Buying Supplements Thailand

[The Legend]

I want to start taking fish oil / vitamin E, astaxanithin, magnesium and chelated zinc. I've looked about on Lazada and Shopee but concerned about the expense and fake products. I'd rather not do an overseas order, but any all advice appreciated.

[KhunLA]

I buy from LAZ & Shopee, and so far so good, price and non fakes.  Easy to tell, as urine will be deeper yellow, as excess is purged.  I notice the effects of the supplements, so the few I take aren't fakes.

 

If concerned, iHerb is pretty competitively priced, and supposedly source their wares from the manufacturers of.  Free shipping (1400 THB orders), + 7% tax.

 

Simply scrutinize the online vendors as much as possible.  Savings of local vendors is minimal, considering the amount, over months of taking.

 

If not online shopping savvy, just order from iHerb.

[KhunBENQ]

Why not overseas with iHerb?

Since changing the logistics company their stuff recently arrived in 4(!) days to the door.

All tax/customs included in the order price.

 

Drawback: only three pieces per order.

Free shipping from 40 USD upward.

Combined this makes a bit of a math puzzle.

 

I pay with a EUR credit card in USD (no fee for foreign currency).

Once my cc was locked.

I still think it was after paying in THB.

Not sure though as you will not get an explanation.

[The Legend]

Thanks to responses above. Many fans of iherb and I'll take it on good advice, I'd just rather order locally. I also prefer to place a single order for 60-90 day supply.

 

I usually look for high sales and reviews (but all reviews looked like BS). Also look for Lazmall and stay away from goods from China if they should not be coming out of China (eg Feather razor blades jp), purposely misspelled brands, stolen images.

[CharlieH]

6 minutes ago, The Legend said:

Thanks to responses above. Many fans of iherb and I'll take it on good advice, I'd just rather order locally. I also prefer to place a single order for 60-90 day supply.

 

I usually look for high sales and reviews, but all reviews looked like BS. Also look for Lazmall.

Then do your 60 -90,day order with iherb. The quality is far superior.

The supplement industry is mega bucks and totally unregulated.You buy from a no name brand it's probably mostly fillers with 1 % active ingredient. READ the labels and check for "3rd party tested" as a minimum.

[bkk6060]

A pharmacy like Fascino has lots of supplements and I bet they are legit. 

 

[CharlieH]

16 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

A pharmacy like Fascino has lots of supplements and I bet they are legit. 

 

Probably amongst the highest priced too. 

[The Legend]

24 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

A pharmacy like Fascino has lots of supplements and I bet they are legit. 

 

I believe this is a Pattaya pharmacy. I've never seen one in central Bangkok nor up by me in north central Bangkok.

 

Usually walk in pharmacy are expensive for vitamins although that particular chain might be different. My pharmacy has great prices on meds, but not vitamins probably low volume.

[bkk6060]

9 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Probably amongst the highest priced too. 

If true, that is a big so what for me.

I ordered some Centrum vitamins awhile back online.  The were not original smaller, had a strange smell and color.  Maybe just me but if I am putting something in body, especially for health, I want original product.  Fascino has original Centrum.

[bkk6060]

3 minutes ago, The Legend said:

I believe this is a Pattaya pharmacy. I've never seen one in central Bangkok nor up by me in north central Bangkok.

 

Usually walk in pharmacy are expensive for vitamins although that particular chain might be different. My pharmacy has great prices on meds, but not vitamins probably low volume.

Have you tried Siam pharmacy at Ploenchit?  I believe they have a decent supplement section.

[The Legend]

13 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Have you tried Siam pharmacy at Ploenchit?  I believe they have a decent supplement section.

No. I used to work in chidlom, but no longer. I'll Google it up the location and next time I go down for a beer on 4 I'll have a look.

 

I'm sure the supplements will be real deal. Just thinking about the cost..

 

Thank you

[connda]

Melatonin is a problem to obtain.  It can't be purchased at all on iHerb as the shipper refuses to ship it.  You can buy it on Lazada but the prices are ridiculous.  Can't find it at all on Shopee.  Tried LINE Shopping.  Bought some from a retailer who had multiple choices, and then I got a message indicating they are out of stock and they'll refund my money, which opens a whole other can of worms.  Won't do that again. My trust in LINE shopping went to zero.

