Meds overseas

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Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Meds overseas

Post by Joanie60 »

Hi everyone!

Great news, my daughter is having a baby! Not so good news, she is living in Germany. I am currently on 15mg per day of Percocet (5mg tablets spread throughout the day). I am planning to spend a couple months in Germany. Does anyone have ideas on how I can keep the scripts filled? Will a German pharmacy fill an American prescription? I guess my husband can pick up paper scripts and mail them to me but timing and implementation will be dicey on that. I just don't see how I can stash that many pills between now and then cause I sure do use all three every day.

Will mail order pharmacies ship overseas? That just seems sketchy to me. Plus, she will be living in a small town in the very south of Germany by then so it's not like I'll have access to Munich or Berlin :-(

Anyone been through this???

Hugs to you all, my bestest virtual buddies!

Joanie

Polar Bear
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Re: Meds overseas

Post by Polar Bear »

Joanie, I don't know how it would work in the USA regarding getting scripts filled in Germany, or with regard to mail order pharmacies.
For sure it would be a nightmare to rum out of meds.
I'm assuming it's too much to ask your GP to provide paper scripts for 3 months ????

This is a great example of why I believe a 'stash' is vital. It helps to cover the unexpected, or a longish trip such as this.

I hope that you soon get some replies with the experiences of other sufferers who have been in this situation.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

ViewsAskew
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Re: Meds overseas

Post by ViewsAskew »

Yikes - not a clue.

I bet you are absolutely over the moon about the baby, though :-).
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Rustsmith
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Re: Meds overseas

Post by Rustsmith »

An option that some of my ex-pat associates used to use was to have the medication delivered to someone in the US. That person would then ship them via DSL or another courier service to you in Germany. This way you avoid getting into problems with insurance coverage outside of the US. The trick would be to be discreet when filling out the customs paperwork at DSL so that it did not advertise opiates.

Another option that you might look into is the use of a credit card service. I know that AmEx will provide emergency help with acquiring medications overseas, especially in Europe. If you have a level of Visa or MasterCharge that provides extra help for travelers, they might also be able to help. The problem here is that I doubt that they would be willing to help provide you with more than just a few days of medication since they are generally looking to assist travelers, not longer term stays like you.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Re: Meds overseas

Post by Joanie60 »

I am sure my doc will write 3 months worth of paper scripts, she frequently does anyway. The problem is getting them filled and to myself in a timely fashion, I guess I'll get my husband to fill them and mail them to me (good point about fudging the contents for customs slightly...otherwise I will NEVER receive them lol). I recently spent $30 to mail $10.00 worth of cookies to my daughter because her first (and so far only) craving was for Berger cookies, made in Baltimore and not available anywhere else. Really? Couldn't she just want pickles or something?!?!? But I can work on increasing my stash to cover the delay in mailing them. Thanks guys!

QyX

Re: Meds overseas

Post by QyX »

Hello!

I am from Germany and if you still need information about how to deal with your situation please let me know before I start writing pages of pages.

Your scripts from U.S won't do you any good here in Germany. Narcotics in Germany can only be prescribed on a special script called "Betäubungsmittelrezept" and if you see a Doctor for the first time it is almost impossible to make him write a prescription.

Germany isn't as liberal as the U.S. when it comes to prescribing narcotics.

Mail drugs from the U.S. is a risky thing. It could work but it is not allowed by law to import narcotics from outside the EU. You are only allowed to bring your personal amount for a maximum of 30 days. If you need more you need to find a Doctor here in Germany who is willing to write a prescription. (I would be willing to help you with that because it is a complicated tricky thing to find one). An other problems is that not all Doctors have these special scripts (Betäubungsmittelrezepte). Only about 30% of our Doctors prescribe narcotics.

Packages from outside the EU are scanned and it is not unlikely that a package with drugs will be detected and then opened. When they find the drugs in the packakge you will have severe troubles!

Also we don't have any Perocet (Oxycodone + Paracetamol in a fixed combination) in Germany but what you can get is pure Oxycodone. We have Oxycodone Instant Release 5, 10 and 20 mg and Oxycodne Extended Release 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg pills. They come in boxes with 20, 50 and 100 pills. The price will depend on the size and strenth. We have Generic and original Oxycodone. The original Oxycodne matches the Oxycontine (old formula) from the US which was highly abused in the States.

Generic Oxycodone 10 mg 100 pills is 61,09 EUR, 50 Pills 36,05 EUR. You have to pay that at the pharmacy when you fill the prescription. Most pharmacys won't have it on stock so they have to order it. If you order before noon you can pick the drugs up around 3 p.m. Otherwise you have to wait one night. There are of course bigger pharmacies who likely have it on stock or get deliveries from the wholesale more then once per day.

Original Oxycodne, brand name Oxygesic in Germany is 100 Pills 10 mg 100,52 EUR and 50 Pills 10 mg 55,80 EUR.

