Travel Bringing methadone on international flights?

[OpiateKiller]

Hi all. So I’m wondering about this. I want to take a vacation to either Thailand, Mexico, or the Netherlands for a week to celebrate the end of a very hard, busy paving season. My job ends in a few weeks I get laid off for the winter and have worked 60-80 hour weeks all summer.

I’m concerned about bringing my liquid methadone bottles with me. I would be bringing 6 individual bottles of 120 mg of liquid methadone on my carry on. They do have labels like prescriptions on them in my name.

But when I leave the clinic the nurse said they need to be in a lock box by law? Is it possible customs in Mexico or Thailand would give me a hard time about this?

The problem is is if I go on vacation and they do have an issue and say confiscate my methadone I’ll have to cancel my trip and head back home instantly to find heroin to survive the next 7 days. That would be a waste of my vacation and thousands of dollars. I won’t put the bottles in my checked luggage for fear of them being stolen. I need them to even have my vacation.

Thoughts?

 

[Jabberwocky]

Don’t ask here. Check the Thai and Mexico embassy websites in your home country.

Having lived, worked, and travelled in SEAsia for many years I would be very surprised if you can just waltz in to Thailand with methadone. Other countries in the region require you to get approval in advance via an application to the local Embassy. I have had major problems travelling with prescribed dexamfetamine and lots of people run into trouble just with valium.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Don’t ask here. Check the Thai and Mexico embassy websites in your home country.

Having lived, worked, and travelled in SEAsia for many years I would be very surprised if you can just waltz in to Thailand with methadone. Other countries in the region require you to get approval in advance via an application to the local Embassy. I have had major problems travelling with prescribed dexamfetamine and lots of people run into trouble just with valium.

Thank you for this info. I honestly won’t risk going to Thailand then not worth the risks

 

[Fairy of the Flowers]

Can't you take methodone pills with you instead of liquid, certain liquids are not allowed on aeroplanes, I needed to bring pills with me when I'm was on methodone and went on holiday, and a letter off my doctor, it wasn't an international though but still might be a better option for you to bring pills, imagine opening your carry on or suitcase and finding loads of sticky green belongings and empty containers

 

[SkinnyJeans]

Netherlands would probably be okay with methadone as long as you have a prescription, and a medical passport for the medication. Best check with the Dutch embassy in your home country. However, be aware that, due to Covid, most non-Europeans must self quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in the Netherlands.

 

[Kara Kava]

You can't take liquid as carry on and could freeze in cargo.
Get the pill form

 

[OpiateKiller]

Netherlands would probably be okay with methadone as long as you have a prescription, and a medical passport for the medication. Best check with the Dutch embassy in your home country. However, be aware that, due to Covid, most non-Europeans must self quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in the Netherlands.

Hello, are you sure? I had checked Netherlands government website and it said how Travel is not restricted

 

[SkinnyJeans]

Hi OpiateKiller

It depends on your country of residence, and your nationality. I probably shouldn't have made such a broad statement above.

Only non-Europeans from the following countries do not have to self quarantine: Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay and China.

So, somebody from the United States has to self quarantine but somebody from Australia does not. Even some Europeans have to self-quarantine, for example, residents of Paris, Copenhagen and many other municipalities across the continent.

The situation is rapidly evolving and the official advice from the Dutch government can be found here:

COVID-19 and visiting the Netherlands

The Government of the Netherlands has decided to lift all travel restrictions related to coronavirus.

www.government.nl

In any event, hope you get to organise a good holiday where-ever you end up going. Sounds like you both deserve and need it.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Hey Opiate Killer. Please dont hate me for this, but as others have alluded to already, this isn't really an issue concerning Harm Reduction. It's more a legal issue.

You need to check with all of the relevant agencies to ensure you make the right decision. This means the airline and the countries to which you will be traveling just to name a couple. One concern I would have is the restriction upon liquids on flights. I would never entrust a week of Methadone to an airline by checking my bag but it might not be an option.

If you want to go to southeast Asia, I would say you're better off going to Laos or Cambodia over Thailand. There is a significant Opiate problem throughout the peninsula. But Thailand is notably more strict in the way it handles the problem. I lived in Phnom Penh for a little while and spent two weeks in Vientiane and getting Heroin was easy, Opium use was pretty accepted and in a pinch you can obtain necessary drugs,, including weaker Opioids from the pharmacy.

 

[mascotalf]

As far as i know in my country and the EU, you cant bring any liquid over 100ml in a bottle. Shampoo, deodorant, water, medication. So I'd suggest getting your liquid methadone put into 100ml bottles by your Dr, labeled. And if bringing any other med's label them too and put them all in that lock box.

Since 2001 things got stricter so you should try that, most countries allow 100ml max. So give it a Google '100ml liquid travel' .
You should be fine if you do that

Hope you choose somewhere nice and have a great holiday after going thru all this lockdown BS! Have fun and enjoy!

 

[Cupncakes]

I went to Thailand last year with a month of Methadone. However I had the wafers. I brought it in a bulky lockbox but ended up ditching the lockbox because I needed room. No one cared. For Thailand you need to get a permit To enter the country with your methadone. Search indro online Methadone. It has the Methadone laws of every country and the relevant contact info. It will take you to the website to get the forms to apply for your Thai Methadone license. I would highly recommend seeing if your clinic can give wafers instead of liquid. If that’s not an option, you should reach out to TSA or your country’s equivalent and ask if there is some sort of waiver for essential medications that are liquids.
If that’s not an option, they have Methadone clinics in Thailand that will do guest dosing.