Liveaboard Medicine

[freewillie]

I travel with drugs
antibiotic (I usually ask for Septra -- Cipro doesn't work for a lot of things)
extra-strength antihistamine cream and hydrocortisone cream (I have scripts for antihistamine cream, and several strengths of steroid cream)
Benedryl
an elastic bandage
Lomotil
Swimmer's Ear
anti-fungal spray or cream (get script for Loprox)
Afrin
probiotic (in case I need the antibiotic)
eye drops
saline spray
dental kit for temp filling (drugstores have them)
tea tree oil
waterproof bandages in different sizes
antiseptic cream or spray
eye glass repair kit
Painkillers -- Tylenol, Motrin

Yes, I'm a mom. "I have a terrible itch. Do you have anything that will make it stop?" "There's something growing between my toes. What do I do?"

Actually, ciprofloxacin should work for just about any intestinal diarrhea, assuming it's an infectious bacteria. Septra is a perfectly good alternative but I find it causes more upset stomach and nausea. Plus, it is a sulfa medication and the OP didn't indicate what his allergies, if any are.

Personally I don't like patients to have their own antibiotics on hand to self medicate. But, if you are on a liveaboard and won't see a doctor until the boat makes it's next port then it's not totally unreasonable.

My personal recommendations for travel are for the following

Allergies - over the counter Claritin, Zyrtec, or Allegra but Benadryl is the best but also most sedating. I don't generally recommend decongestants for diving. It's not an issue for the first dive, but if you make several dives through the day there is the distinct possibility if not probability of the rx wearing off while you are on your afternoon dives.

Intestinal - Pepto Bismol is the first thing I recommend since it's good for heartburn and diarrhea. Other alternatives for heartburn are any antacids, Pepcid, Zantac, or Prilosec OTC. Prevacid is now available as well. Kaopectate or Immodium for diarrhea. Ginger tends to work well for mild nausea. Dramamine/Bonine for seasickness but your doctor may be able to prescribe Scopolamine patches.

Pain - Tylenol is the safest but not the strongest. Personally I like Aleve (naproxen) since it's twice a day, others may prefer Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen).

Sunscreen, lip balm, and aloe lotion for too much sun. I have contacts so eye drops are a must.

An ice pack/heating pad for any aches and pains.

---------- Post added January 31st, 2014 at 05:54 PM ----------

some good suggestions so far. I will simply mention a few things that I have stopped to buy while on family camping trips over the past several years:

Pepto-bismol tablets
anti-heartburn pills (i like loratadine)
Zyrtec, or similar
triple antibiotic ointment
sunburn cure (aloe or similar)
sunscreen
hand sanitizer
"feminine supplies" though it seems you may not need those. . .
bic lighter
adhesive tape

I particularly like the suggestion for duct tape and super glue, both very handy items. I also put the last 1/3 of a roll of toilet paper into a bag and use my food saver to vacuum seal it. I keep several of these stashed in my boat, camper and trail pack. I could have made good money on some of those if you know what I mean.

have a good trip,
Jerry

Loratadine is actually generic Claritin which is an antihistamine for allergies.

Heartburn meds would be antacids such as Tums, Rolaids, Mylanta, Maalox. Pepcid (famotidine) Zantac (ranitidine) Prilosec OTC (omeprazole)

 

[RJP]

some good suggestions so far. I will simply mention a few things that I have stopped to buy while on family camping trips over the past several years:

Pepto-bismol tablets
anti-heartburn pills (i like loratadine)
Zyrtec, or similar
triple antibiotic ointment
sunburn cure (aloe or similar)
sunscreen
hand sanitizer
"feminine supplies" though it seems you may not need those. . .
bic lighter
adhesive tape

I particularly like the suggestion for duct tape and super glue, both very handy items. I also put the last 1/3 of a roll of toilet paper into a bag and use my food saver to vacuum seal it. I keep several of these stashed in my boat, camper and trail pack. I could have made good money on some of those if you know what I mean.

have a good trip,
Jerry

Loratadine = Claritin, an antihistamine allergy medicine.

 

[KeithG]

We typically dive the liveaboards where you leave your shoes at the dock. So I bring different sized band-aids since most ladders are metal and I'm clumsy on boats. Several times I've not been the only one with their toes bandaged by the end of the week. Plus they come off every couple of dives.

Band aids? What's the matter with duct tape? The boat will have lots of it. No need to bring your own.

From a "medicine" point of view a live aboard is not all that special or different from intensive land based diving in the non-first world. Bring your own special prescription meds. The boat will have a standard first aid kit, although band aids are a good idea if you chafe a lot and grey is not your color.

Many people bring seasick remedies. If you are susceptible then make sure you have a supply.

If you come down with something serious, neither the boat or the land based dive op will be very well equipt to deal with it.

 

[diversteve]

Band aids? What's the matter with duct tape? The boat will have lots of it. No need to bring your own.

