Carrie M Josh
Lakeview Childcare Associates
The 56-year-old pediatrician swims regularly and enjoys outdoor activities like tennis and hiking — which explains why she makes sure her medicine cabinet is stocked with skincare products.
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1 Culturelle daily digestive probiotic “It appears that having a variety of different good bacteria in your gut is good for your overall health,” says Josh.
2 Clinic City Block A very wise dermatologist told me, “You should put this on your face every single day.” I’ve been doing it for 30 years. That’s how you don’t wrinkle too much.”
3 ibuprofen “Everyone should have this in their medicine cabinet – for muscle soreness from exercise or headaches after a hard day.”
4 Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream As a doctor, Josh washes her hands “many, many times” a day, so she uses this, especially before bed, to keep them from drying out.
5 Magnesium glycinate Josh takes it to reduce headaches and help her sleep.
6 Sinus rinse neilmed “Allergies love this thing. You squirt it in one nostril, and it comes out the other.”
7 Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion “It’s only good. You can put it on a child.”
8 CeraVe Healing Ointment “If there are cracks in my hands, I use them for it.”
Louis I Salazar
Provideda Family Medicine at Gurnee
When he travels, the family doctor, 61, drops his medications in a bag to bring with him. “It saved me a lot of time and trouble,” says Salazar.
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1 omeprazole “For GERD, it works pretty quickly,” says Salazar. “People say, ‘I’ve been dying from this for a day and a half.’ And then it’s gone in 30 minutes.”
2 Naproxen sodium “I use this along with acetaminophen, which is Tylenol, for musculoskeletal pain.”
3 Olopatadine eye drops “For swelling, conjunctivitis that is associated with allergy symptoms.”
4 loratadine; “A lot of people, when they go out of town, end up with nasal discharge or allergy symptoms because they’re in a different area.” This is where this generic form of Claritin comes in handy.
5 Sensodyne Pronamel and Crest 3D White Toothpaste “In the morning, I use Sensodyne. It takes care of teeth sensitive to cold or heat. In the evening, if I have tea or wine, I use Crest whitening.”
6 Fluticasone propionate nasal spray Salazar finds this generic form of Flonase to be more effective than Afrin for allergies. “It will take care of severe nasal symptoms.”
Wafaa J. Hanna
Healthy children in Tinley Park
The pediatrician says her 25-year-old daughter still turns to her for medical advice: “I’m the first person she calls.” Often the problem can be dealt with with over-the-counter medications like the one Hannah stocks.
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1 Chest cough syrup “It’s a French product, but it’s available on Amazon and at Whole Foods,” says Hannah. “It’s honey-based, and it’s all herbs. No chemicals. Soothes the back of the throat to reduce the frequency of coughing. Most cough medicines are really bad: They suppress coughing, and coughing is a prevention.”
2 Allegra For hay fever. “It relieves symptoms for 18 to 24 hours.”
3 Vitamin D3 “Because we live in the Midwest, more than half the year we don’t have sun. And we don’t drink enough milk. Vitamin D is important for immunity as well as for cancer prevention and bone health.”
4 Vitamin B12 It is important for the nervous system and for the formation of good red blood cells to prevent anemia. If you don’t eat enough meat, you won’t have enough B12 in your system.”
5 Patadi eye drops For eye allergies, which are less common than allergic rhinitis. “It relieves itching very quickly, and relieves the burning sensation.”
6 Aller-Nose nasal spray This generic version of Flonase doesn’t just treat seasonal allergy symptoms. “It also prevents the reaction of the nose to pollen.”
7 Silver sulfadiazine cream “It’s amazing for burns. It reduces pain. It prevents blisters.”
Related: Senior primary care physicians