How easy is it to get phenegren?

[mommyof3]

For those of you who take this (in the US), how difficult was it for you to get your doc to write you a scrip? What did you tell him/her?


We are going to the Bahamas next week and although I should be happy I'm a nervous wreck. My husband goes to our family doc on Friday and I was thinking of having him ask him for some phenegren for me "just in case." Do you think he'll prescribe me some? Or do you think he'll say I need to see him? I'm just thinking that dh can say to him that I'm worried about feeling s* from the food, etc.


You know I doubt I'll even take it, but just having it will make me feel better.

[SimplyMe]

I've never had it but could you go to the doctor w/ your husband and that way youa re right there and there is no risk of the "I have to see her 1st" thing? You could just say that you're worried about travel sickness or the change in diet etc. Does he know your'e emet?

[becca30]

I've never had a problem being prescribed Phenergan. I was first
prescribed Phenergan a few years ago for a bout of gastritis. As
I have run out of Phenergran, I've just gone to whatever doctor I'm
seeing at the time and ask them to write me a prescription so that I
will have it in the house just in case someone becomes ill. This
is especially understandable for this time of year with stomach bugs
going around. I've never had a doctor have a problem with
this. My mom also has always kept Phenergan in the house for the
same reason - just in case someone becomes ill (she's not an Emet,
though - just precautious).

[crimgoddess]

Paula- what about getting some over-the-counter motion sickness pills? I have taken both for motionsickness, and have found that they both work about the same. That, and it's cheaper, and definitely accessible.


Although I would stay away from the new chewable gravol, as they do indeed taste like ass.


*amber*

[karenanna]

I got a prescription for Phenergan from the hospital before I miscarried a
few months ago. It does work wonders but it kinda feels a bit like what
you take for motionsickness too like crimgoddess says. I think I
remember reading that Phenergan combines an antihistamine with an
anti-motionsickness medication, so check if you can take dramamine.
Maybe if you ask your doctor about dramamine and he or she is resistant,
you can suggest phenergan as a way of easing into the prescription
request.

I know just knowing you have it in your bag is sometimes the best
medicine!

good luck and enjoy the trip!

[mommyof3]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I guess it couldn't hurt for him to ask. I can't go with him as I work on Fridays. I'll try for the phenegren, otherwise get some dramamine.


Has anyone tried unisom for nausea? My doc suggested that at onepoint for morning sickness but I never tried it. Of course I don't want to sleep through my whole trip lol.


Thanks!

[suze]

The active drug in phenergan is promethazine. As Amber suggests, get some motion sickness tablets but ones which contain promethazine as the active ingredient. This will do exactly the same thing. I didn't think you could get phenergan in the UK without a presecription from the doctor, as it seems things are stricter here with regards what you can buy over the counter. However, with a bit of research I found that there are motion sickness pills you can buy that contain promethazine.

[willow2]

suze - from your research what are the motion sickness pills. you're right about things being stricter over here, I feel like we are really limited as to what we can get OTC.

[suze]

The ones I've found by looking at the web are called Avomine and the box says they are for the "prevention and treatment of travel sickness and general nausea". The active ingredient is promethazine teoclate which is slightly different from phenergan which is promethazine hydrochloride. I think they all work in the same way though.


I haven't tried to buy them but you can get them from the online pharmacies based in the UK, so if you can do this then you should be able to buy them in the shops, as the online pharmacies are subject to the same regulations as the high street stores. Hope this helps. I'll let you know if I manage to pick them up.

[willow2]

I hadn't thought about on-line pharmacies in the UK!! I know you can buy things like gravol over the internet but I am never very sure what would happen if you tried to get the delivered in the UK - would they be stopped? Let me know if you manage to get anything. Thanks, k x

[khrysta]

I was wondering if it would be stupied to ask my Dr to prescibe me some anti v and n meds wouldent I have to have a reason to get a presription? I don't think she would just give me something, I want meds really bad I can't bear the thought of getting the sv I got one last feb and scared to death of getting another one this feb, should I call my dr and ask?





Khrysta

[sage]

Just as my lil' ol' contribution to this thread, I think...that when all else fails...try the truth! Doctors are unbelievably sympathetic and helpful to their patients (unless they're complete asses). However, doctors can usually intuitively sniff out "b.s." The problem with us emetophobes, I believe, is that the *shame* aspect of this phobia is so strong, that we believe the truth is somehow not valid enough reason to ask for what we want. I completely understand that many doctors will have never heard of this phobia...but then it's up to you to educate your doctor. My suggestion has been, and always will be, to print out the info on the Treatments thread to give to your doctor about emetophobia. Make an appointment with him or her to discuss it after they've read it. Be prepared to summarize it yourself. Strategize together with your doctor as to a) treatment for the phobia and b) anti-emetics to have "on hand" in the meantime. [Doctors will be far more willing to prescribe anti-emetics if they think you're being proactive about getting rid of the phobia as well.] However, most doctors will happily give you the prescriptions, even if you're not ready yet to enter therapy.


