Where To Store Pills At Hotel Longterm?

[wrbc]

hi. in 264 more hours, i will be returning to cm for another 4 months. i am worried about keeping my pills for that length of time, because they are supposed to be kept at room temperature, but last year i turned off the air conditioner during the day because i was told that keeping it on all the time would cost a fortune in electrical costs. any recommendations? thanks, looking forward to sun and warmth, as it's dark and wet and gloomy and 10 outside here now. (canada)

[Blinky Bill]

Wow, that's a hard one.

Room temperature depends somewhat on the ambient temperature. Then again, if you turn on the airconditioning the room temperature will be cooler. Don't worry about it, for the next 4 months, the temperature in Chiang Mai will decrease then rise again in February. I'm sure your pills won't suffer too much.

Edited October 16, 2008 by Blinky Bill

[LaoPo]

hi. in 264 more hours, i will be returning to cm for another 4 months. i am worried about keeping my pills for that length of time, because they are supposed to be kept at room temperature, but last year i turned off the air conditioner during the day because i was told that keeping it on all the time would cost a fortune in electrical costs. any recommendations? thanks, looking forward to sun and warmth, as it's dark and wet and gloomy and 10 outside here now. (canada)

1. send an email to the manufacturer of the pills, explain your situation and ask them for advise. You're probably not the first one, traveling to hot and tropical humid climates and staying in hotels.

2. Talk to the owners (hotel/guesthouse/house ?) and ask them to store in a place with a constant cool temperature like maybe an office or so.

3. before you travel talk to your pharmacy and ask them to find the best insulated pill-boxes they can find and buy a few to store the pills, avoiding humidity and direct heat.

Good luck

LaoPo

[wrbc]

hi. in 264 more hours, i will be returning to cm for another 4 months. i am worried about keeping my pills for that length of time, because they are supposed to be kept at room temperature, but last year i turned off the air conditioner during the day because i was told that keeping it on all the time would cost a fortune in electrical costs. any recommendations? thanks, looking forward to sun and warmth, as it's dark and wet and gloomy and 10 outside here now. (canada)

1. send an email to the manufacturer of the pills, explain your situation and ask them for advise. You're probably not the first one, traveling to hot and tropical humid climates and staying in hotels.

2. Talk to the owners (hotel/guesthouse/house ?) and ask them to store in a place with a constant cool temperature like maybe an office or so.

3. before you travel talk to your pharmacy and ask them to find the best insulated pill-boxes they can find and buy a few to store the pills, avoiding humidity and direct heat.

Good luck

LaoPo

[wrbc]

thanks for the replies! i have checked with my doctor, who said put them in the fridge, and the pharmacist, who said don't use the fridge, just keep between 15 and 30 degrees. an insulated pill box i have never heard of, but will now look, thanks. and i am glad that someone thinks leaving 4 months worth of heart pills with my hotel office is safe, that would be an easy solution. thanks! 261 1/2 hours!

[LaoPo]

thanks for the replies!

1. i have checked with my doctor, who said put them in the fridge, and

2. the pharmacist, who said don't use the fridge, just keep between 15 and 30 degrees. an insulated pill box i have never heard of, but will now look, thanks. and i am glad that someone thinks leaving 4 months worth of heart pills with my hotel office is safe, that would be an easy solution. thanks! 261 1/2 hours!

Again: write an email to the manufacturer...every medicine supplier/manufacturer has a tel.nr. or website on the prescription/explanation paper. Or Google.

Many large department stores in Thailand sell cooling/warming boxes where you can set the temperature; maybe just for cars but I'm sure you find a way out.

LaoPo

[rrose070]

Hah! I was feeling super jealous till I got out the calculator. Me and the hubster: 239 hours. Good luck with your pills, and enjoy your time here!

[john b good]

thanks for the replies!

