Category: First Aid/Medical

Dear Jim, Having discussed with my doctor (seldom seen in 12 years – since I’m mostly healthy) a “blizzard cupboard” of useful medicines to have on hand – he said “great idea”. I live in a rural area – about a 5 hour drive round-trip to doctors and drug stores, and we have been snowed in for as long as 4 days. I took several “wilderness medicine” courses, then returned to him two years later with a list of prescriptions I wanted. He said “no way” – that he was the doc and I was not. He is moving to …

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, I reviewed the available information regarding expiration dates of specific medications, primarily antibiotics and antiviral drugs, as tested in the FDA’s Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP).  Although antimicrobial medications are important, what about other common drugs used on a daily basis?  If you or someone you know suffers from diabetes, chronic pain, arthritis, asthma, hypertension, heart disease, or other serious condition, will medications be safe and effective beyond their expiration dates?  The following is excerpted from my upcoming book, Armageddon Medicine: Published data has documented the safety of many medications beyond …

You’re stacking wood when a log suddenly twists, and the pile comes tumbling down on you, leaving your legs covered with cuts and bruises. You walk into the kitchen, and see your toddler, who has climbed the counter to grab something in an upper cabinet, start to topple over. You lunge forward to grab her, and your body provides her with a soft landing spot as you crash over the kitchen chair and wind up on your face on the floor. Accidents happen, and they hurt. Many posts have discussed pharmaceutical painkillers, but most people have limited access to them, …

Mr. Rawles, I am a long time reader who enjoys how thought provoking your blog can be. But have a disagreement with a recent post by Josh S. I am a Emergency Medicine Physician, practicing in the Northeast US. Josh S.’s article is true in the detail of developing your medical network — it is quite easy to call up a friend or relative for some quick medical advice or help. And, furthermore, I appreciate this — I did get into medicine to help people, and I would much rather help friends and family than a vast majority of drug-seeking …

Mr. Editor: A good item to have on hand is Oil of Oregano. It stops the bacteria infection in the tooth and gives one enough time to find a dentist to take care of the problem. Last Wednesday, my nine year old Australian Shepherd woke up with an extremely swollen cheek nose and eye. I called the vet and she could not fit Hannah in for a week. I started giving Hannah Oil Of Oregano P73 in the pill form (wrapped up in ground meat). In two days, the swelling went down about 80%. Today Hannah went to the vet …

In Part I of this series, I explained the definition of pharmaceutical expiration dates and ‘do not use beyond’ dates, and how both are determined. Additionally, I reviewed information from the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) database, which led to a temporary Emergency Use Authorization in 2009, permitting the use of certain Tamiflu products (to treat H1N1 influenza) for up to an additional five years beyond the imprinted expiration date. (See Part I of this series for more information. ) Part II will examine the data regarding use of common antibiotics beyond their expiration dates. The following is excerpted from …

The evaluation of “Medical Assets” depends greatly upon the evaluator and the mission. For the purpose of this discussion, I consider people, places and things collectively and individually as “assets”. This discussion is meant for a group of non-medical personnel who need to assess whether a person, place, or thing will further their short and long term goals (mission). But how do you make that assessment or know when it has been done properly? Base assumptions: 1) The group has little to no medical knowledge. 2) The needs include general medicine, surgical procedures, veterinary medicine, and dentistry. 3) The most …

My first guest post on SurvivalBlog.com generated an abundance of questions and concerns.  Among the most popular was that of using medications beyond their expiration date.  Are they safe?  Are they effective?  It’s easy enough for me to say I think it’s safe, but is there any science to support my opinion?  I spent the week looking into the facts, and found some fascinating information. To start with, just what is a drug expiration date?  In short, the date (required since 1979) does not indicate when a drug goes bad, but rather a date through which the drug is guaranteed …