Tablets vs Strips

**Jayden Tor** · 09-01-2009, 07:12 PM

I was digging through ye ole archives here and read through the "whats in your med kit" post and have to ask this. I have the quick melt strips for a lot of stuff instead of having a bottle of liquid Nyquil or a box of immodium or whatever. Is it preference to carry tablets/bottles of liquid over the individually packaged quick melt strips or is there some sort of problem with carrying them?

It just seems to me that they would take up less room, they weigh less, they certainly make less noise (yea, that's my kid over there making like a one man band with that aspirin bottle), and would be less susceptible to water in the event they got thrown into a raging river of .. uhh no, creek, a nice gentle creek.

Just curious.

**Rick** · 09-01-2009, 07:15 PM

I agree with you. Not only that, but pills bumping together over time turn into pillettes and a lot of dust.

**crashdive123** · 09-01-2009, 07:16 PM

I honestly never thought about the quick melt strips. Is the shelf life comparable to tablets?

**Rick** · 09-01-2009, 07:19 PM

Oh, yeah. The melt strips don't require water either. Another plus.

**oldsoldier** · 09-01-2009, 07:22 PM

Yes the strips are more convinient, sometimes quicker acting,take up less room. BUT if you are going to have them in a BOB in a vehicle. High temps. are likely to cause them to melt and then you have a unusable mess. IMHO you would be better off buying "travel size" meds. and use them. I'd rather sacrafice a little room and weight and have meds that will keep. I also reccomend staying away from "jell cap" meds for the same reasons. I had a bottle of advil liquid tabs that fell out of the store bag in my jeep found them 3-4 days latter while looking for something else, Shook the bottle no sound opened the bottle a unrecognizeable glob.

**canid** · 09-01-2009, 07:24 PM

why choose when you can use both:

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**Rick** · 09-01-2009, 07:24 PM

That's exactly what happened to Steve McQueen.

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**canid** · 09-01-2009, 07:25 PM

did i go too far? probably, but why speculate.

sorry everybody.
*snicker*

**Jayden Tor** · 09-01-2009, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

I honestly never thought about the quick melt strips. Is the shelf life comparable to tablets?

My Triaminic strips I bought about 3 months ago says that it expires January 2010 if that gives you an idea. I don't have liquid on hand to compare, however.

It does say to store them at 68 to 77 degrees F (20 to 25 C). But again, I don't have anything to really compare it to at this point.

**Jayden Tor** · 09-01-2009, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by canid

did i go too far? probably, but why speculate.

sorry everybody.
*snicker*

I thought it was quite funny.

**Jayden Tor** · 09-01-2009, 08:26 PM

Having to go to the store anyway, I did some quick label reading while there. I found that pretty much all of the tablets have temp guidelines that fall in line with the strips. The only thing that I found that had a higher temp rating at 85 degrees F was Nyquil (alcohol content maybe?).

So my assumption at this point is even though the pills stay solid, the active ingredient is still the same and will be destroyed regardless.

For rapid melts: 100 degrees in the truck = physically destroyed rapid melts or gels.

For traditional powder pressed pills: 100 degrees in the truck = ineffective or significantly less effective pills.

Yes, no?

**crashdive123** · 09-01-2009, 08:38 PM

Not sure. Maybe one of our medical types could weigh in.

**Rick** · 09-01-2009, 08:43 PM

Man!! Be careful what you ask for. You just might get the response.

http://www.fireengineering.com/displ...cation-Storage

**crashdive123** · 09-01-2009, 08:46 PM

Oh yeah, that's what I was thinking.

**Winnie** · 09-02-2009, 06:19 PM

Can I ask, what are quick melt strips?

**Jayden Tor** · 09-02-2009, 06:42 PM

I guess I'm calling it by the wrong name. Thin strips is whats on the package.

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Its just a thin strip of whatever, medicine, breath mint, Imodium, etc., that dissolves quick on the tongue.

**oldsoldier** · 09-02-2009, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by wychwood

Can I ask, what are quick melt strips?

No problem, wychwood the quick melt strips kind of look like little pieces of colored plastic wrap about 1/4inch X 1 inch and are made with different kinds of meds. in them when placed on your tounge they melt in a few seconds and the medicine is more quicly absorbed into your system.

Wychwood I'm going to PM you a comparison I won't post it here cause Ken'll have his mind in the sewer.