Double action or acid block pills ?

Acid reflux is really common among our nation because we Malaysian just love to E A T . It sounds really stupid ( maybe ) , but what else can we choose as a hobby ? The blistering hot sun forbids us to love the outdoor , unless you really don't mind suffering hyper pigmentation on your skin (which in general Asian mentality being dark skinned is ugly) and if you really want to get your lungs clogged up with pollution ( if you are living in central KL ) . Movies !!!! The Star Wars hype was all over my family , it's so crazy that I saw a Darth Vader Santa , that thing is weird . But I honestly thought the show was so so , Luke sky walker and Han Solo seems rather attractive 10 years ago but not now, I could not associate any hotness with them in the 6th episode all though I grew up watching Star Wars . To me, the popcorn was seriously more interesting ( there you go food again ) , and I am sure when I mentioned popcorn , I was not the only one feeling excited , come on the love for food is the most sincere kind . Okayyy I am getting carried away . Let's talk about indigestion when you had too much food or when you have a bad acid reflux . Not all acid reflux are from eating too much , not everyone is like me being a Xmas dinner chunky , some individual do have overactive acid production in the stomach so they basically have acid reflux even if they don't eat (or even eat proper size meal) . 

There are many types of antacids in the pharmacy store and even some over the counter if you ask the expert behind the counter . 

Eno and Gavsicon 

They come in salts form or even better being dissolve in water , packed in liquid sachet forms . These are excellent acid neutralizers and treats most basic acid reflux . Why they are good ? Because they are harmless and can be taken by pregnant and nursing mum . But the problem with them they contain a heavy load of salt (sod chloride ) which will cause the blood pressure to raise if take everyday , for long term . If you have no heart disease and your doctor never complain about your blood pressure or you never checked but you don't need it more than 3 days , this is best for you . Double action Gavsicon is rather good as you need a smaller amount of liquid and it helps with gas in the stomach. Eno comes in best for ppl with a really tight budget . 

Acid block pills 

They come in many brands and many types , in different price range and different action for different severity . Don't always think the strongest is always the best ( Asian mentality in general ) , even the most expensive restaurant does not mean it is the best or of your best liking . These pills do have a wider range of side effects compared to the liquid antacids and some are not suitable for pregnant mothers and elderly . Some so strong that they block the acid too much for an ordinary person , and they cause indigestion for the next 24 hours simply because there is not enough acid to digest the food when you eat . You will feel very nauseated and girls would be thinking if they are having morning sickness . If you dislike the liquid salts , a level up would be Ranitidine . Anything above that you would have to get a prescription from a doctor or be ultra 'friendly' to the pharmacist ( this should make sense if you have live in this country long enough ) . 

But I certainly hope you would watch the food your eat , acid reflux maybe temporary and that now you have a cure so it does not matter anymore , but putting on weight may be forever and the cure is painful , imagine no pain no gain written on your gym room locker ! 

Happy holidays and enjoy the family gatherings ! May the force be with you and see you next year peeps ! 

Cracked heels go away

See you , cracked heels , on others LOL 

Been really procrastinating on blogging as the new job that I started got me much occupied , from one day in North of the country to the next in the far end of the island . The kind of walking involve in this job , puts my attention on keeping my foot healthy and strong so I can walk more !! 

Pedicure can be done easily anywhere in the mall, or simply while you are on holiday in Vietnam . But you can also do it at home yourself if your work schedule is really packed . Two amazing product to get from the pharmacy I would say is the urea heel balm and Epsom salt . 

You can get a foot cream from body shop which is packed with lovely peppermint scent and get a foot scrub but of course you pay premium price for it . The two products I mentioned will cost you a fraction of the price but will do the job better ( ahemmm I think we should be watching our expenditure in this economy crisis time of life ) 

Urea 5% heel balm is a much more efficient moisturizing cream because 1 unit of urea hold 100x more water molecule than Ha ( hyaluronic acid ) . So you would ask why don't we use it on our face ? You can , but the scent of urea is simply unbearable (imagine stinking toilet ) and to rub it on to your face where your nose is , will certainly drive you away from the idea. On top of that , the natural property of that ingredient can cause a nasty 'stinging' feeling on our skin , so when applied to our face where our stratum corneum ( skin layer ) is a lot thinner than our foot would also not make it ideal for a face cream . Perfect for your foot ! Foot creams from body shop may give a oily after feel as they normally use botanical extract that has an oily properties to locks in the moisture , I am not a fan of it especially on your foot , you may fall in your bedroom due to the slippery feet ! Urea cream on the other hand is normally water base , because it is the urea that is working to locks the moisture and not the Shea butter . 

All time favorite is Ellgyplus ( Aussie made) not that I am bias because I graduated from there , it's just that the weather was really harsh and 10 out of 10 Aussies has a cracked heel problem, so they have really good formulation that works , and I've tried it myself . Some of the packaging comes with a sole mate ( the socks that covers only the heel ) so you can look out for it and compare prices . 

Never heard of Epsom salts ? It's usually somewhere near the pharmacy counter . A box navy blue in colour with white bold alphabets written "Epsom Salt" . They are basically magnesium salts . Granules are easily soluble in water . Before you do that , use the granules to scrub your heels to get rid of the dead skin cells , then soak your feet into a tub of warm water and feel the magic ! Add more Epsom salts to the tub if you like . Magnesium is a good muscle relaxant , and soothes your tired feet . After your foot bath (~20minutes ) , dry your feet and slap on your urea cream . Wear a sock overnight (wear a light/ thin material if you are in Malaysia ) and tmw you'll have heels with baby skin at work , flaunt it with a pair of heels with a back strap , show it off when you have it girl ! 

Makeup remover are money soaked in facial cotton

Now let's talk about the kinds of makeup remover in the store . Be it from the pharmacy or cosmetic stores . The need to know what ingredient removes your makeup is important , and understand the use of each ingredient , and what is the paraben free fad about.  Why ? So you don't pay extra for branded names and don't pay for things you can't use ( such as those allergic to mineral oil etc ) . 

You would be ultimately surprise when I tell you a prescription focus pharmacy in Australia basically don't stock makeup remover . My girlfriends from university comes to KL and wonder why my  pharmacy ( the one I worked for ) has everything a cosmetic store has ? So she asked me : What's the difference between the two stores ? And I went : me LAH , cosmetic stores has no pharmacist . She then went on : Then , if you are answering customer 's request on cosmetics , do they pay you extra ? I said : hell no ! It's Malaysia not Australia !  She laughed . 

The most important part of skincare is cleansing. First thing in the morning and before bedtime regimen . As for make up artist , they'll say use proper makeup removers. Especially to get rid of stubborn , ultra waterproof eye and lip makeups. But there are cheaper alternatives .. Read on . 

Oil free make up removers 

Silicone-base make up removers , that most high end makeup store would sell, they are not oil , but removes the most stubborn waterproof make up without giving your skin the risk to form oil seeds . This is particularly important around the eye area. Silicone is synthetic chemical with a organic part attach to it , that's why it will 'stick on' to the face . Chemically alike , we say organic like organic , synthetic like synthetic , opposite repels , geez my blog sounds like a chemistry class . So the organic part will be left on the skin , because they have affinity , if not properly cleanse. Problem with silicone is that it's so smooth , it feels like a second skin, making your skin feels smooth , that's the dangerous part !!!! When build up , your skin will not be able to breathe normally , gradually the skin 'die' , it turns dry and color turns dull. Worst than having oil seeds .

Oil make up remover 

I wonder why all of them are blue , why not purple or pink ? Blue looks so toxic to me , I guess they did not want child to drink it ( child resistant ) , I think like a child lol lol I like it in the pastel purple ! I am sure no kids would drink it unless he is color blind , but then if he is , he would drink the blue ones too . So oil removes waterproof make up just like the same principle as the silicone base ones, effectively remove and stays on of course, if it does , you may develop oil seeds . Wash thoroughly to avoid it . 

Makeup remover wipes 

So easy to use !! And loving the convenience when you travel , not needing to worry wether to check it in or spillage in your luggage. Quick and easy but anything so easy is always expensive, they don't go a long way , they run out pretty fast escpcially if you wear durable makeup daily and they don't come cheap . Cheapest one ? From the 5ringgit 30 cents shop ( boo GST ! ) Still needs cleaning after wiping . 

The good news are coming up after this ! 

Anything mention here after does not require cleansing after using . Both available at the pharmacy store .

Cleansing water / lotion 

Removed makeup and impurities on skin,  leaving skin fresh and not oily . Yes of course it's marvelous but unfortunately not for ultra waterproof makeups. I guess it's like having a broken neck after an accident and you try to go into a pharmacy for bandaid wouldn't help . You get the idea ?? 

Cleansing water can be leaves in as it will just dry out and gently removes smudge proof makeup . Using less makeup or light weight makeup is all good for your skin in every point of view , so if you can afford to keep it simple , do so .

