I live in The Land of the Free, which means I must have a prescription from a physician to obtain many medications for common ailments from a regulated pharmacy. If I lived in Mexico I would be able to purchase medications over the counter for a fraction of the cost. My complete home pharmacy in Mexico might include:
Macrolides:
*azitromicina (azithromycin, zithromax, z-pac) used for ear infections, sinus infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia. Considered safe in pregnant and nursing mothers.
*claritromicina (clarithromycin, biaxin) used for pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection, tonsillitis, stomach ulcers. Unsafe during pregnancy. May be used while breastfeeding.
*eritromicina (erythromycin, e-mycin) used for Whooping cough, bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infection, syphilis and gonorrhea. Considered safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Penicillins: (caution, penicillin allergies are common)
*augmentin (augmentin, amoxicillin- clavulanate) used for sinusitis, pneumonia, ear infection, bronchitis and urinary tract infection. Considered safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
*amoxicilina (amoxicillin, amoxil) used for gonorrhea, chlamydia, bronchitis, tonsillitis, urinary tract infection, pneumonia. Considered safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Cephalosporins:
*cefalexina (cephalexin, Keflex) used for cellulitis skin infection, urinary tract and kidney infection, mastitis (common in nursing mothers), boils and abscesses, strep throat. Considered safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Fluoroquinolones:
*ciprofloxacina (ciprofloxacin, Cipro) used for bone and joint infections, respiratory and urinary tract infections, typhoid fever, intra-abdominal infections, anthrax, gastroenteritis. Mixed research but may be safe during pregnancy. Pump and dump for 4 hours after dosing if breastfeeding.
*levofloxacina (levofloxacin, Levaquin) used for diarrhea caused by E. coli, campylobacter jejuni and shigella; mastitis, anthrax, bone and joint infections, urinary tract infection, prostatitis, pneumonia, bronchitis. Considered safe during pregnancy. Pump and dump for 6 hours after dose if breastfeeding.
Sulfonamides: (caution, sulfa allergies are common)
*bactrim (trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole, Bactrim, Septra) used for bronchitis, urinary tract infection, shigella enteritis and traveler's diarrhea. Considered unsafe during pregnancy. Unsafe in unhealthy or premature infants during breastfeeding.
Tetracyclines:
*doxiciclina (doxycycline, Monodox, Vibramycin) used for pneumonia, sinusitis, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, anthrax, cholera, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, urinary tract infection. Considered safe during pregnancy but may cause tooth discoloration in infant during 2nd and 3rd trimesters. May be safe during breastfeeding on short term basis.
*tetraciclina (tetracycline, Sumycin, Tetracyn) used for penumonia, H-pylori, syphilis,gonorrhea, chlamydia, urinary and respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, cholera. Birth defects noted in pregnant animals- no consistent data on human birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Not safe during breastfeeding.
*metranidazol (metronidazole, Flagyl)- used for parasitic infections of the digestive tract, brain and liver infections, trichomoniasis; abscess of the liver, pelvis and abdomen; clostridium difficile diarrhea. Unsafe during first trimester of pregnancy. Unsafe during breastfeeding.
Other emergency medications I'd stock up on if I lived where I could choose my own medical treatment:
albuterol inhalers for asthma exacerbation, furosemida (furosemide, Lasix) for congestive heart failure and water retention, prednisona (prednisone) to reduce length of illness, epinefrina (Epi-pen, epinephrine) for anaphylaxis, phenergan for severe vomiting, diazepam (Valium) for seizures.
There are a lot of drug books available as a guide for dosing for specific ailments. I like the Epocrates app or Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses only because I used it in nursing school and am familiar with the format. Most of this information does not change quickly and the book will be useful for decades. I would highly recommend having a drug book, especially if I was medicating my children as most medications are weight-based. It has allergy warnings, dosing details, interaction warnings, etc. Those are all important factors. A used drug guide may only cost $10 on the web or local book store and the information is invaluable.
Antibiotics kill indiscriminitely. They can kill off our healthy gut flora as well as the foreign invaders or overgrowth we are trying to treat causing diarrhea or opportunistic infections. Probiotics can help reseed the gut with healthy flora. There are a lot of natural antibiotics such as oregano oil, silver solutions, garlic and others that may be healthier and a preferable choice to pharmacological treatments. Many infections will run their course without antibiotics and without killing you. The antibiotics and medications I've listed are for the ailments that might kill you before they run their course.
Disclaimer:
I am not a physician and I do not have prescriptive authority. Any information that I have shared is based on choices I would make for myself if I could do so legally.
Cheers to a happy, healthy apocalypse!
Zen Savage