I have tried at 5 or 6 pharmacies and all they have is the plain without codeine.
What am I doing wrong?

I buy the cream all the time in france, without codeine, are you absolutely sure they sell this??

The only other product that I do buy in france with codeine is cough syrup.

I never knew you could find it over the counter in France - where did you hear that? Not saying can't but I never could - only in the U K have I seen it OTC.

I wonder the same thing--why would you think you can get codeine over the counter.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-for-in-us.cfm

You may find some info on this recent Fodor's thread.

I can't speak to ibuprophen with codeine, but codeine is widely available over the country throughout the world in cough medicine.

But when you go into a pharmacy in Europe, you need to ask someone. Pharmacists may be able to dispense certain medications that are not available on open shelves. That, at least, has been my experience in Greece and Italy. I've never gone looking in France.

Ah my typing ... over the "counter".

The only place I've found ibuprofen with codeine in Europe for purchase across the counter is in the UK, Nurofen Plus. Not to say it's unavailable, just have never seen it otherwise.

It's called Dafalgan (and there might be some Dafalgan products that don't have codeine in them). I don't know if it's still available without prescription - it used to be. Doliprane used to have a product with codeine in it, too.

Same here - no Nurofen Plus equivalent in France available OTC.

And in the UK, it's now dispensed by a pharmacist, not lying about on the shelves.

<<I buy the cream all the time in france, without codeine>>

Uh, the ibuprofen isn't an opiate; codeine is. That's why the meds are controlled. The topical creams and gels do not have codeine in them.

Nurofen plus is ibuprofen with codeine, I don't know if it's sold in France, have not looked as I can't take ibuprofen.

I do know about paracétamol combined with codeine. Paracétamol is the same as acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. This combination is available without a prescription.

The two most common brands are Dafalgan and Doliprane, the packaging clearly says, paracétamol-codeine or avec codeine. You will not find them on a shelf next to toothpaste. You have to go up to the counter and ask the pharmacist. They are on display behind the counter.

The count per box is small, I think 16, possibly 32. You can probably buy 2-3 boxes, am not sure as I've never taken much, gives me a headache and isn't that great for joint pain, at least not mine. It's not a very high dose, for that you need a prescription.

"And in the UK, it's now dispensed by a pharmacist, not lying about on the shelves."

My most recent experiences had the Nurofen Plus, yes, behind the counter but "dispensed" by whatever personnel approached the register without a prescription, not necessarily a pharmacist as far as I could tell. It's been that way for several years now. I wonder what the criteria are for denying someone a purchase, if there are any. Maybe just having to ask for it deters those they feel shouldn't have it.

MmePerdu echoes my experience with Aspirin/Codein and Acetemetophen-codeine in places like Boots - any ole clerk will give it to you - often with a routine nod from a pharmacist.

The amount of codeine in cough syrup is very small - and is available OTC in a lot of places.

Analgesics typically contain more codeine and are not available OTC in many countries. Not sure about what is available in the UK - it might have a lower dose of codeine.

As for being pharmacist dispensed - the idea is that one cannot go in and buy 10 or 20 bottles at a time - making it more likely the med is being used properly and not abused.

This is the same reason that the allergy drugs containing ingredients used in brewing meth have been moved behind the counter in the US - to make it more difficult (obvious) to identify people who are brewing up illegal and extremely dangerous drugs.

Perhaps THIS is one reason why the OP, whom you will notice has NOT responded, cannot find this:

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-0...se-health.html

The OP's post is suspiciously akin to drug seeking behavior...BEWARE of this.

Dukey, lateinlifetraveler has also asked about walking shoes and high tea. Unless you group endorphins and caffeine with codeine as suspect it's just another question, not (BEWARE) drug-seeking behavior.

Oh, it's just occurred to me, maybe I don't know my own drug-seeking behavior when it rears it's ugly head. I do long walks in the UK and always have some Nurofen Plus in my pack for what can ail me at this age. So do walking (endorphins), pain at the end of the day (codeine) and tea along the path (caffeine) all add up to danger? Who knows what will happen if added to all that I have a cider at the bar or a glass of wine with dinner. Very scary, very scary indeed.

well, the quest for codeine seems unusual to me, but I rarely even take regular ibuprofen. They don't typically market that in France, if I recall, they put codeine with paracetemol (eg, acetaminophen), not with ibuprofen. If one must have it with ibuprofen, that probably isn't going to happen.

I believe the brand name is Codoliprane (codeine with paracetemol) in France.

Personally paracetamol with codeine deals with headaches far better than anything else I have ever used

My own drug seeking behavior has led pharmacists in France to tell me that paracetemol with codeine is available there without a prescription, but not ibuprofen with codeine.