Become a Vichy VIP

We are delighted to launch our new loyalty card for Vichy and La Roche-Posay products.

The deal is this:

• Every time you buy a product from Vichy or La Roche Posay, we will stamp your loyalty card.
• When you have five stamps - you can choose a free product.

It is actually even better than that.

We can give you a free skincare analysis consultation and have loads of samples of the whole range of products which you are free to try before you buy so that we get exactly the right product for you.

I have blogged about Vichy products before and I still really do love them. I am currently using the roll-on eye serum, the intensiv aqualia serum and liftactiv day and night creams. It is questionable whether I look any better (but I blame my new baby boy for that!) for using Vichy, but they are lovely products and nowhere near as expensive as some skincare products I have used in that past.

As we head towards summer it is worth remembering that Vichy also do a great factor 50 suncream - Capital Soleil. Just don't forget to get your loyalty card stamped!

Autism Awareness

April 2nd was World Autism Day.
A little bit late to blog about it, I know, but probably not too late to raise it as an issue.

The autism spectrum is the collective term for a range of conditions that impact on an individual’s social communication, social interaction and social imagination and flexible thinking . Individuals on the spectrum are also likely to have sensory and information processing difficulties that can range from subtle to complex .

Me, some nephews, a son and a dog

As a pharmacist I don't have much to say about autism and its spectrum of disorders which includes Aspergers Syndrome and that is mainly because there aren't any drugs to treat it. Not like diabetes, asthma or chronic pain. I can tell you loads about them because there are hundreds and hundreds of pharmaceuticals to manage the conditions and where there are drugs there is research and money!

However, I do have an interest in Autism as the aunt of an intelligent and articulate Aspie nephew. My sister blogs brilliantly about her Asperger's boy and some of the successes and challenges they face. As my nephew becomes a young adult she is keen to hear from adult Aspies to try to link some of those who have gone through it with those who are experiencing it, and so has set up a new blog called Ask Aspie.

At the other side of puberty is my friend's brother, Brian who was only diagnosed with Asperger's a couple of years ago. He calls himself a write, actor, jobseeker and proud Asperger and his new blog aims to tell his story.

All this got me thinking how many of my customers and patients I deal with every day who are somewhere on the Austism spectrum. Given that 1 in 100 people in Scotland have autism, it is probably a good number. Some of them will have obvious needs. For others it may be more subtle and less obvious. I may just need to take more time to find out their needs or explain a new product, or find a different way to get my point across.

For more information about Autism spectrum disorders, Scottish Autism is a great place to start.

Chicken Pox

There hasn't been much time for blogging recently.

What with the challenges of getting used to our new baby, dealing with a 3 year old with tonsillitis and chicken pox within the space of a month, travelling to wet west Wales to the in-laws for Easter and having some sort of flu-like bug myself, spare time has been pretty limited!

But once again I have been learning to be a better pharmacist by testing the product range* available for dealing with a small boy with chicken pox and felt it timely to share my (ahem) wisdom.

So here goes:

• Paracetamol and/or ibuprofen suspension are great to bring down the high temperature. Remember to check the dose is right for the age of child and the advice has recently changed. If in doubt as your pharmacist.
• Chlorphenamine (Piriton) is a good choice if your wee one is incredibly itchy. It can help them get a good night's sleep as well. Although had no noticable effect on my boy!

• Topical products seem to stop the itching for a little while. Take your pick from:
  Calamine lotion - the smell took me back to a far away place in time. Very soothing and my small boy liked dabbing it on himself.
  Calamine in aqueous cream - not as messy as the lotion or as drying to the skin
  Virasoothe gel seemed to be the best we tried. Nice to apply, very cooling and soothing.
  There are some new products just out that we didn;t get round to trying this time. We'll need to wait for the next child to get chicken pox to test more products!

Other things we learned from this round of illnesses:

• It is possible to get chicken pox twice. We are pretty sure that our boy had it when he was about a year old, but a very mild dose. Perhaps not a good enough whack to give him immunity?
• A 3 year old can be too poorly to even watch peppa pig! Now that must be proper poorly.
• The spots in the hair itch the most.
• Breast feeding really does protect newborns - or so it would seem. That means we'll go through it all again when the younger brother goes to nursery.
• Small children can't often explain where things hurt. A sore neck turned out to be tonsillitis!

*Remember that some of the products above may be available free of charge on the minor ailments services. Come and discuss your child's symptoms with the team at Barnton Pharmacy.

No smoking day

I hadn't realised that more Scots give up smoking in March than in January...but I am sure it has something to do with the extra bank holiday at New Year in Scotland!

Today is No Smoking Day
It is great to have a day when there is national support for those folk who really want to stop smoking. I have blogged about stopping smoking before and the services available from Barnton Pharmacy, so this time I wanted to tell you about my friend Debbie.

Debbie has always smoked - well for 33 years to be exact. For as long as I can remember I have not known Debbie without a fag in one hand and a large G&T in the other. Up until fairly recently Debbie was definitely a "contented smoker". No amount of lecturing, cajoling or any other sort of nagging would have persuaded her that giving up the fags was a good idea. She had tried many times without success and had tried patches, gum and all combinations of nicotine replacement.

