Blue Collar Prepping has a nice article on the different types of over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs: e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen. It covers some basic information about each type of pain killer, generally at least one pro or con about each, and a tip for use in a prepping/SHTF situation. The author also goes over some general guidelines for using these medications, and some alternative conservative treatments if the NSAIDs are not working (or if you don't have any on hand, I suppose).
Although the author recommends that you should not take more than the maximum dosage listed on the bottle, warning that "If you need more medicine than that, you really need the guidance of a medical professional and likely a prescription for a different medicine," the reality is that some of these medications are frequently prescribed in larger doses than the maximum listed on the OTC bottle--sometimes at 2 or 3 times the OTC maximum dosage. If you are stockpiling these for some SHTF scenario, it would probably behoove you to learn a bit of the higher dosing information; and, similarly, if you have children or grandchildren, to learn the pediatric dosing information should you not have "Children's Tylenol" or similar on hand and have to use the standard adult OTC medications. (See, e.g., this guidance on pediatric dosing for acetaminophen and compare with that for adults).
Blue Collar Prepping discourages mixing NSAIDs. However, Advil sells a product called "Advil Dual Action", and there are generic equivalents, that is a mix of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. The acetaminophen and ibuprofen work synergistically to reduce pain much better than either drug individually. It works almost as well as hydrocodone. Yes, in a pinch you can take individual acetaminophen and ibuprofen pills to achieve the same result.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've read about the Advil Dual Action. I suspect that the author at Blue Collar Prepping is simply trying to color inside the lines to avoid an issues about giving off-label advise on medications.
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