Fish Antibiotics In Your Medical Stockpile

By Red Beard.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional. If possible, always seek professional medical help for diagnosis, medication usage and dosages. I am merely providing general information.

No matter what event thrusts you and your family into a survival situation, illness and injury will always be a hazard. Obviously, if a war were to break out the chances of injury are great, but even if you are living safely on your homestead during a financial meltdown, people in your group can still fall ill. Stockpiling medical supplies is a must for preppers of any level. First aid supplies such as bandages, antiseptics and pain relievers are all readily available over the counter. What happens, though, when one of your group gets an infection that starts spreading? How do you solve that when antibiotics are locked away in pharmacies, only to be issued to the lucky souls who have a doctor’s prescription?

I’ve heard of people saving one dose any time they get prescribed antibiotics. You can slowly build enough to fight one or two infections after the SHTF, but it will take quite a few years and there are dangers associated with not taking your full prescribed course. You could lie to your doctor to make him believe you have an infection so you can stash the course with your medical supplies. Dishonest and illegal, but it’ll get you want you need if you’re comfortable with it. You could resort to buying from a foreign drug maker who doesn’t require a prescription. Those antibiotics may be “the same” but they are made in a plant with less than ideal conditions and minimal quality control.

There is one legal way to get as many antibiotics as you need for your stockpile without a prescription and it comes in the form of fish antibiotics. Not surprisingly, infections work the same way in all animals, so when your fish gets sick, you go to the pet store and buy a bottle of antibiotics to treat the illness. These antibiotics do the exact same things as they would do if you were taking them. Most of them are manufactured in the exact same plant as the human antibiotics, the only difference being that the label says “for aquarium and fish use only”. They are reasonably priced and readily available at any pet store with no prescription.

Fish Mox: Image Courtesy FishMoxFlex.com

Antibiotic Overuse:

Now, nobody should run out and pick up a bottle of Fish-Mox the next time they feel an illness coming on or get a cut that gets infected. As long as we have normal functioning doctors around it is still best to get a professional diagnosis and a legitimate prescription. Especially since the overuse of antibiotics can be extremely harmful by increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Even when the world as we know it has ended, using antibiotics sparingly will be just as, if not more important. Giving the body a chance to naturally fight off the bacteria will help the individual’s immune system become resistant to that bacteria. Only if the infection persists and spreads should you resort to antibiotics.

Fish Antibiotic = Human Antibiotic:

Fish-Mox = Amoxicillin 250mg

Fish-Mox Forte = Amoxicillin 500mg

Fish-Flex = Keflex 250mg

Fish-Flex Forte = Keflex 500mg

Fish-Zole = Metronidazole 250mg

Fish-Pen = Penicillin 250mg

Fish-Pen Forte = Penicillin 500mg

Shelf Life:

Unfortunately, antibiotics are a protein based medication which makes them susceptible to breakdown more rapidly. If vacuum sealed and stored in a cool, dry place they can last a couple years. If you are stuck in a tropical environment you probably have about six months tops. As they decay they do lose effectiveness and can possibly become more toxic or change their allergenic properties.

Side Effects:

Every medication has side effects and antibiotics are no exception. The most common are diarrhea, upset stomach, vomiting and rash. Antibiotic allergies are not uncommon so always ensure the person you are treating is aware of their allergies.

Hazards and Risks:

The use of any medication without extensive knowledge of its proper use will always come with risks. Like I said before, if you can see a doctor, please do. Most bacteria only respond to certain antibiotics. Amoxicillin is a broad spectrum antibiotic which means it works for a wide range of bacteria. This is usually what you get from the doctor when they know you have an infection but don’t know exactly what. Narrow spectrum antibiotics treat more specific bacteria. Using an antibiotic that doesn’t properly treat the bacteria could make you think you are treating a sick person while they could still be getting worse. Another thing to consider is that antibiotics can work indiscriminately and attack harmless or even beneficial bacteria found naturally in the body.

My method is to buy one container each month, so as soon the SHTF I have antibiotics stored in a monthly progression that I can rotate out and get maximum life out of. That gives us two years to learn how to develop our own. I hope this information helps for your future medical needs, but still always do your research, be safe and be prepared.

About Me:

Red Beard is a native Northwesterner, a father and a husband.  His goal in life is to keep his family safe. Read more at www.thesurvivalcamp.net