Biggest problem for you is finding a doctor who is willing to write a prescription.

You can't just jump in, explain your situation and expect that he is willing to write one.

Junkies use all kind of tricks to get their hands on these drugs.

What you will need for sure is a written statement of Doctor with contact information where he states that you are chronic pain patient, that you need this medication to ensure your well being.

And then you need a liberal doctor and a lot of talking and convincing.

It also would help a lot to have an appointment with a specific doctor. If you just go to some random doctor and hope for the best, it wont work. You will fail 99 out of 100 times.

In Germany you can see a doctor without an appointment but when you come without an appointment and "demand" a prescription for potent narcotics the Doctor will feel pushed and won't do anything. He might refer you to some hospital and it will end up in big chaos, frustration and trouble.

That's how it is.

Welcome to Germany.

QyX

Re: Meds overseas

Post by QyX »

There is also one other option regarding to the 30 day rule.

You said you are taking 15 mg of Oxycodone per day. So you would be allowed to bring 15 x 30 = 450 mg Oxycodone into the EU.

If your Doctor writes you a statement that you take 60 mg per day which still would be a normal dose, you could bring 1.800 mg into the EU.

Maybe you can arrange it that you can bring so much Oxycodone into the EU that it will suits your needs?

If not I have some ideas how to find a Doctor who is willing to write a script.

Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Re: Meds overseas

Post by Joanie60 »

Now you are talking! My doc is wonderful, and I know she trusts me. By the time I go to Germany for the grandbaby, I will have been on Oxycodone for over three years. I bet she would write it for 60mg per day on a one-time basis. I have been trying like crazy to "stash" some pills away but I am having a bad stretch of symptoms right now so I end up frustrated with myself. Now I will give myself permission to just take the dang prescribed dose and stop trying to "save for a rainy day".

(I know one of our regulars is a stash-advocate and I do have a small stash set aside, just not two months worth!!)

Duh. Sometimes I wonder if my brain cells are leaking out whist my legs jump :-)

I'm looking forward to exploring your area QyX. Our last trip was to Southern Germany (our daughter is currently in Bamberg) but she will be moving back to Magdeberg so we will be flying in and out of Berlin. She and her fiancee were supposed to be moving to Weingarten (sp?) when the baby is one month old but now that is up in the air so they may be staying in Magdeberg. Good thing young people have lots of energy....right now I cannot imagine not knowing where I was going to live six months from now, and with a baby on the way to boot!!

EeFall
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Location: Washington State, USA

Re: Meds overseas

Post by EeFall »

Joanie60 wrote:I have been trying like crazy to "stash" some pills away but I am having a bad stretch of symptoms right now so I end up frustrated with myself. Now I will give myself permission to just take the dang prescribed dose and stop trying to "save for a rainy day".


I stash like crazy myself but I wouldn't take extra drugs into a foreign country, or have extras sent to me there either. QyX probably knows the penalty for that in Germany but I bet it is not good. Sitting in jail for drug smuggling (with RLS) would be about the ultimate hell for someone with WED. I like the idea of getting a larger prescription from doctor, I hope she will do it. My doctors are nervous as it is about giving prescriptions for narcotic type meds, almost paranoid.

Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Re: Meds overseas

Post by Joanie60 »

You guys are a good reality check for me! I mean, I watched Midnight Express as a teen and it scared the crap out of me. Now, because I take legitimate prescription meds, I forget that not everyone has same honest intentions that I do haha. I put one week's worth of pills in my purse every Thursday in a pill bottle that is marked something else. The rest are locked up in a mini safe. I do keep a copy of the pharmacy print out in my purse as well so I can quickly prove they have been prescribed to me. But it honestly never entered my mind that I would be considered a "smuggler" or that the EU would calculate the number of milligrams I was bringing with me!!

Polar Bear
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Re: Meds overseas

Post by Polar Bear »

That is actually how I was positioned when visiting the USA. The exact supply, my doc's prescription (copy) and a few extra for good measure that I hoped would be understood and accepted if I was questioned.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

badnights
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Re: Meds overseas

Post by badnights »

I would suggest two things based on what Qyx Said. .
  • Get a detailed letter from your doctor to an unknown doctor in Germany explaining your disease and your current disease regimen and his assessment of you as a risk for addiction-related issues.
  • Get an appointment lined up (with QyX's help) before you go - start now!
  • Do the 60-day thing as a backup plan. If you don't have to dip into it, not only will you have a big stash for any future travels, you will also have gained faith that the system will take care of you - with a little bit of work.

Coming back might be an issue but I doubt it - the German pills owul dbe consumed and you would still have a valid script for the US ones.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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Joanie60
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Re: Meds overseas

Post by Joanie60 »

Thanks~good orderly suggestions!! I feel much better asking for and receiving help, than staying up all night fretting about something that is months away

joanie

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