Can I get tramadol without prescription in thailand?

[P4K]

Hey so I've been in chiang mai about a year now. I know a lot of pharmacies are willing to sell you benzos (xanax, vallium ect) without prescription even though theyre not supposed to. Whats the status on tramadol? If you go into a local pharmacy and ask them for it will they sell to you or will they ask for a prescription?

[fstarbkk]

Not sure what the official status of Tramadol is in Thailand. However, I have seen it being sold without a prescription, both tablets and injectable.

Whatever the case, Tramadol is an opioid and, as such a pretty serious drug. I hope you have a good medical reason for reaching for heavy stuff like that.

Edited July 29, 2016 by fstarbkk

[colinneil]

Yes you can buy tramadol without prescription.

I take tramadol daily, when i run out of my prescription ones my wife buys them at a local pharmacy.

[thai3]

Boots sell it, have to sign a book when purchasing

[wisheewashee]

I use

Paindol ( not panadol) . Which is the exact formula as Tramadol .

Which you can get from larger chemists.

[P4K]

hey thanks for the replies, also how much should I be paying for how many mgs?

[bkk6060]

Many Pharmacies in Pattaya sell it. 50 and 100 mg. Codeine also. In BKK I have been shut out since January of this year.

It varies in price. The Thai brand is cheaper, but seems more like a Zanax buzz then Tramadol.

The foreign brands give me the same buzz as Vicodin, but are more expensive.

Edited July 30, 2016 by bkk6060

[bkk6060]

So I woke up with a painful stiff neck.  I was going to get some Tramadol, but got this Codeine instead.   700b for 20 tabs. Took 2 about an hour ago and am feeling fine now.

[Sheryl]

The above drug is illegal to purchase outside of a hospital in Thailand

 

(it is legal OTC in Cambodia, though)

 

Stiff neck if due to muscle spasm (as often happens in sleep)  will usually respond well to approporiate stretches/exercises

[bkk6060]

Just now, Sheryl said:

The above drug is illegal to purchase outside of a hospital in Thailand

 

(it is legal OTC in Cambodia, though)

 

Stiff neck if due to muscle spasm (as often happens in sleep)  will usually respond well to approporiate stretches/exercises

Are you a Doctor?  A lot of things are illegal to purchase here.  You don't know my history with this or level of pain.  How do you know I did not get it at a hospital Sheryl?. Nice try though.

[NancyL]

15 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Are you a Doctor?  A lot of things are illegal to purchase here.  You don't know my history with this or level of pain.  How do you know I did not get it at a hospital Sheryl?. Nice try though.

You're out of your league to take on Sheryl. This isn't the forum to discuss illegal activity and she'll moderate it closely.  She's probably been in working in hospitals in Thailand (and Cambodia) since before you were born.

[Sheryl]

A post discussing illegal activity has been removed.

 

Bkk6060, I make no assumptions about where/how you personally obtained that medication. However the OP is asking about OTC purchase, hence my clarification.

[P4K]

w.e I already found out where to get em 

[autanic]

Just a note to anyone who is carry any Opiates onto Planes even internal flights.  Don't do it.

 

While you can pretty much buy your hearts desires in Thailand from people willing to sell to you, carrying Codeine on to a plane in, out or around Thailand will be detected as a drug and you will be treated harshly.

 

If you carry Codeine Phosphate or Dehydracodeine into UAE, then you can face a prison term. 

 

Codeine is completely legal in the UK, but if you intend to travel through the Middle East, then beware it will in all likelihood be detected, you will be offloaded from you flight and arrested, spending the next 5 years bronzing your tan, in the middle of desert as a drug smuggler.

 

Just because a drug is legal in one territory does not mean it is legal in others. Always check the local customers and laws regarding pain relief medication.

[Witblitz]

On 17/08/2016 at 11:03 AM, bkk6060 said:

Are you a Doctor?  A lot of things are illegal to purchase here.  You don't know my history with this or level of pain.  How do you know I did not get it at a hospital Sheryl?. Nice try though.

Codeine is a scheduled drug in Thailand and illegal OTC  and  OTC is the topic of this thread, not what you can get on a script from a hospital or doctor 

 

So wind your neck in..

[Witblitz]

22 hours ago, autanic said:

Just a note to anyone who is carry any Opiates onto Planes even internal flights.  Don't do it.

 

While you can pretty much buy your hearts desires in Thailand from people willing to sell to you, carrying Codeine on to a plane in, out or around Thailand will be detected as a drug and you will be treated harshly.

 

If you carry Codeine Phosphate or Dehydracodeine into UAE, then you can face a prison term. 

