Prescripton Refill

[catnip]

Hi, I desperately need a refill of my prescription for propoxypene. I use it for severe headaches. I thought I had enough when I left the states. but I don't. I asked the doctor at Bangkok Christian Hospital who was treating my insect bites and he said he wouldn't prescribe it for my condition. Then he gave me something that knocks me out for most of the day. My dentist today said he had never heard of it, but he also did not look it up in a pdr. I know they have it in Thailand. I got it years ago. I don't think it is an illegal schedule drug. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find a doctor to write a prescription or have my walgreens one faxed over here, or just find out if they have it. Thank you I live in Suan Phlu. catnip and thanks for all the other help on the forums.

[Maestro]

I desperately need a refill of my prescription for propoxypene....I know they have it in Thailand. I got it years ago...

For a start, it helps if you spell the substance name correctly.

Propoxyphene does not appear to be currently available in Thailand. See this online directory of medicines in Thailand. If it was available years ago it probably was delisted because of safety concerns. Such concerns were apparently voiced in the USA already a long time ago:

Citing the accidental deaths of at least 2,110 people in the United States between 1981 and 1999, the watchdog group Public Citizen has called for a ban on Darvon, Darvocet and related pain medications, the Associated Press reported.

The demand was made in a petition presented Tuesday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which pointed out that since 1999, several hundred people have died accidentally each year after taking the pain medications and about the same number of people have used the drugs to commit suicide.

The main active ingredient in the drugs is propoxyphene, which is a relatively weak painkiller that poses an unacceptable toxic risk to patients, said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen.

"This is a black-and-white example of a drug where its risks far outweigh its benefits. There's no excuse for this drug to be around," Wolfe said.

Propoxyphene has been sold in the United States. since 1957 and Public Citizen first lobbied to have it banned in 1978, the AP reported.

Thailand often applies stricter standards than the USA and for this reason it is possible that a medicine on the market in the USA is not available in Thailand.

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Maestro

[leisurely]

Seems you've got your reply. Could you go to a doctor in Thailand and ask his advice for a different drug to treat your headaches. Seems an unnecessary risk to continue the one you have been using.

[catnip]

Seems you've got your reply. Could you go to a doctor in Thailand and ask his advice for a different drug to treat your headaches. Seems an unnecessary risk to continue the one you have been using.

Yes, it does seem like a risk. Especially, since I am in my 50's and my family's doctors have been prescribing it since I was 15 or 16. I must have been awfully lucky. There must be something else out there, alhtough I must say I have been through all the imitrex and new stuff

[Sheryl]

Since you're in Bangkok, I'd suggest you take advantage of the ready access to affordable top notch specialist care and see a neurologist specializing in headaches to have the type and cause of your headaches properly diagnosed and treated.

Darvon (the brand name for what you've been taking) is not the best way to manage any type of headache.

Go to the ohysician search engines for Bangkok Hospital (which has a special pain clinic in its neurology dept), Samitivej abd Bumrungrad, type in neurology and English-speaking, then look for a doc with special interest in headaches and training in the west.

[karenbenn]

What type of headache do you have? It looks like propoxyphene in not the best medicine for any type. It is a narcotic analgesic. Often, combined medicines like butalbital apap caffeine (Fioricet, Esgic) are very effective for headaches. Combinations with narcotic analgesic tramadol apap (ultracet), butalbital apap codeine (Fiorinal) alow to use the lower dose of narcotic painkiller.

If your headaches are migraines it might be better to take specific medications like imitrex. Also antidepressants and anticonvulsants may be used for prevention of migraines.