tmontauk

My husband and I are going to Mexico in a few weeks. He takes about 5 different high blood pressure meds and I was wondering if we really need to carry them in "original" packaging.

I have been looking on the TSA site and I'm having trouble finding an answer. I figured I'd put the post out to people who fly often -- which we don't.

Normally I wouldn't care but he does that 3 month through the mail meds -- so the bottles are huge and what to do w/all the meds he's not using?

Just figured I'd ask.

P_M

If it's obvious it's an Rx med the liquids rules do not apply. But if you put it into a different bottle then there's no way to prove it's Rx. I would use the original bottle so it won't take away from your liquid allowance.

tmontauk

Oh, they are not liquids. They are just pills -- usually he keeps them in a pill a day container. I was asking b/c someone said they could cause a problem.

rkkwan

Anything <b>could</b> cause a problem with TSA. It just depends on the mood of the agent you get that day.

For the record, my parents fly all around the US and the world with lots of medication and pills <b>outside </b> their original bottles.

Little pills cannot blow up airplanes. It's not a concern for TSA.

Now, coming back from Mexico or Central America with lots of unidentified pills may be a problem with customs, however.

A_Traveller

Pills that do not fall into the category of &quot;liquids or gels&quot; are not covered by the TSA restrictions.

You do not need to carry them in the original containers. I travel all the time (at least twice a month) with my high blood pressure meds and my spouse hlso travels with numerous medications. We carry everything in seperate &quot;7-day&quot; containers - one for each of us for each week of our stay (i.e. a total of 6 containers for a 3 week stay) and never once has any TSA screener ever stopped or questioned us about the medications.

Jed

For more info, check out:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34856197

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35016646

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35016646

I agree that carrying a reasonable amount of pills is not a problem. Carrying a large amount of pills back from Mexico might make the TSA raise an eyebrow.

A_Traveller

Why would the TSA &quot;raise an eyebrow&quot; if you brought back pills from Mexico? Isn't that a US customs problem rather than a TSA problem?

Besides, the TSA is a US based agency and they don't inspect luggage going on to flights FROM Mexico but rather going TO Mexico from the US. While I am sure Mexican authorities have some type of screeners at their airports it is not illegal for people leaving Mexico to carry pills out of that country so therefor they probably wouldn't &quot;raise an eyebrow&quot;.

Of course, that doesn't cover what a US based TSA screener might do when a person who arrived in the US from Mexico had to reclear security to catch a connecting flight but then again how who that screener know the person just came in from Mexico? The only thing the screener would know that person was carrying a whole bunch of pills - not necessarilly where they were purchased.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I agree. Isn't this a customs issue in both countries? I would certainly want to be able to demonstrate what those pills are if questioned bu customs authorities in Mexico or the United States.

kayd

If big bottles are awkward and you want to downsize containers, just keep a pharmacy printout of your prescriptions to show in the very very unlikely event that a customs officer questions pills you are bringing into the US. It is a good idea to have that list wherever you go anyway, in case you need to replace pills that accidentally went down the drain or in a medical emergency.

toedtoes

I agree with Kayd, just carry a printout of the prescriptions with you. The main thing you want to be able to do is identify what each pill is for if you get questioned (which isn't likely).

If you don't have a printout anymore, ask your doctor for a new prescription for each pill to carry with you.

tmontauk

Thanks for everyone's help. We won't be bringing a huge amount of pills back b/c he's only taking pills while we are in Mexico. So on the way back the pill case should be empty (since he takes them at night). I think I will keep a print out ... just in case.

I should probably worry more about the sleep apnea machine we are taking as a carryon .. I've already contact the TSA and they sent me something to print out and show the agent b/c they probably won't know what it is! And let me tell you -- that thing is a marriage saver ... there is no way I'm going on vacation without it!

hills27

Might want to get a copy of that printout in Spanish.

tmontauk

Ooh! That's a really good idea getting a printout in spanish.

kayd

Instead of attempting translation to Spanish get the list in scientific, not brand, names. Those are understood across languages.

rkkwan

I have a feeling that if we let this thread go on, a Spanish-speaking pharmacist will be required to accompany the OP for her trip.

clarasong

Rather than fill up my carry on with so many bottles, I put enough for several days of each pill in one bottle, hopefully one with dark plastic, and put that in carry on, rest in checked luggage. Worst case, you still have your bottles in the checked luggage.

rahmanbar

Actually the worst case would be your airline mishandling (or worse, losing) your luggage (and the prescription medications contained in it).

If you have to replace medications prior to when your insurer permits you could end up paying bust-out retail for them.

My presctiptions always are with me in my carry-on. (Over-the-counter items (Asprin, vitamins could go in checked luggage if one chooses -- they can be easily replaced.)

flanneruk

Before we get onto suggesting a braille copy of the prescriptions in Spanish, can anyone give a SINGLE example of being stopped at any checkpoint - Customs, security or a little old lady on the way out of the airport - and challenged over medicines?

tmontauk

I think I'm going to just go with the print out and the pill a day container in my purse ... I don't have to worry about the &quot;to check or not to check&quot; debate b/c my husband and I are only bringing carryons. We are only going to Mexico for 6 days and we are only doing super casual beach town stuff.

From the research I've done (here and elsewhere) everyone seems concerned but no one has complained of being made to throw out there meds.

Now let's just hope that our connecting flights are on time!

toedtoes

Tmontauk - that's the plan I'd go with. To me, I wouldn't bothered getting carried away with &quot;precautions&quot; because the odds of something going wrong aren't that great, but simply having a printout in your bag isn't a huge inconvenience.