Where is the cheapest place to buy paracetamol in France?
a pharmacie
If they have any.
isnât it the 1000mg gel capsules there is a shortage of?
@EarthMother Paracetamol comes in many forms -
- Paracetamol
- Doliprane
- Dafalgan
In France, paracetamol is generally cheap as chips
a little over 1⏠for a box of 16 x 500mg
In a country where taking medication is a national sport with paracetamol a big favourite how can there possibly be any sort of a shortage?
France isnât like the UK where basics are available from supermarkets etc you have to visit a pharmacy.Another thing to bear in mind because of this is the strength may not be the same as we are used to in the UK and it is easy to take too much
I refuse to buy the new 1000mg tablets, asking for trouble if you ask me!
Thank you Lizzie.
I need to continue taking paracetamol for about another month for post surgery reasons. I could get it on prescription but Iâm conscious that Iâve cost the French health system a lot already. I thought that I would buy my own paracetamol rather than ask my MT.
I was unaware that there was a shortage.
It is a good point that you have to be aware of the dosage strength.
Thank you Graham. Iâm going to need 8 x 500mg daily (the max dosage) for about a month. I had very painful surgery 3 or 4 weeks ago and have been on much stronger pain relief until next week. Iâm reverting soon to straight paracetamol.
I didnât want to get it from my MT on prescription as Iâve cost the French health system enough already.
When my young children were growing up in the UK (before I moved to France), I used to be irked by mothers who would get Calpol for free on prescription.
I popped into our pharmacy and was rather surprised at the cost compared to the UK. So I posted because I wondered if there is a cheaper option.
I was unaware that thereâs possibly a shortage.
Thatâs why the health system is there - to be used. Sounds to me like yours is a very genuine need. Not least, if you are getting a prescription and using your carte vitale in the pharmacy it means that you are being properly monitored for your needs.
Have you considered CBD oil? Might be a way of moderating your pain threshold so that you need fewer paracetamols.
Has your Dr said you need 4g/day for a month? Have you discussed the alternatives? Because taking that much for such a long time wonât do your liver any good. You might be better sticking with opiates taking lower doses then tapering them off, (assuming that opiates are the initial pain relief).
as @SuePJ said⊠thatâs why the health system is there so there is absolutely no need to feel awkward about it when there is a genuine need.
Iâd agree with @vero on this one. I have had a number of interventions after which - both whilst in hospital and after sortie - opiates were prescribed. I was keen to get off them at the first opportunity but only after taking appropriate medical advice from my MT - itâs his job!
After stopping the medication, the excess were taken to the pharmacie for destruction - I didnât want to keep such medication freely available in the house. The MT will prescribe whatever medication he considers is appropriate for douleur management - self medication is often never advisable after you have undergone surgery.
The alternative if your MT is not available, is to seek advice from the pharmacist. Often, they are doctors in their own right and whilst they wonât prescribe (itâs not their function) they can advise.
If your condition requires long term care, there are options which should be discussed with your MT such as whether ALD is appropriate. Additionally, if you donât already have a mutuelle consider contacting @fabien through the insurance link in the top banner for advice which he gives without cost or obligation.
After my discharge from surgery, my MT has had me on a codeine/paracetamol but I had to come off it as codeine isnât advised with my other medication. So the next step, she said, is plain paracetamol (with my other meds).
Iâm aware of my liver. In my blood test before surgery, my liver was perfectly fine. So my MT isnât too concerned. She said that it would return to normality once my post operative pain subsides.
Something like milk thistle is an excellent liver support. You probably know that.
Yes, AFAIK the liver uniquely does that have that capability but the kidneys OTOHâŠ
When our 3 year-old Airedale was poisoned by slug pellets put down by our neighbouring farmer she nearly died and her liver readings were off the scale. The vet put her on a milk thistle remedy and within weeks her liver readings were normal - he was very impressed. She has just had her 13th birthday.
I understand your thoughts on not asking for a prescription and to pay for medication yourself⊠but I really do recommend that the pain-relief monitoring/prescription is done through your Doctor. Particularly important due to the length of time and strengths involved.
Your full health history needs to be in your medical records so that if/when anything unfortunate should occur⊠tap, tap on the computer and there it is⊠full disclosure of what youâre on⊠for how long/how often⊠strength of whatever medication⊠etc etc.
and it should already be noted in the computer that codeine does not âmixâ with your other medication âŠ
By having paracetamol prescribed, anyone prescribing other drugs during this time⊠will be able to ensure that they do not perform âbadlyâ with paracetamol⊠or, indeed, overload your body with that drug.
When I had my menisectomy I was on a jab of some sort of opiate. Painful, ops on knees. I was 16 at the time, had no idea what it was. I began looking fwd to the trolley coming round.
âHey! Sister Morphine! When are you coming round againâŠ?â [Jagger/Richards but claimed by Marianne Faithful to have been written by her]
They noticed this and I was v. disappointed when they told me I was getting to like it too much and I wasnât to have any more.
I didnât know that. Where do you get it from?
My nurse recommended âRadis Noir Artichautâ for the liver, which I bought from the chemists. It has a terrible aftertaste, which I canât tolerate at the mo as Iâm not feeling that well. But Iâm going to take it when I get better.