Morphine In Thailand

[ELVIS790]

I have cronic pancreatitus and take around 120mg mst( slow release morphine tabs) a day, plus oramorph ( liquid oral morphine) when the pain is real bad. Ill be going to thailand in a few weeks for a good few months. Does anyone know the rules of bringing a months supply into the kingdom. I say a months worth in the HOPE i can find a thai doctor that would prescribe it to me.

[syd barrett]

I have cronic pancreatitus and take around 120mg mst( slow release morphine tabs) a day, plus oramorph ( liquid oral morphine) when the pain is real bad. Ill be going to thailand in a few weeks for a good few months. Does anyone know the rules of bringing a months supply into the kingdom. I say a months worth in the HOPE i can find a thai doctor that would prescribe it to me.

Make sure that you bring a Doctors letter explaining that you have chronic pancreatitis. Also bring a copy of your prescription. You probably won't even be stopped at customs and you have in your possession bona-fide tablets as opposed to illicit brown powder.

However, make sure that you are not touching down in any Arab states en-route!

If in any doubt, contact the Thai embassy in your home country.

PS. It is rare to need such powerful analgesics for chronic pancreatitis. In acute pancreatitis I would expect it. Are you sure that you don't have a tumour on the head/tail of the pancreas. Plus do you have medical insurance or lots of ready cash?

[ELVIS790]

Hi thanks for moving my post as i wasnt sure id posted in the correct forum.

In reply to the above, yes i can assure you that the morphine is needed for chronic pancreatitus. Im in permanant pain, especially after eating as i dont produce enough enzymes, then when it works overtime the ducts are blocked, creating excruiating pain. www.pancreatitis.co.uk trust me, morphine is the minimum pain killer, even with the morphine we still feel pain.

I'll get a letter from my doctor and a coppy of my repeat perscription. I usually fly with emirates which means a stop in for 3 hours in Dubai as im travelling from the U.K.........will this be a problom?? ill have to have the liquid morphine in the suit case as we cant bring liquids onto aircraft but ill have to have my morphine tablets in my hand luggage as its a long journy from waking up. i can see the sniffer dogs now as i type this lol.

[ELVIS790]

P.S. Acute pancreatitis is simply a flare up of pain on top of the chronic pancreatitis. Of whic ive had when i had a cyst on my pancreas, i was going to the A&E for 6 month but because i can take pain they didnt beleive i was in such pain................then BANG!! the cyst had burst, i had fluid all round my lungs and pelvis, to the extent i needed a wheel chair. NEVER under estimate the pain of the pancreas, trust me its not nice.

[Mario2008]

It is a controled substance so declare it at the airport, also in Dubai. Do not use the green channel.

You could email a renowned hospital, Like Bumungrad or Bangko Hospital, to see if they can provide it to you and under what conditions.

[Sheryl]

The rules for bringing pharmaceuticals into Thailand:

Only a 1 month supply for personal use (otherwise an import license is required)

For controlled substances (of which morphine is one) need to have a doctor's prescription on you. A letter from the doctor certifying your need for the drug is also advisable. You will need a referral letter summarizing your medical history in any case to show docs in Thailand (and be sure that it includes your most recent amlyase etc for reference).

The Thai FDA is very strict regarding prescribing of opiates and Thai doctors are very gun-shy about it. Morphine is almost never used on an outpatient basis. I'm not sure what they will give you for pain associated with pancreatitis but doubt it would be morphine unless you were an in-patient.

[ELVIS790]

Thats the scarey thing. As an inpatient in thailand ive never been subscribed Morphine, wich has prolonged my admissions. Because my amylise doesnt rocket theyve usually diagnosed me gastritus. Even when my cyst burst my amylase was only 117........the norm is around 40-80.

Im currently trying to reduce my morphine intake on a daily basis as when i go to thailand ill be going into buisness there and i cant be going to the doctors every day. Ill be staying in pattaya when i get there, does anybody know any usefull hospital emails, such as "bangkok pattaya hospital". Also the pattaya memorial hospital, i couldnt return last year but i did hear that funding had been withdrawn for the pattaya memorial hospital as it relies ALOT on contributions from charities.

[syd barrett]

Thats the scarey thing. As an inpatient in thailand ive never been subscribed Morphine, wich has prolonged my admissions. Because my amylise doesnt rocket theyve usually diagnosed me gastritus. Even when my cyst burst my amylase was only 117........the norm is around 40-80.