 

Codeine is completely legal in the UK, but if you intend to travel through the Middle East, then beware it will in all likelihood be detected, you will be offloaded from you flight and arrested, spending the next 5 years bronzing your tan, in the middle of desert as a drug smuggler.

 

Just because a drug is legal in one territory does not mean it is legal in others. Always check the local customers and laws regarding pain relief medication.

As of March 2015 under the new drug driving laws in the UK, driving while under the influence of certain OTC meds can get you banned from driving and Codeine is one of those meds, along with Tramadol

 

And due to the  increase in people addicted to Codeine in the UK, there is a push under way to ban the OTC sale of Codeine in the UK completely 

[Johnniey]

Yes, you can and even stronger opiates like oxycodone but it is still breaking the law. One must be a desperate addict to start buying them over the counter.  Stick to your dosage from the doctor! I took them for 10 days, the maximum a professional medical relative advised so as not to get addicted.

I took for a broken rib, extremely painful.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905496/

[Sapporillo]

On 19 August 2016 at 10:40 PM, Johnniey said:

Yes, you can and even stronger opiates like oxycodone but it is still breaking the law. One must be a desperate addict to start buying them over the counter.  Stick to your dosage from the doctor! I took them for 10 days, the maximum a professional medical relative advised so as not to get addicted.

I took for a broken rib, extremely painful.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905496/

I'm new to this forum, and I'm sure I'll probably get shamed for this, but really? Whenever it comes to discussing strong painkillers, there will be some self-proclaimed experts on the subject matter who'll basically tell you that you're an addict if you need more than x amount of such and such. Of course, these people are usually healthy and don't have to deal with debilitating pain day in, day out for years of their life, but nevermind... I also had a broken rib when I was working on a farm when I was younger, and you know what? I sucked it up, kept on working and didn't use ANY painkillers at all, but right now, and for the last 7 years, I'm taking them regularly, because that's on a whole other level. 

And for all of you who think NSAIDs and other (weaker) stuff is the answer: First of all, they don't work if you're in real pain, and, after years of heavy use, if the liver or kidneys have gone, are you gonna be there for us with good advice as well?

 

- End of rant

[Johnniey]

12 minutes ago, Sapporillo said:

I'm new to this forum, and I'm sure I'll probably get shamed for this, but really? Whenever it comes to discussing strong painkillers, there will be some self-proclaimed experts on the subject matter who'll basically tell you that you're an addict if you need more than x amount of such and such. Of course, these people are usually healthy and don't have to deal with debilitating pain day in, day out for years of their life, but nevermind... I also had a broken rib when I was working on a farm when I was younger, and you know what? I sucked it up, kept on working and didn't use ANY painkillers at all, but right now, and for the last 7 years, I'm taking them regularly, because that's on a whole other level. 

And for all of you who think NSAIDs and other (weaker) stuff is the answer: First of all, they don't work if you're in real pain, and, after years of heavy use, if the liver or kidneys have gone, are you gonna be there for us with good advice as well?

 

- End of rant

Just remember that these drugs make one  zombie-like and affects ones judgement and awareness.

[Sheryl]

Please let us stay on topic, which is availability of specific pain killers in Thailand with and without prescription - not a debate on the merits or justification of pain killers. 

[chiang mai]

On 17/08/2016 at 11:03 AM, bkk6060 said:

Are you a Doctor?  A lot of things are illegal to purchase here.  You don't know my history with this or level of pain.  How do you know I did not get it at a hospital Sheryl?. Nice try though.

 

As close as you'll ever find and a huge asset to this forum Sheryl has tons of medical experience in the West and has helped numerous posters on TVF over the years - chose your future words on this subject very carefully.

[Sapporillo]

3 hours ago, Johnniey said:

Just remember that these drugs make one  zombie-like and affects ones judgement and awareness.

Sure they do....not. Do you think that not being able to leave your room for days or weeks because of your pain doesn't affect your "awareness and judgement"? Knowing that it won't get better? Yes, there are such types of pain, even if you don't know about them. Smh...You know, there's a reason these meds exist, and btw Tramadol isn't all that strong, it's about 1/10 of the morphine they give you in hospitals on the opioids-scale (yes, there's is a comparison chart, check it out). I was recently in the ER in Switzerland, and was completely blown away by the morphine the injected me, and asked them to stop after half the dosage they had prepared for my weight - after more than 5 years of using Tramadol. 

 

So go ahead, keep telling everyone how bad this stuff is, until it's even harder to get, so that those who need it can spend their time running from doctor to hospital, having to listen that they should try and use less. Of course, if you're fit and healthy, that doesn't sound like an ordeal, a few more unnecessary doctor's visits - try doing it when you're in constant pain...

[Sapporillo]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Please let us stay on topic, which is availability of specific pain killers in Thailand with and without prescription - not a debate on the merits or justification of pain killers. 