Sterile is good on open wounds, duct tape isn't...as Wookie suggests I have used it over a band-aid to hold it on longer.

I also carry a roll of that brown stretchy cloth medical tape. Have yet to use it.

 

[Wookie]

Band aids? What's the matter with duct tape? The boat will have lots of it. No need to bring your own.

Band-aids are an excellent choice for the customer to bring. I can't tell you how many boxes per year I go through, with all of the scrapes and boo-boos folks get on a dive boat. Probably 2 full boxes a trip. It would be lovely for folks to plan ahead enough to have their own.

 

[RJP]

I've posted the info below on previous threads specific to the general "What should I bring on a liveaboard?" question.

Overall, pack what you think you should bring into your suitcase. Then remove half of what you packed. Then remove half of what's left. Now look at what's still in your suitcase... you still have too much stuff.

The most important thing to bring on a liveaboard is a sense of humor and a generally good, positive attitude. If you're not familiar with boats - much less living on one - here's a few FACTS about boats:

• everything on a boat breaks
• everything on a boat leaks
• everything on a boat gets wet
• nothing on a boat every really dries
• everything on a boat smells like a boat; where things break, get wet, and never really dry
• anything that doesn't smell like a boat smells like people who live on a boat
• everything mechanical on a boat is very loud (until it breaks; then it becomes very quiet)
• everything non-mechanical on a boat creaks and/or rattles (until it breaks in; then it gets very quiet; that's usually the day before it breaks)
• everything on a boat is small
• if something is not small, it's not on the boat
• if something is not available on the island/mainland, it's not on the boat
• if something is not on the boat, it's not on the boat
• if you need something specific but didn't bring it, it's not on the boat
• even things that are usually on the boat are often not on the boat
• most things that happen on a boat happen simply "because it's a boat"

A thousand major/minor/uncomfortable/disgusting/annoying/inconvenient things can go wrong on a boat over the course of a year. Statistically, that means that 20 of them will happen the week you're on board. You won't notice 15 of them. Will any of the the other 5 things ruin your trip? Honestly - other than a condition which presents a clear and imminent safety or health issue - whether or not something ruins your trip is entirely up to you. I choose to focus on the things like diving that make my trip enjoyable; folks who choose to focus on things that will ruin their trip can always find something that will.

But, as an optimist, keep in mind that you also get to take the good with the bad...

• everything GOOD that happens on a live-aboard happens "because it's a boat"
• you're never more than an hour or so from the next dive, the next meal, the next nap, or your first drink - because it's a boat
• you set your gear up once and don't worry about it again - because it's a boat
• you're right over the dive site - because it's a boat
• two hours later you're right over the next dive site - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from your last bite of desert after dinner to your night dive - because it's a boat
• it's a ten foot walk from your night dive to a hot shower - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from the hot shower to a cold beer - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from the cold beer to your bed - because it's a boat
• when you wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee and waffles...you're right over the next great dive site - because it's a boat

 

[mac.calder]

Seasickness meds for me (I go for the hyoscine hydrobromide only version where possible). I am not overly susceptible to sea sickness - lived & worked on ships for a few years etc etc etc... but if I am on a liveaboard, I don't want to run the risk of getting seasick and end up missing my dives - once you get sick it is too late for tablets.

 

[Donnah]

Freewill said:" Actually, ciprofloxacin should work for just about any intestinal diarrhea, assuming it's an infectious bacteria. Septra is a perfectly good alternative but I find it causes more upset stomach and nausea. Plus, it is a sulfa medication and the OP didn't indicate what his allergies, if any are.

Personally I don't like patients to have their own antibiotics on hand to self medicate. But, if you are on a liveaboard and won't see a doctor until the boat makes it's next port then it's not totally unreasonable."

Freewillie is correct that, in most cases, one should not self medicate with antibiotics. However, I have been on liveaboards where I was hundreds of miles out from any pharmacy, on an island where the "plane" came in once a week, and on an island where the local clinic was a boat ride away and you had to come back the next day by boat to get the meds the doctor prescribed. I travel a lot, and want my own antibiotics, manufactured in the US, with me. I usually don't need them, but I would rather have them than not. My doc and I have an agreement, and she trusts me to be responsible. Also, there is usually a doctor/diver on a tour or dive trip who can do a curbside consult.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm with Donnah on the Cipro issue. My wife and I include Cipro in our medical kit in case we have severe diarrhea that just won't resolve after a few days and are far from the nearest medical care. But after many trips all over the world we have yet to use it. Oh, we've had "traveler's diarrhea" plenty of times, but we usually give it a few days to resolve itself and use Immodium to get us through it. The worst case I had didn't present itself until the day after I returned to the US. I went to the doc to fix that one.

 

[tdtaylor]

I have been on the Aqua Cat 3 times, and many of the crew over the years have also served on the Cat Ppalu and vice versa. My wife and I have always found the group to be a great group to dive with.

Terry