From Yulin

[Randy W]

No - that's been an ongoing thing with her for a LONG time - to the point where it's affected what she'll eat.

 

She is presently in the hospital for cyst drainage (near her liver) - something else she's had for as long as I've known her. They tracked this one originally using her immigration chest x-ray as a baseline (yes, those things do come in handy on occasion). One more day to drain it all out.

[Randy W]

I'm hobbling around with something in my right leg myself (also a cyst?). I need to go in for pictures to see what's going on.

[amberjack1234]

Dern Randy. I hope that she gets out on time and all is well. Yep, you need to get that checked out for sure. Let us know how it goes. I'd tell you what's wrong with me but it would take 10 pages or more. Seriously I am doing pretty good now.

Edited July 22, 2018 by amberjack1234 (see edit history)

[Randy W]

So I went to the doctor today and got some Ibuprofen (now why didn't I think of that?), and some of this stuff. He said it could be due to uric acid, even though I'm within the range for that.

 

 

活血止痛

huóxuèzhǐtòng

wut6 hyut3 zi2 tung3

to invigorate blood circulation and alleviate pain (idiom)

Interesting that he would want to "invigorate blood circulation" when I'm also taking blood pressure medication, but, hey! Sounds good to me!

It seems to already be helping - it's now a livable level of pain. It had gotten to where I would take one step up or down at a time, so I wouldn't have to flex my right leg.

We'll see if this doesn't fix it up in a few days.

Edited July 23, 2018 by Randy W (see edit history)

[amberjack1234]

Good luck.

[Randy W]

I'm already somewhat back to normal (and somewhat livable mobility), except for leg cramps whenever I try to sleep - I'll be going in in a day or 2 or three for dexamethasone

[Randy W]

I'm already somewhat back to normal (and somewhat livable mobility), except for leg cramps whenever I try to sleep - I'll be going in in a day or 2 or three for dexamethasone

 

As long as I'm awake, I can ward off the cramps as I feel them start to come on. When I go to bed., doing so keeps me busy (and awake) for a couple of hours. When I get tired enough, i fall asleep, but am often woken up by the pain in an hour or two. A real nightmare as far as getting some decent sleep - naps aren't any better.

[amberjack1234]

Sorry to hear about this Randy. My mother had them the last 8-9 years that she lived and it was a real pain in the butt for her. Hope you can find some relief.

[Randy W]

So the huóxuèzhǐtòng and ibuprofen seem to have done the trick, while the dexamethasone seems to unlink it from the cramps. I've taken that in inhaler form before for a chronic cough.

 

In the meantime, we had gone to the Traditional Hospital to see what they had to say. They wanted to take pictures, which Jiaying initially paid for, but then balked at when she realized the ¥800 included my hip, which we both agreed was unnecessary. I wouldn't have minded paying for pictures of my knee, but Jiaying went and got her money back before we had the pictures taken. She said the doctor was pissed, since he only got a ¥10 for the consultation instead of the ¥800 he was expecting. Gotta love it when they pit one hospital against another.

 

But the Orthopedics hospital seems to be on the right track, so I'm happy.

 

There was a guy in the drip room with me whose uric acid level was TWICE mine - he could hardly walk across the room

[Randy W]

So the huóxuèzhǐtòng and ibuprofen seem to have done the trick, while the dexamethasone seems to unlink it from the cramps. I've taken that in inhaler form before for a chronic cough.

 

In the meantime, we had gone to the Traditional Hospital to see what they had to say. They wanted to take pictures, which Jiaying initially paid for, but then balked at when she realized the ¥800 included my hip, which we both agreed was unnecessary. I wouldn't have minded paying for pictures of my knee, but Jiaying went and got her money back before we had the pictures taken. She said the doctor was pissed, since he only got a ¥10 for the consultation instead of the ¥800 he was expecting. Gotta love it when they pit one hospital against another.

 

But the Orthopedics hospital seems to be on the right track, so I'm happy.

 

There was a guy in the drip room with me whose uric acid level was TWICE mine - he could hardly walk across the room.

