Men's Journal

A professional travel medicine kit includes everything from antibiotics to Superglue. Photo credit: Michael Pirrocco

For your more adventurous trips, these are the items you can’t leave behind.

By Josh Fulmer

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Antibiotics

Cipro (ciprofloxacin)
“No antibiotic covers everything, but Cipro is a great multipurpose option,”
says Dr. Luanne Freer, who heads the Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic and 
last used the drug to treat several climbers with a bacteria-induced
 gastrointestinal illness. You’ll need a prescription, but most doctors are
willing to help you get it 
and tell you how to use it.

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim)
“For infected wounds, ear or throat infections, or soft tissue infections 
common to an aquatic environment, it’s a better drug than Cipro,” says 
Freer. Bactrim is also the first line of defense against staph infection. As
 with Cipro, you’ll need to discuss your travel plans with your doctor, who 
can write you a prescription.

Altitude

Diamox (acetazolamide)
Diamox accelerates acclimatization and can be taken prophylactically or used 
to treat altitude sickness at its onset. “It’s safe and very effective,”
 Freer says. Though Diamox is usually used for big-mountain climbing, she
 notes it can be taken for less extreme cases. “About one-fourth of visitors 
to U.S. ski resorts develop altitude sickness that can be cured with 
Diamox,” she says. Most doctors will prescribe the drug if you’re traveling 
to high altitudes.

Nausea

Zofran wafers
Zofran was developed to treat the extreme nausea caused by chemotherapy.
 “We’ve used it in the clinic on Everest to treat patients who can’t keep a
 pill down,” says Freer. As with all prescription drugs, Freer suggests 
consulting your personal physician for help in determining when Zofran is 
appropriate.

Pepto-Bismol
“The initial discomfort of nausea can be treated with an over-the-counter 
drug,” says Freer, who always carries Pepto-Bismol tablets because they’re
 lighter and easier to carry than liquid anti-nausea drugs. Though not as
 effective as Zofran, Pepto doesn’t have the sedative side effects.

Pain Relievers

Ibuprofen
The anti-inflammatory properties of ibuprofen make it useful for much more 
than pain relief. “It’s exceptionally good for the aches and pains you’re
 going to get while trekking, but 
I also use it frequently for the 
prevention and treatment of frostbite because it prevents the inflammation
from causing additional damage,” says Freer.

Narcotic painkillers
“There are a lot of ways to find yourself in excruciating pain when you’re 
far from definitive care,” says Freer, who reached for the Vicodin herself 
when she tore the labrum in her shoulder while rafting the Colorado. “You
 should always have a strong prescription narcotic for situations like broken 
bones, dislocations, or burns.” Freer recommends that you work with a doctor
 who will prescribe narcotics and help you decide when to use them.

Essentials

Superglue and 
duct tape
“I once had a clean inch-long cut on the bottom of my foot,” says Doug
 Lansky, author of First-Time: Around the World. “I ruled out ligament or 
tendon damage after a phone call to my wife, who’s an ER doctor. She said to
 clean it and superglue it; I put some duct tape over that and was good to 
go.”

A plastic film canister
While in Pokhara, Nepal, a case of diarrhea kept Lansky within 10 yards of 
his toilet. He put a stool sample in a film canister and sent it to the
 local clinic via a compassionate fellow traveler, who returned with the
appropriate antibiotics. “They’ll take a look under a microscope and
 dispense the right drugs immediately,” Lansky says.

Copies of your 
prescriptions
They’ll make getting refills 
easier while you’re on the road, plus they 
provide a legit explanation for your “just in case” stash of high-powered 
pain killers. Otherwise, says Lansky, you run the risk of being busted by ―
or being forced to bribe ― various border agents to get your drugs into
 their country.

SteriPEN
The SteriPEN, placed in a glass of water, kills bacteria, viruses, and 
protozoa (like giardia) using ultraviolet light. More effective than other
 purification methods, it’s also quick: It can dispatch the unwelcome guests
from half a liter of water in less than 50 seconds. Freer also advises
 bringing iodine pills in case you run out of batteries.

This article originally appeared in the the May 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.

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