Job Discussion Forums

[Abunai]

Hello everyone.

I am considering a job in Mexico, and I have a few questions that I have not been able to find answers to here.

First: My wife suffers from depression which is greatly alleviated by her anti-depressants. She takes Paxil. Does anyone foresee a problem in getting this, supply-wise or price-wise?

Second: My wife has a strict diet. We are both lacto-ovo-vegetarians, but in addition to this she suffers from acid reflux. The acid reflux is exacerbated by pepper, tomatoes, any citrus, anything acidic really. We have trouble eating out here, but some restaurants are able to make plain food, such as fettuccini alfredo (no pepper in the alfredo sauce!). Eating at home is doable, and I'd imagine it would be equally doable in Mexico, but I'd like to hear people's thoughts on the matter.

Related to both of these, my wife must take Zantac-75 (I think that's right), which helps greatly as an acid reducer (or acid inhibitor, I forget). Is such a thing easy to get or no?

Thanks in advance for your helpful input.

And just to show I'm a nice, friendly guy, I'll put a few of these in here.

[Guy Courchesne]

Unlikely that you'll find any pharmacists on this forum...better check with your doctor, or any doctor familiar with Mexico and available medicines. Very generally speaking, medication is cheaper here than in the US and usually just as available.

On diet, you'll need to cook at home more. I'm not sure what a lacto-ovo-vegatrian is, except to guess that you don't eat meat, eggs, or any dairy products? That's 98% of the Mexican diet. Hopefully, you'll be able to pick up a good variety of dietary needs at local markets, or at a chain grocery store like Walmart, Superama, Comercial, etc.

Honestly, I think you'll have a tough time in Mexico.

[Abunai]

Hey,

Actually, lacto-ovo refers to the fact that we DO eat eggs and drink milk. I know it's confusing. In any case, thanks for the info. I'll try to find a doctor familiar with Mexico.

[lozwich]

Hi Abunai,

I suffer from chronic hyperacidity, but don't take medication for it, just work it through with diet and lifestyle. Anyway, when I lived in Mexico, I ate a lot of yoghurt, 'solid' yogurt, yogurt licuados, yoghurt drinks. They're everywhere. Sometimes shopkeepers aren't so good at keeping them refrigerated, but if you stay away from the more puffy packets, they really help soothe a sore belly.

Also, the local remedy is nopal juice. I never tried it, but did see it for sale at many markets, and in health food stores. You can get tofu in Chinatown in Mexico City (can't remember the name of the street - anyone?), but its the soft, silken kind and tastes vaguely chemical. In the small town where I lived you could get other soy products, like that dried soy protein, and soy chorizo and hotdogs. The dried stuff is ok, but the soy chorizo gives me a belly ache.

After being a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 12 years, I gave up when I got to Mexico, because it was almost impossible to live in a small town and eat out and restrict myself to vegetarian food. However, I was only a vegetarian for my health problems, so I didn't have any ideological issues about this. I found the chicken they put in quesadillas, tortas, etc to be very dry, and low in fat (and therefore stomach acid), and if you ordered something bland, you could always ask for no jalape�os, but usually they serve the chilis on the side, so its not a problem.

That's all the helpful things I can think of just now...

Lozwich.

[thelmadatter]

You can get better tofu at a Korean market I found in Zona Rosa. Its called Seoul Market. Its by the Angel, not on Reforma but on the street you would take to walk (north? I have a lousy sense of direction) into Zona Rosa. Its about a block from the Angel and easy to miss. But its a BIG clean store with a lot of great stuff, including some kick-___ kimchee. When I walked in, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

I love Asian food and cook much of it pretty well.

Ive seen Zantac (not sure about whether it says 75 or not) here. Ill ask about Paxil when I get a chance. If anyone has it, I bet it will be Walmart. A perhaps bigger worry might be getting a physician/psychiatrist to give your wife ongoing care. At least where I am, there arent any who speak English that I know of, and this is one area where you really do need to talk to your doctor extensively.

(I was on Celexa for some time after my divorce - what a lifesaver that was!)

