www.knowyourdose.org/how-read-your-label
After Kid1 was born we had a long conversation with our pediatrician an about what sort of medications we should have in the house. Being raised in medicine-free homes we were fairly clueless about what we should have on hand.
We had some basics: a first-aid kit (the kind you can buy at most big box chains), some band aids, neosporin, and hydrogen peroxide (some CS homes lack even these). I think we may have had some Tylenol which I occasionally took for exceptionally bad headaches, but beyond that our medicine cabinet was fairly empty.
Our pediatrician has been seeing kids for decades and he doesn’t like to unnecessarily medicate children. His general advice is don’t medicate them unless they’re not sleeping well at night, obviously uncomfortable/grumpy because they’re running a fever, and if something is really wrong, call the office.
When it comes to children (and most basic medical needs), in our pediatrician’s world we “only need three things (drugs)” in the medicine cabinet: Ibuprofen (Advil), Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl). This list applies to adults as well.
*** Eat something before taking Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen, they are very rough on the stomach lining and if you take them frequently with nothing in the stomach it can cause indigestion or nausea and eventually even ulcers. Not to freak anyone, but it is VERY IMPORTANT important that people read and FOLLOW the directions on the bottle for dosing etc. Antihistamines frequently cause drowsiness, if it is bad look for alternative brands.***
- Ibuprofen: Ibuprofen is used to reduce fever and treat pain or inflammation caused by many conditions such as headache, toothache, back pain, arthritis, menstrual cramps, or minor injury. (via Drugs.com)
- Acetaminophen: Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and a fever reducer. Acetaminophen is used to treat many conditions such as headache, muscle aches, arthritis, backache, toothaches, colds, and fevers. (via Drugs.com)
- Diphenhydramine: Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine. Diphenhydramine blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in the body. Diphenhydramine is used to treat sneezing; runny nose; itching, watery eyes; hives; rashes; itching; and other symptoms of allergies and the common cold. (via Drugs.com)
Other Drugs to Consider
- calcium carbonate (Tums): Treating heartburn, sour stomach, acid indigestion, and upset stomach caused by these conditions. Tums chewable tablets is an antacid. It works by neutralizing acid in the stomach. It also works to treat or prevent calcium deficiency by providing extra calcium to the body. (via Drugs.com)
- Advil PM (Diphenhydramine & Ibuprofen) Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose. Antihistamines can cause drowsiness, which can aid in the treatment of occasional sleep problems (insomnia). Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Ibuprofen works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body. The combination of diphenhydramine and ibuprofen is used to treat occasional insomnia associated with minor aches and pains. (via Drugs.com)
Many “cold medications” don’t actually treat the cold, they “treat” the symptoms and add some stimulants. You are usually better off with some throat lozenges (like Ricola), liquids (hot tea with honey, soup, water), and rest. If symptoms don’t improve in 3-5 days (or get worse), call your health care provider.
Other things to have on hand/in the Medicine Cabinet
- Band aids/bandages
- Hydrogen peroxide (useful for cleaning minor wounds, disinfecting, and removing blood stains)
- Bactine spray similar to hydrogen peroxide, but less damaging on the tissues & it causes no pain to the recipient when applied
- Vaseline (or something similar)
- First Aid Kit and some idea of how to use it
- a hot/cold pack (similar to the Carex Bed Buddy) – these are useful for muscle aches and menstrual cramps
- a boo-boo buddy (little ice pack for kid’s scrapes & bumps, used mostly for distraction)
- a thermometer – so you know what your temperature is
- phone number for doctors, and poison control
What do you have in your medicine cabinet?
What do you find useful or helpful to do or take when you’re not feeling well?
What do you take on a regular basis to maintain your health?
Please remember, this is intended to offer people support, ideas, and resources. It is not in any way intended to be a substitute for medical advice or care. Please see a health care professional if you have concerns, especially if your concern is serious!
If there are any topics or information I’m missing, or that you would like me to address, please leave a comment, or e-mail me at: kat (dot) at (dot) kindism (at) gmail (dot) com
kind-ism 
I have been out of CS for years and my med cabinet also includes the following patent medicines:
Imodium or other anti-diarrheal
Pepto bismal for upset stomachs.
When I was out of CS, but had no family health insurance- which I did not believe I needed, I turned to the health food store.
Natural remedies:
*Liquid B vitamins. Nothing works on a cranky kid like a squirt of B vitamins, cranky adults too.
* Vinegar. Do not overlook the many uses of vinegar. It has an alkalizing effect on the body. People tend to get acidic when they are sick. It is great in baths it is good for the skin and hair. It is a tremendous disinfectant for many household uses too. Be sure to use some everyday.
Keep apple cider vinegar for remedies. Braggs is the best brand as it has the “mother” in it., White vinegar for household and laundry, But also keep wine, rice and balsamic vineger and use them for variety.
*epsom salts. aka Magnesium sulfate. Perfect in the bath for sore muscles and/or for the relaxing effect magnesium has on the body when you are overtired or totally wound up. In its liquid form is it good for constipation,too.
*Vitamin C. After many years of experimentation, I believe a key lime w/ 25 mgs of Vit C is the absolute best source for natural vitamin C andthere is no need to take 500 mg or a1,000 mgs, and it is still not as effectively absorbed as a key lime, I squeeze 1/2 of one in every glass of water as well as use them on a lot of foods like avocados and melons. It comes out to 2-3 limes a day.
*Sriracha sauce or other source of red chiles is powerful medicine. Nothing has more Vitamin C. Keep a can of cayenne in the first aid kit. Powdered cayenne will stop bleeding when packed on the wound, and given internally, will stop a heart attack in its tracks. Red peppers relax the blood vessels immediately and are also the most potent form of Vitamin C known.
Herbs:
Herbs are beautiful things and a little herbal knowledge is easy to pick up. Herbs do not usually target one symptom , but are best used as tonics for systems- like dandelion tea for the liver.
There are some easy books in health food stores and ex CSers may find that herbs are an excellent alternative to the strong, fast acting, patent medicines. Herbs are great for chronic illnesses, like a bad heart, a messed up liver or digestive system, and for other excesses of modern life. With a few exceptions, like echinacea on an insect bite, they do not work fast but are great for chronic ailments and are like part of the diet. They should be thought of as food- greens specifically, or roots, even though one takes them in capsules today. In the old days is was taken as horrible tasting teas.
Herbs can come in capsules of the ground-up herb or liquids extracted from the herbs with alcohol or glycerin, and many are left as is and make good, delicious, teas like
*Chamomile tea for upset tummies and even colic in babies. It is served everywhere in Mexico and is very benign. It helps tummy upsets and may be preferable to taking a patent medicine. too. It is high in calcium which is thought to be relaxing.
*Red raspberry tea is the absolute best help for menstrual cramps- forget midol-it is a combination of patent medicines, which in my opinion should be taken separately, not combined, as the bottled version may not have the correct proportions of ingredients for your own system.
*Liquid extract of echinacea for insect bites. It gives instant relief when a drop is applied to a bite. It is also a good herb for when you are coming down with something like a cold- it may boost the ability to fight the cold,
*Liquid golden seal is good for mild infections like a sore throat and it believed to be potentiated by adding echinacea. They seem to boost the immune system more than work on symptoms..
.Also for teething, there is nothing like Hylands teething remedy. It is homeopathic but it works like a dream in children. A little sugar pill really, and very, very inexpensive.
I just wrote this off the top of my head, but as an ex-Christian Scientist, I vastly prefer the natural remedies and knowledge of plants for food and medicine as many plants overlap.