I managed to get to sleep okay last night, but then the cramps kicked in a couple of times. We'll see if the last two rounds of drips don't fix that up.

[Dennis143]

All the best to you, Randy. Are western medicines available to you in China?

[Randy W]

All the best to you, Randy. Are western medicines available to you in China?

 

 

Thanks, Dennis. Same to you.

 

Yes, western medicines ARE available in China, but you'll find more than a few effective Chinese medicines which are NOT available in the West. I'm taking a few myself, where they have undergone Western-style approval proceedings and seem to be potentially helpful and harmless. the gout medicine I've already talked about is an example.

 

The huóxuèzhǐtòng seems to be an example - compare with the treatment for gout from the Arthritis Foundation at https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/gout/treatments/types.php.

 

Respiratory treatments abound, of course, for the air pollution "with Chinese characteristics" (coal and concrete dust) that we experience here. Bausch and Lomb owns a little eye drop company which is a necessity for most eyes (along with that of Chinese competitors, of course). Singulair seems to be an up-and-coming medicine for respiratory ailments, sold by MSD apparently through a Chinese subsidiary.

 

But don't expect to able to get medications from overseas - customs will block entry without a prescription from a local doctor. There are "insurance" companies that specialize in that sort of thing, but of course CHARGE for the service.

 

Buying your own in Hong Kong may be feasible - I don't know of anyone who's tried that. The problem would lie with getting enough even for your own use through customs, although occasional items I'm sure are no problem.

 

But back to your question - yes, there are Chinese brands of most Western medications that you will need - we even purchase diazepam from a Chinese company - Jiaying knows a doctor who will sell a month's supply at a time, which I take at half strength. My blood pressure medication bisoprolol fumurate is available from a Chinese company, and I take two other Chinese medications - levamlodipine besylate and candesartan cillexetil, which were both prescribed by a Chinese doctor when my blood pressure went up a little. We were at a standstill, even with a translator from the University, until I said the term, "beta blocker", which the doctor understood.

 

You'll get plenty of Chinese-branded western-style medications, even through the Traditional hospitals. They seem to know their stuff pretty well here.

 

Cold medications have changed dramatically in the last few years - the codeine-flavored cough syrup that used to be available over the counter is no longer sold. Pseudo-ephedrine medicines such as Tylenol cold are still available, but are sold only behind the counter - that is, you need to ask and show an ID. Even Madame Pearl's now sells as an over-the-counter F2 version.

 

But I draw the line at any foul brews that I'm not convinced do anything. Jiaying gave me one that she said would make my "doo-doo smell better". I decided it was much more therapeutic to keep the door locked when I do my morning meditations.

[amberjack1234]

But I draw the line at any foul brews that I'm not convinced do anything. Jiaying gave me one that she said would make my "doo-doo smell better". I decided it was much more therapeutic to keep the door locked when I do my morning meditations.

 

Lee says that I need some of that. Glad that you can get what you really need. Thank God Lee is not into that traditional medicine thingame. It is such a shame that the doctors in China are such scammers but it is almost as bad here now. One doctor was just caught scamming insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid out of 250 million dollars. The IRS got onto him when he went to buy his third airplane. They should have gotten onto him when he bought his second airplane.

[Allon]

Gout and leg cramps go together as both are electrolytic related. Cramps are aided by eating bananas or orange juice which have a lot of potassium which alleviates cramps. Gatorade is taken by some also. Watch your kidney function with these drugs.

 

Gout has been treated with some uric acid lowering drugs pretty well. May not be available there but they are in generic so they might just be. A friend of mine has gout pretty bad and the uric acid lowering drugs help a lot but he is a big beer drinker so two steps forward, one back. He says it is episodic but that does not help when it's acute.

 

Good luck with it. Hope you are better.

[amberjack1234]

I just read today that China is hoping to get into the aftermarket drug business and take the market over all over the world and you will never know where they are coming from. How do we feel about that?

 

 

https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/china-prepares-for-big-pharma/

 

This is just one there are many more.