Taking Legal Drugs Back To The Us?

[PattayaXpat]

I'm heading back to the states next week and I'm a little concerned about 2 drugs that I'll be taking with me.

1 is Tramadol, purchased OTC here, I have about 100 tabs

The second is Valium, again about 100 tabs., purchased OTC in Cambodia

Are their certain allowable limits on these? They are strictly for personal use.

Thank You!

[Naam]

I'm heading back to the states next week and I'm a little concerned about 2 drugs that I'll be taking with me.

1 is Tramadol, purchased OTC here, I have about 100 tabs

The second is Valium, again about 100 tabs., purchased OTC in Cambodia

Are their certain allowable limits on these? They are strictly for personal use.

Thank You!

don't take a chance and get a prescription with your name on it, otherwise you could face real trouble!

[Phil Conners]

I think the keyword is "legal". Both of the drugs you mention require prescriptions in most of the world including US so you would be breaking US law by bringing it in without one.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Phil Conners

[tc101]

I would be curious what would happen even with a perscription. I think they might take them away from you but I am just guessing.

[PattayaXpat]

It all really comes down to if I am stopped or not. I do have a passport full of Cambodia, Thai and misc. stamps and haven't been to the states in over a year. This could be a red flag to take a better look at me!

[jeebusjones]

I'm heading back to the states next week and I'm a little concerned about 2 drugs that I'll be taking with me.

1 is Tramadol, purchased OTC here, I have about 100 tabs

The second is Valium, again about 100 tabs., purchased OTC in Cambodia

Are their certain allowable limits on these? They are strictly for personal use.

Thank You!

Valium is a controlled substance in Thailand. If you're caught with it here without a prescription, you could be facing some rather serious problems. 100 tabs is not a small amount.

You would definitely have problems if you were caught bringing it into the US also.

If it was something like 10 I wouldn't worry about it. 100 is a pretty big risk, IMO.

[Maigo6]

How often do you take Valium ?

100 Pills is a lot without any form of prescription, which in fact you could have got if you had bought them at a Clinic.

Without the presciption, I would not take the risk.

[Maigo6]

Tramadol:

Unlike most other opioids/opiates, Tramadol is not considered a controlled substance in many countries (U.S. and Canada, among others), and is available with a normal prescription. Tramadol is available over-the-counter without prescription in a few countries.

Looks like you could have a problem without a prescription with the Tramadol also in US.

[redwood13]

"The FDA has developed guidance entitled “Coverage of Personal Importations” which sets forth the FDA enforcement priorities with respect to the personal importation of unapproved new drugs by individuals for their personal use. Under this guidance, as an exercise of enforcement discretion, FDA may allow an individual entering the United States to import a three month supply of an unapproved drug if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The intended use of the drug is for a serious condition for which effective treatment may not be available domestically;

2. The drug will not be distributed commercially by the importer;

3. The product is considered not to represent an unreasonable risk;

4. The individual seeking to import the product affirms in writing that the drug is for the patient’s own use and provides the name and address of the doctor licensed in the United States responsible for his or her treatment with the product, or provides evidence that the product is for the continuation of a treatment begun in a foreign country."

US Customs: Medication/Drugs

-redwood

[TerryLH]

""The FDA has developed guidance entitled “Coverage of Personal Importations” which sets forth the FDA enforcement priorities with respect to the personal importation of unapproved new drugs by individuals for their personal use."

That doesn't seem to apply to this topic. Both of the drugs asked about are approved.

I believe there is a US Customs office, maybe at or through the US Embassy, in Bangkok. Call and ask them.

Terry

[PattayaXpat]

Thanks Guys, lot's of great answers so far. I'm going to talk to a doctor tomorrow and see about getting a script wrote up for both.

If this doesn't work I might be flushing them.... Just may not be worth the hassle!

As far as the Valium goes I went a little crazy and bought too many in Cambodia. I've probably got a life time supply!

[Maigo6]

As far as the Valium goes I went a little crazy and bought too many in Cambodia. I've probably got a life time supply!

Xpat, I only asked cos I know how it is with Valium, they are easy to take, but trying to get off of them is a whole different ballgame.

The withdrawal from Valium and similar prescription medication is often more difficult than Illegal drugs, and can take many months or even years of gradual reduction, and after that period the psychological effects can remain for a lot longer.

Just be careful with Valium and drugs in the Benzo family, it's possible to become dependent on such drugs after a very short period of time taking them.

[65Craig]

Pretty sure you have to have a prescription written by a doctor in America... Just did a Wikipedia search of Tramadol and it is classified as an Opiod which will be viewed as a serious pain killer by the FDA. If you don't have a documented serious need for a drug such as this (and the Valium as well), I wouldn't even risk it. Especially considering you have made trips to Cambodia. I know whenever I return home to the San Francisco International Airport and I have Myanmar (Burma) stamps, I always get searched pretty thorough. They do overlook the pirated DVD's (or so they have whenever I've been searched), but I'm sure they would question any sort of medication.

[Jingthing]

This issue interests me. I live in Thailand now but of course will take occasional trips back to the US. I have some very old US prescriptions for some medications, but the meds I take in Thailand are named and branded very differently, and they are over the counter here. When I do visit the US, I intend to do these things, and I honestly think it will be OK, but I am of course not sure.

1. Go to a Thai doctor and pay him to write prescriptions for all meds that would need a prescription in the US, using the Thai brand names on Thai scrip

2. Declare the cash value of the meds on my customs form (included with all other imports). This point is important. You really have to do this, but of course you do not need to itemize them or mention them on the form. If you don't declare the value, you really have committed a violation.

3. If questioned, be prepared to explain that I live in Thailand and haven't had a US doctor for years.

And of course, hope not to be questioned!

Anyone with any additional tips/suggestions?

BTW, you are limited to a maximum of three months supply of any med.

If I do all this and they still take away my needed meds, boy am I going to be pissed off! I would definitely demand to talk to a supervisor if they tried this.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Jingthing