If the SHTF and society collapses, most of the services you’re used to having around will disappear. You’ll be on your own for most or all of the things you need – and that includes health care.
As a prepper one of the things you need to prepare for is becoming your own doctor, and being responsible for treating yourself and your loved ones.
Most homes should have at least a basic first aid kit, but in a long-lasting crisis those aren’t really going to cut it. As well as bandages, eyewash and the other supplies for treating cuts and burns, you’re going to need medication.
If you have pre-existing medical conditions and need to take medication regularly you’ll need as large a supply of that as possible, but what I want to talk about is the more general purpose sort of medication that anyone facing an uncertain future without access to medical professionals is going to need.
Antibiotics to treat infections; remedies for constipation and diarrhea; painkillers to cope with the inevitable hazards of life.
You need to have supplies of all of these, and you need to be confident those supplies are safe to use. Here are some key points you need to know before buying medicine for your stockpiles.
What Do You Need?
There are thousands of drugs available now, but it just isn’t practical – or even legal – to stockpile them all. What you need to focus on is covering the basics. Here are the key medicines you need to have in your emergency supplies:
Antibiotics
The wonder drugs of the 20th century, antibiotics are the reason we’re much less likely to die of bacterial infections now.
They need to be used carefully – taking them when they’re not needed, or stopping them before taking the full course of treatment, can help resistant strains of bacteria evolve.
But without them your chances of survival go way down. You can’t generally buy antibiotics over the counter, so here is how to stockpile antibiotics without a prescription.
Painkillers
Pain isn’t just unpleasant; it can prevent you from doing things, even essential tasks. Painkillers are a vital part of any survival medical kit. There are three main ones you should have in stock:
Aspirin: This can have side effects, but it’s very effective at controlling pain. It’s also good for reducing fever. Because it’s a blood thinner it can help prevent strokes and heart attacks, too. If you think you feel the early symptoms of a heart attack, take aspirin immediately.
Acetaminophen/ Paracetamol: Another general purpose painkiller, which like aspirin is also effective against fever.
Ibuprofen: A painkiller and anti-inflammatory that works well on headaches as well as general pains. It can even ease some kinds of arthritis.
Other medications
Anti-diarrheals: Diarrhea, like pain, is unpleasant. It can also kill you. Untreated, it will quickly lead to dehydration – and that can easily be fatal. Over the counter ant-diarrhea medications are a must-have.
Laxatives: Diarrhea is dangerous, but constipation isn’t very nice either.
Antibacterial ointment: A tube of antibacterial ointment can prevent a lot of infections before they get started. Use it to treat wounds and burns.
Electrolytes: Rehydration salts can be a life saver. If someone has severe diarrhea they’ll be losing fluids and vital electrolytes. You can improvise by dissolving salt and sugar in water, but sachets of proper rehydration salts are cheap and very effective.
Using Animal Medications
A common prepper workaround for antibiotics is to go to a pet supply store and buy fish medication. They contain the same active drugs as the ones you’d get from a pharmacy, but you don’t need a prescription to buy them.
Related: What Actually Happens If You Take Fish Antibiotics
There are other medicines that cross the species barrier, too. Remember ivermectin from the 2020 pandemic? It’s regularly used to treat horses, but it works on humans too.
You need to be careful using animal medications, though. For a start, be aware of the actual dosage, and don’t assume that because an animal tablet is the same size as a human one that the dosage is similar. All pills contain a certain amount of inert binder to hold them together, and the proportion can vary wildly.
Pills for small animals tend to contain a lot more binder, just to make the pills big enough for vets to handle; on the other hand, a tablet for a 1,500 pound horse is only going to contain enough binder to keep it from falling apart.
When it comes to animal medication you need to know exactly what you’re buying. Do some research and check the active ingredients carefully. In a real emergency it might be worth taking a risk on something you’re not quite sure about, but this is far from ideal.
Using Old Medicines
Medications, like food, have a use by date on them. The difference is that while it’s easy to tell if a package of lunch meat is past its best, drugs can deteriorate and become ineffective – or even toxic – without their appearance changing at all. The good news is that around 90% of pills are still perfectly fine even 15 years after their expiration date. (Source)
If a drug is only a couple of years out of date it’s almost certainly fine. To help them last, keep them in a cool, dry place and out of direct sunlight. Vacuum-sealing packs of pills will also help preserve them.
With liquid medications you need to be a lot more careful, especially with drugs like insulin, nitroglycerin or liquid antibiotics that need to be kept refrigerated. If you have a choice between storing pills or liquids, it’s safest to go with the pills.
