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Went to Boots today to buy some basic things.

(52 Posts)
MayBee70 Thu 30-Nov-23 17:21:31

Benelyn, castor oil and chloramphenicol eye cream. Boots can’t get the eye cream ( haven’t been able to get it for months) and Benelyn is unavailable. No one seems to sell castor oil any more. Given that it’s impossible to get a doctors appointment how are we supposed to treat ourselves when even cough medicine isn’t available. I was given a Boots equivalent but it isn’t going to work as well as Benelyn ( if at all).

Suki70 Thu 30-Nov-23 20:04:11

Boots are reported to be closing a number of stores ‘to consolidate the business’. The American owner WBA planned to sell the chain last year but called it off when no bids reached the asking price.

maddyone Thu 30-Nov-23 20:57:41

You can also buy Benylin and castor oil, cold pressed organic oil no less, from Amazon. If you have Prime as I do, it will be next day delivery.

JackyB Thu 30-Nov-23 20:57:46

^Didn't pregnant women take it years ago if they were overdue?

I don't know how it was supposed to work!

Like an enema, it can work VERY quickly. My gran proved it to me when I was three it was so traumatic I still remember all the details. Two doses of Caster oil and a sit on a potty of hot water.

I think in childbirth they thought the enema would start your contractions and you had to sip Raspberry leaf tea at the same time. I certainly never put that into practice.^

A bout of diarrhoea certainly started me into labour in my last pregnancy. It might have been the other way round. Didn't need castor oil, though.

JackyB Thu 30-Nov-23 20:59:49

Don't know why that quote wasn't in italics. I put ^ at the front and back.

Ah. I've figured it out. Should have done it for each paragraph

MayBee70 Thu 30-Nov-23 21:39:15

maddyone

You can also buy Benylin and castor oil, cold pressed organic oil no less, from Amazon. If you have Prime as I do, it will be next day delivery.

I don’t have Prime, though. I wanted it today and it never crossed my mind that Boots wouldn’t have it. I’m travelling home on Saturday and if I ordered it today it might not arrive here till I get home!

Callistemon21 Thu 30-Nov-23 21:45:07

I've just remembered that I put a Boots order in a while ago and wanted a tube of Germolene antiseptic cream.
They had all kind of unusual merchandise but not a basic item that you'd expect a chemist to stock!
Nor did they have any in the local store. "If it's not on the shelf we haven't got it". To be fair, they've cut down on staff and the young man was trying to do three things at once.

maddyone Thu 30-Nov-23 21:56:02

Ooops, not good advice then Maybee as you’re not at home. Sorry.

pinkprincess Thu 30-Nov-23 23:13:47

Bella23

Callistemon21

crazyH

Callistemon - I’m sure Mum used to give us a tablespoonful of the awful stuff if we were constipated - sure did the job 😂

Didn't pregnant women take it years ago if they were overdue?

I don't know how it was supposed to work!

Like an enema, it can work VERY quickly. My gran proved it to me when I was three it was so traumatic I still remember all the details. Two doses of Caster oil and a sit on a potty of hot water.

I think in childbirth they thought the enema would start your contractions and you had to sip Raspberry leaf tea at the same time. I certainly never put that into practice.blush

I was overdue with both my children.I remember my mother telling me to take it both times. I refrained from doing so.
She also advised me to put a drop of whisky in the baby's night time bottle feed so they would sleep till the morning.
Another piece o advice I ignored.

sassysaysso Fri 01-Dec-23 05:07:43

Not sure of the details but Boots is now mostly owned by US pharmacy chain Walgreens. I used to love Boots, there was something reassuring about the store, but no longer

watermeadow Fri 01-Dec-23 20:51:58

I am astonished that castor oil is still available and didn’t go out along with laudanum!

MayBee70 Fri 01-Dec-23 21:41:11

watermeadow

I am astonished that castor oil is still available and didn’t go out along with laudanum!

