MUST HAVE ANTIBIOTICS, ANTIFUNGALS, AND ANTIVIRALS
February 2, 2012 
23 Comments
Hey Preppers,
A couple of months ago I wrote a series of articles on antibiotics and their uses in a collapse situation. Since that time, I’ve gotten a number of requests as to what my must-have medications are for your storage supplies. Last week, we went through the over-the-counter drugs you should have, and now we’ll look at medicines that are meant to fight infection.
You don’t have to be a doctor to know that we’ll have issues with water and food contamination in a societal breakdown. We can, therefore, expect periodic outbreaks of epidemics of infectious disease in the surviving population. As such, anyone expecting to survive long-term will have to provide for this eventuality. Even the clearest mountain stream in a National Park might have organisms like Giardia in it; many of these organisms lead to significant diarrheal disease, dehydration, and even death without appropriate treatment.
Of course, we should start with antibiotics. Here’s my list of antibiotics you should have stockpiled, along with their veterinary equivalents:
Amoxicillin 250mg/500mg (FISH-MOX, FISH-MOX FORTE)
Ciprofloxacin 250mg/500mg (FISH-FLOX, FISH-FLOX FORTE)
Metronidazole 250mg (FISH-ZOLE)
Doxycycline 100mg (BIRD-BIOTIC)
Sulfamethoxazole 400mg/Trimethoprim 80mg (BIRD-SULFA)
Azithromycin 250mg, 500mg (AQUARIUM AZITHROMYCIN)
Clindamycin 150mg/300mg (AQUARIUM CLINDAMYCIN)
All of the above, with the exception of Amoxicillin and Ampicillin, are acceptable in those with Penicillin allergies. With the above antibiotics in your medical supplies, you’ll be able to treat 90% of the bacterial diseases that will appear on your doorstep in times of trouble, even some forms of Anthrax.
Unless you live barefoot and naked in the middle of Death Valley, you will also have to beware of fungal infections. Common ones like Ringworm, Athlete’s Foot, and Jock Itch will be rampant in wet climates or in situations where you might not be able to change socks or underwear often. Therefore, it makes sense to keep some antifungal medication around as well. Clotrimazole (lotrimin) is a good choice here, as it comes in cream or powder, and doesn’t require a prescription. Medications like Miconazole (Monistat) would be useful for vaginal yeast infections. There is an oral tablet as well called Fluconazole (Diflucan), which may be more convenient than creams or powders, but requires a prescription.
Finally, anti-viral medications will be useful as well. Many of the infections, especially respiratory, that we consider to be bacterial in nature are more likely to be viral in nature. Antibiotics have no significant effect on viruses; despite this, many patients will demand an antibiotic prescription from their doctors as soon as they feel the first symptom.
One of the most popular anti-viral drugs is called Tamiflu (Oseltamvir). Tamiflu gives effective relief against symptoms of influenza and decreases the amount of time you would be sick. If taken when you first realize that you have been exposed to someone with the flu, it could even prevent the illness altogether. In a pandemic, those with without an anti-viral drug and a good supply of masks and gloves will be at major risk.
Don’t throw away that expired Tamiflu; the government has given a 5 year use extension beyond the date of “expiration” through the Shelf Life Extension Program. Like many medications in pill or capsule form, Tamiflu remains effective long afterwards. Other antivirals include Valtrex, Relenza, and Famvir.
Although we’re mentioning pharmaceuticals today, don’t forget that natural products such as Garlic and Honey have significant antii-infective properties. Garlic, for example, has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti0viral effects. Many people report significant antibacterial effect with colloidal silver, as well. Before there were antibiotics, there was silver, and it is still used in topical creams to prevent infection.
For more in-depth information, refer to our article which starts the series on how to use antibiotics:
For our list of over the counter medications:
Dr. Bones
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