Determined to change things a couple of years ago, Debbie found a gym which was working for her, bought a bike and she was fitter than she had been for years! The next thing to tackle was smoking. The next quit attempt was going to have to be different. ......So what was different?

This time Debbie discussed her smoking with her GP and a course of Champix was prescribed. This, together with great determination, planning and an even better reward system (beauty treatments, days out with the girls, champagne - whatever works!) means that this No Smoking Day Debbie has been smoke free for EIGHT WEEKS!!!! This is even more incredible if you know her husband is still smoking, but there is another story altogether!

Debbie is feeling and looking great! She can now run for 30 minutes without stopping and for the first time in 33 years she watched her beloved Newcastle United play Sunderland without caving in to nicotine (it was a draw in the end, I believe). There is even talk of a climb to the top of Ben Nevis in May!

Apart from being a true success story for Debbie, this tale is for anyone who has tried to give up before and gone back to the fags. Most people have to fall off the wagon a few times before giving up for good. It is for those of you who are "contented smokers" and for those of you who have tried every product available before.....try again!

If Debbie can do it.....so can you!

Reflexology

We are always looking for new services to offer our customers which complement what we do at Barnton Pharmacy.

We are delighted to now be able to offer reflexology appointments with  Gwen Scott. Gwen trained in 2008 by the Bayly School of Reflexology and is a member of the British Reflexology Association

Reflexology, the modern name for an ancient therapy, was first practiced by the Chinese in 3000BC and also the Eygptians-around 2300BC.

Who benefits from Reflexology?Reflexology is suitable for people of all ages and may bring relief from a wide range of conditions including:

• Back pain
• Headaches
• Hormonal imbalances
• Digestive disorders
• Sinusitis
• Depression

Reflexology promotes restful sleep and generally gives an uplifting sense of well being

Here's what Hazel had to say about her first session with Gwen at Barnton Pharmacy: "Just had my reflexology session. It was both relaxing & hopefully beneficial to my (apparently many) ailments in my decrepit ageing body! Highly recommend to you all" 


Gwen works at Barnton Pharmacy every Monday. A relaxing  hour long session costs £30. If you would like to book an appointment, please call the pharmacy on 0131 339 3449

Ovarian Cancer - What to look for

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Ovacome, the ovarian cancer support network has teamed up with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in an effort to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer and the importance of early diagnosis.

I hadn't appreciated that 6500 women are diagnosed every year with ovarian cancer. Because it is hard to detect and diagnose, in 75% of cases the cancer has spread by the time it is diagnosed.

Ovarian cancer is hard to detect because its signs and symptoms are similar to other more common and less serious conditions such as IBS.

The three most common symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

• Bloating of the abdomen which does NOT come and go
• Eating less and feeling fuller
• Abdominal and pelvic pain most days
• Tell your GP

These symptoms form the basis of the ovarian cancer BEAT campaign. In addition, some women may also experience

• urinary frequency or urgency
• changes in bowel habits
• extreme fatigue
• unexplained weight loss

Women over 50 who have not had children are most at risk, as are those using HRT and those with a family history of ovarian or breast cancer.

Many women have not heard of ovarian cancer or believe it can be detected during a cervical smear. It can't and in fact there is no screening programme for ovarian cancer.
However, weith early detection, it can be treated with very good outcomes.

If you are worried at all about your symptoms or want more information about ovarianc cancer and its early detection, consider asking your pharmacist for advice, speak to your doctor or contact the Ovacome support line on 0845 371 0554

Colic and sleep deprivation!



Little M



Looking back, my firstborn son was a dream when it came to feeding.

I found breast feeding easy, little G would take his fill, then fall into a contented sleep. I was a worried mum, though. I remember worrying about how much milk he was getting, whether I was eating the right stuff and how would I know if I was doing the right thing.

Little G is now a strapping, stroppy 3 year old and his baby brother little M is a completely different creature when it comes to feeding. Breast feeding is going well, but is never ending! M is a hungry boy and never seems to be off the breast. He scoffs and scoffs and then wants more, but several minutes after a feed his beautiful face contorts in a red uncomfy gurn, and he lets out a noisy shout to let everyone know he's uncomfortable. He squirms his scrawny legs and contorts himself in all sorts of positions until he manages to free himself of the offending wind from one end or the other. It looks horribly painful for him and in the middle of the night it sounds horrible and keeps us all awake!

Drummer G

I promised myself that second time around I would try not to worry so much about weight gain, feeding and doing the "right" thing according to the current thinking from health visitors, midwives and other well-meaning advice-givers.

So this time round we have tried the dummy very early despite mild concerns it will cause "nipple confusion". It hasn't, but it has given mine a rest, and allows M to get rid of some sucking energy.

We have also tried infacol. Once again, I had my reservations. Could it really work? After all, there is not much to it, but I am a complete convert. The writhing is almost over, or certainly much diminished and M can dine at the milk bar without us having to worry about what is coming next.

You never know, we might even get a complete night's sleep one of these days!!!

Photos: G and M at their current stages....mainly for my benefit.