Notes on Anagraine ( summarised from notes by @autumnal )
Each tablet contains 5mg metoclopramide.
So you would need 6 tablets to obtain 30mg metoclopramide.
Apparently you have to explain why you need the medication to obtain it from the pharmacy.
The best approach may be to say you have a migraine.
Apparently you can only get 1 packet of 8 tablets at a time.
If you wanted to do the 48 hour regime (or if you were intending to do a full "test run" of the stat dose, etc), then you would need to "save up" 2 or 3 packets over time, or perhaps go to multiple pharmacies.
NOTE : Each tablet contains 500mg paracetamol.
If following Stan's SN regimen, then taking Anagraine should also cover the painkiller component of the regimen.
Note, however, that taking 6 tablets gives quite a high paracetamol dose (3g). I would not expect this to be a major concern, although I am not medically qualified, so do not rely upon this opinion, and always do your own research and checking.
It depends on the pharmacy and what kind of existing relationship you have with them. Some pharmacists hand it to you without even a second glance, others might ask what it is for and what your symptoms are. The best approach is generally to say migraine (because all the symptoms are subjective and in your head, whereas if you say it's purely for uncontrolled nausea then you might have to fake that symptom). If you've never had migraines before in real life, it's easiest to say that it's your first one, you're not sure if it's a migraine but you looked up headache symptoms online and that's the type that it sounded like to you. Or perhaps someone you know gets migraines and they told you it sounded like one. Bonus points for saying your info was on the
Better Health Channel or your equivalent Government-backed healthcare advice site.
At its simplest, a migraine is a headache much, much worse and distinctly different than anything you've ever had before, it's a pulsating kind of pain (like a heartbeat in your brain perhaps) and that exposure to light and sound make it even worse. It also makes you feel nauseous. You've had it already for at least a day, and nothing else you have taken over that period (regular maximum doses of Paracetemol, Ibuprofen) has even made a dint in the pain. Think of the worst headache you've ever had, and then imagine that light and sound makes it even worse. You don't have to go over-the-top, but you're going to present in person as having head pain, clutching at your forehead and wincing, and squinting and keeping your eyes averted downwards as if the light is bothering you. Same with seeming a little oversensitive to sound, and maybe lowering your voice somewhat as if you hope that doing so will make the other person speak more quietly too.
Note that I've personally never had migraines, so someone else here who is a genuine sufferer may be able to give a more accurate description than mine. But at the fairly superficial level of persuading a pharmacist, you don't need an excessive level of detail, and indeed sounding a little vague and unsure about the symptoms gives credibility to the story that this is the first time you have experienced the,.
If you find it very hard to lie in person, you might also consider phoning the pharmacy in advance and asking if they have the medication in stock. Explain the headache as above if asked, and say you wanted to phone and check first because it hurts so much to even go outside in the light and noise that you didn't want a wasted trip. You could even ask for them to have it prepared and ready for you when you come in, to minimise your time in pain.
Note that it is much easier to fake a migraine to a pharmacist rather the a general practitioner, because the pharmacist has less tools at their disposal and so is only concerned with treating the immediate symptoms rather than diagnosing the condition or finding the cause. There's a chance that a GP when confronted with the above symptoms may probe for further details and trip you up, or at the very least order extra tests or procedures. Also, if you need to return over a longer period for multiple batches in order to stockpile them for the SN regimen protocol, the pharmacist will believe the excuse that you haven't yet had a chance to see your GP for a proper diagnosis in the meantime. Whereas going back to your GP each time might make them feel the need to escalate treatments or diagnostics in order to pin down a more formal diagnosis.
Hope this helps some people.
