Carrie M. Gosch
Children’s Healthcare Associates in Lake View
The pediatrician, 56, is a regular swimmer and enjoys outdoor activities like tennis and hiking — which explains why she makes sure her medicine cabinet is well stocked with skin care products.
1 Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic “Having a variety of different good bacteria in your gut just seems to be helpful with your overall health,” Gosch says. 2 Clinique City Block “A very wise dermatologist told me, ‘You should put this on your face every day.’ I’ve done it for 30 years. This is how you don’t get too wrinkly.” 3 Ibuprofen “Everybody should have this in their medicine cabinet — for muscle soreness from working out or a headache after a rough day.” 4 Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream As a doctor, Gosch washes her hands “multiple, multiple, multiple” times a day, so she uses this, especially before bed, to keep them from drying out. 5 Magnesium glycinate Gosch takes it to reduce headaches and help her sleep. 6 NeilMed Sinus Rinse “Allergists love this thing. You squirt it up one nostril, it comes out the other.” 7 Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion “It’s just good. You can put it on a baby.” 8 CeraVe Healing Ointment “If there are cracks in my hands, I use it for that.”
Luis I. Salazar
Provida Family Medicine in Gurnee
Whenever he travels, the family physician, 61, tosses his go-to medications in a bag to bring along. “That has saved me a lot of time and trouble,” Salazar says.
1 Omeprazole “For gastroesophageal reflux, it works very quickly,” says Salazar. “People say, ‘I’ve been dying with this for the last day and a half.’ And then it’s gone in 30 minutes.” 2 Naproxen sodium “I use this together with acetaminophen, which is Tylenol, on musculoskeletal pain.” 3 Olopatadine eye drops “For the swelling, the conjunctivitis that goes along with allergy symptoms.” 4 Loratadine “A lot of people, when they go out of town, end up getting nasal secretions or allergy symptoms because they’re in a different locale.” That’s where this generic form of Claritin comes in handy. 5 Sensodyne Pronamel and Crest 3D White toothpastes “In the morning, I use the Sensodyne. It takes care of teeth that are sensitive to cold or heat. In the evening, if I’ve had tea or wine, I use the whitening Crest stuff.” 6 Fluticasone propionate nasal spray Salazar finds this generic form of Flonase more effective than Afrin for allergies. “It’ll take care of the heavier nasal symptoms.”
Wafaa G. Hanna
Healthy Kids 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 issue can be handled with an over-the-counter med like the ones Hanna keeps on hand.
1 Chestal cough syrup “It’s a French product, but it’s available on Amazon and in Whole Foods,” says Hanna. “It’s honey based, all herbal. No chemicals. It soothes the back of the throat to make the cough less frequent. Most of the cough medications are really bad: They suppress the cough, and cough is a protection.” 2 Allegra For her hay fever. “It relieves the symptoms for about 18 to 24 hours.” 3 Vitamin D3 “Because we live in the Midwest, more than half of the year we don’t have sun. And we don’t drink enough milk. Vitamin D is important for immunity and also for cancer prevention and bone health.” 4 Vitamin B12 “It is important for the nervous system and for forming good red blood cells for prevention of anemia. If you don’t eat enough meat, you don’t have enough of B12 in your system.” 5 Pataday eye drops For eye allergies, which are less common than nasal ones. “It relieves itching really fast, and the burning sensation.” 6 Aller-Nose nasal spray This generic version of Flonase doesn’t just treat the symptoms of seasonal allergies. “It also prevents the reaction in the nose to the pollens.” 7 Silver sulfadiazine cream “It is amazing for burns. It reduces the pain. It prevents blistering.”
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