BajaNomad - It's A Shame To Have To Drive 600 MIles

It's A Shame To Have To Drive 600 MIles

DavidE - 12-27-2012 at 01:36 PM

But it looks like I must do it, just to buy one medication. The medicine is TRAMADOL 50mg, and it is not available in Asuncion, Vizcaino, Guerrero Negro, nor Santa Rosalia. Farmacias Similares is OUT OF STOCK in GN and Sta Rosalia.

Price is 40 pesos a box of 10 capsules in Farmacias Similares. I use 4 capsules a day, A hundred twenty per month. 12 boxes.

Local farmacias sell it at a prices ranging from 260 to 480 pesos per 10 capsules. This is stupidly beyond my meager pension allowance. The least expensive is SIX TIMES that of Farmacias Similares.

I need to know if Farmacias Similares in LORETO has this medicine in stock. Six boxes or more if they have it. Then i will plan a long trip to go get it. Sometimes someone in the farmacia has a cell phone. But i have no access to getting it.

This medicine is NOT controlado NOT controlled. It is OTC without a prescription. Either 50 or 100 mg per capsule or pill can be used.

Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Bodega Aurrera In Cabo San Lucas, and Ensenada has MEDI-MART, brand, tramadol in both strengths at a good price but they are what a thousand mile round trip?

The LORETO Farmacias Similares telephone number would be a huge assit. Again, their price is 40 pesos per box. TRAMADOL 50 mg.

Mil Gracias! Diez Mil Gracias!!!

vandenberg - 12-27-2012 at 02:20 PM

David, the # for the similares store here in Loreto is
01 613 135 0071

Tried to send you the URL of their site, but didn't work. Just Google it and find their 2 places here in Loreto.

[Edited on 12-27-2012 by vandenberg]

DENNIS - 12-27-2012 at 02:24 PM

David.....I thought you were going to relocate north. Did you sht-can that plan?

Hook - 12-27-2012 at 02:26 PM

Cant you use one of the private buses going by to take care of this? Just figure out when they stop in Vizcaino and BE THERE.

Our vet uses buses all the time to send blood samples down to a lab a couple hours below here. Maybe a good samaritan in Loreto will look into this for you.

Dont know about how you will handle the money aspect.........

Bob and Susan - 12-27-2012 at 02:40 PM

unless that nomad is a doctor...they shouldn't get involved

there are "side effects" to this opiate

i know he's "hooked" but this is a medical issue not a BajaNomad topic

vandenberg - 12-27-2012 at 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
unless that nomad is a doctor...they shouldn't get involved

there are "side effects" to this opiate

i know he's "hooked" but this is a medical issue not a BajaNomad topic

What's the big deal. I asked my doctor by e mail what meds would be available for a pinced nerve in my neck, and that was the one he came up with. Googled it, and didn't like the side effects listed, so I passed. Simple procedure with all the info available on the net.

DavidE - 12-27-2012 at 02:52 PM

Hooked? Gone 2 weeks without it. Bob, yours was an inappropriate comment IMHO. There are many side-effects with many medications. TRAMADOL is about as addicting as TYLENOL.

I asked for a telephone number not your medical diagnosis. BTW I am en EMT 2, so I believe I know what I am doing here. The medicine is for a herniated # 4 lumbar disc not some fantasy addiction. Without it I have to spend most of the day the day in bed.

If this isn't a general Baja help question I'll eat my sombrero.

Vet in Rosarito

Gypsy Jan - 12-27-2012 at 03:05 PM

Dispenses Tramadol for our dogs.

Talk to your local vet.

Hook - 12-27-2012 at 03:08 PM

Quote:

How could you tell he was "hooked"? What clinical symptoms is he exhibiting over the internet?

Sounds like some good chit............no wonder the generic is sold out for 300 miles. :lol:

I didnt know it was for humans. We got some at the vet for pain issues with our dogs, I believe.

Hey, David, maybe check to see if a vet in Vizcaino has it. Tell then it's for your Saint Bernard.

