Paracetamol

Where is the cheapest place to buy paracetamol in France?

a pharmacie

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If they have any. :wink:

As @graham says
 go to your pharmacy
 they are selling it hand over fist
 if they can

isn’t 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 :wink:
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? :smiley:

France isn’t 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

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I refuse to buy the new 1000mg tablets, asking for trouble if you ask me!

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Thank you Lizzie.

I need to continue taking paracetamol for about another month for post surgery reasons. I could get it on prescription but I’m conscious that I’ve 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. I’m 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. I’m reverting soon to straight paracetamol.

I didn’t want to get it from my MT on prescription as I’ve 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 there’s possibly a shortage.

That’s 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.

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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 won’t 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).

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as @SuePJ said
 that’s why the health system is there so there is absolutely no need to feel awkward about it when there is a genuine need.

I’d 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 - it’s his job!
After stopping the medication, the excess were taken to the pharmacie for destruction - I didn’t 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 won’t prescribe (it’s 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 don’t already have a mutuelle consider contacting @fabien through the insurance link in the top banner for advice which he gives without cost or obligation.

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After my discharge from surgery, my MT has had me on a codeine/paracetamol but I had to come off it as codeine isn’t advised with my other medication. So the next step, she said, is plain paracetamol (with my other meds).

I’m aware of my liver. In my blood test before surgery, my liver was perfectly fine. So my MT isn’t too concerned. She said that it would return to normality once my post operative pain subsides.

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Something like milk thistle is an excellent liver support. You probably know that. :slight_smile:

Yes, AFAIK the liver uniquely does that have that capability but the kidneys OTOH


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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. :grin:

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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 you’re 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 “mix” with your other medication 


By having paracetamol prescribed, anyone prescribing other drugs during this time
 will be able to ensure that they do not perform “badly” with paracetamol
 or, indeed, overload your body with that drug.

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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.

“Hey! Sister Morphine! When are you coming round again
?” [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 wasn’t to have any more.

I didn’t know that. Where do you get it from?

My nurse recommended ‘Radis Noir Artichaut’ for the liver, which I bought from the chemists. It has a terrible aftertaste, which I can’t tolerate at the mo as I’m not feeling that well. But I’m going to take it when I get better.