visiting and sick in paris

The US Embassy in Paris will have a list of Drs. or hospitals that you can go to and be checked out. The list should be online.

Purchasing and taking anti-biotics without knowing what you have is never a good idea.

Look up your medical insurance web site. I was able to pull a list of doctors last year who speak English and will accept my health care. Also, RS provides information about English speaking pharmacies and the American Hospital in Paris. All would be good choices.

There are medical clinics in almost every neighborhood. You can just show up there without an appointment, and they will probably have a doctor available right away. It costs about 27 euros, I believe. Or, maybe easier, you can go to a pharmacy and describe your symptoms. Often there will be a doctor on duty there who can prescribe the appropriate rxs. And the pharmacists are also trained to diagnose. Don't be shocked if you are given a suppository for your sore throat! It does work, honest.

Yecch, Terry! Doesn't it taste funny??

Doug, I worked in a medical office for 15 years. We had an elderly women who actually ate her suppository(sp). She said it tasted waxy.

I had a minor medical problem where I needed an English speaking foot doctor in Paris. I called the US Embassy, they referred me to the American Hospital, they referred me to a local pharmacy, they referred me to a doctor up the street that spoke English. I met with him, very nice, he called the foot doctor and set up the appointment that same day. Foot doctor did not speak English, but fixed the problem. Cost-100 euros for the first doctor, 48 euros for the foot doctor. Try the pharmacy first. Think of it as another wonderful way to experience the culture.