Is anything like Excedrin Migraine available in Taiwan? (that’s acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine) I’d just as soon not lug a big bottle of pills, but I know I’ll have nastier migraines than usual in Taiwan, because hot weather makes mine much worse.
For that matter, any suggestions on treating/preventing/dealing with headaches and migraines in Taipei? (Cigarette smoke starts one off sometimes)
Thanks!
Bring your own from back home. Not only is it much cheaper, you can also buy big bottles of the stuff. Here you’re limited to little cardboard boxes that contain 10 or 20 pills only, and it still costs an arm and a leg.
Not really answering your question, but I just want to recommend a medecine for you. It’s called Celebrex and is an anti-inflammatory. I have classic migraines (3-5 hours real bad headache and nausea preceded by 30 mins visual symptons, for which I used to have to just crash out) often, and this medication works for me most of the time.
Asprin type stuff used to relieve the pain a bit, but this one usually cuts off the whole migraine (ie I don’t get headache and nausea - sometimes the visual symptoms stop, sometimes they play out their course). Otherwise (if it doesn’t work) I’m left with a much milder headache. It’s a newish medicine similar to an old one (which I can’t remember the name of) but without the side effects of stomach upset. I had to try it 2 or 3 times before it started working. You can by it at some but not all pharmacies here without a prescription, but it’s expensive so if you try it and like it bring some with you.
Bri
Nice timing for this topic! I just had one of my mini-migraines last night, and was wondering if I had brought my Excedrin, but my head hurt too much to get up and look for it. I’m sure you know the feeling. I opted for the crash out method instead, which usually (including right this second) results in a post-migraine minor headache for a day or two.
Bri, is that Celebrex stuff available here? If so, where and how much does it cost?
Does Costco have big bottles of drugs?
Thanks, fellow sufferers!
Karen
Thanks for the advice. I’ll toss a huge bottle in. I also would like to have time to go to the doc beforehand and ask about some of the fast-acting prescription meds, but who knows if that will happen.
Celebrex requires a prescription…my mom takes it for fibromyalgia, or did till it started interfering with some other med. -_-
Sometimes a hot shower on the neck followed by a cold shower is supposed to help–from what I’ve heard I can probably accomplish this in Taipei by walking in and out of AC’d office buildings. ^_-
Bri, have you bought Celebrex here without prescription? If so, PLEASE try and remember where, or the Chinese name, if you can. I would be forever in your debt!
I’ve bought Celebrex here without a prescription several times. It’s recently gone up in price though, so is pretty expensive. Now you only get one ‘sheet’ of ten pills in a box for much the same price.
The pharmacy on Shida Rd has it. Maybe cheaper and with lots more medicine you can’t get elsewhere is a place called Shanghai Pharmacy. I went there on Saturday and meant to pick up the name card but forgot. I think the name of the street is Henyang Jie or something close. Near 228 Park, if you are heading Sth down Chingqing S Rd from the railway station pass Wuchang Jie and take the next right. It’s a one way street and the pharmacy is on the left just after you turn with a sign saying ‘since 1950’. I’ll try and get the exact address becuase it’s a very good pharmacy. I get soem asthma medicine there called Serevent, which I can’t get anywhere else.
Bri