I'm starting this new thread on medicine supplies from two post to the "What Might be prepared for children and the elderly" thread. I think it is a stand-alone topic.--argh

Medicine was a topic that hit me a while ago. Assuming there is a supply shortage in 2000 how does one goe about preparing for theeir medical needs. What are some mechanism the folks here have found for obtaining such things as bulk supplies of antibiotics and long term supplies of permanent perscriptions for the elderly such as heart , thyroid, blood pressure and other medications?

Any perscription mail order companies out there? any other ideas?

-- nyc (nycnyc@hotmail.com), March 13, 1999.

A 25-year-old book (Survivalist's Medicine? i think) said over-the- counter animal pharmecueticals could be bought at animal feed supply stores in this country. It said the quality of the antibiotics etc. were the same as human- grade, but that one carefully had to adjust the dosage etc. Recommended using them only in an absolute emergency and when no other options are available. Has anyone in the Northeast seen such supplies in a feed store? My local Agway doesn't have anything.

-- (argh@12milesaway.com), March 13, 1999.

-- (argh@12milesaway.com), March 13, 1999

Answers

see : http://www.bonners-ferry.com/ y2kmeds/

-- (argh@12milesaway.com), March 13, 1999.

meds

-- rb (x@z.com), March 13, 1999.

This is a good post...meds are going to be most important....so many things can go wrong....80% of the stuff in them is imported...the companies use JIT just in time inventory/shipping....people panic at the last minute....and so on and so on.

-- rb (x@z.com), March 13, 1999.

Find a doc or other practitioner who has a DEA number (for instance, my wife, a CNM, has one) and is also a GI. They can legally order quite a number of things, based on reasonable need, without getting themselves or you in any trouble. If I remember, I'll ask my wife, she has just found a good source, but I'm not sure if it would be helpful to general public or not.

As for animal antibiotics, you are correct, but talk to a GI vet, again if you're lucky enough to find one. Or make one.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), March 13, 1999.

Big Dog: I recall from one of your earlier posts that you ( I think it was you) lived in the Catskills. Do you have animal medicines there at local feed stores? I am on Long Island.

-- (argh@12milesaway.com), March 13, 1999.

argh --- though we haven't needed them (so I'm winging it a bit), usually up here Agway or Farm & Family has animal antibiotics (penicillin, tetracycline) refrigerated, under key. You have to ask but you don't need to be a vet to obtain them.

Dosages vary (duh duh duh). My wife feels somewhat antsy as to whether the purity of the product would be the same, shelf life, etc. If I remember (I'm so busy I can't promise), I'll ask the guy responsible for farming my mother-in-law's dairy farm as well as friends who have a major goat farm. They'll know more.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), March 13, 1999.

If you live in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or Southern California just head for the border (with Mexico).

-- rb (x@z.com), March 13, 1999.

Thanks BigDog. Don't know any GI doctors or vets around here. Only one semi GI person at all in my area

-- (argh@12milesaway.com), March 13, 1999.

Any large pet store that sells tropical fish carries penicillin, erythromycin and "triple sulfa" in pill form, dated as well. Tetracycline is also available, but when it goes bad it becomes extremely toxic. Storage looks to be at room temperature - they're out on a rack in blister packs. All state "not for human consumption".

Not a recommendation, just for your information, from a tropical fish enthusiast.

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 13, 1999.

1)Purity is NOT a problem. (Ask any vet)

2) In your area, look for a Town and Country (I think that was the name) or a Quality Farm and Fleet. It'll be there next to the syringes, needles, and Bag Balm.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), March 13, 1999.

One source is Lambriar Animal Health Care

http://www.lambriarvet.com

Look in the "fish antibiotic" section.

You can order on-line. I ordered ampicillin,

amoxicillin, erythomycin, penicillin and cephalexine

last week and they were here in about 5 days. I'm

in Colorado so it's relatively close. Have heard

that California prohibits these meds from being shipped

there??

Good luck to all.

sylvia

-- sylvia (home@wood.com), March 13, 1999.

I called around 4 months ago to find tetracycline but for a different purpose. It was to protect from the growing threat of anthrax by terrorist. 120 cities are being targeted simultaneously for biowarfare. 120 cities are being trained for the dual purpose of biowarfare and Y2K. Anyway, back to tetracycline. I called several pet shop, they only carry the kind for fish. I called the vet and they said you have to have a prescription. I finally found it in an animal feed shop. It's for animals like cows, chicken. It's in a bag and it's cheap. But one of the earlier posters was right. You have to know the equivalent dosage. Look up yellow pages for animal feeds. I read that if there is evidence that anthrax is released ( a couple of signs are more dead animals, increase of insects...), then you have to take penicillin or tetracycline ASAP. Unless iy's a tough strain, it should work. Sorry, I got off from Y2kK, but it kills two birds with one stone.