What I'm trying to say is that it's the shame that's really the problem...not figuring out what to tell them, or how to send your husband or someone else, or get drugs over the internet. [I would suggest mommyof3 calls the doctor herself, as I believe it is actually illegal for a doctor to prescribe something to a patient who is not there, unless it is over the phone or a repeat or something.]


I know, because I have been there, that the shame is so huge....that it paralyzes you and makes you anxious even thinking about these conversations. But I can also tell you "on the other side of it" (not phobic anymore) that I tell all sorts of people all the time about my phobia, and its history, and I don't feel any sense of judgment at all from them, and it makes me realize that when I did, it was my imagination! My interpretation of what I thought they thought of me, or things they said.


Anyway, I hope this helps. And momof3, I can sure remember feeling exactly the same way about trips, and saying those exact words "I should be excited"...when all I could think of was fear. I hope you try to get to the dr. yourself, and can get your phenergan...and that you can relax and have a good time!

[mommyof3]

First of all, I apologize for not responding all weekend--did anyone else have problems accessing the site? I couldn't get to it since I last posted.


Anyway, at first the doctor wasn't going to write me a prescription. He wanted to give me some Xanax instead. The problem was both he AND my husband didn't understand what I wanted it for--not for anxiety (I'm not an idiot, I know it's not an anti-anxiety) but for nausea and just-in-case. So when he called back Saturday morning with my husband's lab results, my husband clarified what I meant and he went ahead and prescribed me 12 of them. So I feel a bit better. My back-up plan was to get some dramamine like the others suggested. I still might take some of that for the flight instead. AND, I did get some xanax, which was good because Saturday night I just had a major panic attack. My husband, who is a psychotherapist, talked me down and talked me into taking the Xanax. I didn't like that it made me dizzy (I have syncope anyway), but I had the best night of sleep I've had in a long time! LOL!! (Sidebar--does anyone else notice that anxiety gets worse "that time of the month"--could it have anything to do with hormones?). My husband is the best--he offered to cancel the whole trip or buy tickets for my three kids, too! But I AM GOING TO DO THIS


Sage, as for what you said, I totally agree. The problem is that I have been procrastinating about getting to the doctor. I FINALLY have health insurance (the first of the year) and just haven't made an appointment yet. I need to do that for my high cholesterol (hence my procrastination --the last time I took a cholesterol-lowering medication it gave me a stomachache). So, when it finally occurred to me that I really, really wanted some phenegren, it was too late to make an appointment.


Thank you very much, all of you!!!!!!!!! I will post again when I get back. We leave tomorrow and I am trying to think positively!!!!!!!!!!Edited by: mommyof3

[silver]

I understand your aprehension about the trip...everytime that I am going on a trip I get so nervous with the what ifs and such. Think back to how many times you have been nervous to go on a trip because of your emet and you have been just fine and worried about nothing?? I think about all of the wasted hours worrying about something that never happened!! What a waste of time and energy we spend worrying. If the fear does creep into your head, acknowlegde it, don't fight it, and then leave it "by the side of the road." This little tip has been helping me a lot lately.


Thank you so much to Sage for all of your help and guidance. It is so cool to have someone that has been through it to help us.

[mommyof3]

We are on our first stop of our trip, staying at a hotel near the airport. We said goodbye to the kids this afternoon and they were fine and my aunt called to say they went to bed just fine and were asleep by 8:30! So while I'm not going to jinx myself, it looks like all is going well so far


I am so glad I have this place to come to. I will report back after the trip and hopefully encourage someone else to take the leap--international travel and leaving the kids! Woo hoo pretty cool for an emet


Hugs to all of you.

[sage]

Hey Paula!


Glad to hear you got your Phergan, some Xanax, and you're off on your trip ok. Do try to enjoy the good stuff as much as you can, k?

[mommyof3]

Just a quick update--


We had a FABULOUS time andI would do it again ina heartbeat. I didn't take the phenegren while on the trip, but I did take one yesterday because I was just feeling kind of "off" bowel-wise and it was making me feel n*. Boy do I love that stuff. My biggest problem regarding my digestion on the trip was that I tend to not "go" when I'm on vacation so I've been having the opposite problem now that I'm back to my "home toilet." LOL. Constipation makes me feel n* sometimes so that's what I think it was yesterday.


Anyway, just wanted to post this to encourage other emets to get out there and enjoy life It was so nice to be warm and forget abouteveryday crapfor a while. The kids did great and didn't miss us a bit. Another nice thing was to be able to sleep and not worry about somebody waking me up in the middle of the night! LOL!!!

[jennyleigh1975]

I am so glad you had a wonderful trip!!!! Is that you on the beach in the avatar?

[mommyof3]

Yes it is! It was so beautiful there!