Lastly , the magical wonderful sorbolene  cream . Cetamacrogol is the main ingredient we use as an emulsifier in making creams, simply removes makeup effectively . Cetyl alcohol and mineral oil would also removes impurities . There are a number of simple face cream that contains these ingredients , and they are absolutely fine to leave on without washing off . 

Happy DIY makeup removers . 

Amway

This brand existed since my parents' time , or maybe longer but I did not know and still counting . Recently met up with an high school old friend that I lost contact ever since I went abroad for studies , coincidently we went to the same wedding , October is really a very very huge wedding season !! 

So I have notice a huge difference on my friend , he looks much better than the FB profile pic he has on , upon chatting and asking , I found out he is an agent for Amway but in the back of my head I remembered he had a degree in the medical field . So looks like he has decided to ditch his professional degree and pursue an entire different work life . I am envious of people like this , not because I don't like what I am doing , but because they are able to be at ease and comfortable in any situation , that they could take up any challenges that came upon them even though they were not equip with such knowledge and foundation from university . I can't see myself doing that or say I just don't feel courageous enough. 

This friend of mine then start telling me about products from Amway that had t r a n s f o r m e d   him into the good looking man I have in front of me . And the flow of words comes naturally about so many things that all I could remember was him talking non-stop for 20minutes . And ofcos before he left , an hour before the end of the wedding reception , he asked for my contact number and before I could realize he is not a friend from high school but a sales man , the next thing was I receive a message saying when would be a good time to meet for further sharing *dumbfolded me* 

Well it is indeed s m o o t h  moves and the problem with people like me we hang on to old memories like a leech which most of the time gets us into 'trouble' like this . I find it really hard to say no when someone is persistent , and I know he would not stop till I make an appearance , that's what all salesman do !! So I said yes to dating Amway for half a day . 

I pick the place obviously , I am on a date right ?? *duhhh*  pick one that is expensive my advice , because this lowers the chance of him asking again , I am such a horrible person *sigh*  I know.  Common girl, be sensible !! I told myself when we sat down at a cafe . 

So he ordered a tea and obviously raising his hands to notify the waiter and revealing his watch which does not look like a watch , and before I could go : eh what is that ? He went on saying this is a watch look alike health monitoring devices .. Monitoring your body fat , count your daily steps etc etc ... So I nodded while he explains , but my mind starts wondering around thinking about him taking a pen out to sign the bill and goes on telling you that pen can monitor your heart pulse rate , I wanted to laugh but ofcos I tried to hold it as hard as I could . The interesting part is I started asking a lot more about the product than I expected , maybe he got onto the right topic I guess. ibody with the bodykey apps together monitors everything you need to achieve your target weight. The package comes with shakes and meal replacement , which ofcos would fascinate me because I work in the same environment / industry which means this allows free access to 'competitor ' formulation , pricing and also market popularity ! It's a double win situation so I went on and ask even more . He could sense the interest and was smug about the sales so slows down the explaination and double check my contact details so he could follow up on the sales. The 'date' ended quicker than I expected , I probably asked too much LOL .

Amway does have a wide range of product to serve their customer base. They even have stem cells extract skincare , air purifier and kitchen wash liquid . It's  a direct and indirect serious competitor of pharmacy and sundry shop ! The have an online website whereby you could participate as a member and start buying their products or if you don't like doing online purchase that's where my friend here comes into the picture to do everything for you as an 'agent' . But I do believe there is no free lunch or high tea , sales agents are persistent and they would try and try till you buy something from them. I take it as a chance to know more but I think for the vast majority who also can't say no would end up buying a whole Amway home . Be practical with the products selection and buy only what you need . Some consumable supplements I believe the best way is to cross check with your doctor or regular pharmacist , but problem is in Malaysia the agent could be a pharmacist and Doctor and you wouldn't know LOL just like my friend's case . 

If you have no way to find out the best professional advice , I suggest to keep it to non - consumable products or get to know your agent well , as in really well that you even hang out with them *shows evil smile* because with Amway there is no way you could pin down the agent if things are not right , there is no retail outlet like a pharmacy store where the time table and work schedule is clearly written on the pharmacy counter for legal purposes , you could pester and bug the pharmacy everyday during the work schedule , as for Amway agents , they could simply silent their phone or change their contact number when they quit their job , I am talking about worst case scenario . Always be prepared for the worst , if you ask for the rain , be prepared to deal with the mud .

Seriously have I got breast cancer ???

A couple years back I woke up overnight noticing the unusual change to my left nipple . So I went into the shower and do a self breast examination , some of you might be thinking what is a self breast examination , well if you are above 24 I highly recommend that you google it up and at least make a vow to practice it every now and then in your shower . The breast examination is about 15 to 20minutes and obviously depends on your cup size , for people like me , I often think that 10minutes was more than enough as there is not much mass to check or fiddle with LoL . But to my surprise I did not find any lumps or solid hard object in my two bulbs on top of my chest . But the change in that nipple color was too prominent to ignore . 

So I ring up the hospital and tried making an appointment for a mammogram . And i was lucky enough to be able to get one the next day . I brought my mum along as I was afraid , afraid that they might crush my boobs , as the ladies often scare us by saying how terrible uncomfortable a mammogram is . Few years back I lost a first cousin to breast cancer so that definitely prompt me to getting a thorough check up as breast cancer runs in a family other than that it is plain bad luck . 

When I was call upon for my mammogram , all I did was prayed that the radiologist was not a handsome young man , and it wasn't , and that sense of relieve made me smile all the way through the process as if i was getting my passport photo done ! And of course it did help with the slight discomfort of the mammogram but honestly it was not terrible pain like what those ladies said . Everything was over in half an hour and the results were - CLEAR no lumps . Which means I still have to check further - because the color has change to yellowish on one side to the other . 

As usual being a Malaysian , I have somehow adopted the idea , don't know since when ,not to consult the radiologist about it , but what I did was consulted the infamous oncologist Dr in town . Still paranoid as hell over the yellowish color discharge from my nipple !! And of course the wait was long , since she is the most famous one, I waited 2 days before I got my appointment and it was noon slot. The clinic was flooded with women and I was clearly the youngest of my mom was not with me . See mom always comes in handy, as people would thought it was her breast instead of mine needed check up, just in case I do bump into my friends . Seriously I was too paranoid and panicky to think about the result , what is it was a yes ? How long more do I have to live ? Breast cancer can be absolutely devastating and mastectomy can be destructing for someone so young like me . Though Angelina Jolie was a survivor and got a breast implant , but she had live her life , got many kids , married a gorgeous good looking man ! But I have barely even plan to do all those yet !!! 

My name was called .. And so I stopped day dreaming and walk into the consultation room with my mom . 

The doctor was professional and did a few minutes to do some history taking and she could see that I was nervous I bet as she quickly usher the nurse to get ready the examination bed so she could check out my boobs LMAO .. Sounds so wrong , well you get what I mean. 

After looking closely at my nipple , she touches it tenderly with her fingers then laughed. She went on and said: it's only a pimple , clogged pores. I went bizerk as I have not heard about a nipple pimple ever , and said : what???? You can have pimple on your nipple ? And it's nothing serious? 

Nothing serious she said affirmatively . Just wear breathable textile bra if you sweat heavily . And the nurse assisting me and my mom out of the room while calling upon the next patient's name. 

I was reluctant to pay for consultation fee but on the other hand it was not the doctors fault ,in fact it was kind of silly of me to have wasted her time with other oncology patient . 

Bugger . Bugger . Buggeraghhh ! 

Horrible pimple that had made me sleepless for 2 nights and kept me awake thinking what I needed to do if it was really cancer and I have no more than 2months to live . But I am glad that it did reminded me that I should waste no more time in pursuing what I always wanted to do , which is to write a blog and live the life that you love  . 

Cleaning the Air during the hazy days

Medklinn' slogan - Cleaning more than just the  A I R. So my friends been asking me about getting one of those air sterilizer since the haze is so bad these days . Should you ? Or should you not bother ? 

Medklinn 

They are available in the pharmacy and offers excellent after sales services . The company provide pick and and delivery service right to your door step after they service the sterilizer . The one most talk about sterilizer would under this brand would be the versa and autoplus . These two product is portable , the prior would be good for traveller and the latter best for the car. Most of all , the product has a lever to adjust the power or 'level' of sterilization to be taken place . These little sterilizers emits ions to the air , which binds to the allergens in the air which carries opposite charges and then the bounded particles settles down onto the surface , allowing you to clean the particles away . Think about it when the dust mites and dust in the air , how is it possible to clean them with a vacuum cleaner pointing up the air?? So there you go , this is what medklinn does. But what is the cons of the product? Space. It needs to be in a confine space and it is only efficient in a measurable confine environment , therefore the versa is best , as it is cleaning just your room in the hotel while you travel and autoplus is just cleaning the air contained in you car. Initially when the dust and particulars settles you would see the bonded particles everywhere thinking it is more dusty than before , but the dust particles would reduce as you slowly clean them away regularly , giving you fresh and clean air in a confine place.