Since I got the strongest, natural antibiotics available Immunical and thymic protein A (sublingual). Try H.T.H. 650-634-0308 or hth@earthlink.net. I think thymic protein A is around $60? for 30 packets. Many M.D.'s recommends it for flus or infections. If my child has a cold coming, I give him 2-3 packets (taste good), and he's usually well in 1-2 days. If I got to do it all over again, I won't have taken so much antibiotics, I had ampicillin, cipro, etc. After a while they no longer works. Since I been taking Immunical, olive leaf extract, bioprotein, I have not had to take antibiotics or prescribed drug for about 2 years. Beware of imitations out there. I got my degree at a well-known university in nutrition and has done years of nutritional consultation on the side in my spare time. You can't afford to have drug-resistent bacteria in Y2K. I don't intend to take conventional antibiotic for infection unless the natural ones are not strong enough. I know several pharmacists and they all tell me the same story. Work on your immune system now! If we can't even lick a simple cold, how can we have a chance against cancer? nuff said. Hope this help somebody.

-- Ray (kcorner67@hotmail.com), March 14, 1999.

Fish antibiotics work well for humans...I use Amoxicillin for problem ears and has always cleared them up. The caps come in 250 mg. capusles which are a safe human dose. You can also get Penicillin and tetracycline....call 1-800-Jeffers and ask for their pet catalog. Don't belive you should use unless you have taken before or have have medical-type friends who can assist you. All the meds from Jeffers have long expiration dates and I think I read somewhere that keeping them sealed in original containers in the freezer will extend this date. I plan to have all three meds in my first aid kid as my husband is allergic to PCN. I hope we never come to having to go without good medical care but if things get really bad I don't want to sit by and let one of my family members suffer. As a nurse I cannot prescribe for others but I sure can do for myself and my loved ones. I fear disease will really be able to get a foothold here in the States where way too many people take antibiotics when they really only needed to stay home,rest, drink lots of fluids instead of keeping up their hectic paces and popping a pill. In the past good nursing care and isolation of the sick saved many people. If you buy one book on health get When There Is No Doctor and study it.

-- MUTTI (windance @train.missouri.org), March 14, 1999.

Thanks for the info regarding the fish antibiotics. "Where There Is No Doctor" is an absolute MUST for anyone who feels they may be bereft of medical assistance post-Y2K. It was written for village health practitioners (not M.D.'s) in third-world countries, and goes into somewhat excruciating detail regarding diseases - some that will (thankfully) never be seen in temperate climates, as well as some old ones that may resurface with a vengance come Y2K, like typhoid, cholera and malaria (BTW, malaria was quite a problem every summer in the mid-atlantic states and parts of New England well into the beginning of this century). Don't forget he companion volume, "Where There Is No Dentist". I believe Nitro-pak carries both books.

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 14, 1999.

As an RN, I must caution everyone against stockpiling antibiotics. Antibiotics are extremely dangerous drugs if not taken exactly as prescribed for exactly what they are meant for. What you must know is what kind of antibiotic to take for what kind of bacterial infection, in what dosage and for how long. I will spare you all a lecture, as I've done this in the past and it's the archives, but I will give you links so you can inform yourselves about the use of antibiotics and thier pitfalls. http://car roll1.cc.edu/~fys/mmmhtml/Antibiotics.html

http://w ww.lvhhn.org/healthy_you/magazine/antibiotics/

http://hom e.earthlink.net/~ridgeparkped/antibiot.htm

http://commhealth. nf.ca/~health/antibio.html

http://www.pulseplan et.com/Jun96/1252.html

-- Chris (Catsy@pond.com), March 14, 1999.

I went to the Barnes and Noble bookstore and looked at the book, "Where there is no doctor" and was very disappointed in it. It contained much information that was not applicable to the US and not enough substantial info on emergency first aid. My favorite "medical" books are a book I bought for a first aid course at the local university. It is "Emergency Medical Guide" by John Henderson, M.D., put out by McGraw-Hill Paperbacks, 1963 and a two volume set put out by Reader's Digest Books, 1989, "The American Medical Association Home Medical Encyclopedia." These two books have come to my rescue many times. I will also become re-certified with the Red Cross in first aid and CPR. My next move is to enroll in an EMT course. Hope this helps. Linda

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), March 15, 1999.

Linda, it's not *supposed* to be a first aid book. The village health practitioners that the book addresses are expected to know basic first aid. The thrust of the book is on chronic and life-threatening diseases due to conditions resulting from poor food and worse sanitation (sound like any Y2K scenarios?), which isn't something that a first-responder of ANY stripe is trained to deal with. In the present American world, the book is a bit less useful than a first-aid manual. If TSHTF, it will be a damsite better than any EMT course offered, as far as sick (not injured) people are concerned.

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 15, 1999.

This is a FYI kind of post. I have had many years of experence with animals. Antibotics is antibotics. But the nurce is right. You do have to know how to take them or you will build up an amunity to the drug and they wont work for you anymore.

Tetracycline is a good broad spectrim antibotic, 500 mg gel caps. An adult (12 and older) ( 100# to 200#) can take 3 tablets a day for 10 days ( do not shorten the days even if you FEEL better.) ** for a child, age 6-12, you can break open the caps and mix it with jelly... give 1/2 cap 3X daily, for 10 days. *^*^* (do not give this drug to anyone pregnant, it can discolor the unborn baby teeth.

You should be able to get this from your vet. We have a farm so all I have to do is call my vet and place an order.

We can get Tetracycline at a price of 1000 tabs at $75.00. I plan on stocking up as I think this will be helpfull. And yes you were right if you keep them in your freezer (or outside if it is cold enough and we have no power) they will last longer.

I hope this info helps someone.

-- ANGELO (angelo@adv.com), April 19, 1999.