Job Discussion Forums

[septum1234]

How easily can I get USA prescription medicine in hanoi without a prescription. I take Valium sometimes for anxiety and will I be able to get these medications over the counter in Hanoi? I can have my doctor at home write a note or something.

[Oh My God]

[anubistaima]

For something like Valium, you'll need a prescription. Even with a doctor's notice from your own country, you won't be able to find it in pharmacies. You'll need to get it from SOS or one of the other private clinics. That means seeing one of their doctors (about USD90) and then buying the prescription from their own pharmacy.

[jb0072009]

I get diazepam (same as valium) at a pharmacy here in Cau Giay near the Cho (market) without a script but they only sell 10 at a time for 20,000d. It is very hard to find it at most pharmacies because it is classified by the government as a dangerous drug which is funny because they sell codeine like candy. Yes at the int hospital pharms you can get it but as said you need a script from a doc. In Saigon I got it at FV hospital pharm with a script

[chim35]

One of the good things about VN is that there are lots of Chinese and traditional medicine shops where you can buy non-toxic herbal medicines that won't make you feel awful like Valium does (I took it once in my less enlightened days), won't harm your liver and kidneys and cause heart attacks and cancer like western medicine does, and is a lot cheaper than toxic western medicine. Not all of it will work for you, but some of it might. You might want to do some research on Chinese or Vietnamese traditional anxiety herbal meds on the net. I know I've found lots of great stuff at these shops.

[Conquense54]

Hi all, have read with interest your comments about Valium, does the same apply to Lorazapam (Ativan)? I take large dosage, also anti-depressants and BP tablets, would some of these be available over the counter, if so, at what cost? Thanks

[anubistaima]

Zoloft is available with a prescription and only from clinics like SOS and Family Medical Practice. Pharmacies don't stock it. Wellbutrin is not for sale in Vietnam. If that's what you take, you'll need to get in Bangkok (where is available over the counter). Not sure about Lorazepam but you can buy Atarax over the counter in Hanoi. It's a milder version of Xanax and very effective.

[anubistaima]

[chim35]

You might want to take a look at these links:

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/01/28/the-depressing-news-about-antidepressants.html
http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/lab-notes/2008/02/25/depressing-news-on-antidepressants.html

The news media's reporting is always biased in favor of the drug industry, because they make tons of money in advertising from them. (Remember all the media hype about Prozac years ago?) This suggests that these Newsweek stories are just a "limited hangout", the tip of the iceberg. Antidepressants don't work. But the bigger truth is, not only do they usually not work, they damage you and can kill you.

It seems some people on this board are going through the same phases I went through 20-30 years ago. I remember well going to the emergency room because my heart was palpitating...getting an EKG that said it wasn't a heart attack...and, years later, finding out that the palpitations were a known side effect of the antidepressant I was taking..something the psychiatrist never mentioned to me, even when I told her about what happened.

Then there was that other antidepressant, the one that made it almost impossible to have an orgasm, which meant I had to work so hard I practically had a heart attack every time I tried to have an o.

I guess they're not all bad...actually I do remember one, Trazodone, that did help me and had very minimal side effects. But today I would search for natural alternatives, based on my experiences.