Rotate Where Possible
If you’re building up a stock of medicine it’s important to rotate supplies just like you do with food. When you get a new box of tablets it should go to the back of the shelf; if you need to take some, use the oldest you have. That way, if a crisis hits you’ll go into it with your medicine stockpile in the best possible shape.
Survival medicines are one of the most controversial areas of prepping. There are a lot of different opinions around, especially about the safety of using old or veterinary drugs, and discussions can get quite heated. At the end of the day it’s up to you how you balance the risks.
You should also consider learning about natural remedies. These don’t treat all the things modern drugs can, but they can still be very valuable – and of course, if you know what you’re doing, they’re freely available.
If you want to learn more about natural remedies that could actually save your life in a crisis, I recommend checking out The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies. This comprehensive guide provides valuable insights into the healing power of plants and offers step-by-step instructions on creating herbal remedies.
It was made for people with no prior plant knowledge who are looking for alternative ways to help themselves or their families, when medical help will no longer be available.
If we get into a TEOTWAWKI scenario, modern medications will be a dwindling resource, and when your supplies are gone there won’t be any more. It’s important to make the most of what you have, and be prepared for the day stocks run out.
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We are at the mercy of big pharma and the AMA that made it illegal for other medical healthcare systems to say they can cure a medical problem.
There are medical procedures being suppressed by the two, pharma and AMA.
A cured patient is a lost one time cure. A profit net loss that eventually they would reach large percent of the population is totally cured.
Which is why either their medicine is diluted to make people get over the symptoms but not totally. Like the common cold and the flu.
That type of media industry needs returning customers to survive.
Herbal medicine is cheaper to use, the big pharma has a problem their meds need to be registered and patent to make a profit.
They can’t do that with herbs freely growing in nature. So they must isolate that synthetic version to license the medicine to profit from.
Herbal medicine is not able to have the big profit medical industry profit from. The early days in America herbalist did cure some of the diseases permanently. Before the American Medical Association and Big Pharma cut the alternative doctors out of the medical system of profit making.
Was Covid a product of such a conspiracy we have today?
What is the real truth of doctor Fauci and the Wuhan lab?
There several bio-weapons labs scattered across the world. What is the true purpose behind these labs other than the for war and depopulation.
Is this also tied into the death culture? We have actual cultures of death, satanic, Planned Parenthood who profits from selling aborted fetus to medical interests.
How much of a deep dive down the rabbit hole are people willing to go?
Let’s not forget the insurance industry that takes in millions, billions, maybe trillions of US dollars at crazy rates then try to cheat us in our healthcare plans.
Comparatively speaking;
Insurance is just as bad as the big tech social media companies making money off of internet users thinking those platforms are free.
Sure, they take our information package it, sell it to companies, government agencies for a profit. While consumers think the stuff is free, NOT!
Insurance has made us dependent on their plans to cut costs at small savings. Compared to what they rake in on profits. Same thing in auto insurance scam.
The advent of healthcare workers unionized to practically everyday costs us consumers, patients to pay more for medical care.
We need the same thing as in banking where the banks have information available on what fees they charge.
Same should be done with doctors, offices, hospitals have standard price list details on the costs. So us consumers can shop around for a better deal.
Most surprises come from the coded procedures sent to the insurance company to paid all involved in excessive profits made. People without insurance get the royal shaft in today’s healthcare system we have.
Fixed income seniors have to navigate the healthcare system avoiding the pitfalls.
Yeah if all that money we pay into those insurance plans disappear in a crisis what will we do in a major crisis like a heart attack. Will the healthcare system that is still around do a surgery for less of the cost?
We have seen the destruction of healthcare and other industries by the unions striking for better increase wages. As it ripples through out the country increasing costs. It would not be too bad if we still had the oil drilling in America cushion. That helps absorb some of the higher costs everywhere in the economy.
I’m tired of it all, America the nation time to file chapter 11, restructure go back to the roots of our Constitution.
@ Gus: let’s not forget that it its the INSURANCE companies that limit our Rx’s to only one month at a time, so that we can stock up. It isn’t the doctors that do it, because they are limited to only 3 months at a time, distributed one months Rx’s at a time. That from my doctor. Only if you are able to afford to buy without insurance can you get extra….most Rx’s are NOT CHEAP!
