Anybody carry pain relievers in their PSK?

Ravaillac said:
I note that many people use Aspirin.
I rather use Paracetamol: it is a lot like aspirin (very common, analgesic and fever reducer) plus it does not fludify blood like Aspirin does, which in an outdoor context is generally more a problem than a useful feature.

or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

I've never heard of it. The antiplatelet effect of aspirin does worry me a bit. When I worked at the tattoo shop, I could always tell when someone had taken aspirin or something similar because they just bled and bled.
 
I always keep Ibuprofen, Sudafed, and Alieve....as well as some benadryl and children's chewable Ibuprofen in my kit. Sometimes one of the small packs of Goody's too... I mostly just use the blister pack pills and store them in a tin.
 
Ravaillac said:
I note that many people use Aspirin.
I rather use Paracetamol: it is a lot like aspirin (very common, analgesic and fever reducer) plus it does not fludify blood like Aspirin does, which in an outdoor context is generally more a problem than a useful feature.

or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Aspirin for heart attack or stroke. High physical activity + age = potential for stroke or heart attack. Popping an aspirin if either occur could save your life until you are able to be treated. This is what most doctors advise us to do.
 
PorcupineMtns66 said:
Aspirin for heart attack or stroke. High physical activity + age = potential for stroke or heart attack. Popping an aspirin if either occur could save your life until you are able to be treated. This is what most doctors advise us to do.
Click to expand...

So in that respect, perhaps a dose of crushed aspirin carried separately from the pills would be a good idea. It would enter your bloodstream faster so it would probably be better in a heart attack/stroke emergency. Though I don't think the Goody's would be a good choice in the case of a heart attack, with it's 65mg of caffeine.
 
I keep 6 Vicodin 750mg(2days worth) & a ZPack(antibiotics) in my FAK.

Those Vicodin's are about 5yrs old,leftover from a dislocated shoulder.Do they go bad/lose effectiveness?...anyone know?
 
chewable aspirin, ibuprofen, benadryl, epi-pen. the pills in small waterproof match or pill containers. on a multi day hikes also carry morphine tabs. could make the difference between getting out or not.
 
JTR357 said:
I keep 6 Vicodin 750mg(2days worth) & a ZPack(antibiotics) in my FAK.

Those Vicodin's are about 5yrs old,leftover from a dislocated shoulder.Do they go bad/lose effectiveness?...anyone know?
Click to expand...

Everything does with time. Most medications are marked with an expiration date of less than 2 years. Many can last much longer than that, but only trial and error will show which. You should try one and see how it does :p.
 
I've noticed several people make mention of giving an aspirin for possible stroke victim....Please enlighten me as to where this pearl of wisdom came from? Has there been some advancements in field assessments that allows one to differentiate between a hemorrhagic stroke and an ischemic stroke without the use of C/T? Because unless you're one hundred percent sure that it's not hemorrhagic that one little aspirin can potentially cause enough additional free bleeding inside the brain to due some serious, irreversible damage....
 
I usually carry some asprin, advil, norco, and some lidoderm patches. I also keep backups of all the prescrition medication that I have to regularly take for a condition I have. I try to carry at least 7 days worth should something major strike. The asprin is mostly for a heart attack should someone around me have one and the advil is mostly for minor ailments for anyone that I might happen to be stuck with.
 
smersh said:
Yup:

- Ibuprofen for all-around stuff (stiff muscles, headache, sunburn)

- a couple of migraine pills

- loratadine (generic Claritin) for allergies

- Benadryl (more for bee sting or other acute problem that could lead to anaphylaxis or lots of swelling than for hay fever / environmental allergies)

- a couple of foil-wrapped imodium

- aspirin (more to give someone after a suspected stroke or heart attack than for pain relief)

What gets used? Advil & occasional loratadine for me and the gf, imodium and Benadryl once in a while for the dog.

