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...

There is a difference between Nytol tablets and Nytol One A Night tablets @bradpittsbathwater and @Borborygmus.

The regular herbal Nytol doesn't work for me.
Nytol One A Night does.

The regular Nytol don't work either, the antihistamines don't make me drowsy.

And that's a bad thing how? Human race has had it's time. Its about time we all died off.

Just say you haven't bought it in ages.

Though you might find Sleepeeze/Phenergan better. I find Nytol can have the opposite effect and make me wakeful and anxious sometimes.

Years ago, on my way to work, I wanted to buy Benyllin Expectorant in Boots, Regent Street when it was on a shelf behing the counter. The assistant looked
at me with a surprised look on her face, said wait a moment, disappeared into
the pharmacy booth.
The young pharmacist appeared with a large black book like a Ledger, asked me
to sign the ‘Poisons’ book, with my address.
I declined and carried on to work, face on, formally dressed, bamboozled.

Also in a pharmacy in se London refused to sell me a tube of Canestan ?!

If I’m feeling anxious and suspect I won’t sleep I take two Kalms, or Valerian
from the Health Store, late evening, non addictive, work fine.
Ovaltine too or milky drink works, (the old ways are sometimes the best)

Please please please don't do this with antibiotics. Using them incorrectly (wrong infection, wrong dosage, wrong treatment length etc) leads to bacteria developing resistance and then the antibiotic can no longer be used to treat infections. I had an amoxycillin resistant infection recently. It's a real problem in some countries and children are dying from what should be easily treatable illnesses. There's really good reasons why antibiotic use is regulated. Countries where it is not are a creating a massive problem. Please don't add to it.

Those methods might work for the odd night of poor sleep, but for chronic, severe insomnia (30 years and counting) an Ovaltine doesn’t quite cut it.

@Youdontevengohere you can buy Ovaltine in bulk at Costco.

I’m sure you can, but it does absolutely nothing for my chronic insomnia!

Tbf the ritual of drinking a milky drink or ovaltine before bed can help mild sleeplessness as can a herbal sleep tea (Aldi one is good) but it’s not going to touch the sides of chronic insomnia as very little does. If it reaches the stage that I’m at and @Youdontevengohere has been for longer it feels like a slap in the face when GPs start talking about milky drinks and no screens before bedtime. I mean we’ve tried all that plus every OTC or herbal sleep aid we’ve found before going to the GP.

The criteria for treatment according to my GP is 3 or more disturbed nights per week for over 3 months. If I slept as well as that I wouldn’t be bothering my GP 🤣

I'm a chronic menopausal insomniac, as in I can get to sleep, but wake up around 3am.

None of the herbal stuff works, and having a drink before bed makes it worse as then I'm up for the loo and can't get back to sleep. OTC Nytol does work but I don't want to take too often.

I've found something though that has been working for a few weeks. Eating a boiled egg just before bed. I think my insomnia is tied to unstable blood sugar though so may not work if that's not your issue.

I tried to buy a box of Nytol and a box of cocodamol at the same time after I injured my shoulder. Big mistake. The assistant made a huge song and dance, reading the back of both boxes and declared it was illegal for me to buy both at once. So I bought the nytol, handed my card to DH and said you get the cocodamol...she was outraged and tried to stop DH buying the painkillers. At this point the manager stepped in, took the box, rang it up, and apologised.

I commented earlier in the thread but I have a chronic illness and am currently having a flare up. I used Nytol for the first time recently and it’s really helped me sleep. On the back of this thread I sent dh out for an extra packet this morning, just in case this illness goes on a bit.

I spoke to a GP today (waited 2 weeks for a phone back) she wants me to have every other night off. I will try that and reduce to zero over time. I’m not a pill popper at all and can’t remember when I last had paracetamol but the Nytol is really helping me manage my illness.

I've not tried the herbal one, it was the non-herbal Nytol that didn't work for me.

Oops someone didn’t like my comment!

They said they contained alcohol, which apparently they do in tiny amounts.

I could walk into a shop and buy a bottle of wine without any issues being pregnant but was unable to buy Strepsils at Boots

(obv I know alcohol in pregnancy isn’t recommended for many excellent reasons, but it isn’t illegal and it all had a rather Handmaids Tale feel about it. Particularly as the amounts are minuscule and Strepsils are recommended for children over 6)

I am a big fan of self medication and a big avoider of accessing health services unless something is hanging off / bleeding uncontrollably / I'm unconscious and someone else acted on my behalf. I have been known to discharge myself from hospital and "treat" an infection with garlic. I'm also all over these NET doctor prescriptions like a rash. Which I would also treat myself.

Basically, I'm a bit insane, but you can't prove it because I'd never agree to attend the appointment for diagnosis.

I lie to pharmacists all the time. I'm not saying I'm proud of it, I'm just fessing up to being a nutter. Pharmacists are way too stingy with the Nytol. Also with the codeine. And the double strength ibu. Don't even get me started on the bumper packs of esomeprozole.

If anyone wants an appointment with me to discuss their health, you'll need to reply at 8am. Not 8:01. Not 8:02.

I took it every day for years.
I just went to different shops, said I’d used it before but not for ages. They are just doing their job.

I fucking hate boots the paternalistic arseholes
They wouldn't sell me urinalysis strips 20 years ago because they didn't agree with low carb diets then.
And literally yesterday they dispensed the wrong dose of a prescription medication and then didn't give a fuck. I posted about it on here. I've reported them to the general pharmaceutical society. Someone else posted that they dispensed morphine to the wrong person they died and it was covered up.
Fuck you boots.

I bought some yesterday from Boots, I wasn't asked when, how often etc only if I was on other medication.....

Most boots pharmacy assistants are as bad as GP receptionists. Way above their station.

Oh no….someone doing their job and trying to safeguarding people. Wahhhhhhhhh

I once went to boots when pregnant before our cruise and picked up some sea bands for me and tried to buy some anti sickness tablets for my husband - they refused to serve me them because I was pregnant despite my repeatedly saying but these (sea bands) are for me and the tablets for my husband. They became quite audible to everyone around suggesting I would harm my baby and I was furious by their meddling. Did as others said, left and bought them elsewhere…

In the UK medicines fall into three categories, GSL (general sale, the stuff you can buy in most shops), P (pharmacy only, bigger packs, restricted quantity meds etc) and POM (prescription only)