Im currently trying to reduce my morphine intake on a daily basis as when i go to thailand ill be going into buisness there and i cant be going to the doctors every day. Ill be staying in pattaya when i get there, does anybody know any usefull hospital emails, such as "bangkok pattaya hospital". Also the pattaya memorial hospital, i couldnt return last year but i did hear that funding had been withdrawn for the pattaya memorial hospital as it relies ALOT on contributions from charities.

A friend of mine with cancer, was an out-patient at the Sirikit Hospital in Sattahip and was prescribed on the premises morphine tablets but only ten at a time.

The Thai Doctors really don't like dishing out morphine. Surely in your case IV shots of pethidine would be more usual?

I also recall another friend hospitalised in the Sirikit hospital for a minor but invasive surgery, and they did NOT prescribe a post operative analgesic other than paracetamol and he had to beg for a morphine jab.

My guess is you would get proper pain relief in the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, but it will cost you!

Have you ever considered Buprenorphine as an alternative analgesic?

[syd barrett]

The Thai Doctors really don't like dishing out morphine. Surely in your case IV shots of pethidine would be more usual?

Have you ever considered Buprenorphine as an alternative analgesic?

I've just checked my medical text books and the two above named analgesics are named for use in pancreatitis.

The morphine salts can cause spasm in the sphincter of Oddi, due to disruption of CCK pathways.

[ELVIS790]

My G.P. has referred me to a "pain clinic", where she hopes ill be given morphine patches to replace the morphine tablets, but im still going to need the morphine liquid for instant releif...........well nearly instant releif. I shall also be looking into some pain killing injections, i beleive they can last up to 3 months.

It is a major worry for me, as a couple of xmas's ago i had to change my ticket and fly back early, when i arrived at manchester airport a ambulance was ordered for me straight away at the information desk as i looked so ill.

Im just hoping things work out for me, i really need to succeed in thailand, i cant afford any mistakes with me being sick. I did get an injection at pattaya memorial hospital, 1800bht........not sure what it was but it helped me for the next 3 days while i waited to fly home. Ive also had glucose injections from bangkok pattaya hospital. Basically its a quick fix and replaces lost sugar.

Im going to have to be extremly sensible, eat plenty of fruit and drinks lots of water.

[TerryLH]

"ill have to have the liquid morphine in the suit case as we cant bring liquids onto aircraft..."

Does this apply specifically to your airline, or do you think that's for all of them?

Normally, prescribed medicines are treated differently than other liquids. They need to be bagged seperately. Be sure you have the prescription with you. I'm not sure if the 100ml applies to medicines.

For normal liquids, you can generally bring them on board in bottles of 100ml or less. All the liquids must be bagged in resealable plastig bags. There is a size limit on the bags, which I suppose limits the total amount of liquids you can put in them.

You should be able to google to get the current info, or ask your travel agent or airline.

Good luck.

[ukrules]

I usually fly with emirates which means a stop in for 3 hours in Dubai as im travelling from the U.K...

Don't go via Dubai whatever you do. They will probably lock you up even if you have the prescription

They locked a guy up who had a poppy seed on his sweater, they came from a bread roll he ate at Heathrow prior to flying out there. A British woman was imprisoned last year for some painkiller tablets which had codeine in them.

[ELVIS790]

I usually fly with emirates which means a stop in for 3 hours in Dubai as im travelling from the U.K...

Don't go via Dubai whatever you do. They will probably lock you up even if you have the prescription

They locked a guy up who had a poppy seed on his sweater, they came from a bread roll he ate at Heathrow prior to flying out there. A British woman was imprisoned last year for some painkiller tablets which had codeine in them.

WOW!!!........Before i was on morphine i was on codine tablets. I brought around 3 months supply with me a couple of years back.......cheers for the advice.

[rockhardbkk]

I was given morphine on a daily basis while hospitalized at Ramkhamhaeng Hospital. At first I was able to push a button and the morphine was given to me intravenously, then I was required to buzz the nurse, then I wasn't given it any longer. I was given a shot of it in the emergency room - thankfully, as it absolutely killed my pain. They do give it but on a limited, need-only basis, not simply because you've got back pain or muscle spasms...