I get it, but unfortunately those two are closely related. Maybe I overreacted, but this week I was just taken for a ride at a Bangkok hospital and had to shell out 2859฿ for 6 strips (60 50mg pills), incl. the  doctors visit. I didn't really have the choice, because of course I'm an addict and my judgement is impaired.... The pills were about 1600฿, because apparently they only sell the original Grünenthal product, and it costs twice what I pay in Switzerland. I do have my prescription from Switzerland, which "should" be valid internationally. The problem is that I was completely unprepared for this new situation: I knew that the law had changed a few years ago, but up until last November (2015), although some pharmacies didn't have any, with my prescription I could always get what I needed for 60฿/strip, so I didn't wanna take the risk of traveling with more than a couple of strips...

Well, I guess I don't deserve better, my fault for being an addict, right?

[Johnniey]

On 30/07/2016 at 6:41 AM, colinneil said:

Yes you can buy tramadol without prescription.

I take tramadol daily, when i run out of my prescription ones my wife buys them at a local pharmacy.

Dependence

Additionally, abusing tramadol can lead to tolerance and dependence.

Psychological Dependence

Individuals who abuse tramadol for an extended period of time and develop psychological dependence may begin to experience compulsive cravings to take the drug and to feel that they need it to cope with everyday problems. People who are psychologically addicted to tramadol can feel anxiety if they do not have access to the drug and will engage in behaviors such as doctor shopping or prescription forgery in order to maintain their supply.

Physical Dependence

 

 

Dependence and Overdose Risk

Habitual users who become tolerant to tramadol need to increase the amount or frequency of the doses they take in order to achieve the desired effects. This puts them at risk of accidental overdose, symptoms of which include:

• Decreased size of the pupils of the eyes (miosis).
• Slow breathing or difficulty breathing.
• Extreme drowsiness.
• Cold, clammy skin.
• Slow or irregular heartbeat.
• Seizure.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Coma.

Abusers who continue to take tramadol long enough and at high enough doses will eventually develop a physical dependence on the drug and experience unpleasant, or even dangerous, symptoms of withdrawal if they stop taking the medication.

The withdrawal symptoms caused by tramadol overlap with both opiate and anti-depressant withdrawal syndromes and include:

• Gastrointestinal pain.
• Depression.
• Diarrhea.
• Agitation.
• Numbness in the extremities.
• Ringing in the ears.
• Hallucinations.
• Paranoia.
• Agitation.
• Confusion.

[Sheryl]

10 hours ago, Sapporillo said:

I get it, but unfortunately those two are closely related. Maybe I overreacted, but this week I was just taken for a ride at a Bangkok hospital and had to shell out 2859฿ for 6 strips (60 50mg pills), incl. the  doctors visit. I didn't really have the choice, because of course I'm an addict and my judgement is impaired.... The pills were about 1600฿, because apparently they only sell the original Grünenthal product, and it costs twice what I pay in Switzerland. I do have my prescription from Switzerland, which "should" be valid internationally. The problem is that I was completely unprepared for this new situation: I knew that the law had changed a few years ago, but up until last November (2015), although some pharmacies didn't have any, with my prescription I could always get what I needed for 60฿/strip, so I didn't wanna take the risk of traveling with more than a couple of strips...

Well, I guess I don't deserve better, my fault for being an addict, right?

 The readers and posters on Thai Visa have absolutely nothing to do with  drug regulations in Thailand, so debating the issue of pain control here is pointless as well as off topic.

 

If the medication you are on is tramadol, it can still be gotten over the counter, inexpensively.  If it is an opiate, those have been illegal to get from other than a hospital pharmacy for a very long time in Thailand. You can, however, save money by going to a government hospital. Chulalongkhorn and Siriraj both have chronic pain clinics. It will entail an all day wait, and you may be subject to mandatory urine testing at each refill (yes, really) but costs will be a fraction of that at private hospitals. Take your pick.

 

There is no such thing as an internationally valid prescription, anywhere. It is not just in Thailand. Having a prescription to show from your home country (or much better yet, a medical summary/letter explaining your condition and the treatment prescribed) will help in getting a Thai doctor to prescribe the same thing, but you can only fill prescriptions issued by a doctor licensed to practice in the country you are in. And, in the case of opiates in Thailand, even a prescription from a Thai doctor won't enable you to purchase these outside of  a hospital. In that respect, Thailand is indeed unusually draconian. Only hospital pharmacies can dispense these drugs, and they in turn will require that it be prescribed by one of their own doctors.

[Sheryl]

Off topic posts have been removed.

 

This is the health forum and not a place for general debates.

 

As the initial question about getting tramadol has been answered already multiple times, thread is closed.