It recently dawned on me that since having kids, I’ve spent more money on medications and toiletries for them than myself. Their bathrooms are stocked with a variety of fever relievers, potions, lotions, and de-grimers: A quick peek revealed, for instance, five bottles of liquid ibuprofen, some sticky, honey-based homeopathic remedy for coughing, four boxes of Band-Aids in an evolving array of favorite characters, and a “soothing vapors” bubble bath for stuffy noses. I’ve even taken the time, recently, to painstakingly organize their medicine cabinet to make middle-of-the-night dispensing easier.
My “medicine cabinet” (the upper shelf of my closet, actually) is a comparative wasteland of expired or rejected products. There’s Sudafed with a 2008 expiration date, prenatal vitamins from my third pregnancy three years ago, and lots of lotion and creams that were purchased, tried, and left to languish. What did this say about my investment in my own health and wellness?, I wondered. It was time for an overhaul.
After chucking the expired medications, I asked HHK adviser Monique Tello, M.D., what she keeps in her own medicine cabinet. As a primary care physician who specializes in women’s health issues at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a busy, practical mom, she knows what products are essential, and which just hog precious bathroom space. Here’s her list and comments, with links in case you too are in a stocking-up sort of mood.
Dr. Tello's Must-Haves (for Adults, Not Kids)
| Naproxen (i.e. Aleve) | "For headaches, muscle aches. Not for those with a history of ulcers, and not for taking every day." | |
| Acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) | "When you’ve already taken Aleve. To be used sparingly, to spare the liver." | |
| Diphenhydramine (i.e. Benadryl) | "For nighttime post-nasal drip cough." | |
| Nighttime cough syrup (i.e. Nyquil) | "When Benadryl is not enough." | |
| Neti pot with non-iodized salt packets | "Best sinus infection prevention ever." | |
| Docusate (i.e. Colace, a stool softener) | "Because two pregnancies left me with a condition that demands regularity." | |
| Magnesium hydroxide/ Simethicone (i.e. Maalox Anti-Gas) | "My go-to after a poor food choice, or a too- large dinner out." | |
| Bismuth subsalicylate (i.e. Pepto-Bismol) | "Because the kids bring home GI bugs every winter." (Note: Pepto has a children's version that doesn't contain subsalicylate, which may be harmful for kids.) | |
| Hydrocortisone cream (i.e. Cortaid) | "For itchy bug bites that are keeping you up at night." | |
| Diphenhydramine cream (i.e. Benadryl topical) | "When Cortaid is not enough." | |
| Triple antibiotic ointment (Polysporin) | "For hangnails and cat scratches, so they don’t progress to something requiring a doctor’s visit." | |
| Hypoallergenic facial moisturizer cream (i.e. Eucerin) | "For daily use, wonderful for the skin." | |
| Lip balm with SPF | "A swipe on the lips and nose on sunny or cold days goes miles in prevention." | |
| Epsom salts | "Not only for sore muscle tub soaks, also a soothing tub soak for painful conditions in hard-to-reach areas." |
I never recommend topical benadryl. Histamine release is systemic so topical benadryl (diphenydramine) is rarely if ever effective and can cause contact dermatitis.. It may provide temporary relief but that is likely due to the cooling evaporative effect of the alcohol base of the gel.
So good to get multiple doc perspectives, Jamie–thanks!