Job Discussion Forums

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

Hello,

I'm leaving Japan in 2.5 weeks and right on cue, I'm now out of deodorant, dispirin and all other nicities I brough from Australia. I'm not in the best shape at the moment and would love to find a Panadol / Aspirin / Dispirin substitute in Japan THAT WORKS.

Is this possible or is all over-the-counter medication in Japan just an excuse for cute cartoons on packaging? I discovered this last time I was ill.

Any help will be appreciated.

Cheers.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I find Bufferin to work quite well. I tore a small muscle in my shoulder last week and couldn't put up with the pain any longer on the weekend- I took two and was a lot more comfortable within about 20 mins.

kdynamic · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 562 Location: Japan

I got some serious prescription pain meds from the doctor (slipped disc, ugh) and guess what they do? NOTHING! Yay Japan. I tried them for days with zero effect before switching back to my Ibuprofen from the US.

Sorry this doesn't help with your problem at all, but does anyone know why Japanese meds are so ineffective? It's silly.

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

I have no idea!! One day I went to work with a shocking cold. Sinuses were giving me serious willy and I could barely keep my eyes open. One of the staff at the school took me to a drugstore and got me the strongest stuff they had. It worked for maybe 20 minutes. And even then it was bordering on mediocre.

This is one thing I'm not going to miss about Japan.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

They work for me. Probably I'm not typical though since I have always been quite sensitive to OTC medications and I hardly ever take them.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:41 pm Post subject:

Japanese Contac comes in various forms that target particular bits of head/throat pains & colds etc. Always worked well for me and while it doesn't deliver the 12 hour suppression they claim, it does manage about six or so - still way better than the stuff I've used in the US and NZ, in fact.

You can get aspirin easily enough and ibuprofen is available everywhere too ("Eve" (or "Eve-A" maybe?) is one brand).

Nagoyaguy · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 425 Location: Aichi, Japan

The big problem with J-medicine is the strength. THe ibuprofen brands mentioned above contain 75mg of ibuprofen per tablet. Children's ibuprofen back in the world ahs 100mg. Adult version is 200mg, and extrastrength is 400mg.

The OTC system here is a conspiracy to drive you into the arms of a doctor instead of trying to self medicate.

rampo · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 97

The other problem is that they don't have codeine which all the druggie americans are used to.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:42 pm Post subject:

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Cthulhu: I have to take a fistful of pills too (because in general Japan DOES sell weaker over-the-counter medicine than in other places)... Therein lies the problem: If I have to take 4-6 pills instead of 1 or 2 each time I get a headache, it's FREAKIN' expensive!!!

Oh, and FWIW, I hate Japanese doctors! Arrogant SOBs. ALL of em!

On Friday I went to get a Hep. A vaccine for an upcoming trip. So, I have a "consultation" with the doctor before I get my shot. This whole conversation went on in Japanese (of course) because even though he understands and speaks English relatively well, like MANY arrogant doctors, refuses to speak it because that would debase him and put him down below the level of his patient... He says to me,

"You're supposed to come back in 6 months after your 2nd shot to get your 3rd one. You're coming back a year and a half later."

So I said,

"True... Which is why I did a bit of research and found a fairly recent study in a medical journal regarding the effects of delaying the Hep. A booster shot and immunity. According to the study, you can safely delay for up to 54 months without sacrificing much in the way of immunity."

So he asked to see a copy of the study -- which, knowing full well he'd want to see, brought with me for him to look at. So he took it from me, read the title, scanned the introduction, then looked to the bottom of the first page.

"Where was this journal published?...... Switzerland it looks like..."

So I glanced at it.... "No, actually it looks like the research team is Swiss but the journal is an American medical journal."

He looked up at me and sucking air through his teeth in typical Japanese fashion said, "Welllll.... You see, guidelines in Japan for things like vaccinations are much more strict than in America. It's like cars. You have American cars and Japanese cars but because Japanese cars have better quality control, their quality is always far superior to American ones. It's the same way with doctors."

In any event, he finally gave me the damn shot and I left without arguing any further... But boy, it takes a bit of chutzpah to come right out and say that you believe that Japan has the best quality doctors in the world bar none... I guess those Swiss researchers and their Yankee collaborators just put out "sh! te" science, huh? Can't trust em!

Jeez! Don't even get me started on the crap medical system around here.... I can hardly respect an industry that believes that non-disclosure of cancer to patients is somehow helpful or beneficial. They can go practice their quackery on someone else -- I'd like a REAL doctor, thank you very much.

/rant

japanman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 281 Location: England

Oh my word, don't get a thread started about the Japanese medical system. I was in a Japanese hospital for about a week, unable to walk, don't know what happened to my back, never will. Every time I asked the doctor what's wrong with with me, why can't I walk? Why can't I sit up? He just had no idea and didn't care at all. But I don't want to go into one about that.

One strange thing is that Japanese think there is a cure for the common cold!! I say that medicine can calm down the symptoms but no cure has been found. To which the standard reply comes, "no, when I have a cold I go to the doctor and he cures me". Quite shocking I think.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I wonder how widespread the practice of not telling the patient he/she has cancer still is. My husband's father died of stomach cancer last year and he knew perfectly well he had cancer, and had known for a long time.

As for the Japanese medical system though, even though my Japanese is reasonable I only go to English-speaking foreign-trained doctors and dentists here. My experiences with normal doctors and dentists so horrified me that I will never go back to one. Luckily I go to the doctor once about every 5 years if that. I have a great Australian-trained dentist who I am not scared of going to see!

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan