Opioids 🇲🇽 Chronic pain medication in Mexico

[LucidSDreamr]

Hi I was wondering if anyone living in Mexico can give me insight on opioid prescribing for chronic pain in Mexico.

I am planning to leave the US permanently since opioids are essentially banned here for chronic pain now. To give you an idea I live in a city of 3 million people and only 3 pain specialists remain that have not had their schedule 2 license stripped.

Pharmacies all refuse to fill opioids. Doctors all refuse to prescribe them.

Anyways I have a permanent health issue and I’m getting older and I’ve decided it’s worth leaving everything I’ve built behind for freedom that America promised but didn’t deliver.

Are acquiring opioid prescriptions difficult in Mexico? Are the doctors in fear of the government imprisoning them for prescribing like in the US?

Do the pharmacies always have shortages like in the US?

In sum, is it extremely strict and policed? The prescribing of opioids for pain in Mexico?

I understand Mexico is a big place with different states and different levels of urban vs rural development, any geographical insight you can offer in regards to this issue is also greatly appreciated.

I also need access to a specialist for something else that isn’t a pain doctor, so I would have to be near a major city to access specialist doctors…not just prescribing doctors.

I’ve visited and spent a lot of time in Merida and Cancun and more recently Baja. Baja seems too rural but Cancun and Merida are appealing. Any insight at all as to any part of the country and this issue are appreciated

Feel free to PM me also.

 

[arrall]

According to a friend of mine who visited family there a couple summers ago (and our other friend who went with him), there are sketchy pharmacies you can walk into that literally have 'menus' but those will all be fent.
I don't know beyond that.

This is a huge choice, and I hope you've thought it through sufficiently.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I really don't know enough to advise someone on actually moving there, but I can say this:

Your best best would be to move into inner Mexico, or Mexico city. Away from any tourist locations and at least several hundred miles away from the northern border with the US.

but even then, I really don't know how a pharmacy would react to someone who needs a constant supply, and isn't just buying a box of oxycodone once in a blue moon, right? I really don't know what doctors are like over there regarding scripting opioids.

¿hablas espanol un poquito?

 

[LucidSDreamr]

According to a friend of mine who visited family there a couple summers ago (and our other friend who went with him), there are sketchy pharmacies you can walk into that literally have 'menus' but those will all be fent.
I don't know beyond that.

This is a huge choice, and I hope you've thought it through sufficiently.

I’m going to be traveling to multiple countries in the next year or two to spend a month at least there, visit many doctors and see what the scene is like. Colombia is currently #1 on my list and the first place I plan to travel to for these sorts of medical tourism.

I did already visit one locale of Mexico for this purpose but it was too rural and the pharmacies would not sell even codiene OTC which was dissatisfying….although Xanax was sold OTC, but I don’t need Xanax.

I do have connections and family in Mexico so it’s less foreign to me, but Columbia sounds more advanced in terms of non pain specialist care I will also need. We’ll see

Definitely not moving without having spent time there for a good while first.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

deleted quote of a deleted post

Believe me you’re on my list of countries. I’m much more familiar with Mexico though and I’m extremely impressed with how advanced Columbias specialists in all fields of medicine are so I’m leaning towards Columbia for the medical aspect and leaning towards Mexico from a cultural and assimilation aspect…but I don’t know how strict Mexico is with prescribing st all.

I know Colombia is no problem especially if you have $ for the doctors.

I’d like to keep everything legal ideally.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

¿hablas espanol un poquito?

Yes I do fluently. My work is all remotely done and in English anyways also.

Unfortunately my wife doesn’t speak Spanish and will have to give up her career and everything she’s worked for until she can get fluent in Spanish and she’s current taking classes and I’m helping her learn.

She will be able to have her career once she learns Spanish but it’s a big hurdle for her.

America has fucked our lives offer and ruined them. I refuse to let those fuckers at the DEA bait me into using illegal drugs which is exactly what those fucking pieces of human filth are trying to do. They are directly trying to murder me with fentanyl. I used fentanyl for a decade before you pieces of fucking filth ever knew how to pronounce it. Fuck you for trying to send me back there. You won’t, and if you do you’ll never kill me you cocksuckers.

Ain’t gonna happen assholes, I have the means and ability to leave this authoritarian shit hole that lies about having freedom and I can’t wait to have real freedom.

Fuck America. Fuck this police state. Fuck this government crushing its citizens with price gouging the living shit out of us and shaking hands with the corpos crushing hard workers.

Fuck this country raling tax payers so fund wars created by defense companies as a tax scam. This country is a war criminal country. As bad as Russia. Fuck America. I hate this country. I hate how minority rule via the electoral college is the status quo here while most countries rely on popular vote.

Fuck the Democratic Party. It is a criminal finance crime organization. Fuck the Republican Party, it is a fascists theocratic delusional doomsday cult lusting for civil war and the end times.

Fuck $3000 a month rent for a cramped 1 bedroom apartment. I was looking at beach front property in Mexico. 20 to 30 K for a half acre of land ON THE WATER. 60K for a 2 story 4 bedroom on the water.

