Maybe I should've posted this under the thread for the person who wants to move to Paris - because you could probably get rich fairly quickly selling aspirin on the black market in Europe. We ran through the supply that we took along fairly quickly (a little arthritis and alllll that walking takes its toll in short order). So we ended up having to purchase aspirin in both Brugge and Paris - and the cost was amazing, esp when you think of getting 100 tablets generic in the US for a buck or two.

I'm surprised you found the cost of aspirin to be so high. I haven't bought aspirin in France for some time, but I do know I've filled bags full of prescriptions (French doctors do love to prescribe a dozen types of pills for the simplest thing) for FAR less than I would have paid, even with my Rx discount card, here in the States. And the non-prescription light sleeping pills that I buy in France for long flights also cost next to nothing.

The worst place, of course, are those airport shops (Marriott Host - - are you listening?) where TWO aspirin can cost $1.50 or more. (In defense of "those shops", it's the companies in packaging/distributing that are making a ton, and we consumers that are keeping the demand up).<BR><BR>And the airport (outbound) might be the most important place to remember to take one. Although NOT for everyone, a single aspirin (maybe even a baby aspirin) will probably reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis/embolism/stroke associated with prolonged sitting for many patients at risk.<BR><BR>Ask your doctor if this is relevant to yur own personal medical situation.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

We discovered last fall that it was impossible to find tylenol. No one had even heard of it.

In many parts of Europe, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is known as paracetamol, an alternative generic name, in use wherever the influence of British medical schools exists. And I'm sure there are countless brand names that none of us would readily recognize.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Arjay, you're absolutely right! Aspirin is doled out in France like it's a controlled substance, and the price per pill is astonishing. I do recall, though, that aspirin is much less costly in Britain, around 2p per pill or less, more in line with N. American prices.

One brand name for paracetamol is Panadol.

Because of their adverse effects aspirin (bleeding, kidney troubles), acetaminophen/paracetamol (liver troubles - often used for suicides in the UK), etc., are available in smaller quantities in Europe than in the USA, and you won't find them outside pharmacies. Any european pharmacist will understand if you ask for a generic name (i.e. aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol). Always insist for the cheapest they have. Panadol is one of the more expensive.

Acetaminophen, or paracetamol in Europe, is marketed in Switzerland under the following brand names:<BR>Ben u ron (cheapest, also sold in Germany)<BR>Dafalgan<BR>Tylenol<BR>Panadol (most expensive)<BR><BR>In Europe, "Aspirin" is a brand name for acetylsalicylic acid. Other brand names are Alca-C, Alcalcyl od Aspegic.<BR><BR>If in doubt ask for the generic (ASA [in English], ASS [in German], or AAS [in French]).<BR><BR>Hope this helps<BR><BR>Phil.

I had to buy migrane medicine (Imitrex) in Italy. I usually buy 9 tablets of 50mg each for $7 total with my insurance in the US. While I am sure it would be much more without the insurance, I doubt it would cost the $15 EACH that I paid in Italy. (This was the going rate. I checked). That would have been $135 for the nine if I had bought that many. Believe me, it was well worth the $15 to not have to deal with the pain at the time, but I will never be unprepared as far as Rx goes in the future.

You can also find Advil in Europe.

Thanks for the tip, arjay. I've bought aspirin in Ireland (can't remember it being overly expensive), but never in Paris. I did however buy a bottle of saline solution in Paris, for contact lens use, and paid over 20 bucks for it. It was great stuff--my eyes loved it--but I usually pay 3 bucks for a bottle here.