Down, boy, down.........................

sancho - 12-27-2012 at 03:31 PM

DE, A bit astray from your post, are you up on buying/
taking meds from Mex back into the US? Uncontrolled
prescripton. Does one have to have a US prescription
to enter the US? Have heard in the recent past
the need for a Mex prescription also, which probably
is not needed

willardguy - 12-27-2012 at 03:53 PM

Quote:

well bob, what did you use for the pain after falling from the top of the lighthouse and landing on your head?

mes1952 - 12-27-2012 at 04:46 PM

I've bought Tramadol (for dog osteoarthritis & hip dysplasia) at several pharmacies in Rosarito and Tijuana. It is NOT highly addictive as someone posted and is similar to other NSAIDS.

tiotomasbcs - 12-27-2012 at 06:39 PM

Just drive to Loreto, david. Or take the bus. The problem is always how to arrange payment. Part of living in BA, I believe. Some in BA leave town to make purchases for their businesses, verdad. Loreto is beautiful this time of year and just look up some old Amigos. Pay somebody to drive you there--someone who wants to visit family. Think tank needed. I have heard of T-dals merits. Treats pain, I'll have to try it? Tio

Howard - 12-27-2012 at 07:00 PM

I give my dog 50mg 2 X daily of Tramadol when Gringo the Dingo (White Lab) plays to hard. I do not know the cost as the Vet. is a friend of mine.

DAVID E

captkw - 12-27-2012 at 07:09 PM

Hola,,I have your three bottles from CVS..have not looked at them but if they are what you need maybe some one can swing by my area for a hand off !!! I live in the monterey bay area and will drive 1hr from here to meet anyone !! or you could stop here and check out the montery bay Aquarium or cannery row,,big basin state park or a host other world class places around here.....Meet the Famous Tasha and help a fellow nomad out !!!K&T :cool:

mulegemichael - 12-27-2012 at 07:17 PM

d.e......so sad....your medication is available here daily at diegos pharmacy just across the road from el candil here in mulege....i also depend on tramadol to take away my back pain...i have it prescribed in the states....it is NOT ADDICTIVE, thank you so much bob!...but it does take the edge off pain....i've tried all the acceptable pain meds up north and they all are "dependancy" drugs...tough stuff that is hard to get "off " of ....tramadol allows you to at least get a portion of one's day painfree without depending on it the next....so....i'm with you DE and your stuff is here at diego's if and when you like it...p.s....always, always buy the 100mg as you can bite them in half and the price is right...yer getting ripped off up there.

Mula - 12-28-2012 at 06:36 AM

All this being said . . . I do think Tramadol is addictive.

My husband hauled Tramadol north for 5 years - taking 4 to 5 100's - time released - a day. This for degenerative disc disease in his spine.

Then came hip replacement surgery. Dr. said off the Tramadol for the recuperation period. Sure thing. Piece of cake. I'm not addicted.

What a crock. It was 2 weeks of pure hell. Your system gets used to having the Tramadol and does not like it when it is taken away. The withdrawals from this medicine was far worse than the after surgery trials and tribulations.

Maybe DE takes enough other medicines to mask the effects of withdrawals or maybe his system is different, but don't be fooled. Tramadol is addictive.

rhintransit - 12-28-2012 at 07:23 AM

good grief people. all he asked was if a medication was available in Loreto, not anyone's opinion of whether or not he should take it. I'll swing by F. Similares today and ask, but it sounds like it's available in Mulege which would be closer.

DavidE - 12-28-2012 at 11:55 AM

USA prescribed 80 mg, OXYCODONE (20 QID)
Fentanyl patches but did not like
Switched to ORAL MORPHINE 30mg BID
For six months

When I went to Asuncion, I FREAKIN' QUIT. Both medicines. Abruptly. Tried NSAIDS for 3 months, did not work. I could not garden, or move around, or sleep well.
I advised Shari at that time I might appear to be a little shaky. Quitting was a piece of cake. So I switched to TRAMADOL. It is a hell of a lot better than nothing.

Farmacias Similares DOES NOT SELL medicinas controlados. Period. Ever in its history. Medicinas controlados are grades CLAVE I, CLAVE II, o CLAVE III, by Sector Salud. These medications need a valid Rx from a registered Mexican physician que se reten en la farmacia.

