Dear you,
In the last letter, we talked about how to carry medicine when you travel.
This time, I am opening my own luggage for you — whenever someone asks, "As a pharmacist, what medicines do you actually pack for a trip abroad?", this little kit is my answer.
It is not big, about the size of a makeup pouch.
But everything inside is something I have really used on my travels over the years, and that has really helped.
💬 First, Think About It: Small Troubles on the Road
When you are away from home, the body usually runs into small troubles. Once you know them, you know how to pack.
The most common is an upset stomach from a change of place.
Different water, different food, heavier flavors, richer meals — and the stomach starts to complain: diarrhea, bloating, a heavy feeling, sometimes a bad meal altogether.
Then there are the sudden discomforts that just show up:
A dry, sore throat after a day of air conditioning or dry air; a headache or a slight fever after long walks and poor sleep; an itchy nose or skin when the season or the surroundings change; motion sickness on boats and long bus rides; sunburn when the sun is a little strong; small scrapes when you hurry.
None of these are usually serious, but they can spoil the fun.
My kit is packed compartment by compartment, against exactly these situations — not out of "just in case" anxiety, but out of the quiet confidence of knowing what to do when something actually happens.
💡 Something to Know Today | Inside a Pharmacist's Travel Kit
My kit has five compartments. They are divided by situation, not by brand — because abroad, brands differ, but ingredient names are the common language.
Five compartments, one by one:
| Compartment | What I pack | When it's for |
|---|---|---|
| ① Digestion | Anti-diarrheal medicine, oral rehydration salts, everyday stomach remedies | Upset stomach from new surroundings, a bad meal, diarrhea — replacing fluids comes first |
| ② Colds | Single-ingredient fever and pain relief, a combination cold remedy, a throat spray | Fever, headache, body aches, sore throat, a stuffy or runny nose, right when discomfort starts |
| ③ Allergies | An oral antihistamine, an anti-itch ointment | Insect bites, itchy skin, mild allergies, an allergic nose |
| ④ Motion | Motion sickness medicine | Before a boat or a long ride — this one only works if you take it before departure |
| ⑤ First aid & personal | Band-aids, small wound care, sun protection and after-sun care, plus my own prescription medicine (a few extra days' worth) | Small scrapes, sunburn; and the medicine you take every day, which always stays in this compartment and travels with you |
Three points a pharmacist insists on
No overlapping ingredients — this is what I care about most. Combination cold remedies often already contain a fever and pain reliever (such as acetaminophen); anti-inflammatory pain relievers show up in many products too. If you take a cold remedy, a fever reducer, and a painkiller without checking the ingredients first, you can quietly take too much. The kit can hold all of them, but how they combine needs thought first. When you buy, you can also ask the pharmacist how to take them and what to watch for.
Reading ingredient names matters more than remembering brands. In a drugstore abroad, the packaging language is different and the brands are unfamiliar — but ingredient names are universal. Compare them before you buy, and avoid duplicating what is already in your kit.
Before departure, run the kit through an "entry check" too. The same rules from the last letter apply: some cold remedies contain pseudoephedrine, which is prohibited from entering Japan; melatonin is regulated as a medicine in Taiwan and Japan, not a casual sweet. Neither goes into my travel kit "just in case."
There is one more compartment, and it is empty — what I do not pack comes next.
⚠️ One Important Reminder: When Buying Medicine, Speak Up
This compartment is not in the kit, yet it matters most.
If you need to buy medicine at a pharmacy on the spot, remember:
Ask the pharmacist; don't guess. Describe your symptoms clearly — where it hurts, for how long, whether you have a fever — and mention the medicines you are taking, any chronic conditions, or pregnancy.
Always volunteer your allergies. Drug allergies are no small matter: quite a few people are allergic to certain anti-inflammatory painkillers or antibiotics, and in serious cases there can be rashes, swelling, even breathing difficulty. If you say so first, the pharmacist can help you avoid them.
If you are unsure whether things go together, ask. Whether your prescription medicine or supplements go with something new — let the pharmacist check once. It takes only a few minutes.
If symptoms don't improve or get worse, don't keep leaning on over-the-counter medicine. A fever that won't come down, diarrhea lasting more than two or three days, dehydration, or bloody stool — see a doctor when it is time to see one.
One more question, one more sentence — and the medicine you buy will truly suit you.
⏱ Healthy in a Minute
Q: The fuller the kit, the safer — is that right?
No.
What I do not pack includes: medicines of unknown origin, medicines someone recommended but I have never used myself, expired medicines, and antibiotics "to take if needed" — antibiotics are prescription medicines; whether to use them and which one needs a doctor's judgment, and taking them on your own can mask an illness and add to resistance.
Real peace of mind is not a stuffed bag. It is knowing, for every single item: what ingredient it is, when to use it, and what the next step is if it doesn't help or things get worse.
🏠 To Take Home This Time
Before departure, go through your kit once, with yourself:
☐ Sort the kit into the five compartments: digestion, colds, allergies, motion, first aid
☐ Check the expiry date on every item; replace what has expired
☐ Compare the ingredients in your cold remedy and your fever and pain relief once; mark them so you don't double up
☐ Write your drug allergy history on a small card and put it in the kit (hand it to the pharmacist when you buy medicine)
☐ Keep the kit in your carry-on; pack an extra portion of your own prescription medicine.
☐ If children or older family members are traveling with you, or you have a chronic condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist to personalize it first
Once the kit is sorted, half the worry is already gone.
One thing to be clear about: this letter shares my own habits. Everyone's health and medicines are different, so for your own kit, do ask your own doctor or pharmacist and prepare it for your own situation.
💌 A Letter to Ourselves, Two Weeks from Now
The travel series comes to a pause here. Next time, we return to everyday life, and to the question most people ask after they have chosen and started taking something:
Next letter — "How Long Should You Take a Supplement Before You Know If It Suits You?"
✦ How long an observation period is fair?
✦ During that time, what should you record about how you feel?
✦ What signs mean you should stop and ask your doctor or pharmacist?
Knowing how to choose, how to take, and how to observe — that is complete self-care.
Because I have always believed:
Every choice is an act of self-care.
May every journey of yours have a small kit, quietly watching over it.
See you in two weeks.
— ARY