EDITED:
@ Gus: let’s not forget that it its the INSURANCE companies that limit our Rx’s to only one month at a time, so that we CAN’T stock up. It isn’t the doctors that do it, because they are limited to only 3 months at a time, distributed one months Rx’s at a time. That from my doctor. Only if you are able to afford to buy without insurance can you get extra….most Rx’s are NOT CHEAP!
A woman from Mexico City stopped by my house to talk about her health problems with me to see if I could help her. We got to talking about all the children getting sick. She told me that when she was a little girl in Mexico, her mom would make her and her siblings drink “Te de oregano tea” whenever they got sick.
Back a few years ago, I was studying “Greek Folk Remedies for Excess Phlegm”. Oregano brewed into a tea was used to eliminate excess phlegm responsible for a congested respiratory tract. Thyme tea is always recommended by Hippocrates for coughing, but it always makes me feel wonky after I drink it. Oregano does not.
Yvette told me that when her kiddos get sick, she always makes them this oregano tea.
It’s simple to make with 3 ingredients:
1 TBSP Oregano leaf – I buy mine at Dollartree in the spice aisle.
Honey – It helps with the taste and has health benefits for cough.
Water – 3 cups
In making a herbal tea used for medical purposes. You will need a pot with a lid. This will keep the steam in the pot so the medical properties won’t wick out with the steam.
Also, don’t boil the water on high heat. Make the tea on low simmer for about 10 minutes after the water starts simmering.
Allow the water in the pot to cool. Again, so the medical properties don’t wick up in the steam once the lid is lifted.
If you don’t believe this procedure makes a difference, try making your home tea using the above heating process and the taste of your tea will be like night and day. Learned this from the cook at Sonny Bar-B-Que. That’s why their tea taste so good.
How does it taste? Like I put a handful of weeds from the field into a pot and made a tea out of it and added honey. The good part is you will get use to it.
Is Oregano tea safe for toddlers? I cannot get a clear answer from any of the website gurus. It really comes down to the child, possible allergies, current medications, etc… when in doubt, consult your pediatrician. However, Yvette growup on drinking oregano tea, her kids also drink it so it is really your choice.
VERY EDUCATIONAL How to Book!
United States Maritime Service Hospital Corps School Manual published 1945 By United States War Shipping Administration
Written in plain english. Easy to follow. Black and white illustrations throughout, as well as a few color plates. A guide to the practice of medicine (in 1945) issued for use of by the United States Hospital Corps. This includes basic first aid, treatment of more serious injuries and illnesses, drugs used, formularies and medicine preparation, etc.
Source downloadable file on Google Books
Other avenues to see in the world of medicine and drugs.
AI is being implemented into writing books for entertainment. When AI becomes an authority of medical books, manuscripts of references to the medical professions. Will these be very accurate in precise detail or put together pieces the AI algorithms knit together as facts from the internet? Will human medical researchers proof read the AI material make sure it is accurate?
Computer software is problematic depending who is programing. The agenda a programmer has liberal, conservative mindset that can effect the outcome of vital information.
We are entering a next level in what AI in medicine may or not be satisfying in the direct of the healthcare industry.
Will we get care from an old time country doctor practice or from a doctor who depends on AI documents as gospel. The drug sales reps may have a medical background to steer the doctors to use a new big pharma medicine.
I don’t trust the current mix of information on whether to use expired medicine after the date or use up to 15 years later.
Not in a crisis we might be able to get to an emergency room to get the drug or drugs pumped out of our body before dying.
Can we take that chance with expired drugs when medical help is nonexistent?
I would more likely take a chance with expired herbal meds in a crisis.
I have used outdated prescription meds in the past, but none over about 4 or 5 years out of date. No problems and still effective, but they were stored in original bottles and in a cool, dry, dark environment as suggested. OTC liquids, no more than about a year plus out of date so far. Those worry me a bit more. Your mileage may vary.
Gotta agree.
I had an extra prescription that cleared up quickly and had only just broke the seal.
Left it in the fridge for 2yrs when it flared up again over the weekend, so I used it.
Went to GP on the Monday and told him what was up and what I’d done.
He stated that the efficacy is reduced but ok to use if it was not contaminated.
They were steroid eye drops.
Pharmacist 8n the family said medicines get weaker over time. They do not change into poisons.
