interesting - why is this the case? thanks!
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In regards to narcan, we plan to send D24 to school with it, but please make sure your kids know they must also call 911. I am not a medical professional, but a very good friend of mine is, and she says she worries about college kids administering narcan without being trained to do so. She says it is great to have narcan on hand, but students really need to call 911 before administering it, so they can receive instruction over the phone until paramedics show up. So maybe put a little sticky note on all this narcan thats being sent off to school that says âCall 911 firstâ. 
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Benadryl lowers the seizure threshold, nyquil has so many ingredients it is possible to overdose if there is multiple meds taken, sudafed has minimal benefit with a lot of side effects, and teens should never take aspirin due to the risk of reye syndrome (I am an MD in case you didnt guess)
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Reyeâs is extremely rare after 18 years.
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true, not all college students are 18âŠ
thank you! A good friend who is a MD says that she says major long-term liver problems in kids whoâve odâd on tylenol - so I was going to pass on that med - also not sure how itâs necessaryâŠ
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Yes! Also nasal narcan will only go so far; most need follow up medical treatment.
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Thatâs a nice kit! For my older kids, I bought the smallest empty toolbox at Walmart (like $5) and filled it with various tools. I also bought what is basically the same box but for fishing tackle and used it for the medical kit, though any shoebox (or larger) sized plastic rubbermaid/sterilite box will do.
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You have to be careful with all otc meds. Tylenol is safe as long as you limit it to 500mg every 6 hourd
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Also sometimes the effect of the narcotic (most common being fentanyl) lasts longer than the Narcan or may not be sufficient. Calling 911 is a must
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Same! I didnât send any of it with either of the boys, even though S19 told me about taking advantage of another studentâs cold medicine, etc. Now with D24, Iâll probably send stuff. Sheâs more the type to suffer in silence than seek out help to get to Walgreens/CVS or anything.
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I think Tylenol/acetaminophen is less safe overall than aspirin (especially in college-age kids who might be drinking) and I truly believe that drug company marketing is responsible for overhyping the Reyeâs-related risks of aspirin to shift people over to branded patented (at the time) products. Asprin isnât great if you have stomach issues, but it also doesnât have the same risk of liver damage, or the mystery aspects of acetaminophen - like its effects on social behavior (reduction in empathy, increase in risk-taking behavior, etc.) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028393223000787#
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My d22 needed to have pre purchased and planed out. My s24 will probably forget to pack the medicine kit or say he can buy it when he needs it
FWIW, I would not assume that your childâs propensity to enjoy partying (or not) will stay exactly the same when they head to college.
My S22 has quite a few friends in college who werenât big partiers in high school but have been very much enjoying the social scene now that theyâre there.
S22 was quite social in high school, and that has carried on to college. S24 not so much, but I wouldnât be surprised if he spreads his wings a bit next year.
To be clear, I donât mean to suggest a big link between enjoying college partying and likelihood to OD. I just mean that their party personalities may change a bit. And everyone should know what to do in the event someone around them ODs.
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Iâm planning on packing a medicine/1st aid kit for The Child with a bunch of stuff, along with a quick tutorial session before we drop her off, explaining what itâs all for, how much of which OTC drug to take for what purpose, etc. Definitely including Sudafed, tylenol, ibuprofen, Benadryl, etc., etc.
Othersâ mileage may vary.
One thing that may be obvious but D23 was not aware of, is drug interactions. No, you canât take Advil and Nyquil etc.
Of course, if theyâre sick theyâll be texting you constantly too D23 has had Covid and the Flu this year and she texts a lot.
On the cold meds front: we didnât send D21 with much but did send Nyquil, motrin, mucinex , cough drops, claritin and discussed with her how to use which and what is in it/how to read the label etc. D23 has asthma so has had those meds to manage for a long time, and I started doing the OTC education in HS.
Nyquil is pervasive for colds and coughs on college campuses, they all "recommend " it to each other and the college stores usually stock it with other routine OTC meds. She had many friends that would ask each other what to take and manytimes she would text me and ask. D23 does the same. We had heard this from older parents and are glad we educated her on cold meds. I educate my pre-college patients too! Both mine have had hallmates who did not seem to understand anything about OTC meds and just asked around rather than text a parent. Bottom line, I think it is better to educate how to manage colds/coughs safely and what side effects are (one MD-colleague of mine stuck labels on the front saying what they could and could not be mixed with, and reminders no alcohol when on on them) than to not send them with any of these things and expect they wonât buy it themselves (and then mess it up& risk a dangerous mix).
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Actually, you CAN take Advil(ibuprofen)
and Nyquil. it is probably not necessary but it is safe. You CANNOT take Tylenol(Acetaminophen) and Nyquil, as it is already in Nyquil.
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I thought as I was writing it that I was probably wrong 
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Thatâs something that I donât like in these cold products. Many have multiple ingredients, making it difficult for those who arenât familiar to understand what can be taken with what. I recommend just treating the symptom with a single ingredient product. Adding just what you need so you arenât taking medication that isnât indicated or that might be combined with something it shouldnât be.
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