What basic medicines should I pack?
 

We'll be in Rome, Florence, Venice in early November. Just wondered what seasoned travelers pack in the way of medicine, first-aid supplies, etc. Also, can daily prescription meds be carried in something like a 7-day pill container or should you have the original bottle? Thanks for any info.

do a search ther was a thread on this subject the other day Bring imodium ad

Keep your Rx meds in the original vials, pick up smaller labelled containers from your pharmacy if all you have is larger bottles. It avoids customs difficulties and is safer for your meds. Bring written Rx's from your Dr. and make sure he includes generic name on them. In additionto that I take moisturizing eye drops and saline nasal spray to use on the plane. We use the nasal spray very frequently and have not come down with colds or " airplane flu" since we started doing that. I throw a few band aids in my cosmetic case and ibuprofen . I do have a Rx for antibiotics that I bring on each trip, never had to use them but it is good insurance. Other than that you can find anything else you might need at the local pharmacies. If you have some special problem that you regularly use OTC products for then bring them ( Tums, sinus meds, laxatives) if you feel more comfortable using brands you know. It looks like you are only travelling in large cities so I don't see any problem in obtaining what you might need and you won;t be taking up space in your luggage with things you MIGHT need.

One thing I forgot, if you wear glasses bring a spare pair! Twice I have needed them, once when someone on the plane smacked me in the face with his backpack while removing it and broke them and once when I dropped them and then stepped on them. Now I even carry a copy of my prescription with me.

Our 12 year old daughter had swimmer's ear this summer and while in Spain she got it again. Fortunately we had brought along the empty bottle of her antibiotics and were able to go to the local Farmacia and get it refilled - right there at the counter - no office visit, no prescription... Don't know if the same holds true for Italy.

Decongestant. Immodium. Aspirin / tylenol (which ever works best fpr you).

Yeah, do be careful to bring everything you might need like aspirin, acetominiphin, Immodium, decongestant. <BR> <BR>Amazing how those Europeans have put up with headaches, inflammation and the runs all these years. No wonder they done had so many wars. You'd think they'd buy some medicines from the Good Ol Yew-Ess-Of-Ay.

Take Bandaids. European ones are NOT like ours, in Great Britain they call them sticking plasters and the entire thing sticks, no gauze pad area. If your feet get blisters you're going to want those good old American Bandaids, believe me.

We, traveling with two kids now 11 and 14, bring only Ibuprofen and Bandaids, although in recent years we have noticed that the French Bandaids are far superior to ours. They even have ones especially for burns, which have a little spot of burn medicine on them that gets rid of the burn within hours. Amazing. Generally we find that French pharmacies have everything we could want and more and so don't bring much with us. Same in Italy. We visit a pharmacy as soon as we land in a European town or city and stock up on all kinds of great items, including vitamins and medicines we would have to get prescriptions for at home.

We always bring "a couple" - a few aspirin, a few bandaids, a few Maalox tablets, etc. - because when you need one, you're in no mood to go shopping. If we use up the supply, we head for a pharmacy for what we need. <BR> <BR>We didn't bring a laxative on one trip, and, of course, one of the girls needed it, we couldn't find a pharmacy open...so now we always have a starter supply of OTC stuff just in case.

<BR>I agree with StCirq and am surprised at these responses. If you were going to parts of Asia or Africa I might agree but Western Europe???

Kathy,, why are you surprised, every single respondent has said take a few tablets or bandaids or whatever to get you through the time till you can get to a local paharmacy and leave the rest of the stuff at home??

Just wondered, would a pharmacist in a European country (or any other part of the world) fill a prescription written by a doctor in the US? Would a pharmacist in the US fill a prescription written by a doctor from outside the US? Does Anyone know for sure?

Barbara, <BR> <BR>In the US we cannot fill prescriptions written by european or any other Dr who is not liscensed here . In fact , though it varies from state to state, we cannot fill Rx's from other states!. In Tx , unleess they have changed the laws, we could fill Rxs written only by Tx licsensed DR , they could be from another state but had to have a TX lic. in addition. In Fl we can fill some out of state Rx without the dr being lic. in FL . Gets downright confusing. <BR>The european Rx's could be filled if they were countersigned by a state licsened Dr.The same would hold true for out of state rx's. As I said this law varies by state. <BR> <BR>Everyone seems to say they can get US rx's filled in europe , but I have no personal knowledge. I think it's more than likely they can.

My experience: I take a few of the common items just because I definitely don't want to be hunting down a farmacia when I feel totally rotten or just for a minor item. I did have a very good experience in Italy last year. Developed a nasty sinus infection a few days into the trip - probably from allergy to mold from all those lovely grapes in Chianti. Anyway, once in Orvieto, asked a few questions, found the ospedale, asked a few more questions, found the emergency room. Saw a doctor immediately - no wait - translated sinus infection - not your usual traveler's Italian - got a prescription - went to the farmacia & got antibiotics - again no wait at all. The hospital emergency room was NO CHARGE and the antibiotics were 1/2 of what they would have been in the US. They even came wrapped up in unique paper with ancient Roman pharmacists on it. I know the Italians pay dearly in taxes for this system, but for a minor medical need, it sure was a refreshing change from the US!

JOdy, thanks. That's what I expected for the US end, but I do find it hard to believe that prescriptions would be filled in Europe. When we visited I had to be extremely careful as my teenage daughter takes seizure control medication and we absolutely can't be without it. I took two lots, one I carried and one I packed and checked. Nothing happened and I didn't lose any, so we brought the unused stuff home.

I tried to buy asperin at the Boots pharmacy at Gatwick in May. The pharmacist asked if I had diabetes and what did I want the asprrin for. I told her that I did not have diabetes and that I wanted to take an asperin before a long flight as recently recommended by US doctors. She told me that she could NOT sell it to me for that reason!! I then told her that I also had a headache (which I did not have)--and she sold me the asperin. At least their pharmacists are concerned enough to ask!!

Virginia... after 2 weeks of tooth pain, I thought I may need to visit a dentist. I then realized that we didn't have our health OR dental insurance cards... don't know if they would have paid for anything, but it's a nice thought. My advice, bring your insurance cards, and sign your passports... (oh yeah, forgot to do that too, got a nice visit at the embassy tho!) Have a grand time!

If you have trouble sleeping in a new place (or adjusting to jet lag), I'd recommend Valerian tablets - they really work for me to help relax and fall asleep. (They smell horrible though, and if you have any cats in the house, don't let them near them - it's like catnip to them and they go crazy trying to get into the bottle!) An over the counter sleep-aid like Simply Sleep can work pretty well too. I cannot travel without those packets of Metamucil to help "adjust" my system to the rigors of travel and new food consumption, and also swear by Advil to relieve the aches and pains of walking around on hard marble museum floors and cobblestone streets. Have a great healthy trip!!

Really, I've never heard of a pharmacist refusing to sell aspirin in the UK. They will sometimes refuse to sell large quantities of these and other over-the-counter drugs for fear of suicide. <BR>Also, of course you can get sticking plaster with gauze pads. It's called elastoplast. <BR>Don't forget to take a pith helmet and a cleft stick for sending messages home.