Just like a addiction , you need to find balance
need is one thing
want is another
go on line, ook up alternative medicines and antidotes that have worked in the past for early setlers , do the research so you dont accept anything
most big pharma drugs are designed for big pharma profit s and addition to more drugs
NOT cure , Just seditives for more treatments
some time s a little pain now is worth the relief later on
Do the research before you do or try anything which make s you dependant
many past experiences of rejecting big pharma drugs with alternative which are not addictive
I am on nothing and have been thru operation s in past , I endured the pain and made it thru it , I dont take every little confort thing out there , start with eliminating what causes the problems , Stress, Jobs, enviornment , foods , habbits , social life
Water , Not Drinks , Water not alcohal , fresh air , not smokes , outdoor walks , not drugs
Dont be stupid , and stop what your on before doing the research to see how to clean up , clean out , change
some time s you cannot get thru it with out a little help
All Doctors are trained by big pharma , so they follow protocol , and exactly that , Drugs for more Drugs , for more additctions to more drugs
Try fasting , prayer , refreshing you mind , renewing with God s word , the Bible
God Give s to those who Ask in Faith , Trust , Belief with out doubt
NOT for selfish gain but to Glorify God alone and give Him all the glory
God is not dead , or unaware of your needs , you have to Ask in faith , then wait for answers in his time , not your s
Good afternoon al. I’ve done my due diligence and stocked up on +Jase. It may be out of pocket and somewhat pricy, but you are followed by the doc. There are others out there, but this was handy and very fast.
Keep getting into it, prepping that is. Stay vigilant and alert. This world is angry, and about to get angrier.
One of the antibiotics, maybe the only one I know of, you should NEVER take when way past the outdate is Tetracycline. A pharmacist would agree. It’s not used much any more, but if you have some way past the outdate, don’t use that as it can shell your kidneys. 30 year RN.
yeah, that’s the one that put ridges on my fingernails and dyed my teeth indelible GRAY
Praise God I started studying herbalism several years ago. I make everything we need in my house. I do buy some herbs but I forage and grow most of my own. I have a feeling it’s going to an invaluable skill set in the near future.
There are also books on natural antivirals and antibiotics.
Just do a search on amazon or thrift books and you can find them. I can’t reach the ones I have right now, but they are out there. Many foods, herbs and spices are antiviral/antibiotic…and much better for you without side effects or worry that you will get too much and harm yourself, or that they will go bad…
I have yet to see any discussion of veterinary Ivermectine for human use,what about Ivermectine based heart worm meds as a viable source for human use as an anti parasitic?
You are very right we tend to forget about our critters like the cat, dog and birds.
I have backyard chickens that for most part don’t need a lot of medical attention.
Interesting that we see people in fire prone areas in the shock of it all. The cat, dog and other animals are left behind to the fires and other weather disasters.
So yes we need to have some future articles addressing those topics.
.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED BUYING DISTILLED WATER AND USING IT TO MAKE COLLOIDAL SILVER. YOU CAN BUY A MACHINE FOR AROUND $200.00 OR LESS TO MAKE IT WITH. YOU MUST USE DISTILLED WATER THOUGH.
ALSO, KEEP AT LEAST 2 BOTTLE OF HERITAGE STORE ATOMIDINE ON HAND. THIS IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST DEPRESSION. IT IS ALSO, HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST INFECTIONS.
BAY LEAF TEA CAN BE EASILY MADE. PUT 10 OR MORE LEAVES IN A SMALL STANELESS STEAL POT FILL WITH WATER BRING TO A BOIL AND HARD BOIL FOR 10 MINUTES. THEN REMOVE FROM HEAT COVER AND LET COOL. PLACE IT THE REFRIGERATOR AND IN THE MORNING YOU WILL HAVE VERY STRONG TEA. ADD SOME CITRUS AND ICE TO THE TEA. YOU CAN USE LEMONS, ORANGES, OR TANGELOS. BOTH THE COLLOIDAL SILVER AND THE BAY LEAF TEA ARE ANTI BACTERIAL, ANTIFUNGAL. IF YOU HAVE SOME BREATHING PROBLEMS YOU CAN PUT A FEW LEAVES IN A TIN CAN ON THE STOVE. HEAT TILL GETS TO SMOKING. THEN SHUT THE HEAT OFF. DON’T LET THIS GO UNATTENDED. YOU DON’T WANT TO BURN THE HOUSE DOWN.
BAY LEAVES HAVE BEEN SHOWN IN DOUBLE BLIND STUDIES TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE AND BLOOD SUGAR. SO THEY MAKE A NICE DRINK FOR DIABETICS.
Great ideas, have started make colloidal silver recently.
What brand of water distiller do you use?
I need to make my mine instead of buying grocery store bottled distilled water.
too many people and companies not letting anyone make a supply on medicine you need. Only give you up to 90 days stock. RIP OFFS