Nigeria
August 3, 2012 12:48 PM   Subscribe

Where can you buy Neosporin creme in NIGERIA,Abuja? It is URGENT!

Where can you buy Neosporin creme in Nigeria? The city is Abuja.

Is there a similar thing or different brand?

Fastest Fedex shipping would be 800 dollar and a friend of mine had an accent and needs it urgent. Treatment in the local hospital was not very good.

Any advice/help is appreciated.
posted by yoyo_nyc to Health & Fitness (20 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
There is a list of pharmacies in Abuja here - I'd try calling a few to see. Failing that, there's an American Consulate there as well that can probably point someone in the right direction.
posted by jquinby at 12:51 PM on August 3, 2012


More listed here on a page for expats. Pharmacies are towards the end.
posted by jquinby at 12:54 PM on August 3, 2012


You don't need the actual name-brand Neosporin. You just need something with similar active ingredients (in fact, Neosporin might not even be sold in that market). The active ingredients in Neosporin are: Neomycin Sulfate, Polymyxin B, Bacitracin Zinc

What type of accident did you friend have? Neosporin is only intended for minor first aid use... if your friend requires anything more than care of a minor cut/burn/scrape, that might not be the right medicine for him/her.
posted by julthumbscrew at 12:54 PM on August 3, 2012 [6 favorites]


For what it's worth, Betadine or another povidone-iodine solution is even better in most cases where something like Neosporin (bacitracin, neomycin, polymyxin B) is indicated. It's the brown stuff you'll see in hospitals. Neither may be appropriate as it sounds like a serious wound.
posted by kcm at 12:57 PM on August 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


The generic term for Neosporin is triple antibiotic ointment.
posted by zsazsa at 12:57 PM on August 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


It's an American product that isn't sold widely in other markets - definitely not in the UK. (By coincidence I came across it online the other day and wondered what it was.) Antibiotics are prescription only here in any form, which might explain why. I don't know the situation in Nigeria but this might be why you're having trouble finding it.

Savlon might help - it's an antiseptic cream. There's also apparently an OTC cream called Brudiline, which might be worth a try?
posted by mippy at 12:59 PM on August 3, 2012


If the wound is so minor as to be treatable with an ointment, it should suffice to just clean and dress it.
posted by wutangclan at 1:00 PM on August 3, 2012 [8 favorites]


Neosporin-like antibiotic ointments aren't that common outside of the US: you can't get them in the UK, for instance. Try antiseptics first, and call the US consulate if you really need an antibiotic.
posted by holgate at 1:01 PM on August 3, 2012


A wound requiring urgent care sounds more serious than the type Neosporin is supposed to handle.

You can often find Bacitracin by itself in pharmacies (on preview, Betadine as well). Look for antiseptic or antibiotic ointment. Though if the wound is minor enough for Neosporin, keeping the wound clean and moist is probably enough.
posted by bluefly at 1:22 PM on August 3, 2012


Response by poster: He has an upper layer of skin removed in his face and there are still some pieces of glass in his face. As far as I know. I keep trying to call the pharmacies. But nearly all numbers are out of service, wrong or disconnected.

Thanks for the help so far.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 1:32 PM on August 3, 2012


Okay, that's an abrasion. Assuming it's JUST the upper layer, and not over his WHOLE FACE, applying any ol' antiseptic and keeping it clean and dressed will be fine. I'd recommend iodine or chlorhexidine gluconate, solely because they won't be as drying and irritating as pure alcohol (which would also work, but is really harsh on skin). Here is a list of other antiseptics for your friend to peruse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiseptic#Some_common_antiseptics

Dab some of the antiseptic of choice on a few times a day. After dabbing it on, use paper or cloth tape to loosely tape over a layer of pure cotton gauze. Don't use anything greasy or petroleum-based on it. It'll look worse before it looks better. While your friend does not NEED to extract any small pieces of glass (they'll either be expelled by his body or encapsulated; they can then stay until a reputable doc can remove them), if he CHOOSES to do so, make sure he uses sterilized tweezers and plenty of antiseptic then, too.
posted by julthumbscrew at 1:48 PM on August 3, 2012 [4 favorites]


Response by poster: "accident" of cause. Not an accent. But he has an accent too.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 2:18 PM on August 3, 2012 [2 favorites]


He can put raw organic honey on it. Used in hospitals with staph infections and burn wards.
posted by zia at 2:50 PM on August 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


I lived in East Africa for a few years, and you should know that you are virtually NEVER going to find American brand names there, but you almost always can find brands from the UK or UAE or South Africa. If you only accept American brands, then you have to go back to America.

Literally any pharmacy you go to should have what you're looking for. Literally any one. Ask for antibiotic cream.

Also, Abuja is a reasonably sized city, there are definitely '1st world caliber' medical clinics you will confident in (they will likely cater to upper class nigerians and foreigners.) You will have better luck finding out about your local amenities via websites 'expat websites' and your fellow foreigners. Or if you have a travel guidebook, look up 'clinics' or 'hospitals'.
posted by Kololo at 4:06 PM on August 3, 2012 [2 favorites]


I am not a doctor, but I have worked in a wound clinic. I respectfully do not agree with julthumbscrew. Antiseptic lots of times a day will kill the skin cells that are trying to multiply and recover the area.

I would, instead, wash once with boiled water and a mild soap. Blot with disposable towels or let air-dry. IF the wound looks dirty (inflamed, pus, any kind of strange discharge other than blood or clear liquid), or if you can't help yourself, do a once-over with antiseptic of choice (alcohol, etc.). Then tape gauze over the whole area. Any kind is fine as long as it is sterile. If you can't get sterile, then tissues fresh from an unopened box, etc.. Any kind of tape is fine since it doesn't touch the wound.

Look at it after 12 hours. Rinse with boiled water (no soap, no antiseptic). Rebandage.

See how often you need to change the dressing. Change the dressing as little as possible, but often enough so that it's not soaking wet, because every time you open the bandage up, more stuff goes in there.
posted by skbw at 4:10 PM on August 3, 2012 [8 favorites]


Just want to chime and point out that I think skbw probably means to say: boil the water, let it cool, then use it to wash.
posted by eatcake at 6:45 PM on August 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


I will definitely defer to skbw on this one, on account of the wound clinic experience... if s/he says not to over-antiseptic the wound, listen! :-)
posted by julthumbscrew at 8:44 PM on August 3, 2012


There are small bottles of a reddish-golden liquid called Dettol in Africa and you dilute it with water and clean wounds with it. Betadine cream is what you could use instead of Neosporin. Just go to a pharmacy or general store and look next to the bandages/band-aids. In some places in Africa there are still tiny bottles with bright red liquid in them (some sort of zinc mix), do not use this, it was withdrawn from market ages ago as it causes scarring.
posted by meepmeow at 10:27 AM on August 4, 2012 [1 favorite]


Outside the USA, most countries favor phenol-based antiseptics like "TCP" which is available in many countries including Nigeria. I get the brand Germolene when available, but they are all very effective. The previously mentioned Dettol is another one of these.
posted by w0mbat at 1:07 PM on August 4, 2012


Antiseptic lots of times a day will kill the skin cells that are trying to multiply and recover the area.

Seconded. Antiseptics have not been the treatment recommended for surface wounds by medical professionals for quite some time now. The practice only persists through stubborn mothers who remember this from their childhood.
posted by wutangclan at 12:34 PM on August 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


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