What about something bigger ? Like the living hall of my chateau  ( mansion in French) ? Well medklinn won't do the job so well . 

Blueair sense 

HEPA filtration system for a bigger space. The filter is about a size of an microwave , with a bigger filtration cartridge . Power usage is reasonable not more than a fan turn on for 24hours . Just like the former it does not emit a single hiss or sound when you have it on in your kitchen or living hall. But the after sales service is not so well established. 

The difference between the medklinn and blueair is relatively big, the former one you do the cleaning yourself ( cleaning intensely in the first 2 months ) they do the ion charge emitting . On the other hand ,blue sense does the cleaning and sucking in the air , but the cleaning and maintenance of the filter is more tedious for the owner,but then again you only need to do it twice yearly . 

Rainbow vacuum 

The well known household cleaner , can be use as an air cleaner too !! I am sure when some of the sales demo was done at your house , you must be awed to the maximum , the vacuum cleaner does amazing job in sucking up all the dust mites out of your bedsheets and pillows and you could leave the air filtration function on overnight in the living hall to clean some of the air . The pros , you have a vacuum cleaner for the household , the cons would be the air sterilization function is minimal and the sound is prominent when you turn it on so you can't leave it in the bedroom overnight to do the job unless you don't intend to have a good night sleep. 

There are a few more in the market such as Honeywell , Big Sucker air cleaner and  BHAF . Those fall under a different  categories as industrial for huge shopping malls and convention centers . 

These products are not so much in sterilizing the air but merely to make management of eczema or allergy easier. Eczema and sinusitis is common among the society and about 1in 4 of us has some form of allergy ailment , if you want to reduce the use of steroid and antihistamines and I would highly recommend to get one of these products .

Right attitude

The other day I have a customer requested for Diamox . Just in case you didn't know the tablets are prescription items in Malaysia , usually prescribe for an eye condition . But as a pharmacist it is my duty to find out more , and not to make presumption in any case because the tablets are use for many other conditions too . So I asked politely : is it from the doctors? And what are you using it for ? 

She then gave me a hiss sounded like 'TSK' (in capital letters as she made quite an obvious one) , then rolled her eyes as if I was stupid and said : I thought you should know ?!! It's for altitude sickness lah, I am climbing the Kinabalu mountain next month .

So I gave that bravo exclamation look on my face and go : wow !! 

Because I think people like her would like that kind of recognition and compliment . Geez now I am being horrible judging people , terrible me *slap myself* 

I then went on and said : Do you have a prescription ? Because I can't sell it if you don't have one ...( declining the sale in a nice way as I know very well she does not ) . She got a little ticked off and said : What kind of pharmacy is this ? So what do you have ? 

I went on and said : We don't have anything of a 'supplement' kind , but there is a tip , do the climbing slowly helps * big smile * . In my head I was thinking , what kind of a lady speaks like this ?! 

She was already on the way to looking at other things in the cosmetic section before I could say more such as drink plenty of water and stay away from alcohol. 

Diamox does help with mountain sickness , but it is a tablet that may also cause bad side effects when not prescribed properly , so I highly don't agree with dispensing it over the counter with no proper check ups , it is not suitable for EVERYONE . If it was really that essential in climbing activities then how come we don't see climbers of Mt Fuji or Mt Everest stocking up hundreds of those pills at their base camp sites ? Besides , the tablets (normal not extended release ) are to be taken 4 times a day . When you are doing a  Everest climb , which can be up to weeks , do you think you can stock up so much Diamox or you may ask yourself climbing mt Everest is more like a life /death problem rather than taking or not taking your Diamox problem? We have not even talk about the side effects yet LOL 

Here you go , there was a saying , it's not about the altitude , but the  a t t i t u d e . 

H a i r Bleaching

Hydrogen peroxide 6% is what everyone uses to bleach their hair in Australia , and all the platinum blondes would come into the pharmacy to clear my shelve and I need to remember to restock them everytime after they do that . In Australia and Europe , hydrogen peroxide is the least popular for wound cleaning prior to dressing , there are so many other better and newer antiseptic creams in the pharmacy . But over here in Malaysia, the simply old school never continue professional learning kind of pharmacy chain store do still keep them on the shelves under wound care. Well I don't really mind it because I was previously working in Bukit bintang ( before I got fed up with the HQ staff) the shop was the most frequently visited by tourist from the Middle East . The ladies under their cool hijab wear all pretty much love blonde hair and most of all they want their eyebrows and facial hair bleached . So I was lucky to have them as my customers , if it wasn't for them , I am pretty sure the hydrogen peroxide would be sitting on the shelves for years cleaning 'itself' or you could be unethical and try selling for wound cleaning . But let me tell you , that is not my style , I only sell what is best for my customers , and my patients health and wellbeing will always comes first . 

The bleaching agent if used on the face , 6% is a little too strong and you could come up with a red burn rash . What I tell them to do is mix it 1 part 1 of hydrogen peroxide with their night moisturizer , and add 1 full drop of vinegar . Vinegar here is not for the skin, but for the hair , to stop weak and brittle ones to break after the bleach . Say for instance , for facial hair and eyebrow, 2ml hydrogen peroxide 6% with 2g face cream , volume depends on how much hair you've got and how thick and black your hair is . Leave it on for 10 minutes, check your hair by scraping off some cream from the eyebrow and remove completely after it has lighten to the shades you want ! As for your hair do the same with hair treatment mask for the dilution , and ofcos more vinegar . Tadahhhh DIY bleaching session complete ! 

If you like the platinum blonde kinda look , keep your hair healthy by having high protein diet . The hair after bleached is 'dead' with the least strength and keratin composition . Do regular keratin replenishment hair treatment and blow dry them with cool air gently after you wash them , so they won't break so easily . Unless you want to have really short hair like Miley Cyrus then you don't have to bother about what I just mentioned above . 

Always to a patch test on your skin before you do the major thing , DIY is fun and cheap , but skin reaction is not ! 

Are your nails growing green ? !

Sounds really scary , how in the crazy world that mushrooms grow on us ?? People use to joke about growing mushrooms on their head when they are bored , but it is not funny when your nails are growing fungi . Fungal infection on our nails are very common and it is not something pleasant to look at . The nails get brittle , dry and discoloured (sometimes blue /green ---> it can really look like moulds ) , the surface may turn uneven depending on individual . Treatment are readily available from the pharmacy . 

I'll talk about it one by one : 

Loceryl 

The nail lacquer like treatment that only needs to be applied 1-2 times a week . Drug name is amorolfine and it has a very good half life ( means it stays in the body for longer time ) that is why you only need to put on 2 times a week (at most) . But you need to pay for the convenience sake so of all treatment , this is the dearest , with a box costing RM99 . And for toe nail fungal infection you will need more than a box , as toe nail takes 6 months to grow out . 

Emtrix and Nailner 

Newer treatment in the market . Seen in the pharmacy of our country in the recent 2 years . There is no specific drug name for them as they are combination of few ingredients such as lactic acid and propylene glycol ( different brand with different ratio / composition ) . Very attractive packaging in pen form !! Easy to carry around and portable *double-love eyes* so you can slip in your pocket and handbag *thumbs up*. That way you will be able to apply 2-3 times a day . This formulation is slightly cheaper (~ about RM65 -70) because it has no drug ingredient in it . So the next question would be is it effective ? The answer is yes and no , if you compare to loceryl ( -  no ! ) but if you compare to not doing or applying anything (- yes !) . The idea is to slowly deactivate the fungal cells 'weakly' and slowly . 'Weakly' so you CAN use it even when you are pregnant or breast feeding , on the other side Loceryl is not recommended . If I were to say it crudely this is the same as wrapping your nail in hydrogen peroxide every night before bed , if you skin around the nail can take it . 

Not really a treatment but Break the glass when all does not work .  

Manicure / pedicure 

It's in trend to color your nails in dark colors ( navy , eggplant , wine  , toxic - I can go on and on with the nail colour names ) these days, so they practically cover all the uneven surface or green discoloration LOL  and your hands and legs feels wonderful and light after all the scrubbing and trimming right ?? *pick up phone and ring for appointment * 

Before you do that let me remind you that not all nail parlor disinfect their tools daily , I have been to one that I literally saw a cockroach J walking in the store . The problem is that most business owners are not usually around in their shop here in KL they hire staff from Philippines and Cambodia to work for them and I doubt that they would make sure you do not get fungal infection from their tools and most of them do use liquid and remover from cheaper source to cut cost , which in the long run causing thickening of the nail bed , thickening of the skin below of your nails and each session , you are paying RM150 or more *grab-iPhone-touch-calculator -app* . 