TRAMADOL is OTC.

Habituation is accentuated by

a) Propensity of the individual to addiction to opiodes. The word OPIOTES is not a valid term for pharmaceutical opiodes.

b) Strength of dosing. Stronger dosing easier to become habituated

c) Length of time of treatment. Long-term treatment promotes habituation.

"taking 4 to 5 100's" (100mg QID)"
Mula, that is a very, very strong dose of Tramadol, and a long stretch of dosing. I would fear to expose myself to this dosage for that length of time.

DECELERATE if withdrawal symptoms appear. First five, then four doses per day. The after a week or so, three, decelerating to 2, then 1, then none.

But gee, I was smoking four packs a day, and then I quit, and then boy was it hell condemnation is not really an accurate assessment. The same thing holds true with CELEBREX, maximum dosage long-term. Quitting can be hell.

[Edited on 12-28-2012 by DavidE]

DAVID E

captkw - 12-28-2012 at 12:08 PM

HOLA,,look up...up three or four posts !! U2U me with a land line that will work from the states,,I have those meds of yours....3 bottles are any of those the ones your asking about ?? if so I'll drive over get them in hand and work the cruisers net to get them to you.. raining,,wet,,cold,, way too much up here to get any work done ,,so I'll be online alot..K&T that guy that works at 7/11 LOL

DavidE - 12-28-2012 at 12:55 PM

Hi Cap'n,

Thanks for the offer to speed things up, but those three are cardiac, blood pressure medications you got for me. Wish I could go back fifteen years, to no maintenance medications required. Those three medicines are going to save trips to Guerrero Negro, IOW, a few hundred dollars.

David E

captkw - 12-28-2012 at 01:07 PM

Roger " good copy on all !! I did not know what I picked up and they are in a box in the "going to baja file" that is the landlords place...do you have a Land line ??? wish you sucess in your endeaver !!..damn cold and wet around here and cant do any work !!!! K&T :cool:

BajaBlanca - 12-28-2012 at 05:34 PM

let me check withour local pharmacy nurse -s he can get anything from anywhere. la bocana is closer than Mulege or Loreto. For sure we can find someone to get the meds to you ...... let me know if you get it sooner

how many boxes would you like

and

did you like the idea of 100 mg which you would bite in half?

[Edited on 12-29-2012 by BajaBlanca]

Lee - 12-28-2012 at 07:32 PM

This is Baja related as I'm in Baja.

Anyone help me get some 'ludes? 714's? It's been years and yes, I was slightly addicted, but better now. Still, it would be nice for the pain.

I'm serious.

DENNIS - 12-28-2012 at 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee
This is Baja related as I'm in Baja.

Anyone help me get some 'ludes? 714's? It's been years and yes, I was slightly addicted, but better now. Still, it would be nice for the pain.

I'm serious.

Now you're asking about the hardware. There arn't even that many drugstores down here that carry the stuff.....let alone doctors that will give you a scrip for it.

drugs in mexico

captkw - 12-28-2012 at 09:05 PM

Contary to false assumtions..it takes a speacel stamp (sello) that few doctors can get for narcotics..yet everyone I meet in the states or canada think you can walk in to drug store and anything..I got very deathly sick in costa rico and in south mexico after spending the day driving around finally found a dotor that had that speciel stamp then another day driving around finding that one pharmaica that had valium...got some jungle rot that was eating me alive and the only way to sleep so I could slowly make my back north would take heavy valium and beer to get sleep...F-costa rica cost me my baja dog (Agua)....Viva Mexico...K&T

DavidE - 12-29-2012 at 10:38 AM

Quaalude was taken off the Sector Salud formulary in 1995. It is now considered as being banned, outright.

Zolpidem the generic for AMBIEN 5mg, now has a 714 ID stamped into the pill. The old Methaqualone (generic quaalude) was similarly marked with a 714.

To Lee, I am glad I studied the subject of "pain" when I was an EMT. I learned that the emotional aspect and sleep deprivation play major roles in the perception of "discomfort".

