Help put together my first-aid kit
 

I have a pretty good idea of what to bring but I am wondering what is the best anti-itch product for bug bites? Hopefully I won't need it too often but best be prepared. Any other tips are welcome, of course! Thanks!
Sharon
((@))

Sharon -

Calamine!
It works for me, but then those itchy things don't really like me. If you recall, the mossies enjoyed my ankles when on ZNZ. Didn't have anything with me and though they didn't bother me much for the next 10-days, when I arrived home... one dab with Calamine and I was a new person.

Sharon/Cooncat...
I swear by Benadryl Spray, in fact it is packed in my suitcase waiting to go.
Does Cooncat stand for Maine Coons? I have two!

Thanks guys! That's easy to find!

Countingdown: Yes! I also have two! A boy, Strider, and a girl, Arwen. Love them, don't you? They sure keep you on your toes.

((@))

Hi Sharon,

Personally, I find After-Bite much more useful than Calamine -- but then the bugs don't tend to like me much either.

Cheers,
Julian

Hey Cooncat

I was gonna ask you the same thing about your name.Our Maine Coon was the pet that died right before we left in December.They are amazing though and i am a dog person.I am searching for one so if you can send 1 up to Canada let me know!

Hey Julian - the bugs don't usually go for me, either, but I still plan to take all precautions! I don't find After BIte that effective - I think you have to use it fairly quickly after being bitten and I usually don't notice until later!

dlo - So sorry to hear about your coon. I'm sure there are plenty of places up in Canada you can find another one! My boy acts just like a dog. Constantly bugging me to play fetch, running around the room and on the furniture like a little madman... It's going to be so hard to leave them when I go for 3 weeks. I lost a cat a couple years ago and still mourn him from time to time. They sure become part of your family.

Cooncat

Ours was also just like a dog.And he loved 1 of our dogs as well,it was embarrasing watching him rub against our Newfie.I love how much they "chat".

Hydrocortisone cream. I would also have some Benadryl pills/capsules to take if the itch was maddening - but would only take that at night since it would make you sleepy.

I also have a wonderful Coon cat, who went slowly blind about 2 years ago (we were told it is a genetic defect in some lineages of Coon cats). But he is so smart that he still rules and roams the house, caught a mouse in the basement last winter, and continues to torment our younger cat. Right now he is standing next to me trying to con me into feeding him, although my husband fed him an hour ago.

Wow... all these Maone Coon people! Perhaps Fodors should give us our own forum! ;-) ;-)

Hey cooncat,
I also have a cooncat cat (Waldo). He's a 6-7 yr. old rescue. He sweetly fit right in with Tony (the dog) Natasha (black cat).

Dlo. so sad to hear about your loss. Check online to see coon kittens and rescues.

Back to the orig. question - hydrocortisone 1% OTC or 2% (script) - all purpose for bites, inflammation, burns etc. I would also put in a broad spectrum antibiotic cream like bacitracin.
Sherry

One thing I wish I had for this trip is Nu-Skin, which may be bought at any bowling alley. I have had bad problems with my feet on this trip, complicated by the need to wear sandals throughout due to my minor surgery on an ingrown toenail the morning of my departure.

Nu-Skin is usually used by bowlers who suffer from skin breaks or blisters on their fingers and it allows them to continue bowling. I will never leave on a holiday without it again, although had I been able to wear closed shoes with socks, I would have probably avoided any problems. Still a good thing to have.

(Nu-Skin is almost like superglue, but it is for the skin)

Haven't read all the responses but...

I have this little pen of ammonia liquid which one puts onto the bite just after it happens (if possible) and it reduces swelling massively.

Other things in my kit:

immodium
ciprofloxacin
hydration sachets
domperidone
alka seltzer
paracetemol
asprin
antihistamine eyedrops
non-medicated eyedrops
betnovate cream

plus stuff like plasters, ankle support crepe bandage thing, insect repellent, antiseptic wipes, sun block, after sun etc.

if i'm going somewhere remote and am unsure about medical provision i have also sometimes included a small set of syringes - if I get referred to a doctor i can insist on my own sterile syringes being used to administer any injection. don't bother with these often though...

