Top 5 Medicine Cabinet Must-Haves
What’s in your medicine cabinet? Let’s hope it’s not filled with props to look nice for your guests. After getting sick with three different sicknesses in a row last month, I realized how unequipped my medicine cabinet was. Most of the meds in there needed to be replaced, and the entire wardrobe required revamping.
Early last month, I had heartburn out of the blue for a few days, then I caught the highly contagious Norovirus (stomach flu) that went around a lot early this year, and right after the first day of spring, I got a cold. It was endless. I kept getting sick, and every time I’d go to my medicine cabinet looking for relief, I could find nothing. Whenever I felt a symptom of a sickness, my medicine cabinet was of no use. So I had to go out and buy medicine instead of already having it. And after fearing that I came down with the stomach flu again last week, I made a list of must-have items for my cabinet, this way; I’m more than prepared.
Check out a list of items you should look into having for your cabinet:
Alka-Seltzer Fast Relief
Feeling nauseous, gassy, heartburn, or diarrhea? This may be your golden answer. Not everyone’s a fan of the pink liquid they call Pepto, which can cure similar symptoms. Alka-selter tablets work wonders. All you’re doing is drinking 4 ounces of carbonated water. I enjoy the fizzles and the quick relief the tablets provide. Buy these for your cabinet for instant relief from nausea or minor gastrointestinal issues.
Ibuprofen
It’s commonly known to many by brands like Advil or Motrin, but any generic will do. This over-the-counter pain reliever comes in liquid (usually for children) and tablet form. It has many uses for cramps, migraines, headaches, and joint or dental pain. Get one if you don’t have some form of ibuprofen, prescription, or generic! There’s no telling when you’ll need it. Lauren, a pharmacist from doctor4u, said that ibuprofen is a great pain relief solution for minor issues and problems. She would, however, suggest keeping stronger pain relief medications handy, such as co-codamol, which is used to treat moderate headaches, migraines, back pain, and more.
Cough Syrup/Suppressants
Day or Night—you can catch a cold in any weather, depending on your body. Everyone’s different. When I feel a cold coming, it usually starts in my throat. Then my nose, and then the coughs. Cough syrups and suppressants help immensely with those wet coughs, and even though more people use them for cold symptoms, it has more than one use. If you find yourself coughing persistently from dust or inhaling some sort of, you can also use it. For example, after doing yard work one summer, I came down with a bad cough—a tablespoon of cough syrup cured it right away. Many of these also help with runny noses.
Tip: Check the expiration dates for the cough syrups, as most expire within two years. Also, make sure you drink the appropriate time-designated medication. Ever had NyQuil during the day?
Sinus Tablets
Who likes sniffling? A clogged sinus is the worst part of getting a cold or allergy. Advil and Tylenol have variations of sinus meds that temporarily relieve pain and congestion of the sinus. They can be taken for nasal congestion from colds and allergies. Sometimes they even help with chest pain. Keep these in your cabinet, especially during winter and spring.
Excedrin Headache or Migraine Tablets
Unless you have higher prescription ibuprofen, sometimes generic brands won’t cure headaches or migraines (for me, at least). Excedrin tablets are the best over-the-counter headache relievers, in my opinion. They help relieve pain from various headaches and symptoms associated with migraines.
These are my top five. It’s also essential to have first-aid necessities like a bottle of alcohol, band-aids, gauze, alcohol wipes, and meds for minor toothaches or pains, just in case.
I hope you found this list helpful. Do you have any medicine cabinet must-haves you want to add?