What saves my butt with a degenerated disc and after effects of a badly dislocated shoulder is the solution DMSO. I apply it, and it takes about half the pain away for 4-6 hours.

Another often overlooked medication is AMITRIPTYLENE. This is a schedule III medicine in Mexico meaning it needs to be purchased with a prescription but the farmacia stamps the Rx and gives it back. Three refills within 90 days. The company PSICOFARMA manufactures the drug in Mexico. Should not be used with TRAMADOL.

I let my Internal Medicine doctor and cardiologist select my medications.

Now I need to check and see if I can get a cortisone injection for my shoulder somewhere in the Santa Rosalia / Mulege area, in the next few days. Both US doctors approved the injection

redmesa - 12-29-2012 at 11:25 AM

I am just amazed that you can get all this done while living in Bahia Asuncion. We worry about little things like infected fingers when there while you are handling huge medical and pharmaceutical issues in that isolated village.

DavidE - 12-29-2012 at 12:19 PM

When I pulled a stretch living in Austin Nevada some 35 years ago, I realized I was 200 miles from the nearest medical center with no local ambulance service. Boy did I ever wise-up fast. I took courses in first-aid, then EMT, progressing through EMT II. Radioactive and Chemical hazmat training (I'm still on the Nuclear Emergency Response Team, roster).

This doesn't hold a candle to what our forefathers did, crossing the plains and deserts in wagons pulled by oxen. No medical service, natural and unnatural dangers. The women had to band together and "man" a large quilt so when of them needed to "go" several women carried the quilt and offered privacy on the plains where the horizon meant seeing 20 miles. There was zero privacy. Everything to their name stuffed into the wagon. No insurance, no assurance, just the promise of prosperity and freedom to grow.

The gringos are less hardy now. They whine when they think they're going to have to suffer a 5% tax rate increase. They bunker and arsenal living in the middle of a large city.

So dealing with medical and pharmaceutical issues is in reality, trivial, even here in Asuncion. If at all possible the Mexicans deal with health issues as best they can. I've encountered some really scary, incompetent doctors in the USA.

rhintransit - 12-29-2012 at 12:54 PM

check your u2u re current availability in Loreto.

Incompetent doctors in usa !!

captkw - 12-29-2012 at 01:03 PM

I know first hand on that !! one doctor in santa cruz ca. prescribed 4 drugs that where not compatable with each other and killed my kid brother !!!!! all the while growing up he used illlegal drugs (hey, its santa cruz) and had no issues !!! maybe, a sore brain cell die off after a good LSD trip..but the AMA is what killed him.....K&T

vandenberg - 12-29-2012 at 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw
I know first hand on that !! one doctor in santa cruz ca. prescribed 4 drugs that where not compatable with each other and killed my kid brother !!!!! all the while growing up he used illlegal drugs (hey, its santa cruz) and had no issues !!! maybe, a sore brain cell die off after a good LSD trip..but the AMA is what killed him.....K&T

and nobody in your family got rich from the malpractice suit ?
:biggrin:

Don't Know if This Information is Still Timely

Gypsy Jan - 12-29-2012 at 06:42 PM

But you can get certain proscribed medicines if you have a prescription from a doctor that has that certification and then you need to go to a pharmacy that is licensed to dispense those products.

After my heart bypass, when I came home, I had trouble sleeping (fourteen straight days of walking the floors day and night).

I procured a prescription for sleeping pills and had it filled at Roma Pharmacy in Rosarito. They have a special license to dispense these controlled substances which are warehoused in what looks like a bank vault in the back of the store and they have an armed guard posted on the premises at all times.

So, I believe you can find what you are looking for nearby if you locate the right doctor and the right pharmacy.

Side note: After filling the prescription, I came home and fell asleep naturally and never used the pills.

BajaBlanca - 12-29-2012 at 07:14 PM

there are, without a doubt, terrible docs everywhere. and wonderful ones everywhere. hopefully, at least we can exchange information with each other to try and avoid those bad ones.

Vandaberg

captkw - 12-29-2012 at 08:14 PM

No,, we as a family decided not to sue for many,many reasons..no money could/can bring him back

[Edited on 12-30-2012 by captkw]