Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Mary G]

Now that the holiday season is getting underway and in view of some of the recent posts on here, I thought I revive this thread again.

Many of us on here, myself included, are on private prescriptions and are forking out £8.00 a throw on Oestrogel and I thought this might be of interest to those who would like to save money.

You can buy Oestrogel over the counter and without a prescription in Spanish pharmacies and it costs about €4.00 per 80 gram tube.  It is exactly the same as the UK gel but it is called Oestraclin and it comes in a tube in a red and white box.  It is not a pump mechanism, it is like an old fashioned toothpaste tube with a slide and you simply squirt the gel onto the slide.  One entire slide = two pumps and half a slide = one pump.  All pharmacies usually have at least one tube in stock but you can order several tubes and it can usually be delivered to the pharmacy the next day for you to collect.

You can also buy boxes of Utrogestan (both 100 mg and 200 mg) over the counter and that also costs about €4.00 for a box of 30 capsules.

You can also buy other HRT products OTC like Angeliq (about €23.00) and Livial (Tibolone) but I'm afraid I can't give you all the prices and I don't have a list of all the different brands available but I can find out if anyone is interested.

I am not encouraging people to self medicate, this is simply a way of saving money if are on private prescriptions and you happen to be going to Spain on holiday.

Something to bear in mind next time you are planning a holiday!

[CLKD]

Will this facility stop if we come out of the EU?  What do Customs have to say about travelling with medication without prescription, I know that some Countries can be really strict. 

[Mary G]

I don't see why leaving the EU would make it any different when bringing it back from a holiday in your luggage but it might be different if you posted it because you might have to start filling in a non-EU declaration.  This is all part of the great unknown. 

[CLKD]

   pity the MM charabanc is virtual and not reality  - I feel a trip coming on ;-).

[dangermouse]

Very helpful thanks!

When they say that the Spanish live longer because of the Mediterranean diet, maybe it's actually the HRT. 

[dangermouse]

Do you know if there are any restrictions sending it through the post now?

I'm only taking hand luggage so can probably only bring back one gel, so thought of posting it back to my UK address.

[Kate50]

You won't get it in your hand luggage as its more than limit I saw loads of hand luggage being opened at Manchester airport the other week and larger quantities being disposed of. I got some as Mary said. doubt they can do ote if you can legally buy it and you have a receipt.  My daughter always brings anti biotics back.  Shall be getting some in france but I dont know why as I can get it all from my Dr's! Lol! Stockpiling I think fir the day they try to take it off me Although at mo  they can have the utrogestan! !!!

[peri]

 Will that include Tenerife Mary G I'm going for a wedding at the end of May so I might pick some up?

[Mary G]

Yes, they have all the same products in the Canaries and the Balearics. 

[peri]

Good stuff, this is why I love this website, don't know where I'd be without it

[Mary G]

Just in case anyone is interested, I have found out that Livial (Tibolone) 2.5mg costs €11.30 for a box of 28 tablets.  This is a popular brand in Spain and they usually have at least 1 box in stock but as always, they can order more in for next day delivery. 

[Callisto]

Thank you for the detailed information Mary G,

Think I will go to Barcelona and stock up in a few months. Do you contact a Spanish pharmacy in advance of travel? 

What I don't understand is how, even within this supposed one country (irrespective of in/out EU) some areas will prescribe estrogel / ultro on the NHS and some won't? I have had to pay for my private prescription.


 I received a letter from my well meaning G.P who had written to the prescribing team for advise on my behalf regarding my request for Estro/Utro..


He then wrote to tell me that,

'Estrogel is apparently not available in the UK. ....and Utrogestan is not recommended'...

C🐾

[Mary G]

To answer some of the questions, no, there are no postal restrictions between Spain and the UK for sending the gel. 

I always put a tube of gel in my hand luggage in case my suitcase gets lost but it is within the limit (80 grams) i.e. under 100 gram hand luggage restriction.

Callisto, you don't need to contact the pharmacy in advance of travel but make sure you order it on day 1 of your holiday so that it is ready in time.  They usually have it in for the next day - interestingly, the gel is made in Barcelona.

As for the NHS and their prescription guidelines, they are all over the place, some GPs will prescribe it and others won't.  I gave up trying to get it on the NHS years ago and just do my own thing.  Life's too short!

[Sunnydays]

Mary , do you know if any of the patches are sold otc in Spain ? I know there's not the same private prescription problems with this type of hrt but it's useful to know.

[Callisto]

Thank you Mary,

Another reason to holiday to Barcelona and haha, 'Yes!' Life is too short and it is hard enough navigating peri/men without a constant pitched battle to achieve the prescription that you would think should be every woman's individual informed choice- to determine her own path..
 
C🐾