I am in Verona and need to restock "aleve" supply. Turns out I didn't pack enough. At the pharmacy what do I request for an equivalent? Grazie

Naproxen sodium is aleve (NSAID), ibuprofen would also do. If it is an area like a knee, you might consider Voltaren gel for relief..it is OTC in Europe.

I am familiar with voltaren. May I get naproxen sodium OTC in Italy?

Just take your empty bottle to the pharmacy.

Just request ibuprofen. They have that there.

You should be able to get both naproxen and ibuprofen with no problem

But pronunciation matters. You don't want to be misunderstood and end up with something you shouldn't take. You misspelled ibuprofen when you wrote it, and it is not pronounced the same way in Italian anyway.

That's why I suggest taking the empty bottle or anything else that has everything spelled out on it for the pharmacist.

Yes, they will likely not have ALIVE!!!

(Although your thread title did make me smile.)

I Agree to write it down., at least. i never have the empty pill bottle for non-RX pills when travelling. Good luck.

Denisea - I want to thank you for the Voltaren suggestion. I stupidly hurt my knee two weeks before the start of my trip to Rome/Umbria overdoing it trying to prepare for hill town walking.

I went to the Doctor a fews days before leaving home and got vicoden just in case and he told me to take ibuprofen as well. I mentioned the Voltaren which is available over the counter in Italy- he said that would be good to get too - but it is harder to get USA insurance approval for that drug.

While my knee had been doing better at home, it immediately started acting up once I got to Italy - I think the plane ride and the extra weight of carrying the luggage, running to catch a train, and a long rushed walk to catch another train.

I picked Voltaren in Perugia at the pharmacy- no trouble! I think that has really helped - It was less than 12 euros for a large tube.

My knee thanks you!!! Still more hill towns to go as well as Rome ahead!

In France I buy a stronger Ibuprofen called Intralgis.
I finished my stash of Voltaren I bought in Paris so I ordered from Canada but expenive. I paid $22.95for
a 150g tube

I don't know about Italy but in UK, and france you can get Ibuprofen with Codeine without a Rx. It is 1 tablet equals 200 mg of ibuprofen with a 1.8 gr of codeine Take 2 of those along with 2 200 mg ibuprofen/ Voltaren gel is a miracle !!

Here is a recent topic on Voltaren

http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...e/voltaren.cfm

Avalon2, you should take no more than 400mg of Ibuprofen, with a maximum of 1200mg in any 24 hours unless you are under mediacl supervision. It too is an NSAID with all the related health issue, plus the stomach problems it can give.

That said you can just buy it in a pharmacy or drug store.

Aleve is available in Italy under that name. Naproxen is also available under other names but do check the dosages carefully!

In France they would not sell me Aleve; said I needed a script from a doc.