One of the joys of moving to France is discovering the amazing variety of pharmacies, and the services they offer.
In many cases, it also means discovering new household remedies for common ailments.
Some, such as Alka-Seltzer for heartburn and indigestion (also hangovers!), are readily available in French pharmacies, but finding equivalents to other tried-and-tested remedies can be tricky.
A money-saving tip to remember is to ask for the generic version of a product. Requesting "le générique le moins cher, s'il vous plaît" can save you 50% of the cost of branded drugs and medicine.
We take a look at some of the French alternatives and equivalents to UK medecine:
Lemsip
Lemsip can be replaced by Fervex powders, which contain paracetamol, an antihistamine, and vitamin C.
To replace Beechams powders, which contain aspirin instead of paracetamol, try Aspégic.
TCP
TCP is not sold in France and there is no direct substitute with the same ingredients.
People in France prefer specific remedies for specific problems.
The Betadine range will, however, do 90% of the same jobs.
Vaseline Lip Therapy
Finally, the tiny round metal pots of Vaseline Lip Therapy, which are readily available everywhere in the UK, can be bought at Saga Cosmetics.
Find your nearest branch here.
Strepsils
Strepsils are available in France, but many people turn to Hexalyse for cough sweets.
With a pleasant orange flavour, they contain an antiseptic (biclotymol), an anti-inflammatory (enoloxone) and an enzyme to soothe your throat.
Germolene
When it comes to Germolene, the trusted antiseptic in France is Betadine Dermique, which comes in a yellow plastic container costing €3 to €4. This is what hospitals use before operations.
The range includes mouthwash, surgical scrub and solution gynécologique.
Betadine Dermique also comes as a gel costing around €5 to €6 per tube.
Sudafed nasal spray
Sudafed nasal spray contains xylometazoline hydrochloride.
This is a vasoconstrictor that narrows blood vessels and can increase blood pressure.
There are growing concerns about its cardiac and neurological side-effects, and remedies containing it are increasingly regarded with unease in France.
For an equivalent, try Actifed Rhume Jour et Nuit.
Otrivine is another nasal decongestant containing xylometazoline.
Read more: ‘Medicines to avoid in 2024’ list published by French medical review
Eumovate skin cream
Eumovate skin cream for eczema and dermatitis can be replaced by glycerine/vaseline/paraffin cream. Ask for crème glycérol/vaseline/paraffine.
It comes in a large plastic tube costing around €3 and has no specific name.
It is made by a variety of brands but the contents are all identical, so just get the cheapest. It can be incredibly effective.
Euthymol toothpaste
Euthymol toothpaste is available on French websites.
A very similar product, dentifrice eucalyptus, is available from Argiletz as well as from organic shops, health stores and herboristes. Some pharmacies will order it for you.
Read more: What are the French equivalents of some common UK medicine brands?
Olbas Oil
Olbas Oil is available online from French websites.
A more interesting approach, however, is to seek out a herboriste who specialises in plant-based remedies – often, but not always, associated with a pharmacy.
Here you can ask about the essential oils, including clove, mint and eucalyptus, that are contained in Olbas Oil.
You could end up with some personalised recommendations.
Pharmacists are also trained to give basic first aid advice, which is free and can save a trip to the doctor.
For those gathering fungi, they will also identify mushrooms/toadstools so you can always get a check done on wild mushrooms before you eat them.
Read more: Alert over mushroom picking in France after death and poisonings
Shop around for the best price
Note that when it comes to price, some over-the-counter remedies can be more expensive in France. This is because they can only be sold in pharmacies, rather than general shops.
To get low prices, it is essential to shop around. Every area has one or two cut-price pharmacies where you can restock your first-aid box.
Normandy-based website pharma-gdd.com, for instance, sells 30x100mg aspirin tablets for €2.88.
If you do not know the French equivalent of a UK remedy, show the pharmacist an empty package and ask them to look up a French product with the same active ingredient: “Est-ce qu’il existe un produit en France qui contient la même molécule, svp?”
If they do not have a product on hand, they can usually order it in for the next day.
Have you found any good equivalents in France? Let us know at news@connexionfrance.com
