jewelfields
Newbie
Reged: 06/21/02
Posts: 26
Loc: California
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Accidents, calamities, acts of God, terrorism etc.
I am not familiar with pain meds, and when I did a search, the results were a bit overwhelming. I'm wondering if you could drop a line as to what you think might be a strong, generally safe pain medication (if there is such a thing, and I know this is vague), to have on hand in case trauma should befall one of my family members or me.
Thank you for your help. Although I don't post much, I do read and I'm appreciative of the helpful and respectful tone of this board.
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Hydro will be fine. If you can get it, percocet's better.
As for generally safe, well they are if used correctly. If abused, they're as dangerous as anything else.
-yawkaw
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potatoboy99
Permanent Fixture
Reged: 02/04/03
Posts: 1198
Loc: Deep North (East)
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Quote:
....a strong, generally safe pain medication (if there is such a thing, and I know this is vague), to have on hand in case trauma should befall one of my family members or me.....
You mean kind of like the bottle of aspirin in the medicine cabinet, along with the band-aids and the toothpaste and the Q-tips? I'm no doctor, but my guess would be that keeping narcotic pain relievers on hand "just in case" might not be the best idea in the world.
A serious injury in an accident would call for urgent medical intervention by a Doctor or EMS tech, who would determine what medication (if any) should be administered, and how much, given the nature of the injury. Immediate relief of acute pain would almost certainly involve an injection of some sort. You would want a trained professional for that, not a worried family member or neighbor!
Hydrocodone and oxycodone in their various formulations have to be ingested, and it takes a while for the effects to be felt. Even so-called IR (instant release) pain meds like OCIR 5 (oxycodone intant release 5mg) need some time to work, (and they work differently on different people, depending on existing tolerance to opioids, body size, metabolism, contents of stomache etc.). (They are "instant" only in comparison to the time relased Oxycontin).
Plus there is the shelf-life issue. Many medications lose potency over time, especially if they are stored in humid or hot conditions. If you carried painkillers around in your car, for instance, to have at hand in case of a car-crash injury, they could be subject to all sorts of extremes of heat and cold and humidity, and might be useless by the time they were actually needed!
Then there's the whole problem of where to keep them so they are readily available at the moment of urgent need, but somehow at the same time out of reach of children, (as well as safe from pilfering by house-guests with a recreational inclination!).
Just my two cents!
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rblake
Stranger
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 20
Loc: USA
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Jewelfields, here's my additional $0.02. Please consider the information offered by potatoboy99, and take his advice!
You state: "I am not familiar with pain meds...."
A number of additional reasons exist for NOT medicating yourself, family, or anyone with strong pain meds because he/she has suffered an accident or trauma unless you are a trained medical professional, i.e., MD, RN, LVN, EMT, etc.
Firstly, the person may be allergic to the substance. My cousin was prescribed Tylenol with codeine by her physician for a bad wrist sprain. (This happened back in the 70's.) She had never taken codeine before, and neither she nor her doctor had any idea she might be allergic. She had an accute allergic reaction--hives and difficulty breathing--shortly after taking her first tablet. She was terrified! She had to be treated with some kind of injection that's used to treat severe allergic reactions.
Also, drug interactions must be considered. Some pain killers can cause very serious reactions when given to someone who is already taking other prescribed medications. (Did you ever see the "Law and Order" episode where an alcoholic (drunk-at-the-time) doctor prescribed Demerol to a young lady admitted to the ER without noting that she was already taking a certain antidepressant? She died as a result of this combination.)
Finally, even if there are no allergy or drug interaction considerations, strong pain meds--by themselves--can cause serious problems for a person who has suffered a head injury or has some undiagnosed abdominal problem.
Please stay with Advil or Tylenol or Naproxyn or something else recommended by a pharmacist.
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"... A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring...."
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lovepink
Goddess
Reged: 01/01/02
Posts: 1476
Loc: NYC Metro Area
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Another angle to consider is what family members you would be treating with these meds - if any are minor children you could conceivably run into trouble.
In my school district, student athletes at the middle & high school levels are given random drug tests. If a child tests positive for a substance that could have been legally prescribed (like opiates), the parents are required to provide proof of prescription. If unable to do so, the student is kicked off the team and the district along with LE (usually the DARE officer)intervenes. As a parent, you could find yourself in legal trouble for medicating your child with narcotics without medical supervision.
Anyway, this scenario may seem far-fetched (although I assure you its not, in this area anyhow) and may not apply to you but if it changes the way any one DB member thinks about medicating their children, good. Voluntary adult self-medication with narcotics is one thing, medicating one's children with narcotics is a whole different ball game.
