Don’t stay sick! Ask the pharmacist!

Have you ever been sick in a foreign country? Me too! And I remember very well my embarrassment while explaining my symptoms to the pharmacist You know what I’m talking about… The symptoms you don’t want the 10 people in the waiting line to know about.

Let me relieve you from this. Yes! you need to know while talking to the pharmacist in France.

Don’t mime your symptoms ever again! ????

Note: If you are not sure whether, you will remember them pharmacist’s shop, you’ll find a PDF with all the phrases at the end of the article. This PDF is free and if you need more, I have a premium program.

Where to go?

The pharmacist is called le pharmacien here. And a Pharmacy is called la pharmacie. There are pharmacies everywhere, and you find them by looking for a big green cross (like the one of the Red Cross but here in green). It is usually a big neon sign. They are open during the day, like other French shops do. In case you need any special medication that cannot wait till the morning, you have to find une pharmacie de nuit also called pharmacie de garde, which would open at night. You can Google them.

The pharmacist sells des cachets (medicines in tablet form) or unsirop (syrup) or des sachets (packets) or des comprimés effervescents (fizzy tablets).

Suppositories are a myth. They are only used for babies and little children.

Headaches, colds, sore throat

Je tousse.

I have a cough.

Vous auriez quelque chose contre la toux ?

Do you have medicines for cough?

Toux grasse ou toux sèche ?

Do you have a cough with mucus or dry? (They often ask it)

J’ai mal à la tête. / Vous pourriez me donner quelque chose contre le mal de tête?

I have a headache. / Can you give some medicines for headaches?

J’ai un rhume.

I have a cold.

Je me mouche tout le temps. / J’ai le nez qui coule.

I have a running nose.

J’éternue tout le temps.

I sneeze all the time.

J’ai mal à la gorge.

I have a sore throat.

J’ai la gorge très sèche.

I have a parched throat.

J’ai des glaires.

I have mucus.

J’ai de la fièvre.

I have a fever.

Stomach issues

J’ai mal au ventre.

I have a Stomach Ache/ My stomach hurts.

Je suis constipée. / J’ai la diarrhée.

I’m constipated. / I have diarrhoea

J’ai des nausées. / J’ai vomi.

I feel nausea/ I feel nauseated and I vomited.

Women requests

J’ai mes règles. J’ai très mal au ventre.

I have my period and have severe cramps.

Je suis enceinte.

I’m pregnant.

Note: always tell the pharmacist if you ask for medication!

Je voudrais un test de grossesse.

I’d like a pregnancy test.

Je suis à cours de pilule. Est-ce que vous pourriez me dépanner s’il vous plaît?

I have run out of the Pill, could you please help me out?

Note: They usually help. If not, go to the next pharmacist in the street and ask again. The basic Pill is super cheap. Don’t stay without contraception! If they tell you « be careful next time, bla bla bla » (as if you did it on purpose…), just say « oui, merci » and go. Happened to me too.

Allergies

Je suis allergique au pollen.

I’m allergic to pollens.

Vous avez quelque chose contre les allergies?

Do you have medicines for allergy?

Je voudrais un antihistaminique ou quelque chose contre le rhume des foins, s’il vous plaît.

I would like an antihistamine or something for hay fever, please.

Ask for a doctor

Est-ce que je dois aller voir un médecin ?

Should I see a doctor?

Note: If they tell you to go to the doctor, GO TO THE DOCTOR. In France, you will pay around 25€ for a consultation. Don’t stay sick!

Est-ce que vous avez un médecin à me recommander?

Do you have a doctor to recommend?

Vous avez son numéro ?

May I have the phone number of the doctor you recommend?

Take action now: Enter your first name and email below so I can send you the PDF of the symptoms in English and French (ready to print in 1 sheet!) and print it. Put it in your medicine cabinet, between the aspirin and the toothpaste. If you don’t know how to pronounce, SHOW the symptoms to the pharmacist!

Share this: This article if FAR from sexy. But I’m sure you know friends who need the same information. Avoid your friends the embarrassment of miming their symptoms. ???? Send them this article!

Géraldine