Fits in a tiny baggie or a mini-Altoids tin. If they start looking battered or old, I toss the lot and reload. Cheap, easy, and handy. I've got a similar mix at work, in both cars, and in a couple of bags that get regular use.
Click to expand...

Therein lies the best application for ASA in the wilderness environment. 30% of all cardiac related deaths can be eliminated with the appropriate administration of ASA early on...


blake
 
Because of the way I treated my body when I was young, ("You're gonna pay for that when you get older") I have had joint pain since I was 17. I don't get out of bed in the morning before popping 3 Excedrin.
Excedrin is the most important item in my pack. I couldn't function without it.
 
JBE said:
I've noticed several people make mention of giving an aspirin for possible stroke victim....Please enlighten me as to where this pearl of wisdom came from? Has there been some advancements in field assessments that allows one to differentiate between a hemorrhagic stroke and an ischemic stroke without the use of C/T? Because unless you're one hundred percent sure that it's not hemorrhagic that one little aspirin can potentially cause enough additional free bleeding inside the brain to due some serious, irreversible damage....
Click to expand...

I was also confused about this. Anyone who posted about using aspirin for stroke remember where/from whom you heard it?

I could understand this if a person has a history of ischemic stroke, but to just give some random person having a stroke an aspirin might not be the best of ideas.

But anyway I usually carry some NSAIDs in my kit. I've got a handful of motrin 800s that I tuck away everywhere (have a couple in my psk) and have some ibuprofen and/or naproxen in my FAKS. For longer or more injury prone trips I will try to get a script for some opiates as well.
 
Last edited:
cmdionne said:
I was also confused about this. Anyone who posted about using aspirin for stroke remember where/from whom you heard it?

I could understand this if a person has a history of ischemic stroke, but to just give some random person having a stroke an aspirin might not be the best of ideas.

But anyway I usually carry some NSAIDs in my kit. I've got a handful of motrin 800s that I tuck away everywhere (have a couple in my psk) and have some ibuprofen and/or naproxen in my FAKS. For longer or more injury prone trips I will try to get a script for some opiates as well.
Click to expand...


You are absolutely correct about that - I quoted without reading fully and I believe that mony folks equate stroke with cardiac emergency when they can be very different (aside from location).

I carry ASA for ACS (acute coronary syndrome) as oppose to CVA (cerebral vascular accident), even though ACS and ischemic CVA share many of the same risk factors and localized damages (heart vs brain)...
 
Goody's is good stuff...so is BC Powders...bout the same thing IIRC. Basically just Excederin in powder form. and that stuff is KILLER BUSH HANGOVER MEDICINE! :D
 
Blais said:
I've never heard of it. The antiplatelet effect of aspirin does worry me a bit. When I worked at the tattoo shop, I could always tell when someone had taken aspirin or something similar because they just bled and bled.
Click to expand...
Paracetamol is the British name for what we in the States call acetaminophen (which is the active ingredient in Tylenol, and many other pain relievers).

I prefer not to take combination drugs (such as acetaminophen plus aspirin plus caffeine) as I want to control what I take and take only what I need.

One drug I have not seen that can be very helpful in "the booneys" is loperamide (which is the active ingredient in Imodium). This is a remedy for diarrhea, and can help prevent dehydration in a worst-case situation. However, the best treatment for diarrhea is oral fluids, lots of them, to replace water loss, and a clear liquid diet for 24 hours. This just might not be possible in some circumstances. Also, taking anything to stop diarrhea can be quite dangerous medically in some situations. For any drug you take into the wild, knowing when to NOT to take it (or give it to someone else) is as important as knowing when you should take it.
 
Thanks for the clarification re. aspirin & stroke -- I need to figure out where I got that advice.
 
Once I did but I no longer do except for a trip longer than one week.
Obtainable pain reliever will not work for a strong pain like bone breakage.

I've heard aspirin lessens the tissue damage from frostbite but not sure about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top