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VietNam doesn't promote OTC (over the counter) drugs, they prefer generics and often several generics are used in combination to equal a name brand.

Cholestyramine is the generic name.

I can only suggest you write it down and approach a pharmacy in the area of a hospital. They have better drug selections.

Alternatively, you could spring USD$50-70 for a doctors visit, say to Family Clinic (the director has been here in VN for 20 years) and see what they recommend.

The other solution, which is a USD$67 return trip to Singapore on Tiger, and get supplies there. Thailand has a wide selection of drugs but many are fakes.

Thanks, no it isn't a generic but anyway you answered my question.

Family Medical Practice VietNam AM, B+, JCB, MC, VS
< >
Diamond Plaza (Parking under)
34 Le Duan Street
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 3822 7848
Email: hcmc@vietnammedicalpractice.com
Consultation fees: $59-89
Dr.Rafi Kot, Internal Medicine, M.D. (Director/Founder)
Dr. Nguyen Forton Guillaume, Cardiology, Cardio Vascular Diseases & Intensive Care, M.D.

hey man, much appreciated..

Cholestyramine - generic name means pharmaceutical substance.
The name of that medication is Questran (that could be generics or brand name, however I believe the quality is not so much different, just depends on your budget)
I cannot think that you went around pharmacies in dist 1 and cannot find this med.
Please write down the name Questran - Cholestyramine on paper then ask them.
No need to go to Doctors (in Vn) in case you have nothing trouble but only to buy Med.
Just my 2 cents

Okay, I'll look for Questron now.  To date I've carried around one of the packets and it says "Cholestyramine for oral suspension UPS light".

Your other comments were interesting.

Good luck man.

You can try going here.



Call them up and ask around.

However, if you really need medicine from the US, I may have a suggestion for you. I've had some herbal medicine shipped here without a problem. PM me if you like to know.

sary89 wrote:

Cholestyramine - generic name means pharmaceutical substance.

Huh? This IS the generic name.

Questran is a Trade Mark < >.

You will rarely find trade named drugs in VN. They are not authorised by the ministry of health.

And trotting around Q1 is pointless except to pharmacies in the vicinity of a hospital.

We are talking about a man's health, here.

Jaitch wrote:

sary89 wrote:

Cholestyramine - generic name means pharmaceutical substance.

Huh? This IS the generic name.

Questran is a Trade Mark < >.

You will rarely find trade named drugs in VN. They are not authorised by the ministry of health.

And trotting around Q1 is pointless except to pharmacies in the vicinity of a hospital.

We are talking about a man's health, here.

Jaitch are you sure about that? The pharmacy I go to in Can Tho, the largest in town, has at least 15 named brands on display like tylenol just to name one. Just for a helpful hint, I've found that finding the drug I wanted on the internet and then copy and paste it to a word doc in 14 pitch bold and print it out works better than handing them a note with the name hand written, even if it clearly wrote out.

Yes, the ministry spends a lot of money subbing name drugs. Obviously if they can't be subbed they do permit the importation of branded drugs.

They also buy a lot of drugs from India and Brazil, both known for alternate sources. I keep Panadol handy and you can buy both Red and Blue here (VND8,000 for 10). But you can't buy cough medicine, for example.

I was surprised to find K Y Jelly at the Co-Op Mart (Howie no need to bring any back). You won't find Deep Rub though.

Don't know much about medicine, but a cursory search found plenty of references about Questran in Vietnamese websites, so it must be plenty available in Saigon.



For example, this company ecopharma.com.vn sells Questran to the Enfant Hospital in SGN.

My connections told me about plenty of branded medicines, especially in more serious diseases since the volume for them is not so big, and people wants the real stuff.

I imagine that it should be available in major pharamacies.

If you still have problems finding it, let me know, I will call around and find where you can buy it.

Questran (cholestyramine) is used to lower cholesterol (not used much anymore as there are better more effective meds now called statins), and also to slow down diarrhea (more commonly for this).  If you are off of it for a few weeks don't worry about it unless you have a history of heart attack or pancreatitis.  It shouldn't cause any problems to stop it for a bit-- no danger to your health.

An American doctor

jereostr Welcome to the blog.

The @OP should remember most of us have no medical training. And I am sure that @jereostr would agree an in-person visit, with a suitably qualified doctor, would be preferable to changing medication over th InterNet!

I never accept a VN doctors prescription for a major, long term medicine, but a VN doctor is my first port of call when I have something bugging me. I had malaria once and a 'Western' doctor missed the symptoms and a second visit to a VN doctor nailed my bug down.

There are too many 'local' diseases that Western doctors are not familiar with that only people like Dr. Rafi Koti, who has worked here for around 21 years, would spot.

jereostr
Welcome. It is not often we see a real doctor in this part of the (web)world.

Gosh, it is also about time. I am tired of holding an ongoing conversation with the ignoramus who goes by the name of Howie. He is about to land again back here from over there, so watch out for him.

Anyway, hope you find this forum useful.

Jaitch makes a good pointÂ…it's always preferable to visit your doctor (after all, that's how I make my living!).  But just remember, elevated cholesterol is a chronic problem with no symptoms.  Stopping a medicine FOR THAT PROBLEM is probably ok for a bit.  But, when you have time go in and see a doc.

I have located Questran in TP HCM.

PM me for contact info.

Phi Long wrote:

You can try going here.



Call them up and ask around.

However, if you really need medicine from the US, I may have a suggestion for you. I've had some herbal medicine shipped here without a problem. PM me if you like to know.

Also possible to have prescription medicine shipped here following correct procedures via DHL / TNT etc... shipping time might not make it worth while.

Always worth considerimf naturap alternative depending on seriousness of condition

Hello Jlgarbutt

This is a 2013 thread, not very sure you're going to have any answer

Wishing you a great day.

Regards.

³¢´Çﳦ

Odd... showed up in my notifications as a new post 🤔

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Odd... showed up in my notifications as a new post 🤔

Somebody spammed the thread and their post was almost immediately deleted. However, in line with one of the quirks of this site, the notification was still up there.

I've gotten sucked into something similar myself in the same situation