Pros and cons . 

Decision is yours .

Garcinia cambogia drink

The overly popular e x t r a c t that helps in weight loss .  Pharmacies are all stocking up on these , in drinks ( in water )  forms, in tablet forms and some in liquid syrup forms. Supplement stores like GNC also have them in abundance , so now which should you be buying and how well does it work ? 

They are suppose to shrink you by inhibiting the fat cells formation , the ideation is to stop fat cells that you already have to grow and to stop formation of newer ones . The good thing  about it , it is not invasive , unlike liposuction surgery . Very good for people that are thinking of maintain their slim figure ( then why do you need them unless you are not quite normal up the head ) but certainly not for people who is trying to loose weight . The reason being when you try to loose weight , you starve yourself , and with this tablet , you would eat obliviously as subconsciously you think the tablets are 'giving' you a shield . The equation in the end balance out . 

The tablets would be right for people with very strong self discipline on loosing weight and refrain herself from eating a lot ( in fact eating less than before ) then the tablets would work over time . 

The better ones I have seen in the market is a combination of garcinia with something that causes statiety, something like duromine ( which is ban in some country ) but slightly weaker so it does not promote anorexia and giving cardiac arrest . This formulation was seen  in Japan but I am not too sure about taking it due to radioactive leakage and radiation happening currently as I might need to have a baby in the future .

But really loosing weight isn't all about the kg , sometimes you need to work on the circumference and firming of cellulites which simply taking garcinia is just not going to do the job . The toning and firming can only be achieve by regular exercising and stretching , not forgetting applying the stretch mark creams too . Mind you to look good in clothes your bones are not the most important thing , your muscles and fat percentages are. 

Seriously the whole weight loss thing would take up a whole lot of time (from taking tablets to applying your stretch mark cream ) if you need to work to earn a living I think it's best to skip the whole garcinia pills as they do don't come cheap. Burn your fat by running , not burning your pocket is certainly a better and healthier choice . 

T u r u l i n e

I have an  o b s e s s I o n  on Japanese drug store and don kihote !! I can't seems to stop myself from going into one whenever I spot one of these store in Japan . My travel mate can't understand why I can be fascinated with them since they stock all the same things , just drugs and cosmetics . That's why I said it's an obsession LOL 

I am not going to talk about everything in don kihote . Just one of my favorite things in there would be the turuline hair removal wonder I think all girls should know about . It's just like wax strips except the wax is not pre- stuck on the wax strips sold in the pharmacy in Europe and Malaysia . It's a gel formulation kept in a tube , and the wax strip is provided separately . Why are they better than the wax strip , clearly because you don't have to warm those wax in between your palm before 'open' them up and stuck it on your arms and legs , it's stupid especially in winter months, how long do I have to keep rubbing between my frozen hands to warm the strip up ?!!!! Then another point is those wax kept in the strips on the shelves and warehouses for so long are simply not 'sticky' enough to remove stubborn hair on the legs !! *roll eyes* 

Turuline gel grips on to the hair by forming a bond created by 'similarity' in structure , they remove the stubborn hairs better . And the leave on residue is not pink or green in color that if you are not careful enough the whole world would know which waxing brand you were using ( because there is only 2 types sold in Malaysia ) LOL  

Turuline on the other hand is transparent and absolutely washable with warrrrrtahhhhh , yes I repeat , plain tap water ( you don't even need body cream or wash ) . 

Go to this link if you can't read Japanese and don't know how to use the gel >>>>

http://youtu.be/Y19mxQSqNY8

Don kihote basically sells everything at the cheapest price so you really need not go around and compare prices for this product . Just grab one of these when you first hit the store , chuck it in your shopping basket and off you go crazy with the other stuff in that store , you will not regret it , I promise you ladies ! 

Great listener

I have a childhood friend recently had an incident that made her have a crying meltdown . It was extremely new to me as she has always seems so calm and cool towards anything . I guess everyone has a breaking point , and somehow the bullying doctor hit that point of hers. 

She went to a doctor lately for some advice on her mother's condition , and the end result was told can be resolved with surgery. So they agreed to go for the surgery without much hesitation . But what they did not expect was right after the surgery , the condition may look worse than before , in fact it will look unusual until it settles down after a month or few months . Right after the surgery they went straight back to the doctor in the evening on the day of discharge as it is a day surgery , the doctor was a little ticked off and started screaming at them saying it is NORMAL ( exclamation marks to the maximum ) . My friend said he gave both her and her mother a LECTURE about them not understanding the word NORMAL . Well I thought , from her side of story , he is definitely ABNORMAL  *lol* 

So poor friend of mine rang me up late night started sobbing and complaining her bad experience to me over the phone . After listening to her half sobs and half story , I figure that it's probably the summation of bad communication skills and heavy workload of the doctor in the clinic . That aside , but I think patients deserve the reassurance they need . I comforted her by saying he was a good doctor but just lacking communication skills and patience , but then again I don't know if I would do the same as the doctor if I was a doctor working in that kind of clinic and in This country of mine , Malaysia. Friend of mine then said she would boycott that doctor and I offered to go look for a new doctor with her . 

So this is what I do as a pharmacist , even before I was working in private sector . We cover doctors asses in the government hospital , we help each other and that way we could save lives together . I don't agree with pointing fingers , some doctors bad mouth that retail pharmacist starting customers on high blood pressure drug unethically , and some pharmacist says doctor just get paid to give out MC so patients get to be excused from work . Hey , I think our country has enough racial and political issue , we don't need another professional 'beefing' issue . 

To me that's plain stupidity . 

Don't you agree ? 

P I G skin lining

I find this skin lining absolutely amazing , because apart from this animal's lining no other animal lining needs an obvious signage to be place clearly next to the product . Being closely related to this animal , as in my Chinese zodiac sign is THE boar , I am proud of it .

Well that's an excellent way to warn or tell everyone , to think before you 'touch me' . How I wish I could have that signage on me because that's the exact message I like to send to everyone else . I don't like to be touched except when I am having a spa or hair cut ( both I dislike but am force to once in awhile ) . Roomie says I am not an affectionate person . Well said I figure . 

Speaking of pig skin lining , I have some pharmacist story to tell . 

We have gelatin capsules that are porcine origin , so we have to put up a signage notifying our customers about it , just like that pig skin lining leather for shoes . I remembered typing those signage , designing them getting it approve by the management . It wasn't something I could not do in minutes , but I was really really really really  ( Carly Rae Jepsen song singing in my head ) tempted to put up a signage that says : 

      DON'T EAT ME OR TOUCH ME ! 

( even if you will die without me , because you won't go to heaven if you did )       

And that little devil was ringing and talking in my ears going : do it do it ! The angel on the other side said : don't be a racist and mean pharmacist . The logical mini drug queen immediately pops up and say : You would loose your job if you did that , so in the end my brain speaks louder than my heart , and I went on and type : 

        NOT suitable for Muslim

             and Jewish of faith  

(Contains ingredients of porcine origin ) 

The management approved the sign and pheww ! So I was that close to getting into trouble . 

When I was fulfilling my compulsory service and working in a government hospital , we had to remember which injections and implants products were porcine or bovine origins by heart . Some might say aren't they written in the pack ? Obviously not !! Because most of these medications are imported and places of manufacture are European origin or The USA , so the pharmacist would have to sit down and read all the information leaflet in the package , go onto the website and do your research , and some times send email or online chat to the manufacturing company to find out ( if you highly suspect it is porcine origin ) , and make a report if it is and get signature and approval from management to send out an email to ALL staff working in the hospital . In the end , update the table /record in the file in the shared folder to be viewed by all the paramedics working in the hospital . This is what a DIS ( drug info system) pharmacist does .

We keep an eye and remind the fellow clinical doctors in prescription selection just in case they might have overlooked that bit of information. 

So yessshhh , for those who didn't know , we don't sit there and just warm chairs . 

Morning sickness

My FB account has turn into a baby album in 2 short years . My friends are either expecting or having their first child , at sooooooo young . Well I figure apart from me , the rest of the world prefer to have their babies at a younger age because it is so much easier to avoid bad shapes post pregnancy as recovery is better. It's all about collagen and skin elasticity to deal with stretch marks and skin folds after all . 

I figure as a pharmacist and also good friends to them , I owe them a blog about morning sickness . I get morning sickness too , especially Monday morning when I see the to do list is longer than my toilet paper rolls flatten out .

Not every preggy gets morning sickness . And it certainly does not mean that the lady is unhealthy to have morning sickness. If you are not worried , because you had your first child and you did not have morning sickness then you are wrong . Each pregancy is different and you may not be morning sickness free for the second pregnancy , unless you have decided to implement the one child policy in your familyland . 