Take care
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Lovepink
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woody
Newbie
Reged: 01/07/02
Posts: 42
Loc: Pacific Northwest
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Contact or go to the American Red Cross's website. They have the information I THINK you are looking for. They have lists of items for 72 hour kits (what you would need in a disaster to survive for the first 72 hours), including first aid supplies. Also, find out if your Fire department has Neighborhood Emergency Teams. NET members are citizens trained to assist their neighborhoods in the event of disaster where the fire and emergency services may be overwhelmed. You could find out the staging area of where these trained volunteers would be located or even become involved in NET yourself.
I don't recomend that you get this, but morphine is traditionally the pain medication for severe pain from trauma and heart attacks. Unless you know what you are doing with this drug though you could injure, cover up important symptoms or even kill someone. Being in pain is better than being dead.
Hope this is what you were looking for.
Woody - Retired Firefighter/Paramedic/Nurse.
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jewelfields
Newbie
Reged: 06/21/02
Posts: 26
Loc: California
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This is one of the best posts I've read. I wasn't even aware there is such a thing as Neighborhood Emergency Teams. I would imagine there are many concerned about catastrophe in this climate of terrorist threats. I hope everyone reads this post.
Thank you Woody. 
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sunbaby6
Newbie
Reged: 06/29/03
Posts: 29
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I am in UPSTATE NY, near Albany, (45 mins west), the geography is correct..lol and I have NEVER heard of such a thing happening in the schools!!
Thats scary indeed, to think the school admin. would even test for such a thing!!!! UGHHHHHH!!! Glad I moved from downstate NY, approx., 45 mins from NYC, Rockland County area, (yes, that location exists...lol)
STRANGE INDEED!! Never heard of that in any NY school. Metal detectors, yes, but I agree, any parent who medicates their child with ANY opiate wihtout a Dr.s script/consent, should be up on charges..we all know the dangers and addictions and so do the parents. Ofcourse as always, this is JMHO....
~~sunbaby6~~
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JethroBodine
Journeyman
Reged: 06/20/03
Posts: 89
Loc: Ozark Mountains
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When it comes to preparedness, nothing is too much in my opinion. Many of these posts have excellent warnings. The first and foremost item to have on hand in an emergency is knowledge and/or the refrence material to find the knowledge. When I think of disaster, I think BIG; maybe you will not have access to the "medical establishment", phone, internet, or even transportation. Wouldn't it be lovely to be in that situation with a family member in serious pain and the nurse from next door asks if you have any codeine, but you have to tell her, "Well, I almost ordered some a while back, but since I didn't know too much about it, I just let it go..."?
Great scott, people, get the stuff you need to survive and learn how to use it. Even if you don't know how to use it, maybe someone in your company will.
flame retardant statement; like I said there are some good warnings in these posts, learn them, learn a lot more.
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Happy trails to you.......
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toe
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/02
Posts: 1419
Loc: MidWest USA
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Quote:
Great scott, people, get the stuff you need to survive and learn how to use it. Even if you don't know how to use it, maybe someone in your company will.
flame retardant statement; like I said there are some good warnings in these posts, learn them, learn a lot more.
I would also like to be flame retardant under your cover. One of the problems with stockpiling meds like arms that I *didn't* see mentioned above is that it usually takes 8 years of schooling to learn these things.
In the case of disaster or an act of god, anyone who has lived in the Southeast of the US knows, the most important thing to stockpile is safe water.
Did the original poster even ask about opiates? Because if the issue in question is painkillers in case of emergency, a fresh stock of ibuprophen and acetominophen are your safest legal bets to have around. And alka seltzer w/ aspirin in case of heart attack.
Now, of you are preparing for the apocalypse, it's a different story indeed. You needs lots of spam, ace bandages, an underground bunker with lead walls. . .
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"It's the end of the World as We Know it. . ."
-REM "and I'm seeking asylum in Canada"-toe
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tiredbones
Journeyman
Reged: 06/23/03
Posts: 52
Loc: SF county
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Your reply to this thread is interesting and fun to read toe, but let us not forget that intrinsic in the spirit and existence of this forum is the collective experience that "8 years of schooling to learn these things" has not always pulled through for us.
I hope you have never had an experience where you are stuck in excruciating pain without assistance, much less for any lenght of time. I hope you never, ever will. Thoes who have however, may feel differently.
I don't think it far fetched to concider a pain remedy to have on hand - not to stock pile - that may work on the nervous system a bit more effectively than ibupropen or alka seltzer.
Take care.
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The healthy animal is up and doing
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JethroBodine
Journeyman
Reged: 06/20/03
Posts: 89
Loc: Ozark Mountains
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8 years of schooling is relative. Many doctors don't know squat about prescribing medications, and many nurses do. I think that most people of average intelligence (most of the posters here seem a little above average) with an interest and research tools can learn a lot about specific medications. Witness the post on this forum. The collective knowledge base here outperforms almost any doctor.
And yes, I AM preparing for the apocalypse. Flame on.
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Happy trails to you.......
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