I still purchase most of my supplements from iHerb but also purchase some from Lazada and Shopee as the break-even point after shipping from the US is about the same.  Unlike the OP, I'm not worried about "fake products" as my experience has been that the supplement products are genuine. 

[connda]

47 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Probably amongst the highest priced too. 

Pharmacies have massive markups on prices.  Online is significantly better.

[connda]

Here OP.  You can find it on Lazada. 

[The Legend]

Just now, connda said:

Here OP.  You can find it on Lazada. 

Good price and qty. Thank you.

 

8 minutes ago, connda said:

Melatonin is a problem to obtain.  It can't be purchased at all on iHerb as the shipper refuses to ship it. 

I didn't ask about melatonin but since you brought it up. I don't sleep well. Brought back a bottle of sleep tabs (Benadryl). I still wake up to pee, but generally fall asleep ok thereafter. I've read on the internets that this med for sleeping is not good over time. Found melatonin to be semi effective and expensive everywhere outside of say Costco

[The Legend]

13 minutes ago, connda said:

trust in LINE shopping went to zero.

I once bought some whisky online. One bottle was fake. The bottle itself was perfect although probably a new pourer/ spout (no idea because the mfgs change these out every so often).

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, The Legend said:

Good price and qty. Thank you.

 

I didn't ask about melatonin but since you brought it up. I don't sleep well. Brought back a bottle of sleep tabs (Benadryl). I still wake up to pee, but generally fall asleep ok thereafter. I've read on the internets that this med for sleeping is not good over time. Found melatonin to be semi effective and expensive everywhere outside of say Costco

 

I see you have Magnesium on your OP list, and that should help with sleeping.  I did for me, noticeably.

[The Legend]

Just now, KhunLA said:

 

I see you have Magnesium on your OP list, and that should help with sleeping.  I did for me, noticeably.

I'm currently taking it, no real noticable difference. I take it in AM. I've read where people taking it for sleep take it an hour or two before going to bed. I've tried to take it in the evening but I routinely take my medicine in the morning - so I constantly forget. It's a routine I've had for decades and not easily changed

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, The Legend said:

Thanks to responses above. Many fans of iherb and I'll take it on good advice, I'd just rather order locally. I also prefer to place a single order for 60-90 day supply.

 

I usually look for high sales and reviews (but all reviews looked like BS). Also look for Lazmall and stay away from goods from China if they should not be coming out of China (eg Feather razor blades jp), purposely misspelled brands, stolen images.

I stick with Kirkland & NOW brand, as 3rd party testing states they actually contain what's on the label, or close enough when made.

 

Only take a multi vitamin, COQ10, Magnesium (citrate) & Creatine.

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, The Legend said:

I'm currently taking it, no real noticable difference. I take it in AM. I've read where people taking it for sleep take it an hour or two before going to bed. I've tried to take it in the evening but I routinely take my medicine in the morning - so I constantly forget. It's a routine I've had for decades and not easily changed

I take it at 5pm before or with dinner, also COQ10.  Just for that reason.  Multi vit @ pre 0800 hrs, and Creatine with afternoon chocolate kefir smoothie.

[gargamon]

55 minutes ago, The Legend said:

I believe this is a Pattaya pharmacy. I've never seen one in central Bangkok nor up by me in north central Bangkok.

 

Usually walk in pharmacy are expensive for vitamins although that particular chain might be different. My pharmacy has great prices on meds, but not vitamins probably low volume.

They are expensive. They almost refuse to sell generics even if they have stock. Ask for generic, even hy drug name and they always only show the expensive brand name. Ask them to check stock for the generic in the other stores and they will relent and sell you the generic.

[connda]

3 minutes ago, The Legend said:

Good price and qty. Thank you.