Many ladies believe taking drugs during the first trimester is harmful , I must clarify this mistake as it is not the case . The reproduction , limbs , and all parts important development is actually during the second trimester . The antiemetic drugs available to help with morning sickness has quite a few different one , some are stronger and dearer , usually for complicated cases when normal maxolon ( trade name ) also can be called metoclopramide (drug name ) . Medications are divided into many categories , pregancy category for instant . Just like restaurant cleanliness grade , category A is completely safe . 

My hot mama friend who had morning sickness throughout the first 6 months category ended up suffering for low birth weight and the child was certainly weak upon birth and all because she believes that no medication is the best remedy . Which sometimes isn't the case if you think further . 

Maxolon does not work for all preggy , so ......

Ondansetron ( drug name ) or Zofran is a anti-emetic for very complicated morning sickness . It 's funded in the government of Australia and Europe under the PBS but not in our country . And the tablets are really expensive , I am talking about few hundreds per box , and the box has only 8 tablets LOL ,but if you need it you 'll need it . Generic is available but no one would want second best for their child anyway , right ? 

Ok , you may want to ask what causes it ? Well , i am just going to say luck ?? Some say it is heriditary , if you mom has it you will ? Or some say if your child have lots of hair at birth , you would suffer morning sickness badly ? Too many stories I have heard but strong link to one single factor . So , I'll say best of luck and enjoy your pregnancy as much as you can . 

After all not all ladies have the chance to be pregnant and a mother . 

Organic vs synthetic

Back to no  n e e d  so strong for our face and body . My customers usually ask what do you use on your face , to have such fair skin ? What about organic product ? Are they good ? 

Let's look at them closely . Go through their pros and cons separately and then you could make your final decision yourself .  Organic product is a very strong marketing tool these days , people spend thousands dollars on their packaging and advertising to promote them , therefore they certainly don't come cheap . In comparison to the normal product , organic products are 20% dearer in price in general . 

The product are genuinely very simple products , with no additional preservative and parabens in the making , so they normally have very short expiry. For true organic products , 28 days after the making of the product , it should be discarded . Which make selling of such product in a commercial way is literally impossible , so go figure yourself . 

Natural products don't work if you are old , as in when you literally can afford them you are too old for it . Why ?? Because by the time you get to that age , you  would have expose you skin and hair to all sorts of chemical , and organic products would not give you the satisfactory result that your body is use to , and you would give up using it in no time . Think about it even Johnson and Johnson is chemical , so your body has been train to work with much stronger products , you think organic products are going to give you 'drastic' change ?? No . In no time you would frustrated with the money you've paid and then your friends would have paid you a 'compliment' saying your hair look so 'normal' , as in no difference . The thing with organic is about starting all over , meaning training your scalp to start all over with organic , you would have to go through a phase of being flat haired , pimple breakout , dull hair and skin before the hair and skin  goes back to it 'caveman' condition . Then they are said to be back to the original 'setting' of the skin , and that's when your friends would ask what do your use ? And you can answer -just organic soap *smug*  ! 

And if you are so lucky not only having  money but also the luxury of doing nothing , meaning a lot of time to spare , then you could start making your own shampoo and face soap at home . Now that's REAL organic . 

Synthetic products are not all bad , when you get older , such as those perimenopausal and menopausal women , I think you would need things that would work , and I reckon it's only synthetic products could give such prominent results . 

If you have the time , check out my hair dye blog for more understanding on organic hair color . 

D a r l i n g

The term has been completely abused by everyone I've met these days . Are we all trying to be whites that are brought up in UK or simply trying to get away with this 'sweet weapon' ? 

Went to London to meet my long lost cousin who has been away from the family for years as his parents are separated when he is child . His mom which is my aunt then move back to the UK , and she had full custody of my cousin . 

He brought me around for food hunting and drugs searching for my own curiosity and self learning as I always do on every single trip I go on. 

He has grown to be a handsome man , thanks to my grandparents genes with a mannerism of an English man . I am proud of him , even though I do not know exactly why LOL 

Even though we are blood related and he is a really good looking man , it didn't come across to me that I would call him darling , because I m was born or brought up in a Chinese family that only reserve the term darling to your truly loved ones , your partner . 

But anyway that's not the point , I was shopping from superdrug , boots and holland & Barrett , then from holland & Barrett to boots and superdrug when I was there , all because they have very different product and medicine on the shelves . I was looking for a product that only superdrug stock them , and before I head back to my hotel , i thought I would pop by the tube station to get what I want before rushing back to dress up for my dinner . I saw boots but not superdrug so I head to the info counter for enquiry . When I got there , there was already a line so I waited patiently in line for my turn . And I when I finally got to my turn , I ask the officer who seems rather uninterested in his job if they have a superdrug store in the mall . He nodded and gave me directions to get there , but to my surprise I just came from there .So, I clarified and said : but that's boots?  He gave me a grin : darling , they sell drugs there too .  

So I answered : right , now don't darling me ~ I know what I want  *rolled eyes* 

That was unacceptable and Great Britain did not seems like this as I recall 10 years back . Big Ben and British museum still stands tall but some things have changed , mostly not for the better . 

No need so strong ~

Mums in Asia are strange, they are so controlling to the point that their kids should not use any 'strong' medication . Being brought up the Asian way , I know exactly where they are coming from and how they think from a parents point of view . Just in case some of you might say : you are not a mum yet , you don't understand . My point is I don't need to be a mum to understand what is parenthood . If you have a good brain to think and observe with your eyes people around you , the understanding would not be insufficient . The problem I see with Asian kids are,  they are really ill behaved when out of the house and talks too much ( non stop in fact ) when with their peers . Why ? Think about it , if they don't get to have a say at home , how would they behave when out of the house ?? Like a raptor in captivating for too long ... Bam!! Out he goes , there will be lots of destruction to be done when freed . And that's when they will start talking back to their parents . If the child was told how to reason at the first place , they would know how to think and there would be no 'talking back ' , it would be a conversation , like a brainstorming discussions , good for the parents and child . 

Win win situation . 

On the other hand when they come into medication , they practice : let's not give them something too strong , it would 'spoil' their organs , like liver and kidneys. Wow ! Some of these parents did not have a master or phd but they are doctors !!! No offense to parents but seriously drug companies pay billion dollars to their managers ( a lot are certified doctors ) to come up with the dosage for children and not to mention all the clinical trials to be done on the drug before being out in the market . These parents 'self- deduct' doses or would only use no chemical products . Non Chemical products are good , but depends on the ailment and complains . Not every situation is suitable for that rule( best to use less and non chemical ) . Steroid creams yes , the lesser you use the better . But for teenage acne ? No . The mum goes asking : is the strong ? I don't want him to use strong medication . 

The full -on -break -out -face son standing next to her at the pharmacy counter .  He quickly looked away when I looked at him , feeling shy . 

Young teenager that age is very conscious about their looks , and to risk it thinking he is ok looking ( because he is my son ) and try a suboptimal cream is not the way to go, he would be scarred for life !! Some acne cream and medication is toxic and not advisable to use on child bearing age , so teenager is the best to use them , because if you don't and the problem persist to a point needing them and the young adt advance to a age that wants a family the problem would be bigger . 

If you seriously wants your child to be free from any medication , then there is no need to walk in to a pharmacy the first place , or you could wrap your child in aluminum foil and don't give them vaccinations . 

I only jest , but you get my point . 

I'll say no need so strong on the house rules and no talking back , but please  allow them to have strong medication at the correct dosage . 

Lots of love tablets please

C a l i f o r n i a dreaming is every young girls dream , inclusive of myself . A girlfriend of mine has decided to move to that place for god knows how long , and she and her partner has decided to go on a long distance relationship for now .

Her partner will remain in Asia while she goes on a soul searching , dream fulfilling life journey . Hmmmm... 

So I said to her , you will need lots of money and love . She could not really understand why is money in the picture . Shouldn't there be just love ? Nope , see if you would attempt a long distance relationship , you must have been brought up or in a comfortable situation where food, clothes and living is not a problem ( the basic essential has come or given to you very easily ) . Someone that has no decent roof over his/her head would not even bother about stable relationships let alone long distance relationship . Well to me long distance relationship is creating a stable relationship in a very unstable condition , that is fighting against the unpredictable instead of building the love in between the two individual. And when you have decided to go for soul searching and building your empire in a foreign country , you are bound to set backs and unpleasant surprise , and most of the time money is a constrain . If you have a lot of it is good , have only enough of it is not good enough . Get the idea ? 

I wish there are medicine to help with such situation . That is a love tablets that helps with insecurity of any woman . Woman are generally insecure but loyal . Let's say this tablets helps get rid of the anxiety just like Xanax , and this reduces the heartaches from missing someone like an aspirin and gives you good sleep like zolpidem when you have bad fight over the phone or Skype . 

