Warning - painkiller Nolotil available in Spain.

Apologies if this has been covered before but I read this in the Guardian and thought I would bring it to readers attention. Tragic side effects of painkiller which apparently is available in Spain

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... SApp_Other

Dreadful story! Nolotil used to be the ‘go-to’ painkiller but not sure that’s still the case. We always make a point of naming it whenever we’re asked about any allergies.

Anyone from anywhere in Northern Europe should take note of the name Nolotil and avoid at all costs!

I wonder what it is that they give you in the injection, in for the bum for quick pain relief

It's an old story and over the years numerous other cases have hit the press but raising awareness is never a bad thing.

Because it's widely known about it still amazes me that many people working in the health sector, and potentially involved in administering it, still seem blissfully unaware of the risks.

I have small label affixed to my SIP card simply saying NO NOLOTIL!

This has been known for some time and I think most GPs in Spain are now aware of it.
If you look back I posted this warning some 7 years ago on here. The GP my wife saw at Lo Marabu a while back actually told her she was not suitable for Nolotil to ease her oesophagitis and changed it to another medication.

It's also been in the national Spanish papers which points out the problems when prescribed to Northern Europeans.

On the other hand a friend of mine was in Torre hospital not so long ago and they tried to give her not only a Nolotil drip for pain relief but also Nolotil tablets!

Fortunately, unlike the nurses who really should have known, she was aware of the risk and stopped it!

There was no question whatsoever that she was British.

The story in the Guardian is a very recent one. I have a note on my medical notes that I am allergic to Nolotil, and make sure that the doctors are aware.

The guy in the piece died on Oct 20th so why the Guardian has chosen now to report on it now who knows, the core story about Nolotil is not new at all which was my main point.

If you read the piece thoroughly you'll find this link to a report from 2009

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19457324/

I think the main reason is due to the campaign by Cristina Research Information. She has been collating information for over 6 years about Nolotil/Metamizole and its effect on (mainly) British people. I have copied the text from her Facebook page:
"I am the medical translator who alerted medical authorities about the effects of Nolotil/Metamizole on British people. I have collected hundreds of cases since Dec 2017. Follow my page and help me fund my campaign: https://gofund.me/c249defb"