Sheryl

1. Losar Plus 100/25 is a mixture of: Losaratn 100 mg Hydrochlorthiazide (HCTZ) 25 mg You can get this in Thailand under brand name Fortzaar but it is an expensive import. You can save a lot of money by instead buying losartan and hydrochlorthiazide separately. There are a number of locally made brands of Losartan: Losartan GPO, Loranta, and Lanzaar being the most common local brands. careful on the dosage as it comes in both 50 and 100mg tabs. It is nto at all hard to find, your problem was asking by foreign brand name. Hydrochlorthiazide I think comes only as GPO brand and costs next to nothing but only large pharmacies carry it. 2. Pendine 5 as others said is Amlodopine. There are too many local brands of this to even list. Just ask for "amlodopine 5 mg", Thai brand. Every pharmacy has it, even very small ones (though Boots and Watsons may only have expensive imported brand). You'll want either #1 or #2 not both. As for pharmacies, I can't say for Minburi area but some good ones for local generics further into the city are: Por Bor Pesat pharmacy on Sukhumvit 71, Klong Tan, at the intersection with Petchabury/Pattanahkhan Rd's, even soi side..the very last storefront before the intersection.Their prices are so low there is usually a line and they have a queue numbering system. Worth the trip is you have a large quantity to buy. Roong Rote Pharmacy (รุ่งโรจน์เภสัช).Soi On-Nut (Sukhumvit Soi 77), away from Sukhumvit Road, about 40m into the soi coming from Sukhumvit on right side. Large stock of reasonably priced generics. Theer are also 2-3 other pharmacies right near it. Accessible from BTS OnNut station. Sukhumvit near Soi 2, large pharmacy sort of across from the expressway entrance. Rama 4, north side between Lumphini and Klong Toey MRT stations, near the footbridge. Wholesale pharmacy on Pradiprat Road, just a short distance from Huay Kwang BTS, and on the Pradiprat portion opposite of Big C. Walking from the main intersection, the pharmacy is located about 60 meters on the left. S.C. Drug Store on Rama IV between Surawong and Silom There are also a number of pharmacies on Ratchawithi near Victory Monument (east of the Monument, opposite the hospital). You might also just try inputting your address in Google maps and then looking for nearby pharmacies but as mentioned avoid Boots and Watsons. They usually won't have HTZ and their brands of amlodopine and losartan will be more costly. Or if you prefer just order online from one of these: 1. https://medtide.com/ They have all the above drugs. You have to create an account first then searcjh. 2. https://medisafepharma.com/ probably has all of it but you have to use the Messenger chat to ask them. Online search doesn't work 3. https://bangkokdrugstore.com/?s=amlodipine https://bangkokdrugstore.com/?s=losartan they do not have HTZ but do have the Fortzaaz combo pill if you don't mind the added cost All 3 of these places are reliable and prompt. For future reference never ask for a foreign brand name in a different country. Ask by the chemical (generic) name. It will show ion the package right below the brand name.

I can't explain this to you then. Australia Medicare Benefits allow for repair of inguinal hernia and there is no qualifier such as "symptomatic". At your age the abdominal wall will further weaken with time and surgery will become riskier as well. If I were you I'd get it repaired. Not on an emergency basis, but within say the coming year or so.

Do you have any high risk factors for surgery? How old are you? Normal international guidance is to surgically correct all inguinal hernias unless there is a reason not to i.e. unusual surgical risk Who/where were these GPs?

Based on an original O-A visa, no. You would have to return to your home country and apply for a bew O-A. Or, let the O-A lapse and switch to regular O which has no insurance requirement for in-country extension. The O does however carry requirenents for funds in Thailand.

Avoiding the risk of strangulation is the main reason for repairing a hernia. Not being large enough to descend jnto the scrotum is not a reason to forego or delay surgery unless the patient is an unusual surgical risk due to other medical conditions. Surgery will be more difficult and risks greater if deferred until complications set in.

There is n policy of :"confisctaion" but when someone is extremely ill or comatose and unattended by family it is common for all their valuables to be checked. Security measure for the patient to avoid theft/loss. Even if in posession of all your valuables,and ambulatory, you will not succeed - really do not want to try (it gets ugly fast) - to walk out without paying. Since he was not in condition to be discharged home, just transferred to a hospital in UK, full involvement/cooperation of the hospital he was in any case was essential. In any event

Khon Kaen University Hospital (Srinagarind) Eye clinic is best facility in that region .

That is for you routine follow up. As I explained, to investigate your shortness of breath, doctor would also need to order a CBC and chest Xray (combined cost maybe 200- 300 baht). Should not change amount of time in lab (still just one blood draw) but the Xray will involve a trip to Xray dept so maybe another 30 - 60 minutes depending on how busy they are. Doctor should also measure your oxygen level through pulse oximeter. Done by nurse or doctor and no cost involved, takes less than a minute. And he should definitely listen to your heart and lungs with stethoscope. No added cost to that, take a couple of minutes. If you do not get these checks done, your shortness of breath will not have had even minimal work up for a primary level hospital. If you do, it will have.

Actually not, entirely different things and it now seems what you meant was a small sized oxygen tank (like the portable sizes). Your use of the term "bottle" confused me.

I have never seen O2 bottles at a Thai hospital, only tanks (which can be in large or small size). Whatever it is you buy or rent, the issue of refill remains. O2 concentrator costs run anywhere from 4- 20k, many available at well under 10,000 baht. Not cheap but hardly akin to cost of university education.

Indeed 149 times an hour is impossible. Maybe 149 times during the night (which is already quite a lot).

