Jaymee

I am traveling to Europe in June and will be taking with me prescribed methadone. I have searched the internet but have not found any first person accounts of someone who has traveled with methadone. From the information that I have found on the internet, each country in the EU has different qualifications for bringing in any Class II narcotic. The treatment centers and doctors that I have asked do not know. I have labeled bottles and a signed letter from my doctor, and have sent in for a permit in the UK. I am hoping this is all I need but I would like to find out from someone who has been in the same position.
I know this subject is somewhat taboo, and some people may not feel comfortable posting on this site their experience on this topic. If so, you can email me directly. Please, only post and email if you have information directly relating to the above.

Dukey

Have you availed yourself of the resources associated with the following site?

http://www.methadonetoday.org/

PalenQ

Why not contact the appropriate European Embassy or Consulate for countries you are visiting and ask that question.

pagile

I made two trips last year to Europe with my prescribed methadone and no problems. Brought a letter from Dr. and pills in their original container with copy of prescription. Was in eastern europe and in the west too and no problems. Good luck

Kate_W

There is a "disability travel" subforum on Flyertalk.com. I don't think there have been any threads on this topic in the past (I did a quick search), but it might be a good place to ask the question again. There are a lot of frequent travellers who participate in flyertalk and they might be able to help you. Good luck on your trip.

PalenQ

Besides you will rarely be checked anywhere - your bags except re-entering the U.S. IME

ekscrunchy

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34581308

flanneruk

"you will rarely be checked anywhere"

That's a wrong, and downright dangerous, assumption. Just because people rarely get stopped going through EU borders absolutely DOESN'T mean there are no checks. In Britain, for example, bags are regularly sniffed and x-rayed before going onto the carousel: passengers are observed while waiting for their baggage, and flights are screened. France frequently reinstates drugs checks on trains from Holland.

Now I don't know how sensitive all these surreptitious checks are to methadone. But their purpose is to focus investigation on real contraband - which means drugs and weapons - and minimise petty harrassment for excess booze or overspending at Barney's. And importing methadone into Britain without the right documentation is a potentially serious criminal offence.

Ackislander

You really do need to contact the consulate for each country you plan to enter. There are countries that would absolutely refuse you entry with methadone, prescription and letter or not, and others that have extensive requirements (see answers in thread to which you were referred). Finding out when you try to enter the country is a bad idea.

The following site is a methadone world-wide travel guide http://www.indro-online.de/travel.htm

ekscrunchy

Jaymee..this is what I think I would do. If you feel nervous about this, get the phone number of a clinic in the UK. Call them on the phone. I am frankly surprised that your own clinic in the US cannot be of more assistance; well, perhaps not so surprising after all. Which other countries are you traveling to?

You can also contact:

http://www.drugpolicy.org/homepage.cfm

see also:

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/...htm#Traveling?

ekscrunchy

I have just done a bit of research for you and learned that you do not need a license to bring it to the UK; a total of 500 mg are allowed with only a letter from your own clinic physician. If you need more than this amount..on a dose of 100 mg let's say, and staying for
more than 5 days, then you will need the license you have applied for. I would not worry about this too much as long as you have the labeled bottles with the letter.

If you are taking liquid methadone remember the requirement for flying with liquids.

Jaymee

Thanks for your reply. I will be traveling to Italy and France for 2 weeks, and only transferring through the UK. But since I will have to go through customs there and will have more than 500mgs, I sent in for the permit just in case.
The problem is that some of the information on the sites are conflicting. I have read that in France you can not bring it in the country, but then I have read that you can with a letter from the doctor. This is why I was wanting to know if someone else has been in my position. I have also tried emailing the embassy in France. I have yet to receive a reply.
Thanks for the idea of calling a clinic in the countries, I will probably do that. I just hope my French and Italian is up to par, or that someone there speaks English.
I still have a few weeks until my trip and I am trying to gather as much information as possible. I appreciate everyone's advice who posted. Thanks for your help.

ekscrunchy

Good luck. I think it is very courageous of you to post the question in the first place due to the ridiculous stigma about methadone in some quarters.

Here is another link that might be of interest:

www.atforum.com

AnthonyGA

See

http://www.ambafrance-us.org/intheus/customs/19000.asp

and

http://www.ambafrance-us.org/intheus/customs/12000.asp

ekscrunchy

That is interesting. At first glance the two appear to contradict each other, but the second obviously refers to importation for illegal use, i.e. without a prescription. But there is no mention of methadone on the first link.

AnthonyGA

The drugs explicitly mentioned on that page are special in some way. There are still restrictions on narcotics ("stupéfiants" in French) generally, which would include methadone as a synthetic opioid (and thus narcotic).

The impression I get from information on the site is that you'd be okay as long as you have documentation supporting your prescription use of methadone, and as long as you don't bring in suspiciously huge amounts.

The ideal, though, would be to get a written statement from the governments of the countries you'll be visiting. An alternative would be to stop taking the drug during your trip (assuming it's for treatment of addiction rather than analgesia), but the withdrawal period is apparently so long that it might not be worth it—but conversely a trip is often a good opportunity to kick a habit, since it erases the anchor points and triggers that tend to sustain addiction.

ekscrunchy

Anthony I really do not think you want to venture where you are headed on those last points. Most lay people know very little about that particular drug; what you have suggested is virtually impossible.

AnthonyGA

I am not "most people," and you are not my guardian.

twoflower

I'm glad someone had the courage to post this question. I know someone who will be very interested.

Jaymee

I wanted to add some information that I have received. As I stated in my initial post, I submitted to obtain a permit in the UK (as per the indro-online website). The following is part of the letter that I received from the Home Office in the UK.

"From the 1st January 2007, the import of a controlled drug prescribed by a medical practitioner does not require a personal licence if the period of stay in the UK is up to and including 28 days irrespective of the amount being carried."

I wanted to share this with others who are in my same situation. I hope this is helpful.

Thanks,
Jaymee