Storage of antibiotics

Discussion in 'Survival Medicine' started by Bandit99, May 29, 2016.


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  1. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    My wife is currently in Central Asia visiting her mother. Since no prescription is needed for most medicines (all painkillers, tranquilizers, basically narcotics need prescriptions), she will be bringing back some medical supplies to include general purpose antibiotics. According to US law, one can bring in a 90 supply of medication so...

    Question: I am wondering if I store these antibiotics in sealed Mylar bags with O2 absorbers if it will slow their degradation, extending their expiration date? I believe most antibiotics are good for ~2 years and even longer but you lose strength after 2 years so wondering if storing them in this manner might keep them at full strength longer.
     
    Altoidfishfins and Motomom34 like this.
  2. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Depends on the chemistry of the Product.... Is it UV Sensitive? Is it Oxygen sensitive...
     
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  3. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Both are good questions... I don't know. Perhaps someone else does...google didn't help me much. All of the antibiotics are in the Penicillin family. I will have her pick up Ampicillin and some Augmentin (it's Amoxicillin + something else that I can't remember).

    I am open to suggestions of other medications if anyone has ideas. Probably should have some antidiarrheals but need to do some research...
     
  4. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    They need to be kept in a cool stable temperature, dry and dark. I vacuum seal mine, put them in a plastic ammo can with a red cross painted on the side, and store them on the bottom shelf of a spare refrigerator. Like food storage; heat, temperature variance, light and moisture should be avoided.
     
    Brokor likes this.
  5. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Yeah, what T.Riley said.

    No expert myself but logic would seem to dictate cool, dry and dark in addition to seal and O2 absorbers. It is curious that most prescription bottles are dark amber in color with a sealed lid, and I'm pretty sure that's not by happenstance.
     
  6. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    And lots and lots of cotton balls. (Though no one has ever figured out why, but there must be a logical reason;))
     
  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Pretty obvious, methinks, that the cotton balls are there to make the package big enough to see.
     
  8. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    To keep the pills from breaking in transit, IMO.
     
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  9. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Some of that, too.
     
  10. ditch witch

    ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

    Zithromax. Because Amoxicillian makes bugs laugh.
     
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  11. Dont

    Dont Just another old gray Jarhead Monkey

    Remember that there are a lot of "Bug's" that are not resistant to common antibiotics.. Also, antibiotics are more effective against some organism's than others would be.. That's another reason to stock a variety of antibiotics and
    have a medication book on hand (PDR or Nurses drug reference) .. Then again, it is difficult to match an antibiotic to an organism unless one is able to identify the organism.. NOW there's a barter skill... A home biolab! Hmmm??

    Edit: List of antibiotics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Broad-spectrum antibiotic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Antibiotics Types and Side Effects

    A PDF download of an overview of antibiotics..
    http://clerkship.medicine.ufl.edu/files/2012/04/Antibiotic-Overview.pdf
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2016
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  12. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    See this thread from about two years ago.
    https://www.survivalmonkey.com/threads/some-medical-considerations-for-ebola.49834/

    The OP is long but addresses your questions about storage and shelf life with references to the info sources and those cite their sources. So, it is hopefully a bit more credible than much of the typical prepper conventional wisdom that circulates endlessly on various prepper sites often with little basis in scientific research. It also addresses the most desired antibiotics and typical amounts needed to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. You'll need the books suggested to make good diagnosis and antibiotic selection as it was beyond the scope of that article.

    AT
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2016
  13. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Big thanks to all of you!
     
  14. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Just as a side note,The only thing I worry about with colloidal silver is freezing, hot weather has zero effect on it.
     
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  15. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

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  16. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++


    I have ordered from calvet. I also found a website out of Florida I have ordered from twice and I like this guy. It is:
    aquabiotics.net
    He has a couple dozen medications including a couple anti-fungal medications (not sure if he still does.) His service was very prompt and seems to be a good seller. He has the usual Thomas Labs fish antibiotics but also many of his medications are from foreign manufacturers, mostly India and Taiwan. Those products are almost all blister packed and he discloses the manufacturer and country of origin and you can see close up photos on his website. In my order he included a list of specific manufacturers for every thing he sold and country of origin.

    I can’t verify the potency of the drugs but the packaging and labeling looked very real and legitimate as a human medication. I looked up several of the manufacturers which indeed turned out to be large international pharmaceutical manufacturers who manufactured medications for human consumption. I noted with what I received and is shown in many of the photos on the website, the blister packs were re-labeled with a goofy stick-on label to claim these are for treating fish and not for human consumption (keeps Customs, DEA and FDA off his back I suppose.)

    I haven't price compared in last year or so but he was 20-40% less than most places like Camping Supply et al you see advertise on other prepper websites. Frankly, I am impressed enough with this supplier that I ordered again and likely will order again to improve my supplies.

    AT

    Edit: just went to his website, his prices now for the Thomas Labs products suck big time. The prices for other stuff still mostly look good.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2016
  17. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    @Airtime I've used CalVet for years and only tried their fish biotics because Patriot Nurse suggested them. I have no need to go elsewhere, but I do appreciate the information!
     
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