My dog is prone to getting cysts and it seems to remove them. It’s also anti microbial ( I think). I used it when I had blepharitis as well. And to soften ear wax.

Taffy1234 Fri 01-Dec-23 21:45:46

Think the castor oil in labour was to empty ones bowel to make the proceedings less unpleasant or un savoury.

pinkprincess Fri 01-Dec-23 23:08:13

Think Boots is in danger o being another great store going under.
IMO it is only Christmas keeping it afloat at the moment. My local large branch is becoming a shadow of its former self.

ElaineI Fri 01-Dec-23 23:20:17

There is a branch in a town near us. They close for a lunch hour and are poorly stocked. No other shop I am aware of closes for a lunch hour. Next nearest is in an out of town shopping area. I went in to get a prescription. They no longer do prescriptions as they have moved to a bigger store??? Agree with pinkprincess but not one I would miss.

maddyone Sat 02-Dec-23 11:14:36

Maybee I think you’re probably home by now, so I hope you’ve got the things you needed or will be able to get them today 🤞

MayBee70 Sat 02-Dec-23 17:23:33

You know, I was ok later that day and I’ve been ok since. My ear was all bunged up, too. I think that, with my fondness for Benylin when it did contain drowsy making stuff, I rather fancied trying it again! Maybe that’s what made me so grumpy about it. It was probably all the olive oil I poured into my ear moving around. I’ve often wondered where it goes.

maddyone Sat 02-Dec-23 18:13:24

Well I’m pleased to hear you’re feeling better now, and you can probably get some Benylin or other cough mixture when you’re out, just to keep in, in case you need it. I’m assuming your eyes feel better too, and you can get some castor oil for the dog when you’re out and about too.
A good ending.

Callistemon21 Sat 02-Dec-23 18:16:13

It was probably all the olive oil I poured into my ear moving around. I’ve often wondered where it goes

Good for keeping the cogs moving in your brain wink

MayBee70 Sat 02-Dec-23 18:32:42

There’s a lot of space for the olive oil to move around! My teeth have stopped being sensitive, too: was thinking I was going to have a root canal job done. Now, if I’d put castor oil in my ears instead of olive oil I’d probably be feeling like a new woman now.

Callistemon21 Sat 02-Dec-23 22:05:09

😲 don't even try it !!!

Apparently castor oil seeds contain ricin.

sharon103 Sun 03-Dec-23 02:55:31

Castor oil does not contain ricin because ricin does not partition into the oil. Castor oil and Glyceryl Ricinoleate absorb ultraviolet (UV) light, with a maximum absorbance at 270 nm
Castor beans are processed throughout the world to make castor oil. Ricin is part of the waste “mash” produced when castor oil is made

Chardy Sun 03-Dec-23 08:16:38

Boots under Walgren us definitely a profit-making company.
I took a hospital prescription in there, and under a huge poster saying that if they didn't have the medication in stock, they'd get it for you tomorrow, they told me they didn't have it and didn't know when they could. The pharmacy at my surgery got the following day.

Esmay Sun 03-Dec-23 10:26:23

Sagging skin is a risk from a huge weight loss .
I'm working on my huge tummy at the moment .
Combine a sensible diet with a good exercise programme and massage your skin a great deal with oil or cream .

Esmay Sun 03-Dec-23 10:32:03

I often feel frustrated with my local Boots .
It's a very small one and completely dominated by the pharmacist .
It doesn't matter what you ask for - she comes out to the front counter and demands why and refuses your request .
I only buy basic things like shampoo or something from the limited make up range .

maddyone Sun 03-Dec-23 11:00:14

We also have a useless small Boots in our little town centre, we have to go to the city ten miles away to find a properly stocked Boots. However I buy most of the things I need from Savers, Superdrug, or during my supermarket shop.
I think Boots will be sold or go like Wilkinson have done only a few weeks ago.
We get our prescriptions sent to the Day Lewis Pharmacy in the town centre.