Then I would think it is worth trying a long distance relationship for a woman . I know exactly how it feels as I was in one for 8 years and ended up bitterly heart broken . 

Because I am all yours if your are all mine type of girl , well at least in my mind he is all mine back then LMAO 

Hot pack

It's been a week of Scottish accent , some whisky and bland coffee . All sound  pretty fun , accept for one thing , the windy cold weather . The Scots have to be kidding me with a summer that is averagely 17-18 degrees Celsius during the day and less than 10 degrees Celsius at night . My luggage is all packed and ready for summer in Miami !!! Stupid me . Silly me . 

Well , you might say , more reason to shop and spend some money while you are on holiday right ? Yes I know but I could not bring myself to wear granny fashion . Scotland is a place with many many many old folks , you can be sure with the amount of davidsons chemist in the town , and with a sign that says : NHS , fill your prescription here ! 

*show you-get-the-picture face* 

Dunblane , Pitlochry and Dunkeld , little town out of the city , even more granny fashion . Kill me please . So I started looking for heat pack , those activated carbon self heating pack or instant hot pack from the pharmacy . But they don't stock it . Non of the chemists stock it so I started chatting to one chemists that is a little friendly , by asking don't they feel cold ?? He said no , not really ( him in his short sleeve shirt ) . And I ask if it's ok to touch his arm to see if he is warm , he showed a gesture meaning please go ahead , so I did . And to my surprise he is warm , and I felt sorry that he had to take the chill from my palms . Then I went on : do I look over dress ( as in too cover up for their weather ) , and he answered with his Scottish accent , yea a little bit . We both laughed . 

I heard there is a farmer's market somewhere . Off I go to hunt for a vintage-look wind breaker for less than 5 pounds. 

*shoppingqueenmodeon*

Snore alone

I was on a Europe tour for summer dreaming , set myelf free from the fear of being terrorise by all the viral Facebook news on racial problems back home . Sometimes when the situation is over exaggerated in the social media , and people are taking advantage to twist the actual story to create false alarm , you get worriesome for no reason , it's not any good to my mind or spirit , ain't it ? 

Moral of the story is , in life there are things you cannot change by just being worried . Fighting and wars existed since ancient times and it will persist to , so learn to find your lasting peace placidly.

But I was a little unlucky and got into a train that my bunk mate snores so badly . Ear plugs and eye mask was provided but when you are excited about the whole adventure , your body is all hyped up , the slightest noise would wake you up . And of course he sounded pretty much like a baby T-Rex snoring . 

Oh no !!!! 

So I spent my journey thinking of what is there in the pharmacy that could treat snoring . Hmm .. Breathe right plaster ? But what if the person does not breathe through the nose ? Then it would not work . Some people breathe through their mouth when they sleep , and the throat gives out a loud snore together with the nose. The plaster works by creating more room in the nasal passage for the sufferer to breathe easier . Sleep apnea would not benefit from this as well because sleep apnea is usually obese and the breathing is disrupted from tight airways not so much on the nasal passage . 

Snoreeze nasal/throat spray is also not suitable for sleep apnea sufferer , but some benefit may be gained by normal snoring . So there is still no cure totally .. Let's move one step up . 

Surgery ? 

Invasive but I suppose it will evidently reduce the problem . At least for a good 2-3 years period , said the ENT specialist . But anyone older than 45 years of age would not completely freed from such trouble , as the reduction in flexibility of the vocal cords reduce according to age, so the relapse of the same problem after 2 years is likely to happen , so you would really have to keep going back to the surgeon every now and then . 

Ahhhh I give up . I don't know any symptomatic relief for this condition , I mean not 100 % effective ones . 

There is a saying that if you laugh ,  the whole world laugh with you . If you snore , you sleep alone . . . The train approaches the station I am about to get off and he is still snoring away . Bye bunk mate , I think I should leave you alone now, hopefully we won't meet again in the train back to London a few days later LOL 

Sausage

Not edible ones , but you can kiss it if you like . It's will be a WOW experience .

LMAO 

It's my sausage-like lips whenever I travel overseas , to somewhere with a different climate , different composition of allergens in the air . Never heard of it ?? Yea betcha never . Kissing a full thick lips it's everyone's dream *show smooching lips* 

Just kidding LAH

It's a rare condition but I've come across people suffering from it just like me . I might make fun of it just like how every family members of mine make fun of me about it since very young age but it is not a pleasant condition to be dawned on when you are not able to eat properly when you have all the opportunity to taste the best fish and chips (when you are in Britain ) or the best coney dog (when you are in Germany ) , it's absolutely the greatest mind and spiritual torture of the world , well at least to me , for someone who loves to eat . 

When I was young my mom would just slap my lips with Vaseline , so much so that it will look closer to the actual sausage , greasy and yummy LOL and I will look awful and stupid among my parents' friends' kids . Which explains why I was never a popular kid . Again , double whammy on my self esteem especially when I hit puberty age when vanity is all you care about . So I grow up being grumpy and unpleasant to be with when I travel . Yeap I did say only when I travel , I am actually l o v a b l e during other times okayyyyy ?? *evil laugh*

But then again if it wasn't for this I would not be a pharmacist today . It was the drive to search for the remedy that made me understand so much on medications . There have to be a cure for this curse !!! . So I tried and looked hard into the formularies and found 'miracle' . 

Mouth ulcers treatment . 

People would think mouth ulcers paste to be use around the affected area , which is the lips and skin around the lips ,not the ulcers inside the lips is crazy , yes most people give me that look when I introduce it over the counter , but let me explain . The reason being the area is inflamed and causing the swell and pain which is why you can't eat . Most mouth ulcers formulation contains a numbing agent and steroid component to help with the inflammation , but because they are for mouth ulcers , they are edible and suitable for the thin skin around the lips . Betnovate and other eczema cream can also be use but definitely not safe to be ingested . Kenalog and dexaltin is ointment base , dab it on to the area , mix it with a good lipbalm ( prefer oil base ) after food and tadahhhhhh ! You can finally eat and enjoy your trip ! 

The problem is these days kenalog is slowly phasing out , as people usually uses numbing spray on ulcers these days  , but I wish people affected could read this blog one day and keep that one good drug on the shelve , for people like us . 

What do I call this condition ? How about chocolove(shaman king )dermatitis ? 

R a c i s m

I was just saying how famous jibby was among my UK friends last night and this morning there is another continuation of disgrace on how bad our country is in the midst of economic doldrums . 

My girl friends who is currently at work then whatsapp me on how glad she is that I am currently in the UK for 2 weeks at least she knows I am safe , but in the mean time I am worried for my family and friends working back home. The riot incident is just steps away from my workplace to be exact . 

So I started thinking about things and let my imagination run wild which is what I call day d r e a m i n g . . .  I have an idea , hopefully some big pharmaceutical or laboratories research inc would read this and make it a reality . If only we could change our skin color in a tablet . Like any other high blood pressure tablets , to be taken once daily for the management of skin colors ( hyper pigmentation or the other )  . Michael Jackson went through surgeries and later on follow up by topical bleaching to change his skin color , he was a hero , in every aspect in life , to fight for what he wants despite how hard it was to change his skin colour back then . 

Racism did not happen only now in my home country , it existed even before my great grand parents were born with a long history and revolutions and other parts of the world . And if only such tablets were invented , perhaps my co workers or friend in Kuala Lumpur would be working with a peace of mind , not to worry about injury nor cowering in terror among riots in town . 

B o o t s

In London for few days to catch up with mahhhh friends from uni . Working in the pharmacy too and she's always telling me how the immigrants treat her like sh*** t  and she misses how it was like to work in Perth with me . But then again boots is like a 'supermarket ' drug store , there would be hardly any prescription filling and regular customer relationships to be built . Yes boots pharmacy not the one you wear on your feet and walk around . 

Every 50m there is a boots pharmacy on Oxford street but why aren't they in Malaysia at all ? 

Why ? 

They are afraid that we get confuse with them selling shoes instead of drugs ? 

Why ? 

Sorry I was joking earlier on , I get emotional about this because it is my favorite drug store . Each time I need to get my blister plasters I need to survive a 14 hour flights , I . Can't . Keep . Calm .

!! 

Sometimes when I am a little drunk , I strongly feel like writing a letter to the queen of Britain and  tell her to make boots available in Malaysia and if she does not mind come back to rule our country again just like in the mid 19 centuries LOL  

I can't help thinking that way especially when I meet my girlfriends ( Malaysian as well ) working here will never fail to greet me with the headline news jibby is making 2.6billions ringgit from 1MDB these days . 

Stiff n e c k

The o t h e r time when my parents are over , i have been nomading to sleep in the living hall . So I woke up with a stiff neck , can't turn my head to the right . And good old roomie been making fun of me by standing in my right while asking me things and hold /point everything to my right to make me suffer so she could have a good laugh . Geez . 

