Famotidine and Acetaminophen/Methocarbamol?

[JohnMc45]

I take one tablet of Famotidine 20mg a day for acid reflux and I occasionally take a Acetaminophen 500mg/Methocarbamol 40mg tablets for my back. Is there any problems bringing these in to Thailand? Are they available there?

 

 

[Sheryl]

You can bring in up to a 30 day supply, and in practice they do not count out the number of tablets so as long a quantity looks consistent with personal use, no issues. Make sure they are in labelled bottles.

 

Famotidine is readily available here in inexpensive locally mage generic equivalents.

 

Acetaminophen  and Methocarbamol are available but not in combination, and the methacarbamol may prove a little difficult to find.  The most common pain reliever/muscle relaxant combo used here is Norgesic which is a mix of Paracetemol (almost same thing as acetaminophen) and orphenadrine (unrelated to Methacabamol but same supposed action).  I say "supposed" because in my experience the so called muscle relaxants do nothing much, and there is no evidence in the literature that they are any better than acetaminophen/paracetemol alone. From what I read methacarbamol is no better than orphenadrine (and no evidence that either are any better than  acetaminophen/paracetemol alone). I frankly think doctors tend to prescribe these to placate patients because people  tend to be unhappy if given only  acetaminophen/paracetemol  alone (which they could buy anyplace anyhow).

 

NSAIDs will work better for back pain but as you seem to have gastric issues might not be able to tolerate.

 

None of these drugs requires a prescription in Thailand, all are OTC.

[JohnMc45]

Thank you Sheryl

 

Yes there are better things I could be taking for the back. But seeing what all the pills did to my Grandmother and Aunt I try to deal with it as drug free as possible. A bottle of the Acetaminophen/Methocarbamol normally lasts about a year at 80 pills for <B130 from Costco the last thing I had from the Doctor was only slightly better but >B50 a pill here.