You do not need a prescription for blood pressure medication in Thailand. You can buy at a pharmacy over the counter. But local brand names may differ from what you are used to. Please list the names of the medications so I can advise specifically. Also you will need to go to a large Thai pharmacy. Not a Boots or Watsons or small pharmacy.

As I have said before an oxygen bottle will do nothing (or else help for just an hour or so, as they are not designed for real medical use). You need either an oxygen tank or an oxygen concentrator. It does make sense to try an O2 tank first before investing in a concentrator if you need oxygen - which cannot be assumed. In fact if you have COPD, should not use oxygen without first checking with your doctor as can be dangerous in people with COPD. The tanks themselves can usually be rented rather than bought and then you just pay for the filling of them (which, living off in the boondocks, can be a real hassle to arrange -- another reason for a concentrator if in fact your condition warrants home oxygen therapy. This is however not necessarily the case. ) You need to be checked for the following possible and very treatable possible causes: - respiratory infection - congestive heart failure Both conditions that can rapidly improve iwht appropriate medication. And that in turn means: - blood test (complete blood count) - chest Xray - doctor listening to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope measure your oxygenation with a pulse oximeter (simple device fitted onto your finger for a few minutes) - possibly an echocardiogram if the above tests suggest a cardiac cause If (minus maybe the echo) you cannot get even this basic level of investigation where you are going then you really must get to a higher level hospital. Re the blood sugar testing: check the Lazada description. Did you mistakenly order just refill supplies or does the seller description say meter included? Accu-chek brand set with meter will not cost less than 1,000 baht. If the description said meter and you got only strips and lancets then seller error. Return it for refund and re-order from a different seller. If you mistakenly ordered just strips and lancets, make a second order specifically for a meter.

Only a handful of places here can do it as it requires special equipment and training. Bumrungrad does it and so does Bangkok Hospital (Bangkok branch). 9,500 baht at Bangkok Hosp. Bumrungrad won't be less, might be more. https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/package/gi-and-liver

I am all for meditation, do it myself and highly recommend. But there is no guarantee it will prevent need for BP medication especially in the elderly. Plenty of serious, regular meditators still have high BP (and many other diseases). I would agree that, on the whole, meditators are healthier on the whole than non-meditators the same age, and on average stay healthy longer, but that does not mean they don't eventually develop high BP, heart disease, cancer or anything else. They do. Meditation is very helpful and will reduce stress and alleviate symptoms that are psychosomatic in origin. But it does not render anyone immune to natural effects of aging nor prevent or cure all diseases. High BP can be genetic or due to simple aging, fact of life. Healthy habits help a lot but do not render anyone immune to the natural effects of aging or their genes. No high BP med passed my lips either until I passed well into my 60's. But it did ultimately happen despite at that point having been a regular meditator for over 20 years. Meditation's greatest contribution in my experience is not in preventing aging, disease and death but in helping one accept these things with some serenity.

"fit to travel" = he is still in a complete coma and bed ridden, not ambulatory. A lot more care than bed & board involved. He will be transported straight from a Thai hospital to a UK hospital or long term care facility, he isn't being discharged to home. And yes, hospital costs will continue to mount everyday that he is still in the Thai hospital. This happens a lot to people unable to pay private private hospital bills. Theh ospital will, of course, refrain from any expensive procedures or treatments going forward now that they know there is a problem getting paid and that in itself may become a problem. Hospital will not release the patient until the matter is resolved. With a Thai or long-term resident expat this can sometimes be done through a payment plan but for someone being transferred to a facility in another country, hospital will require full payment upfront before releasing for transfer. And no possible way to effect this complex transfer of a comatose patient without the current hospital's full involvement.

In Thailand recommend this doctor at St Louis hospital in Bangkok : DR.NARONGSAK JONGSIRI https://www.saintlouis.or.th/en/index Cost will vary depending on whether open or laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic is easier on the patient (smaller incision) but technically more3 complex to perform and more costly. This doctor can do either. Note that in case of choosing laparoscopic, it sometimes proves necessary to switch mid-surgery to open approach anyhow and you still have to pay the added laparoscopic cost. Very approximately, will cost about 125k baht for open approach and 200K for laparoscopic, assuming you opt for semi private room , but need to confirm with the hospital. I believe you could get this done for less in Viet Nam and there are some quite good private international hospitals there. e.g (Hanoi) https://www.hfh.com.vn/en/node/30 https://cih.com.vn/en/ (HCHM) https://www.vinmec.com/en/ I suggest you contact these first unless you are planning to come to Thailand anyhow. No value added to getting something like this done in Thailand vs. VN....just added cost.

Not remotely the Embassy's (UK or any other) job to negotiate costs or payment plan. I much doubt hospital would agree to a payment plan for a patient being sent back to the UK - they know there is no way to enforce it.

Rather dradtic (and expensive) treatment. Are ED drugs not working for you?

There is no research on use of Cialis for control of general hypertension, only pulmonary arterial hypertension. Studies have shown that Cialis does not significantly lower BP in people with normal BP nor in people with hypertension who are on BP meds. So unlikely it can substitute for other meds to treat hypertension. There are many different tupes of BP medication. Which have you tried so far and with what side effects? Have you already tried low sodium diet, weight loss and exercise? Do you monitor your BP at home? How high is it? Readings at hospital can be misleading.

Hordes of them at Bumrungrad, having plastic surgery and the like.

They send their citizens to Bangkok for health care.

For what you describe: National University Hospital Singapore.

Medical city Clark is in the Philippines. I think he meant to say somewhere in Singapore OR Medical City Clark in the Philippines.

It would much depend on the problem.