Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cornfed]

I seem to be developing a rash of some sort. Does anyone know the brand name of any good anti-fungal cream or spray or whatever that is commonly available in Korea?

[The evil penguin]

oooohhhhhh... thats why i never touch real women.... ooohhh icky horrible things they are....

[Adventurer]

[Cornfed]

^ I think it's just a simple tinea type-thing rather than a food allergy. In any case, I should try applying cream first before seeing a doctor.

[Xuanzang]

Do they have Lamisil here? That works well.

[mmarshalynne]

I was getting bumps on my hands that would come and go when I first got here. After a couple weeks of this, I went to the pharmacy and showed them the bumps and they gave me a cream that cleared it up within a week. The names in Korean, so I can't give it to you, but if you go to a pharmacy and show them the bumps, the pharmacist may be able to help you.

[crossmr]

[ajgeddes]

[valkerie]

99%b of pharmacists I have spoken to here speak English. Just show em the problem area (if that wouldn't get you arrested!)

[sojourner1]

You have to go to a doctor to get something useful like cream containing miconazole. This is the same ingredient in Desenex which works wonders for tinea pedis or athletes foot through you won't find sprays in Korea. There is no OTC medicine that works in my experience. The cream was not as effective as it didn't cure it, but the can of spray I got in the states kicked it once and for all. Boy did I struggle with the worse athletes foot last year until I could get Desenex. There is no more awful tinea pedis when Desenex resides with you. Might check the Red Door in Itaewon and other markets carrying American things.

While everything is easy to get in Thailand without going to a doctor, you have to go to a doctor to get medicine in Korea; even stuff commonly found in American grocery stores and Wal*Mart OTC. There also are no OTC medicine departments what so ever in stores like common in many other countries.

Be careful if they prescribe the Sporonox pills as they can cause arrhythmia and stop your heart should you be taking heart burn relief pills like omeprazole and ranitidine or if something is already wrong with your heart. That stuff is dangerous and it's prescribed like bags of candy for skin conditions in Korea and almost killed me last year. I learned my lesson to research drugs and pay attention as you can't depend on the doctors to do that by testing, asking questions, and advising you on drug interactions. They usually just go off your complaint and what can be seen by naked eye. I've never had a medical test nor medical questioning in Korea outside of drug and HIV tests despite going to the doctor for flu, tonsillitis, and bad athletes foot a number of times. They don't even weigh you, they just ask you how many KG's you weigh. I think we over pay for this health insurance as it really is not looking out for our interests, the doctors don't care much about foreigners, nor would it take care of us if we did need some serious care. I had to pay full retail price for Chantix when I took it which costed me $120 per month for 4 months as my insurance didn't cover it. If you had a serious event, you might get emergency room treatment, but you would be deported if something serious went South with your health here after having paid in just like a Korean.