1. i have checked with my doctor, who said put them in the fridge, and

2. the pharmacist, who said don't use the fridge, just keep between 15 and 30 degrees. an insulated pill box i have never heard of, but will now look, thanks. and i am glad that someone thinks leaving 4 months worth of heart pills with my hotel office is safe, that would be an easy solution. thanks! 261 1/2 hours!

Again: write an email to the manufacturer...every medicine supplier/manufacturer has a tel.nr. or website on the prescription/explanation paper. Or Google.

Many large department stores in Thailand sell cooling/warming boxes where you can set the temperature; maybe just for cars but I'm sure you find a way out.

LaoPo

If 30C is the upper advisable limit you should not have too much of a problem for the next few months as indoors (out of direct sunlight) my apartment doesn't get much over 30C most days at present and the temperature will be coming down a bit in the coming weeks.

That said I see some advise that medications be kept below 25C

Edited October 17, 2008 by john b good

[malcy]

just get a cool box , the sort you take on a picnic on a hot day chuck the pills in there no worries.

[wrbc]

yes, it is 25 degrees, you are right! i am not sure which kind of cool box i need, just an insulated bag or an electric one. and if the latter, can i turn to temp down to 25. maybe i am just making too much of this, but last year my ranidine pills started to smell! and this year, i have even more pills to bring! am i right in assuming that it would cost a lot to keep the aircon going all day? thanks for the info.

[SwaziBird]

Hi WRBC,

You might also consider this. The reason you should maintain lower temperatures is simply that there is deterioration of the chemical compounds. Light can sometimes be equally as destructive. In both cases the deterioration is gradual.

Why not go to your pharmacist just before departure for CM and get a supply of the very latest production batch available . That will give you the best possible advantage.

I take out a weeks supply from my stock of medications and leave them readily accessible for daily consumption and the remainder of my stock lies insulated and undisturbed ( for that week, anyway ) as close to the floor as possible in the foot of my wardrobe as far from the heat and light as it is possible to get. Has worked very well for me over the years, including the hot months.

You might also consider a few of those moisture absorbing sachets that your pharmacist will readily supply to you. A couple in each bottle will help protect them.

Don't forget that there aren't too many medications that can't be purchased from pharmacists here at relatively cheap prices and if you are concerned about the condition of those local meds. you can purchase them from any of the larger hospital pharmacies . Might cost you a bit more - but you'll feel happier knowing that they have probably been stored in optimal conditions.

Enjoy your holiday.

Cheers.

[engineer]

Gee I remember the days when I also used to count down the hours before I got here, now its usually the opposite.

If your medicine is so important and fragile then you should also consider what effects the airport scanners will have on them. In the ole days your hand luggage just got nuked once and you could have items like that hand inspected.

I have seen many of these machines with the words .. medicine safe .. printed on them.

In my case, when I travel I always have some meds and always try at least to have them hand inspected.

Do not leave them in your check in luggage.

Dont forget to bring copies of your perscription.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Gee I remember the days when I also used to count down the hours before I got here, now its usually the opposite.

If your medicine is so important and fragile then you should also consider what effects the airport scanners will have on them. In the ole days your hand luggage just got nuked once and you could have items like that hand inspected.

I have seen many of these machines with the words .. medicine safe .. printed on them.

In my case, when I travel I always have some meds and always try at least to have them hand inspected.

Do not leave them in your check in luggage.

Dont forget to bring copies of your perscription.

and remember you are only able to carry a 30 day supply of meds.

[bassmaster50]

This is a problem I had also as I was staying in a house with no aircon and apparently the bp meds went bad as I ended up in hospital, which is how i found out they were no good. I posted this question on forum and was advised by a member who I think is a doctor or nurse to keep them in the vegetable bin in the refrigerator so that is what I do now. However this may not be an option at the hotel. I think really the best advice is, if they are not expensive, just buy them as you need them. For the few bahts I saved by keeping these pills instead of buying new ones I ended up in hospital, which was in the US by the way, so believe me it ended up being alot more expensive in the long run than just buying some new medication.