So the salonpas patches was the first to go , sticky and holds on to the skin even after I shower . The thing I don't like about it was the residue of glue left on me . Lucas paw paw ointment is such a daing for anything and everything , I rub some on the glue residue and it comes off nicely without pulling my tiny baby skin hair *big grin* . The salonpas did not help much with the stiff neck though , all because I think the muscle knot causing it was much more deep into the trapezius muscle than just superficial strain or pull . 

The pain was really bothering and I figure out my parents will still be around for a week so my stiff neck really needs some remedy that works . So I went to this place which specialize in dry needling . 

Dry needling is some kind of acupuncture technique but not quite the same as acupuncture . The former involve western anatomical understanding of muscle anatomy and the latter is base on the redirection of flow or energy (chi) to relieve muscle pain . The needle use is the same in both method so many get confuse with their differences . Dry needling is also known as intramuscular stimulation (IMS) , stimulating the muscle to twitch and regaining the right position of the muscle , giving muscle relaxation relieving the pain involve . 

The dry needling specialist will insert the needle (single use ) to the affected muscle after you tell him/her your complains and then she would observe the muscle twitch on the affected area . I was really worried about the needle but apparently it's much less painful than pricking your finger for sugar test *phew* you will feel a little pain but then after that you would feel relieve and muscles are relaxed ! 

Session usually needs follow up , but I was too lazy to adhere so after that I just follow up with some tennis ball massage and some tiger balm rub at home . 

Can't wait for my old folks to give me back my bed . 

L a c t a s e

On the hunt ! Yes . So my roomie ask me to get her lactase as she wants to stop farting and enjoy her cheesecake freely . The place I live in is not a jungle and I don't live on the trees ( my friends from Aus and China seriously thought I do ) , but I must say the education level on supplements and dietary aid is pretty much close to times when we use to live on trees LOL LOL 

I am telling you don't try to find lactase in Malaysia , if you are on the medication constantly bring along when you travel here , save you looking like a nothin trying to explain what the tablets are for and using sign language speaking to those who don't speak English , and in the end all would give you a blur looking , they don't even know where to refer you to get them . No kidding , they really don't know what are you talking about . At least we are honest LOL 

The closest port to get it is at Changi international Airport , can grab some of you are heading to Singapore or transiting . The brand they carry is low in lactase , it's only 30mg (100fcc/mg) each capsule so each time you will need 2 capsules per dairy intake . A bottle cost  about RM 55 ( depending on the exchange rate , which is so bad for ringgit now :c ) , only 30's capsules , technically only last you 2 weeks if you take dairy daily . Costly . 

For cheaper resolution , try the website Iherb.com which I find reliable . Sometimes they offer promotional pack with RM250 you get 8 months supply , each capsule is 9000fcc of lactase , need not to swallow 2 capsules at a go . Perfect . But you don't get GST / tax refund this way and can't really assure the handling ( exposure to breakage / heat ) of the medication along the  delivery . Cost effective but half half uncertainty . 

Get it when you go to Japan / Korea , Canada / USA . The first you might have to bring along samples and a translator but the Korean pharmacies in myeongdong have their own translator in the shop , in Japan there would be Chinese speaking staff these days . Easy. Ok some say not to take Japanese and Korean medication because of radioactivity , then go for USA / Canada . No language barrier , cheapest price with most value , comes with nutritionist customer service , but happy flying for 20 hours and jet lagging ! 

I quit

On a   c o m m e r c i a l job . You must be thinking I will be quitting my job or quit smoking as I just talked about it on my last post . Well it is kind of related in a way . It is about e- cigarette . I got invited to do a commercial shoot for the newly set up company in e- cigarette in KL . The company took sometimes to explain the business model and really would love to have me as their spokes person for their brand of vapor cigarettes. These has been so very popular lately , that everyone seems to be switching from tobacco cigarette to e-cigarette without any down time or experiencing bad withdrawal symptoms . 

So let's talk about e-ciggie , before I tell you about my shoot . What actually is e-ciggie and is it good or bad for your health ? The main ingredients are volatile oil , propylene glycol , nitrosamines, antifreeze , chemical flavorings and nicotine.  The device usually uses battery (some rechargeable ) , heating coil / component , space ( to put oil or liquid ) and lastly the mouth piece . 

Volatile oil 

Mainly essential oil just like eucalyptus oil , been around for ages for aromatherapy and household use . But generally they are use topically or inhale ( air borne ) as a air refreshener but not known how it reacts in our mucosal lining / membrane when come in contact long term .  

Propylene glycol 

Well known as 'rubbing alcohol' , was widely use as disinfectant for medical devices or as a surface disinfectant . Generally not poisonous but not known if it is harmful when inhale long term

Nitrosamines and antifreeze 

They were told to be carcinogenic ( meaning they can cause cancer ) but many thing cause cancer in our daily lives. Artificial coloring in our food and cakes contains nitrosamines and antifreeze . Hair dye with ammonia causes cancer too  . BBQ grill meat causes cancer too , but did people stop having Korean bulgogi or American steak ? So go figure . 

Nicotine 

Same as tobacco ciggie and all nicotine replacement therapy in the pharmacy . Highly addictive which is the main problem and why people can't seems to quit . But the long term exposure of nicotine whitout tar and chemical additives is not known to cause cancer except for raising heart beat and constricted arteries . 

So after all the breakdown of the ingredient you should be able to figure out whether it is a good device to help to quit . The question here is are you going to quit ? Or just looking for something healthier than tar filled tobacco cigarette ? Because there is a huge difference in the two . 

Give you an example , I have a really close doctor friend and he had been on nicotine gums since we first met in university , and he is still chewing nicotine gums till today , about 10 years we've known each other . The point here is he wasn't chewing nicotine gums for quitting . You get the idea now ? 

So if you are thinking to quit of course e-ciggie is great . And if you ask why is it not marketed officially as a quit smoking device ? Well because pharmaceutical companies does not want them to eat out a big chunk of their revenue ( big OHHH ) . But if you are looking for healthier alternative but still wants the nicotine for life then e-ciggie is controversial , the long term exposure of the lung and mucous membranes of the above chemicals are not proven to be 100 % safe . On top of that the manufacture of the liquid refills may vary drastically from brand to brand . I am sure you have heard of melamine milk powder manufactured from China but those from New Zealand are absolutely fine . Same goes for e-ciggie . 

So back to the commercial shoot . I ask them during several meetings on the breakdown ingredient of the liquid refill of their brands but they kept brushing me off by saying it is confidential and not allowed to be disclosed. But I did make a little market research myself and found out the manufacturing plant could be in China. That's how it is a money making industry and with high profit margin , the liquid probably cost RMB 1c . That's not the point , I figure out this is not ethical to my line of work , so despite them paying me well and I may be the next face on the magazine cover ( show smug face and day dreaming ) for the job , I QUIT . 

Quit smoking

A pretty girlfriend of mine , maybe pretty ain't good enough , I should say smoking hot girlfriend of mine got into some relationship problem which she can't resolve has recently started smoking heavily . And all I could see was her silky smooth skin has slowly encounter some changes , with small breakouts and her paper white skin color had gotten a lot duller . I did not try to talk her out of it as I don't really know the resolution to her problem and I did not want her to think I am naggy. So I tried a little trick by saying did she got a tan lately ? Her skin looks darker , she freaked out and ask if I have any medicine from the pharmacy that helps her quit smoking . Nicotine patches was not working as her skin breaks into eczema /allergy on the area the patch is stuck on , just like most people I have heard of . The glue is the main issue for patches . 

Nicotine gums and inhaler are even worst . Started her on it and she then tell me everywhere is out of stock after her first pack and she went back to smoking with even more ciggies a day . I must say the supply of gums in the Malaysian market is relatively unstable . they claim it is raw material issue . But I feel bad for the people on it trying to quit . 

So really there isn't much choice left except the Zyan tablets . The tablets were marketed quite a while in Australia before it got to Malaysia , I first dispense it when I was working in Australia as a pharmacist . They were covered by the PBS if you are a concession card holder .In here , selling at Rm 300 retail pharmacy . The regimen usually take 60 days , depending on individual and determination , continuation to 90-120 days is still acceptable . Simple regimen like twice daily then continue to once day for continuation . Some people complain saying now it does not burn your lungs but burn your pocket ! I can't say it is not true but having really good complexion and less breathing problems is priceless . 

Health is wealth . 

Understanding the Chinese medicinal terms Part 2

P o i s o n o u s  prawns ???? Did I miss something ? Or do I need a hearing aid ? If it is poisonous why are you cooking it and serving it on dinner table ?! Mom , are you trying to kill all of us to claim insurance benefit ?!! 