 

I didn't ask about melatonin but since you brought it up. I don't sleep well. Brought back a bottle of sleep tabs (Benadryl). I still wake up to pee, but generally fall asleep ok thereafter. I've read on the internets that this med for sleeping is not good over time. Found melatonin to be semi effective and expensive everywhere outside of say Costco

Do your own research on these to see if they may work for you.  But before bed I use the Magnesium Gylcinate, Gabapentin, and Melatonin.  And I'll occasionally use Atarax (Hydroxyzine) which is another antihistimine that can cause drowsiness.  However, unfortunately these classes of drugs including Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is linked to age related memory loss. 

The Magnesium Gylcinate and Gabapentin help you stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed. 

[The Legend]

11 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Magnesium (citrate)

This is exactly what I'm taking. I bought it at Costco last time I was back in US .

 

I should really make an effort to take it in the evening.

 

I'm sure having a few scotches and water doesn't help. Full bladder, alcohol 😳

[connda]

15 minutes ago, The Legend said:

so I constantly forget

And you take Benadryl? 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-to-increased-dementia-risk-20150128812

[The Legend]

2 minutes ago, connda said:

Do your own research on these to see if they may work for you.  But before bed I use the Magnesium Gylcinate, Gabapentin, and Melatonin.  And I'll occasionally use Atarax (Hydroxyzine) which is another antihistimine that can cause drowsiness.  However, unfortunately these classes of drugs including Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is linked to age related memory loss. 

The Magnesium Gylcinate and Gabapentin help you stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed. 

 

I'd like to try melatonin again. The first and only time I actually ate some was on a long haul plane flight back to Thailand. It came into full effect around 8:00 p.m. and I was absolutely dragging ass so guess it works for me. I had to stay awake because they were doing the food service. After all the food drama I was kind of awake again lol.

 

But one thing I've learned from this thread is that melatonin appears to be quite expensive and perhaps not worth the hassle of attempting to acquire it unless I'm outside Thailand.

 

Thailand has a massive pharma industry. I'm absolutely clueless why they don't manufacture this stuff here

[The Legend]

4 minutes ago, connda said:

And you take Benadryl? 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-to-increased-dementia-risk-20150128812

I do.

 

I won't buy another bottle. I'm halfway through my second bottle over about 3.5 years.

 

But I have noticed memory fogs. Chocking it up to weed which I'm quitting by June 1.

[msbkk]

1 hour ago, The Legend said:

I believe this is a Pattaya pharmacy. I've never seen one in central Bangkok nor up by me in north central Bangkok.

 

Usually walk in pharmacy are expensive for vitamins although that particular chain might be different. My pharmacy has great prices on meds, but not vitamins probably low volume.

Fascino has a few shops in Bangkok, Hua Hin and other provinces as well.

[KhunLA]

19 minutes ago, The Legend said:

This is exactly what I'm taking. I bought it at Costco last time I was back in US .

 

I should really make an effort to take it in the evening.

 

I'm sure having a few scotches and water doesn't help. Full bladder, alcohol 😳

That was another plus to a good night's sleep, I stopped waking up midway to P.  Plus I think my prostate may have shrunk back a bit, since I cut my intake of most sugar & starchy carbs.

[IvorBiggun2]

The only suppliment one requires is a raw clove of garlic every morning. Job done.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=benefit+of+garlic+cloves&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH1042TH1042&oq=benefit+of+garlic+cloves&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjIICAcQABgWGB4yCAgIEAAYFhgeMggICRAAGBYYHtIBCTIyMTQ4ajBqN6gCCLACAfEFdUc-7MJZCZXxBXVHPuzCWQmV&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[The Legend]

1 minute ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

The only suppliment one requires is a raw clove of garlic every morning. Job done.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=benefit+of+garlic+cloves&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH1042TH1042&oq=benefit+of+garlic+cloves&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjIICAcQABgWGB4yCAgIEAAYFhgeMggICRAAGBYYHtIBCTIyMTQ4ajBqN6gCCLACAfEFdUc-7MJZCZXxBXVHPuzCWQmV&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

I'm Italian decent, don't want to smell like one though.

 

Probably consume 15 clove pcs weekly in foods. Love garlic.