While we're expanding on the list - do think about bringing eyewash and saline nose spray for dust etc. removal -used mine everyday.

Biodegradable wetwipes for the face are a must - these can also be used elsewhere on the body.

Our vehicle did have a first aid kit - not sure but would imagine thats standard.
Sherry

Lubricant eye drops and saline for the nose are def. on my list!

Kavey - I think the ammonia stuff is called After Bite which is what Julain recommended. I'll probably bring some, but I usually don't feel the bite; only the ithc hours later! Also: some of your items I've never heard of - tell me what they're for or if they have a US counterpart:
domperidone
paracetemol
betnovate cream

Thanks - keep adding your ideas, it may be boring, but an essential part of the trip!

Yikes!! You mean we have to worry about bug bites on safari??
OK. Just kidding. But I was wondering -- do the camps provide any kind of repellent in the tents and so on, or is that up to guests to bring?

I went to the Amazon for 3 days 3 years ago and brought along a spray from Magellan's that was used for clothing and bed linens. Turned out there was a cold front the whole time I was there and no bugs at all, so I don't know how effective it might have been. But is something like that a good idea to take along for the tents? Or any other suggestions? I'm doing a Wilderness Safaris mobile in Botswana and Namibia. Thanks.

I imagine After Bite is just a brand name, I'm sure mine is called something else. Wonder what the generic name might be?

Domperidone is also known as Motilium or Domstal and I include it for cases of severe vomiting. An alternative option would be stemetil, commonly prescribed for sea-sickness.

I don't know other names for betnovate but it's a cream for rashes, bites etc.

Paracetemol is an analgesic (painkiller) used against fevers, headaches and other aches and pains. Unlike many pain-relief drugs it's not anti-inflammatory. I might pack iboprufen for that purpose. I think it's known in the US as Tylenol?

Please note that I am not a medical practitioner and nothing that I post in this regard should be taken as medical advice. You must always get advice from your own doctor to ensure that none of the medications discussed clash with any other treatment or are harmful to you because of a pre-existing condition.

For example, iboprufen can be a problem for asthma sufferers though I have no problem with it myself.

Thanks for the clarification, Kavey! :-)

Paracetamol w/codeine is the US equivalent of Tylenol #3 (containing 30mg. codeine; #4 contains 40mg codeine). Paracetamol contains a small amount of codeine - about 6mg to 10mg codeine depending on the country/ies where is available. Paracetamol isn't available in the US. I have friends bring it home with them - on their way thru LHR or AMS, even YYZ - no script required overseas. And we know anything with codeine requires a script stateside.

"Paracetamol contains a small amount of codeine - about 6mg to 10mg codeine depending on the country/ies where is available."

That should have read:

Paracetamol is available with codeine, usually kept behind the counter and has to be requested (though no script required) - small amounts of codeine......... etc.

It used to be kept on the outside shelves, but many (not all) countries are getting a bit more restrictive. As one of my friends indicated... in order to get me a sufficient supply, whenever she passed a Boots when in the UK (visiting her family), she made a stop to pick-up another box for me.

In Zim and SA, I was able to buy it off the shelf, no questions asked. And being me, cleaned off their shelves. The clerk must have thought "anther American drug addict!" No, just know a bargain where it can be found.

cooncat:

I would also take several large Bandaids. I have fallen twice walking downhill on gravel and sustained badly skinned knees. None of the lodge/camp gift shops had Bandaids/plasters. Thus I take a small sortment of Bandaids including 2" size big enough to cover knees just in case. What I don't use I leave for the employee health area of the last camp I stay in.
They are grateful for anything like this.

All I know is that I am never again wearing open shoes (sandals) on safari as I have done for my last two safaris. Although not as comfortable as sandals, I will wear closed shoes/boots throughout and I will not allow my feet to ever again serve as a buffet for tetse flies, spiders and mosquitos.

