What meds you need to bring on your vacation
I don’t know about you but I always get sick while I am on the road.
I have no idea what it is but I always catch flu/cold or some sort of a stomach bug.
If you are a germ magnet like me then this blog post is for you.
Below are all the meds you should consider bringing with you.
You don’t need to bring the whole pack, just a few pills to hold you over until you can go to a pharmacy in the country you are visiting.
If for example, you are prone to allergies bring more allergy meds with you. If you don’t get headaches very often then just bring a couple of Advils.
You get the point!
I cannot swallow pills for the life of me so I always go for the chewable version if possible.
If you need to bring a lot of meds and do not want to bring all the packs, go to the dollar store and pick up some of those small pill holders/organizers to save space.
Keep in mind in different countries, the pills can be called by different names that is why I have them written in brackets, those are just the names in North America.
If you want more tips on what to buy from the Dollar Store for your next trip, check out this blog post:
Flu/Cold/Pain
It is important to bring at least a few pills from this section as they help with a wide variety of issues.
If I had to pick just one, it would be Tylenol because it helps with pain as well as fever.
When I get sick, the first symptom is a sore throat and usually happens at night.
So having some cough drops can legit be a “lifesaver”.
- Headache/Pain (Advil, Aspirin, Alive)
- Small Thermometer
- Fever (Tylenol)
- Cough Drops/Lozenges (Halls)
- Nose Decongestant
- Multi-purpose meds for cold/flu/cough/sinus (DayQuil, Benylin)
Tummy Problems
I get nauseous on boats and on windy roads so I always have some Gravol in my day pack.
You don’t want to be on your way to this awesome destination and have to ask the bus driver to pull over.
I usually bring Pepto Bismol as well for general tummy pain.
Not a bad idea to bring some Imodium with you too if you have a bad stomach to prevent accidents (yup it has happened to me).
- Anti-Nausea/ Anti-Motion Sickness (Gravol)
- Diarrhea Prevention (Imodium)
- Laxative (Dulcolax)
- Tummy pain (Pepto Bismol)
- Heartburn/Indigestion (Tums, Gaviscon)
Recovery/Keeping Healthy
This section is mainly meds that can help you stay healthy and prevent you from getting sick on the road.
When I travel, I buy a bottle of Travel Probiotics and start taking them 2 weeks before I go.
That way my gut bacteria is ready to fight off any bacteria (lol I wish).
Electrolytes are good if your trip is intense – lots of hiking or walking where you need a lot of energy.
They have those tablets that you add to water and they fizz up. So you can just add them to your water bottle and drink them on the go.
- Travel Probiotics
- Vitamins
- Electrolytes
Allergy/Ointments
This can be important depending on your destination.
For example, if you are going to the Carrebian you might want to pack the Bug Bite Cream because there might be a lot of mosquitos. But you won’t really need it if you are going to Europe.
A good idea is to bring a tube of Polysporin which can be used for a lot of skin-related problems.
It also comes in relatively small tubes that can be easy to pack even if you are limited in space.
- Allergy Meds (Benedryl – there are pills and topical ointment)
- Antibacterial Ointments (Neosporin, Polysporin)
- Bug bite cream
Cuts/Blisters
There is nothing more annoying than having to walk a lot and getting a nasty blister on your foot.
Make sure you get different sizes of band-aids and that you have some in your day pack at all times.
The destination matters here too.
For example, if you are going to Europe, you might want to pack more band-aids as you will probably be walking a lot, while in the Carrebian you won’t need them because you will be lounging on the beach all day.
- Alcohol Wipes (in case of a cut)
- Band-aids (different sizes)
Others
Think of anything else you might need for your unique situation.
Also, any destination-specific medication that you might want to bring.
Don’t forget about your prescriptions and make sure you have enough of them.
If you travel with family members, make sure they have their prescriptions taken care of or simply remind them.
- Birth Control Pills
- Sleeping Pills (Melatonin)
- Destination-specific medication (eg. altitude sickness meds)
- Prescriptions *** For your prescriptions, make sure you have enough to last you the entire duration of the trip + few days after your return
I have put all the meds in a list for you, so it is easy to just download it and print it. Here it is: Meds Checklist Freebie
I hope you do not need to use any of the meds above but one thing I have learned from traveling is to be prepared.
So go over the list and see what you will need for your next adventure.
It is better to be ready and not need them than be in a situation where you really need medicine and can’t get it.