Ok calm down . The word poisonous is a direct translation of the word [ 毒 ] if you can't read it as it is typed in Chinese , it is  a word they use for poison in Chinese language . The term is literally or maybe mostly use to describe seafood . Arkshells are poisonous , prawns are poisonous and crabs sometimes . But shark fins are not . All of them that comes the same generation that would use the term 'poisonous' would think we are a nut job not to eat shark fins because we are against cruelty and trying to protect that sea creature . In their world shark fins are like top of medicinal food , they are good for skin , hair , energy bla bla bla and expensive things must be good .

They would say avoid poisonous things when you have chicken pox , an open wound . So my understanding of it simply relates to histamine release. The poisonous food group are usually the type of food that causes hypersensitivity in the general population . Sea shells allergy and peanut allergy for instance . Yes peanut is very poisonous they say . And so when you have an skin infections and eczema prone skin , allergic reaction happens easily with seafood as in this region or place where we live , sanitation is not perfect , so the seafood's cleanliness is not top notch . The possibility of allergic / histamine release is high after you eat those food mention and itchiness (scratch and scratch ) would worsen the broken wound , leading to skin infection . Here you go , when you get puss oozing out of your wound , mom will go : because you have poison in your body ! Now you need to wash your blood (????with detergent ) with burdock root soup .

Oh hemm gee . 

The understanding of Chinese medical terms

B e i n g  brought up in an Asian family , super traditionally I was fed with all the false ideation of 'heaty' , 'coldish' or 'poisonous' terms about foods . So I start telling my mates in university about them , and they would think I am a nut job and laugh the hell out of me . Well I suppose there is nothing wrong with that as Asian would laugh the hell out of them when they wear their shoes into the house and eat only sweet breakfasts . There is no right or wrong just different upbringing. 

Let's talk about the terms . 

'Heaty' is use mostly on fried food or high carbohydrate things . For instance deep fried banana fritters , KFC , French fries  and durian , medjools , banana , rambutan and mangosteens. My mom would go , drink more water after you have eaten all the 'heaty' stuff . I would go like what heaty rambutan? You mean you heat the rambutan in the microwave and now it's burning and the water helps put out the fire like an fire engine ? ? ? Mom would be like : aiyooo ! If not you will have sore throat Tomorrow . How did she guess ? But she is right sometimes . So I learn to think scientifically and would question some hypothesis . So let's say if I have fried chicken in Iceland in winter ? Is it still 'heaty' ? The answer is yes and no . Basically I have come to a conclusion about 'heaty' , I would say what it really means are high caloric food that are high in energy . The reason being heaty is that with high caloric intake , if you do not utilize or burn off the calorie by increasing the activity , your body's normal energy equilibrium will be disrupted . When things are not balance , your body would fall sick . Water helps bring body temperature down and increasing the metabolism so the calorie is burn off faster , giving the right equilibrium back to the body . 

So when your body's energy equilibrium is off balance for a few days that's how you will fall sick as the bad bacteria starts to win over the low immunity . 

'Coldish' meaning things that are negative calorie , seaweed , celery , papaya or some call it paw paw , pineapple and grass jelly . These things generally makes you go to the toilet as they retain water and solve your constipations. So here comes what mom would say : avoid taking those when are pregnant or having your menstrual . They belief that the coldish things causes miscarriage and your vjj cramp up .  So i suppose it's ok to eat a lot of those if you are a guy ? Well let me explain the medical /scientific understanding of it . These things listed are all fibrous or contains high in sugar that will usually draw water into the bowel after consumption so the bowel movement maybe very strong and causes stomach cramping and slight diarrhea , so the uterus being very close to the stomach , if you get cramps during your menstrual  all the time the pain will be accentuated , and you really you can't really tell the cramps apart , they are all at the lower abdominal . Miscarriage is belief to happen when you eat them extensively and the diarrhea could be so bad that the early stage of pregnancy is unstable or attachment of fetus are not strong on the uterus lining , may fall off during a bad diarrhea episodes . But it's over exaggerated when said to avoid TOTALLY before menstrual and pregnancy . But I do understand the Asian customers , when they ask you for advice on what to avoid eating during certain ailment if you laugh it off and say nothing to avoid , they would really think you know nothing and not good enough in your medical judgement . Yes we are paranoid and kiasu ( you can google this word of you don't know the meaning of it ) . So if you don't like to be taken that way then answer them firmly by saying EAT less of grass jelly and pineapple before the menstrual is due . Asian love talking about the minor problems they have over dinner , then your words will be pass on during family gathering and the older ladies on the table would think : hey this pharmacist is good, she knows her stuff let's go to her shop !! 

Win win situation . 

If you think you don't buy the whole silly concept, then you may want to move working as a pharmacist or doctor in anywhere else but Asia , that would be my biggest dream . 

Fart or live without milk

R o o m i e  farts extensively . She says she would record it and send it to her boyfriend on whatsapp ( don't tell me I need to explain what is whatsapp ok ? ) . Ewwwwww right ? She is weird sometimes but most importantly I find her my biggest entertainment source . And she goes like : I don't actually do it  , I just wanted to see your reaction LOL  yea I do trust people too easily , crap ! 

The gasses are not pungent but just extensively a lot . So being a pharmacist I start studying her diet patterns and found out what was wrong with her bowel . She takes probiotic so it can't be constipation or flora problem . It happens later in the day usually which I also figure out why because she skips breakfast everyday . After watching her for weeks I finalize she is lactose intolerance . I told her about it and she went : shoossh no way ! 

Being ignorant is usually the first thing everyone does when they get diagnose with something . Lactose intolerant is particularly common among Asians .the body produces lactase but as you grow older or take lesser dairy product day by day in your adulthood , the body stops producing the enzyme in large amount because your body only do what it needs to ( so you eat less milk,  they produce less lactase ) , some people will stop production completely .  How do we treat lactose intolerance ? Easy . Take lactase. Mostly manufactured in the USA and sadly to announce we don't have it in Malaysia . Terrible drugs formulary we have , I know . Get it from Singapore if you live in Malaysia . If not online pharmacy is not such a bad option . 

But roomie screams and yell saying drugs have side effects so I went : live without milk . Let me start with the list of food to avoid , now listen attentively . Pitzahhhhh 🍕🍕🍕 ( she looks ok ) , ice cream ( I saw frown line between eyebrows) , cheesecake and cheeseburger ( she looks as if she is going to cry ) and .... She then disrupted my sentence and go : chocolates ?🍫🍫 i answered : only dark ones  ( her face turned blue ) . 

Latte, ice chocolates , Oreo milkshakes ( she begins to walk away ) ...so I yell MILO AS WELL  . She called out loud from the toilet : buy me lactase ! 

I crack up . 

Let the hang be over

 

D r u g  and drink is not all wrong . When I say drug here is the liver tonic supplements and not any street drugs . Seriously do not mix street drugs with alcohol, I am not kidding *stare* .. Urmm I guess not enough *change to glare* 

People die from drug cocktail. Period. 

Drinking can be harmless if you do it right. Red wine is loaded with flavonoids , good antioxidant that reduce the narrowing of the arteries and helps bring down the risk of stroke . Beer is a buddy when you have it with pizza and cheesy chips , nothing compares to this combo *sinead o'connor 's record of the year starts playing* .. Ooh even a better combo watching Bridget jones diary blockbuster on tele  LOL 

Well let's get to the point , hang over is no fun ,the total opposite from the above But many of them still overdo their drinks and ended up 'zombie walking' into the pharmacy the next morning wanting quick remedy . Me on the other hand would wish you should learn your lesson , and start selling you plenty anti vomiting and pain relievers , the most expensive ones of all brands so you won't do it again . Well , sometimes you need to be cruel to be kind *social / work responsibilities exempted* in this case .

Milk thistle ( pronounce as tis-sel ) second T is silent as how you would pronounce castle . The scientific name is hilarious , I did a presentation on this back in school days and I blew my presentation because of it I laughed for longer than expected do the time too long for my presentation , silly me. It is silybum herb LOL ROFL get up from floor then LOL LOL now I can do it at my own pase , yay! 

Milk thistle detoxify toxins in the liver .Helping it detoxify faster and more efficiently . So with the right hydration during the drinking session and this would really make a difference the next morning . Take a full on 300mg in 3 different dose 2 days before and during the big night and the next day (if you can ), your liver will thank you for it . 

If you are a long term drinker , as in regular drinking 3-4 times a week and been doing it for more than 2 years, I suggest taking liver phospholipids instead of milk thistle . When milk thistle taken in low dose regularly / daily for a year ,I found that it disturbs my sleeps . This could be individual , but because the liver is an important organ doing all the detoxification , anything you eat or drink could have an amplified or minimize effect with this herbs . 

If you have cirrhosis or hepatitis or taking any medication metabolize my the liver , I suggest speaking to your doctor before starting milk thistle for long term . 

Ps : check out my Instagram @druggqueen for tips managing your hang over if you did not do your preparation before the big night