Sharon-
Betnovate cream here is Penaten Cream - not sure if you have had 'little ones' yet, or if you are older (like me), but it is commonly used for diaper rash. Long after I didn't need it for that purpose, I found it was a very effective cream for excema (can't spell that) and other rashes so I keep some on hand.
And for some more two cents on cats - my neice left her 'mixed' 10 yr old Maine Coon Cat here over Christmas in 2000 -she just picked her up last week (long Christmas wasn't it!). She wasn't a purebred, and although she was a lovely, quiet cat most of the time - she could get quite cranky. Someone told me that was a cooncat trait - is that true?

Maine coons generally have excellent dispositions.Ours was rarely cranky and was always around us or one of the dogs.He was never quiet and when i got home from work would "talk" for 15 or 20 minutes.

Ditto on the Maine Coons - they have extremely good personalities for the most part. Mine are like dogs in their demeanor. And yes, they talk to me all the time and for those who care (lol!) they chirp, or trill, they don't always meow. My boy Strider and I have long conversations at times! And people who see this are either amazed or they roll their eyes! Gotta love the pets! ((L))

((@))

Regarding cranky mixed-breed coon cat - must have been bred with an inferior breed of cat (that is, any other breed)

And so others don't complain we are going off-topic - we had a Maine Coon cat who developed some weird dermatitis and required all of the above mentioned anti-itch remedies. Then the vet game him some sort of steroid shot - would not recommend that for itching on your trip, however.

Yay! Lots of other MC lovers. I'm another one.
I adopted my first 'shelter' Maine Coon (not knowing he was one) when he was 8 weeks old. Was told by my vet "Tyler" was a MC. He kept growing and growing settling in between 15-20 lbs. Also had the personality of a dog rather than a cat. Unfortunately, I lost him to cancer in 2001 when he was 17. Miss him terribly.

My new MC "boy" Kealy, will be turning
5 soon. Way too smart for his own good. Have to continuously do enrichment exercises because he loves challenges, and loves keeping my other three cats on their 'paws'.
He is also quite the 'chatterbox.'
Such a wonderful and fun breed and the best dispositions of any cat.

Very interesting about the Maine Coons -- didn't know that much about their personalities. They have a lot of traits that my Abyssinian has! Only he is more 'petite' @ 9 lbs ;-) He also talks allot, plays fetch like a dog, and is very involved in everything we do. HE is going to be missed DESEPERATELY on our trip!

I was hoping this would get resurrected. Sorry about all the OT cat stuff!

Now the big question. I went to the store so I checked out the meds. Being someone who has a very robust digestive tract and never needs this stuff - do I want the pill form of immodium or the chewables? Yes, it has come to this....the little, but often very important questions. (Where's Bwana when I need him...)
thanks
((@))

Cooncat-
I do the immodium caplets. And I usually only take one caplet as soon as I feel an unusual rumble of which I know where it's going.
One does the trick for me by stopping the rumble in it's tracks before it gets any worse.

a medication that you need not carry with you, but keep your eyes out for it is, aloe, which is a succulent plant, break the leaf and rub the juice on the itch. Also try and find some wild fig, ground cover that dominates coastal areas like san diego, that works wonders too, particularly good with stings.

then if all else fails, perhaps you'll find this a tad crude, but urine is really tops for bites and stings etc.

Thanks everyone. Mkhonzo - I'll keep the urine thing in the back of my mind just in case....

Just to clarify.....Tylenol is a U.S. branded version of paracetamol. They are exactly the same drug and the correct chemical name for the molecule is acetaminophen (max. dose = 4g/24 hours). In the UK, you can legally buy 100 tablets OTC without a prescription, but the maximum pack size is 32. This means you can only be sold 3 boxes (96 tablets) per customer. I hope this makes sense :)

Do the various things in your first aid kit (Tylenol, Benedryl, Immodium etc) have to be in their own original containers? We're going to S.A., Chobe and Vic Falls (Zim side). I'm not sure if it will be a customs issue if pills are not in their original containers).