Fuck Amazon and Walmart. I would move to never see those signs again in my life. I’m much more content with a cartel owning the government than Amazon. Amazon has caused far more damage than the cartel has.



America is a fucking piece of garbage on so ma u levels it goes beyond the drug issue. I want out .

 

[LucidSDreamr]

I don't know if this is of value to you but in the UK, if you are prepared to pay for a consultation with a Harley Street (read top end) pain specialist, I believe that if you truly are suffering with chronic severe pain, the UK rules are a bit different. The BNF states that strong opioids are appropriate 'to treat unacceptable suffering' i.e. the term pain isn't even mentioned.

Under UN law you can legally possess a six month supply of any medicine that is prescribed to YOU. Being a private prescription you pay the cost of the medicine and a premium (not like NHS prescriptions where everything costs £9.65 whatever the sticker price).

A fellow Brit who lived in the US did just this and every six months he would fly home to get his meds. Far from perfect but if a UK doctor prescribes then it's legal (but get a latter asserting the fact).

To the best of my knowledge their are no fakes. The colour scheme is different with a 30 being a dark brown colour but I feel for you. Without medication life is just torture. I'm not explaining how to spoof the system, I'm just saying that relief from torture isn't abuse.

Pain sucks but the amount of opioids to treat pain is typically much lower than doses involved in abuse.

My thoughts are with you.

Everything and everyone I’ve ever spoken about England said it’s worse than America. Pain meds are basically illegal.

We too have revised medical guidlines in our CDC, state and national medical boards that are pro opioid prescribing and are meant to require opioids for suffering and even just to prevent withdrawal. But none of that matters because the DEA does not care about medical guidelines. They will prosecute a doctor and lock him in prison for life and no matter what the guildimes say too many doctors have had that happen to them and all have been threatened so they don’t touch any of it with 19 ft pole.

While I would certainly be miserable, suicidal, and quit work and become on welfare if it weren’t for opioids….indont know if I meet the threshold for unacceptable suffering. Opioids are the difference between me working hard and succeeding in life at my career and relationships vs throwing all those things away. I’m not sure if I meet the legal threshold.

I could certainly move to England easily without a hitch and try it though because I’ve been told by my employer I can transfer there if I want….bit geographically I’m not too fond of England…but beggars can’t really be choosers either.

 

[ions]

You're brave wanting to move south of the border for purposes of your DOC.
At most I was considering moving to California or visiting Colorado when pot was made legal.
It would be nice to have an opium supplier, not gonna lie.
All the best.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Who wants to essentially rely on their doctor and pharmacist not to screw up repeat prescriptions (which happens) every month?

For over a decade amitriptyline turned out to provide excellent relief

This is exactly what I’m talking about. Nobody on statins ever had problems at the doctor or pharmacy where red tape made them go without their drugs and get really sick because the pharmacy and doctors were being harassed by the police.

I am on amitriptyline but only 5 mg per day. The drug gives constipation that makes an opioid seem like a laxative and it causes a lot of GI cramping for me. I have been up to 30 mg per day at times though

 

[AngelsandFairiesarereal]

Do you think it’s ever going to get better for us pain patients & pain medication? … it’s become so insane, like medieval or something.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Well all medicines produce side-effects and the side-effects of opioids are pretty nasty.

But here's the interesting thing. I'm also prescribed clobazam for severe myoclonus (a form of epilepsy) and if one pharmacy cannot obtain my clobazam, they are legally required to call all of the pharmacies in the area to track down a supply. At least enough so I don't run out.

Why? Because if they fail to prove 'best endeavour' in acquiring a potentially life-saving medicine and I die or suffer a severe injury because they didn't obtain it, the pharmacist will lose their licence (best case) or potentially be imprisoned for involuntary manslaughter (this has happened).

But they are under no such legal obligation to practice best endeavour when it comes to opioids. In theory it's possible to call the local hospital who are able to provide an emergency prescription (a three day supply issued IN the hospital) but the amazing thing is that they only offer this service between Monday and Friday.

I went to pick up my med on a Thursday and told it wasn't in stock but would be on the following day i.e. Friday. So on Friday I go to pick up my meds and am told it wasn't in stock but would be on the following day i.e. Saturday. On Saturday they said that they were waiting for a delivery but would be there later... Went back on Sunday and the pharmacist handed back my prescription knowing full well that being a CD2, another pharmacy would require conformation from my doctor to issue the medicine.

In short it was 'f*ck you, we can do what we want and you have no choice'.

Now I have ALWAYS ensured that I have at least five days extra of my medication but don't forget, repeat prescriptions are issued to be filled 28 days after the previous prescription was filled. So I went from having a five day emergency supply to having not a single extra pill.

I changed doctors surgery and subsequently I've learnt that my old surgery is subject to Special Measures.

