Nicole King – Say NO to Nolotil

I think it was back in 2018 that I met Graeme Ward and first heard about the potentially lethal side effects of the Spanish pain relief medication Nolotil.  Tragically, Graeme’s wife was prescribed this method of pain relief and it took her life.

I was prescribed this after my first caesarean and on many other occasions since having lived in Spain, without knowing the risks.  Who’d of thought that the use of the most widely prescribed pain relief medication in the country could be banned in over 40 other countries and be immersed in such controversy regarding its safety?

Spain’s healthcare regulator the Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) warned of the dangers in a report in 2018, particularly indicating for this not to be prescribed to Brits and tourists due to higher complications and deaths being documented in “fair skinned” citizens.

One of the major side effects of Nolotil is agranulocytosis, basically resulting in the lack of production of enough white blood cells, which can lead to blood poisoning.

Just recently and thanks to the official complaint by the Association for Patients’ rights, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Audiencia Nacional has undertaken to investigate the possible liabilities for prescribing Nolotil and the differences and reasons why it continues to be marketed in Spain but not others.

If have you any personal experiences related to Nolotil, please report them to local health authorities and if someone is in hospital and even though the operation went well they’re ailing, check to see if they’re on Nolotil!  Similarly, if you’re prescribed Nolotil, please just say NO and explain why!