High Sierra Topix

If you carry over OTC drugs, Advil, Aleeve, Tylenol, Asprin for example, what
do you carry them in and how much? Which ones get the most usage? Do you
rotate them out once in a while, or do you still have the same ones from 80's?
If you have prescription medications to take one a daily basis, do you carry
one of those pill organizers with the days of the week for longer trips? If
yes, which one has worked the best for you?

Three types of drugs regularly carried -

Aleeve, Excedrin Migraine, One-A-Day vitamins, and Tums...all newly purchased every season.

Percocet and Oxycontin, just for emergencies...these usually last two years unused, before my doctor renews my limited prescription.

420...just because... I have the card.

Advil, Aspirin, Vicodin. I start with the Aspirin on the first day, and then if I have pain, switch to advil. Advil works great for sprained ankles; Vicodin does not. Vicodin is great for teeth. It's important to carry fresh drugs; advil lasts longer as does aspirin, but why not just refresh it.

Advil supposedly has impact on kidney function (think that was reported here before) so use it sparingly unless something catastrophic happens.

My prescription drug is carried in it's own bottle with baby aspirin, and all the other are stuffed into another Rx bottle. They're small.I try to remember to take the 1 a day 50+ supplement, but...

And if you camp near Mark, put your tent upwind.. way upwind....

Advil, Tylenol pm, Benadryl, Imodium that's it. The Advil gets used most.

I bring along a few aspirin which I cram with my prescription meds into the smallest Rx bottle I can find. The pill organizer bottles are too big and bulky to be of use to me.

naproxyn (OTC) - gotta keep the joints anti-inflamed
acetazolamide (Rx) - to help me sleep during rare episodes of Cheyne-Stokes
caffeine (OTC) - when I'm not carrying coffee I carry pills
ethanol (OTC) - usually whisky

ziplock bag for the pills, plastic bottle for the snoot

longri wrote:naproxyn (OTC) - gotta keep the joints anti-inflamed
acetazolamide (Rx) - to help me sleep during rare episodes of Cheyne-Stokes
caffeine (OTC) - when I'm not carrying coffee I carry pills
ethanol (OTC) - usually whisky

ziplock bag for the pills, plastic bottle for the snoot

I didn't consider my small flask of 12 yo rye.

I'm probably one of the only backpackers I have met that does not carry any sort of drugs of any kind. Now after being injured severally I would say if possible I would probably carry a few pain killers that are effective but since anything like that needs a prescription that's not really an option. And honestly since I have never taken a pain killer before it might not be that safe to take something in the wilderness without knowing what it might do.

Having had several kidney stones(8 to be exact) I know the importance of pain killers, but I also despise the way the make my head. I can only imagine poor decisions that could be made under the influence of Vicodin.

You both raise great points. Know the affect of any drug on YOUR body. I know that Vicodin does for me what it's supposed to. The effect only lasts for 3.5hrs (specially the teeth). After my last cracked molar, I was on them for 48 hrs; They worked on the pain and not the thought process. Advil was about the same, but 600mg doses every 3.5 hrs works hard on other parts of the body. If you combine it or most with any alcohol, you're on your own.