[Ben Round de Bloc]

I just checked with the housemate who works at a local pharmacy. Not sure how it is throughout the rest of the country, but according to him, here in Merida the drugs mentioned (Paxil, Zantac) are available both in generic and "brand name" forms. Although I personally wouldn't recommend it, it's possible to buy even the few "controlled" drugs over the counter without a real prescription, just by talking to one of the doctors on duty in many of the larger pharmacies.

As for stomach problems, almost all the people I know who moved here from other locations went through that change-of-amoebas thing and/or eating things that didn't agree with their digestive systems. I imagine it could be worse for people who have especially sensitive digestive systems.

I don't know, and it's probably not for me to say, but it seems that if your wife has problems with depression and also has to maintain such a strict diet, a move to Mexico could be quite traumatic for her.

[moonraven]

Paxil has been available over the counter even in small provincial pharmacies (no need to contribute to the cancer of WalMart) at least since 1994, when a friend who was visiting me from the US stocked up on it because it was cheaper here.

The Chinatown street in Mexico City is calle Dolores, in the Centro H�storico.

I have had co-workers who were quite strict vegetarians. Most of the time they prepared their food at home. However, MOST of the towns I have lived in have had pretty decent vegetarian restaurants--in some there are several.

[Abunai]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I appreciate the input. Thanks!

[delacosta]

I've found that in Mexico I've had to let go of a lot of things, and the more I let go of, the happier I am.
One of these things was being a strict vegetarian, it just became too much of a hassle. I don't live in a big cosmopolitan city so perhaps it's harder where I am. If I were to only eat veggie in restaurants, for example, I'd be limiting myself to beans, rice, eggs and cheese- for the most part. And when eating at friends� houses it became too difficult to refuse meals that people had gone to a lot of time and effort to prepare, the look of miscomprehension on their faces. Oh and of course it always looked and smelled way too delicious....
Now I accept whatever I'm offered with gratitude. And if I'm somewhere where the choice is pretty much meat or meat, then I apply the same principle and try to feel good about sharing my money with the restaurant owners, waiter, etc and so on down the line, even to the animal who has given its life for my sustenance..
I occasionally get heartburn, I love picante, but a few Tums takes care of that. Back in Canada a doctor wanted to prescribe anti -acid pills to me. But that's what doctors do there.

In my years here I've found that people with delicate health, both physical and mental, have a hard go of things. I don't want to make anyone feel that they need to limit their life choices because of personal challenges; I'm just sharing what my experience has been...

[saraswati]

I'm pesco-vegetarian and have had little difficulty managing my dietary preferences. You can also find tofu, on occasion, in the import section of larger supermarkets. If that's not an option, you can make your own.

I agree with Ben about generic options for meds. Name brands will probably need a scrip as anti-depressants tend to be one of the few drugs kept under lock and key.

[ulock]

(for the ladies)
What do you do about birth control, as in "the pill"? Are there obligatory gyn checkups for a prescription? Have you switched to other means of contraceptives?

Thanks,
Laura

[thelmadatter]

At least in the larger cities, most, if not all, forms of birth control is available. Took me a while to find one I like, but I found a GYN who takes care of all the routine care. One difference is that for a Pap I need to go to a laboratory, the GYN doesnt do it and then send it to a lab. I dont really like that but thats the way it is.

I got an IUD down here (called a "dispositivo") - but then Im 40 and dont plan on having any more kids. The pill was an option too but I dont know about the patch or the things they implant in your arm as I didnt ask about that. I suspect they are just as available as well.

Everything, however, is out-of-pocket but cheaper than in the States

[moonraven]

I have had several PAP tests in Mexico, and they were all done in the office of a female GYN.

[ulock]

Thanks

[Wouter]

Hi,

This is a website where you can find vegetarian websites. I know you have also some other preferences than only not meat but maybe in these restaurants they can help better you with your special needs.

Also i have a mexican friend who is a doctor and i will see if she knows about the medicines your need.

The website for vegetrian restaurants is.

Vegetarian restaurants in Mexico

Wouter