Medicine Cabinet Must-Haves

Dr. Mallika Marshall On What To Keep Around — Just In Case

(CBS) 

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND (From WebMD.com):

A visit to a drugstore or supermarket can be a frustrating and confusing trip if you are trying to find the right over-the-counter medicine. Regardless of what ails you there are likely to be dozens of products to choose from. Finding the right product for you can be a challenge to say the least. Here's my pick of what to have in the medicine cabinet. These recommendations are general and may not be the best for some people with certain medical conditions or taking certain drugs. So, always ask your doctor and make sure you read the label to see if the products are right for you.

First and foremost, if you have small children in the house or are visited by children, you should have a bottle of ipecac on hand and the telephone number for the local poison control center available. Poisonings still happen and young children are especially at risk.

There are lots of combination products that are designed to treat a host of different symptoms. The problem with many is that you are taking drugs you perhaps don't need, and the dose of many of the drugs in the combination products isn't the right dose. Keeping it simple is my advice. It also works out to be a lot less expensive in the long run to buy a pain reliever, something for cough and something for a runny nose separately. You can end up paying 30 percent more for the combination product than for each of the ingredients separately.

For coughs, my pick is any product that contains dextromethorphan for both adults and for children. Many cough syrups contain a number of different ingredients such as antihistamines and something called guaifenesin. Antihistamines don't work very well for coughs and colds. Guaifenesin is supposed to increase secretions in the lungs and break up thick secretions. It probably doesn't work.

It's the dextromethorphan you are after. The adult dose is 30 milligrams of dextromethorphan taken every four to six hours. There are some products available such as Delsym that contain a sustained-release form of dextromethorphan that can be taken twice a day by adults and children over age 12 years. The cost ranges from $0.75 to $1.00 per day for store-brand products. Brand-name products cost up to 50 percent more and average around $1.50 per day.

For pain and fever, I recommend acetaminophen (also known as Tylenol) for both adults and children. Again, there are lots of combination products, but none work any better. Store-brand products work as well as the brand-name product and are less expensive.

For pain and inflammation in adults (mild arthritis symptoms, for example), I recommend products that contain naproxen (Aleve and others). Once again, the store brand is much less expensive and works every bit as well as the brand-name product. Products that contain ibuprofen are reasonable as well (such as Motrin IB and others). Ibuprofen needs to be taken more often than products containing naproxen.

Most acute bouts of diarrhea don't need any treatment. Keeping up with fluids is a good idea in adults and very important in children, especially young children. Pedialyte is perhaps the best available product, especially for children, because it contains water, sugar and minerals that are being lost from the diarrhea.

The two other products I recommend are Pepto Bismol and loperamide. Pepto Bismol is especially useful for traveler's diarrhea. Loperamide (also known as Imodium) works by slowing down the activity in the gastrointestinal tract.

Many adults have occasional heartburn. While it is best to avoid the foods that cause your problem, there are several ways to deal with occasional symptoms. That burning sensation is caused by stomach contents (including acid) getting up into your esophagus. Antacids, such as Maalox and Mylanta and others, work by neutralizing the acid. Most antacids contain either aluminum or magnesium hydroxides or a calcium salt. Liquid preparations usually work better and faster than tablets. My recommendation is to use a store brand of a double-strength antacid that contains either aluminum or magnesium hydroxide. Be aware that aluminum hydroxide and calcium salts can produce constipation in some people and magnesium hydroxide can cause diarrhea.

There is an amazing array of first-aid products available. Many are designed to reduce the risk of infection (antiseptics) and reduce the pain from minor cuts and abrasions (local anesthetics). Antiseptics often contain either an iodine-based product (povidone iodine) or benzalkonium chloride. There is no evidence that any of these products reduce the risk of infection or promote wound healing. Irrigation with tap water is more than adequate for all but the most contaminated wound. For young children, topical products that contain a local anesthetic may provide sufficient pain relief to allow for a tear-free cleansing of the wound. I recommend solutions that have lidocaine as the active ingredient.

For most minor cuts and scrapes, bandages (such as Band-Aid) are optional. If the wound isn't in an area that will get dirty or be rubbed by clothing, you don't have to cover it. If the cut or scrape is in an area that is likely to get dirty (such as the hand) or will be irritated by clothing (such as the knee or elbow), covering it with a bandage is a good idea. If a bandage is used, it should be changed daily.

Deep or large scrapes should be seen and treated by a health-care professional. He or she may dress it with an occlusive or semiocclusive bandage, which will reduce the risk of scarring and speed healing.

No discussion of what to have in the medicine cabinet would be complete without a quick comment on what not to put in your medicine cabinet.

Drugs decompose faster when exposed to heat and moisture. The bathroom may well be one of the worst places to store medications, especially prescription drugs. If you are not certain of the best place to store prescription drugs ask your pharmacist for advice. Finally, you should discard any prescription drugs that you are no longer using or that have gone beyond their expiration dates.