An update: CQC's proposals for special measures for GP practices - Care Quality Commission

The detail behind our proposals for a new special measures regime to drive improvement among GP practices.

www.cqc.org.uk

So I don't believe anyone who is prescribed a potent opioid for severe chronic pain would ever choose that class of medication if an alternative existed. It many ways it's even worse than being dependant on a street opioid. At least a dealer has a clear business model i.e. 'if YOU can pay, I will provide you with the drug'. Even the lowest hand-to-vein heroin user knows of several dealers and is able to obtain their drug in a few hours.

I think a lot of people also don't appreciate that pain relief it the only positive effect of the medicine. In no way does it produce intoxication. But as I've previously noted, the doses prescribed by UK doctors appears to be half or less than half the dose US doctors used to prescribe for the same condition.

It’s true what you said about illegal use.

When I was younger I used to use illegally and it was far less stressful than legal use of opioids. But this was long before all illegal opioids turned into fentanyl and xylazine which lasts 2 hours and you can’t function on and your whole body becomes ulcerated and you almost die.

The streets aren’t even an option anymore in the US unless you actually are seeking to kill yourself with the drugs.

But from everything you’re telling me…England doesn’t sound all that much better than the US so it’s not even on my radar of places to consider

 

[LucidSDreamr]

You're brave wanting to move south of the border for purposes of your DOC.
At most I was considering moving to California or visiting Colorado when pot was made legal.
It would be nice to have an opium supplier, not gonna lie.
All the best.

I’m not brave. I’m running

If I were brave I would stay here, organize and sue the agencies responsible for this. That battle is rigged and futile though.

 

[ions]

I’m not brave. I’m running

If I were brave I would stay here, organize and sue the agencies responsible for this. That battle is rigged and futile though.

Keep on the fight.
I'm banking on opium otc by the end of my days.
Godspeed.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Keep on the fight.
I'm banking on opium otc by the end of my days.
Godspeed.

The end of our days is exactly what I would not bank anything on.

Do you want to be strapped to a bed screaming in agony in a country where euthanasia and opioids are illegal?

That’s the worst possible outcome of all of this. I’d rather swallow a bullet (which is illegal too, fuck the USA) than go into hospice care in America

Luckily I can buy 30 military grade assault rifles with zero license or credentials which is the most compassionate end of life medical care available in the US. But OTC codiene? Too dangerous. Fuck this stupid country.

 

[ions]

I'm just saying that by the time I'm in my 70s, we'll have opium available like any other.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Talk to a doctor. Their are quite a few odd medicines that proved to provide analgesia via unknown mechanisms.

One thing that worked for me but whose side-effects (insomnia) prevented me using was nefopam. But it's considered to be as effective as morphine. I have no idea which nations use it.

I'm just throwing out ideas in case one of them helps you.

I can’t get into a single type of doctor that is a specialist on such pharmacology because no pain clinic will acccept me since I don’t have a high billing disease like herniated disc that they can inject with steroids and charge 8$K for. There are interventional
Procedure that help me but they are done by another type of specialist that of course makes so much money he would never risk writing a single opioid script.

My doctor is extremely old and not all there or knowledgeable imo.

Nepofam is a triple mono amino reuptake inhibitor. Sounds awful feeling except for serotonin reuptake.

It’s not used medically used in America but legal to possess

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Well, it was specifically insomnia that meant it wasn't practical but overall, it actually produced fewer side-effects than the stuff I now take. If it's legal then I leave it to you to decide if it's worth a go.

I've been wracking my brain to think of other things

It would be great the find a medicine besides opioids that let me taper down and get off. Especially something that doesn’t cause dependency.

6 months ago I started taking a medication that causes blindness on 10 to 15 years to see if I could get off opioids then the blindness pills befoe
Going blimd

 

[skipjames]

Here in Brazil I ve once had a prescription for Oxys from a ...dermatologist ( I just made up some shit about my wife having some very nasty menstrual pain ) and more generally they almost do not have an opioid problem + it s a pretty corrupted place, so it would be not that hard to get your meds with a legit prescription or in more , so to say, creative ways, pretty much as in @nznity ´s Perú .

Being paid in ( I guess) dollars and living here or more generally in South America should be a blast and I m sure your wife will learn portuguese sooner or later ( doen here you either speak portuguese or you speak...portuguese, unless you hang out with the expat crowd, which by the way is huge especially in the big cities). Also, in the meanwhile she can always teach English ( being a native speaker is enough down here, I ve taught Italian for a while
So yeah, South America is the place.

 

[Fire&Water]

It was fairly easy until around 2010 or so
now youll get ripped the fuck off
or pay out the nose
(even by mx standards)

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Well apparently their were rare cases of people abusing nefopam and becoming addicted but to the best of my knowledge it doesn't produce physical dependence..

It was a log time ago so I'm afraid I have no distinct memory of it. I'm just very sensitive to stimulants and it can produce such effects. The few others I know who were prescribed it didn't suffer such problems.

But to be clear - the medicine I take now produces anxiety. It's just the lesser of two evils. I was tried on it a few years ago and had to stop due to anxiety but then the pain got worse so anxiety was just something I have to manage.

What medication is that which causes anxiety for you?

I also hate stimulants and giving me one is a very good way to cause me to “abuse” a downer like benzos or opioids to counteract the feeling.