Some medicine cabinet essentials to keep at home are listed below. The list doesn’t cover everything, but it will help you deal with most minor ailments.
But first, be aware of the following points:
- Always follow the directions on medicine packets and information leaflets, and never take more than the stated dose.
- If you have questions about any of these medicines or you want to buy them, ask your local pharmacist.
- Always keep medicines out of the sight and reach of children. A high, lockable cupboard in a cool, dry place is ideal.
- Regularly check the expiry dates on a medicine. If a medicine is past its use-by date, don’t use it or throw it away. Take it to your pharmacy, where it can be disposed of safely.
Medicine cabinet essentials
Pain relief
Painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen are highly effective at relieving most minor aches and pains, such as headaches and menstrual pain. Aspirin must not be given to children under 16. These medicines also help with some minor ailments, such as the common cold, by reducing aches, pain and high temperatures. These three medicines also help reduce the inflammation seen in arthritis and sprains.
Antihistamines
These are useful for dealing with allergies and insect bites. They’re also helpful if you have hay fever. Antihistamines can come in the form of creams you apply to the skin (topical antihistamine) or tablets you swallow (oral antihistamine). Antihistamine creams soothe insect stings and bites, and rashes and itching from stinging nettles. Antihistamine tablets help control hay fever symptoms and calm minor allergic reactions to food. They can also help calm itchiness during chickenpox.
Some antihistamines may cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about this as there are some antihistamines that don’t cause drowsiness.
Anti-diarrhoea tablets
Diarrhoea is caused by a range of things, such as food poisoning or a stomach virus, and can happen without warning. It’s a good idea to keep an anti-diarrhoea medicine at home. Anti-diarrhoeal remedies can quickly control the unpleasant symptoms of diarrhoea, although they don’t deal with the underlying cause. The most common anti-diarrhoeal is loperamide (sold under the names Imodium, Arret and Diasorb, among others). It works by slowing down the action of your gut.
Don’t give anti-diarrhoeals to children under 12 because they may have undesirable side effects. Speak to your GP or pharmacist for advice about a child with these symptoms.
Indigestion treatment
If you have stomach ache, heartburn or trapped wind, a simple antacid will reduce stomach acidity and bring relief. Antacids come as chewable tablets, tablets that dissolve in water, or in liquid form.
Your first aid kit
As well as the above medicines above, also keep a well prepared first aid kit. This can help treat minor cuts, sprains and bruises, and reduce the risk of cuts becoming infected. It should contain the following items:
- bandages – these can support injured limbs, such as a sprained wrist, and also apply direct pressure to larger cuts before being treated in hospital
- plasters – a range of sizes, waterproof if possible
- thermometer – digital thermometers that you put in your mouth produce very accurate readings; a thermometer placed under the arm is a good way to read a baby or young child’s temperature
- antiseptic – this can be used to clean cuts before they are dressed (bandaged) and most can treat a range of conditions, including insect stings, ulcers and pimples; alcohol-free antiseptic wipes are useful to clean cuts
- eyewash solution – this will help wash out grit or dirt in the eyes
- sterile dressings – larger injuries should be covered with a sterile dressing to prevent infection until treatment can be given by a health professional
- medical tape – this is used to secure dressings and can also be used to tape an injured finger to an uninjured one, creating a makeshift splint
- tweezers – for taking out splinters; if splinters are left in, they can cause discomfort and become infected
For further information visit the NHS Choices website.
Translated Choose Well leaflets
Choose well leaflets translated into Polish, Lithuanian and Russian are available in related documents. Other languages are available upon request by contacting capccg.contact@nhs.net.
