CAdreaming

If I have a headache I like to take a paracetamol...when i was in the USA last year they had not heard of it in pharmacies ---maybe it goes by another name?
I have a couple of packets I would like to bring with me- Ive searched but cant seem to find an answer to my question ---is there a limit to how many I can bring into the country in my suitcase? I have a couple of packets of 32 tablets...
thanks!

avanutria

It's acetaminophen here, common brand name is Tylenol. It's in many things - my husband is allergic so we have to watch out for it.

I don't think it'll be a problem to bring your personal supplies.

CAdreaming

Thank you!

CAdreaming

many thanks

Duncan Roberts

As said, its acetaminophen and it's cheap, leave yours at home. You can get bottles of 500 for less than $10 at costco.

Anian

When I used to visit the US, I was first told (by a pharmacist) that it was illegal in this country. Only when I moved here did I find out it just had a different name. I've not seen many examples of it being sold on its own in tablet form (nearly always combined with other cold medicines), and it is nowhere near as cheap as the UK, but it's not expensive either. Ask for generic Tylenol and you'll get the own-brand equivalent.

taffie77

This one had me confused for a while too, and imo Paracetamol is easier to say
I think most pharmacies have their own brand - Target certainly do, and I'm a 'fan' of their PM version that include sleep aid.

Duncan Roberts

I don't know where you're shopping but in all the pharmacies around me the shelves are stacked with 'pure' acetaminophen in different forms (tablets, liquid, gel, etc) and it's been much cheaper than the UK, I think I paid about $6-7 for 500 at Costco. It is in some cold medicines but there is far more that's not.

Rete

I'm with you Duncan. I just purchased a 500 tablet bottle, store brand, pure stuff for $4.99.

avanutria

The pharmacist probably had never heard that name before and didn't want to admit it!

On one of DH's first visits to the US he got really ill and we were looking for cold medicine for him. We didn't know that the two substances were the same, but my brother was able to look it up on his phone before we left the store. Not before we had paid, though, so we had to return about 90% of the things we had gotten!

It's easier to remember the two names if you notice this: parACETAMol and ACETAMinophen.

CAdreaming

thank you everybody - really appreciate all your help and advice! one less thing for me to worry about..

Jerseygirl

What you can't buy here is co-codamol or any other meds containing codeine.

CAdreaming

They have taken codeine out of a lot of meds here as well now - they used to sell sulphadine which had codeine in it but too many people were becoming addicted to it!

I only take paras very occassionally for a headache cos i cant take aspirin based products - thanks for the advice Jerseygirl

Jerseygirl

I remember buying 100 co-codamol tabs from Boots. They still sell some meds containing codeine...thankfully my Migraleve is still available.

Poppy girl

Oh yes so do I

I bring back Paracetamol all the time only thing is these days you can't buy more then 2 packs at 1 time in the chemist or store back home.....if you look Paracetamol does have a slightly different ingredient to any pain killers I have seen in the US its all about whats right for you, personally I like CVS generic 500ml.