To be pissed off that Boots wouldn't sell me Nytol?

[Appalonia]

I went to Boots today to buy some Nytol. The shop assistant asked me when I had last taken some. I said, a few weeks ago. She refused to sell it to me and said that they could only sell it to someone every 6 months! I've never heard that before when I've bought it previously. When I asked why, she said it's because it's addictive. I am definitely not addicted to it, my sleep has got pretty bad since menopause, and Nytol is one thing that helps me fall asleep. I only use it occasionally.

Was she right to say this? I'm really confused...

Well now you know just go somewhere else and say 7 months.

She's just doing her job. It's not her that makes the rules.

She probably feels like a tit saying it.

You can buy the same antihistamine as Nytol elsewhere. I assume pharmacists have rules and regulations they have to follow though.

I got sick of being treated like an addict when I tried to buy what is basically an antihistamine so I bought a big bottle of 1000 from the US.

You know how that makes you sound, right!

It's such a pain in the arse. I was given the Spanish Inquisition buying low dose aspirin the other day.

I guess they have to follow rules though

Like someone who struggles to sleep, and Nytol helps?

Yes. Just lie, OP.

Nonsense - i do the same with paracetamol i bring it from Spain and my friend brings me big bottles of tylenol and melatonin from texas. Our regulations are nothing short of stupid

They refused to sell me strepsils when I was pregnant. I went elsewhere

@KrisAkabusi if I was taking them every night I’d agree with you but it cost the same as two packs of nytol and I don’t have to lie to a pharmacist so it’s all good.

I’m using phernergan now anyway 🤣

I order melatonin from a US website.

I buy Nytol a fair bit, glad to know what the 'correct' answer is should this be some new policy that they ask this question now!

Diphenhydramine isn't addictive, it's more than you can start to depend on it to sleep because your body gets used to it. You're not about to be roaming the streets trying to score diphenhydramine.

If you're satisfied that you've made other changes to try to improve your sleep, you can either go talk it over with your Dr, in case HRT might help, or you can just lie.

I’d complain, actually, to Boots. There’s nothing in Nytol’s website saying it’s only for every six months. It just says it’s not prescription only and to ask the pharmacist for it.

I don't know about the other drugs, but the number of people dying of accidental or deliberate paracetamol overdoses has more than halved since the regulations were brought in. And paracetamol overdose is a particularly nasty way to die. Those regulations are there for a reason.

It's a P med which means it's up to the pharmacist whether they sell it.

Interesting. But six months seems an arbitrary long time to wait.

@Jegersur I used to be a dispenser, I don't remember it being 6 months (but it's been a few years). I think it's for 3 days only and then not for a period of time (which escapes me). As someone else said it's not addictive, but if you take it too often when you stop you struggle to sleep. It's OK to break a spell of insomnia, but not for long term use. The point is to refer someone who uses it too often to look at under lying causes. Those are the terms of the license. Meds are either GSL (general sales list - you can self select depending on age restrictions and the 2 packets most places will sell, P meds at the pharmacists discretion and prescription only).

My son is prescribed diphenhydramine by the Dr which is what Nytol is . Hes been taking it about 12 years.

Ebay will sell you any amount of nytol

I but Nytol quite often and have never been asked this. I think the assistant is confused on the rules.

I would like to see the research on that. We are adults we can regulate ourselves it’s absolutely pathetic.

And that’s all well and good, but as someone who has suffered from insomnia for 30 years, being referred to someone to look at underlying causes does absolutely no good whatsoever. That’s why I’ve resorted to buying melatonin from the US and buying Nytol over the counter.

Buy it from Amazon. They won't care when you last took some.