If you came from US, what did HK not have?

[HongKongFoot]

Yes its over 20 years old, the first link was about renal issues in those who did not have preexisting conditions with their kidneys.

"Ibuprofen-associated, acute, reversible renal failure with hyperkalemia, tubular necrosis, and proteinuria developed in a patient who had no predisposing underlying disease."

Working at a large HMO provider back home I had the opportunity to speak directly with Dr's, Nurses, Specialist, etc. The general consensus in the medical community was that Ibuprofen and its derivatives cause renal problems and if they had a choice, they would prescribe codiene in lieu of IBP. But due to people not being able to control themselves, and people getting high or low in this case, they dont dispense unless the pain is severe or if the patiently specificially asks for it.

The chemical cousin of Codiene - Vicodin/hydrocodone invented because people were getting addicted to Codiene is not as effective as Codiene. It is not as fast acting and the half life of the drug is shorter than Codiene.

It's is not scare mongering at all, the kidneys much like the liver is designed to work very efficiently. One can lose 90% of the organs functions and still feel fine, its not until you pass the 90% thereshold will you notice that things are amiss.

Furthermore, how many people actually get their blood work done to check on hematocrit, bilirubin, on a regular basis?

Lastly, it was more than 30+ years ago Dioxin was deemed carcinogenic and mutagenic. Now 30+ years later I would not want to sprinkle it on my food.

I would take my chances, error on the side of caution and take codiene in lieu of IBP. Especially since its OTC here in HK and you dont need a script for it.

20 year old reports that ibuprofen can make kidney problems worse in people who already have chronic kidney problems? One of which relates to a single case only? You'll need to try a bit harder with your scaremongering than that! But on a tit-for-tat basis:

[HongKongFoot]

HK didnt have my life back home, or I will settle for something simple. A 2 pound 3 inch thick porterhouse steak cut from the top of the loin...

[justjoe86]

Wow it seems like the things people miss most is complete junk. I don't really miss anything I just feel bad paying over the odds for things in city super. (e.g. cheese, bread, good ham, etc.)

I also miss nandos and decent Arabic food (I once had an Egyptian flat mate for a year and became addicted to the food he introduced me to) But I'm from UK, not usa.

Sarsae tastes like mouthwash. Does root beer, too?

[Satay Sue]

Oh thank god, I thought it was just me - I hate root beer!

[jayinhongkong]

I love root beer. You won't catch me drinking Sarsae or A&W though. I like the natural stuff. Bundaberg makes pretty good root beer (readily available at supermarkets in areas with expats) and City'Super stocks some decent varieties too.

[rebekah]

A AND M in shun tak had IBC not long ago. They also have many of the other products mentioned in this thread.

[Sumopanda]

I think I have found just about everything I use in the US here. There have been very few things I can't find here. The only problem is it costs. As long as you can deal with that, it's all good.

[fuzzysocks]

OP here. If it is a lot more expensive, it does not seem worth it. I like using Colgate toothpaste here, but I'm guessing it's not common there. I was planning on stocking up on a few tubes of that before I come over.

And also heard that feminine products brands here aren't common there. Was planning to stock up a little first, too.

[bibbju]

Wow it seems like the things people miss most is complete junk. I don't really miss anything I just feel bad paying over the odds for things in city super. (e.g. cheese, bread, good ham, etc.)

I also miss nandos and decent Arabic food (I once had an Egyptian flat mate for a year and became addicted to the food he introduced me to) But I'm from UK, not usa.

Sarsae tastes like mouthwash. Does root beer, too?

justjoe, I love that you say people mostly miss junk and then say you miss Nandos. Hmmm.

Maybe its just those quality Nandos slogans like "Take home a hot bird tonight"

[PDLM]

OP here. If it is a lot more expensive, it does not seem worth it. I like using Colgate toothpaste here, but I'm guessing it's not common there. I was planning on stocking up on a few tubes of that before I come over.

And also heard that feminine products brands here aren't common there. Was planning to stock up a little first, too.

Colgate is by far the most common brand of toothpaste here. Whether it's the same as that sold in the US I couldn't say (toothpaste is toothpaste as far as I'm concerned).

I believe it is true that if you use tampons then the selection here is somewhat more limited than available in the US, but basic ones are available in different "sizes". You might struggle to find some of the more "exotic" varieties though.