Julie

Last time I went to Europe, I got very sick with the Flu. I went to French Pharmacy and bought cough syrup, antibiotics and some other pills for the flu.<BR><BR>I through it all away before we left the airport. I did not know what was in the medicine and whether it would be legal to bring it into the U.S.<BR><BR>Does anyone know whether it is safe to transport cold medicines and other medications into the US? What types of medications should we be most concerned with? I realize that codeine in cough medicine is probably a problem, that is the main reason I dumped the medicine before getting on the plane.

Thyra

Well I think you were wise to dump the cold medicine that contains codine. I am not an expert on this, but I know that when you leave the US, if you are taking any kind of medication you need to take copies of your perscriptions both to A) Make sure you dont' run afowl of some other countries narcotics law and B) To be sure that if, you loose your medication or need a refill you have documentation. <BR>One time I had a US customs inspector take out some over the counter antihistimine that I had bought in Germany, out of my bag, open the container, remove a pill and really scrutinize it, but he ended up putting it back and letting me carry on.

Christina

I wasn't aware you could buy antibiotics over-the-counter in France; did you see a doctor? If so, I was wondering why a physician would prescribe antibiotics for the flu which is a viral infection and not treatable by antibiotics, unless you got something like bacterial pneumonia concurrently. They have labelling laws in France as I've bought OTC drugs there, so the label should state what was in the drugs, and any prescription would have to be labelled, also; most of these pharmaceutical companies are multinational and often the brand names and packaging are very similar in Europe to US. Some other countries do allow sale of codeine in cough syrups, so I'd say it was a good idea not to try to bring that in, or anything that is a restricted narcotic; otherwise, I believe you can bring in anything that is approved and legal in the US. Drugs are expensive, and I've brought back clearly labelled and packaged OTC drugs from Europe such as Dramamine, Pepcid AC, etc. If you get searched, it could obviously be a problem if you had drugs that appeared tampered with, not labeled, etc. I think you cannot bring back such things that are not approved by FDA for use or sale in this country; there are funny herbs or things like ephedrine that I believe fall under that category, or weird things from Asia or non-Western countries, Laetrile, etc. If you really want to know specific rules, check out Customs website. If you have antibiotics with a physicians prescription and they are labelled properly, I would not think it a problem.

Judy

Me too, Julie. I got very sick with a flu type cruddy thing(I think I picked it up on the plane over) and brought some Claritan OTC in Italy. You could also buy antibiotics over there too,,,but as Christina stated you shouldn't take antibiotics for viral infection. They also had codeine cough syrup, but I hate the stuff. I am not sure about the legality of bringing back that type of thing, but I would think if it were for your own use, there would not be a problem, but who knows, yes? I would just sneeze, and cough, and look miserable(like I was), maybe they would not bother you.<BR>Judy Stay healthy!

btilke

Living in Europe, I often take my OTC medications from there to the U.S. I never had a problem. In all honesty, I think the U.S. Customs officials are worried about greater things than a passenger who has a few OTC Panadol with codeine caplets in with her toiletries. There are many OTC medical products that I actually give as gifts to family members, including Aspirin C, a "fizzy" aspirin with Vitamin C added; it dissolves in water and is great for a cold because it gives you some Vitamin C and the aspirin doesn't irritate your stomach the way ordinary aspirin does. <BR>What you can get OTC varies from country to country--Belgium and France are pretty liberal with the codeine they dispense OTC, whereas it's not available that way in Austria. I feel safer buying OTC products in Europe, because unlike U.S. drugstores where you're on your own, European pharmacists love to consult with you at length about your problem. They're quite well educated and I've never gone wrong with their advice.<BR>Btilke (Brussels)

Mary

I had no idea you could buy antibiotics over the counter in Europe (or at least France and Italy). I'm rather curious about how that works. Did you know what specific antibiotic to ask for, or did you simply ask for something more general, such as penicillin? (I'm assuming these medications weren't just on shelves for you to "shop" through.) This very much interests me because I've always assumed that if I developed a bronchial infection, bladder infection (or whatever) overseas, I'd have to scout out a doctor to get a script for meds. Being able to just get the meds seems too good to be true.<BR><BR>Can anyone add further info about this? <BR><BR>Also, re taking any such meds back to the states: I think ditching them is the best idea unless you have a prescription for their use. However, I wouldn't ditch an OTC antibiotic if still in the process of treatment; doing so could worsen the problem, encouraging the growth of stronger bacteria.

DSK

I have always taken meds back and never had a problem. the worst they would do is confiscate them. I've never, ever had anyone think it mucha big deal in many trips. <BR>Now don't get greedy. One or two are Ok but if you end up with 20 that might be a problem.

RWL

We've been to Europe many times and have returned to Spain specifically to get antibiotics without a prescription. We would approach the pharmacist, ask for Amoxicilina and I could get 12 capsules, 500 mg each, in a carton for about $3.00 - $4.00 per carton. There are a number of adult family members in our family that gets sinus infection every year and we've been doctoring ourselves with our Spanish contraband for years. I think Amoxicilina (Amoxicilin) is in the same family as penicilin and doesn't upset our stomach.

Pat

I live in the USA and my German neighbor used to visit relatives every year and return with a "suitcase" full of medicine that is over the counter there and by prescription here - and he saved "lots" of money and was never stopped. My daughter has a very serious disease and I've been told by her doctors, if she doesn't respond well to the medicines available in the US we can always try some drugs available in Canada (and presumably Europe). Bringing a little antibiotic across the border is hardly a crime. Yes, the FDA is very careful but there are some decisions that should be left to the individual - they treat us like we are children. Look at all the drugs that used to have to be prescribed by a physician (at $80 a visit plus drug cost). All the anti smoking drugs, all the drugs like Zantac. Someone is making money on this and it's not you or I.

medic

ouch to some of these posts. first-there have been many unfortunate problems develope from being caught with any narcotic without an appropriate rx. people have been arrested on the spot and held overnite in jail to await arrainment the next day. this can happen at any time without warning. do not be fooled because you get away with it several times- once at the wrong time and you are screwed. to the post self medicating with amoxicillin for sinusitis good job as this is the wrong choice of drugs for this condition now. yoou must deferentiate between an actual bacterial infection and one of severe conjestion. iaappropriate use of antibiotics will onnt encouorage the emergence of resistant strains. this is definitly the result of overuse and the incorrect use of antibiotics. the same goes for bladdder or other infections. one needs sthe correct antibiotic in the correst strength for an appropriate length of time. if you can afford to travel you can afford a consultation with a local md who probably give you the correct treatment. i have seen to many cases of people getting into serious trouble by doing the incorrect thing. do not let numbers decieve you a customs agent in a bad or by the letter of the law mood will screw you for 1 or 2 inappropriate pills as well as for several. i hope this thread opens up a few eyes and causes some brains to function more clearly

StCirq

I have never used Europe as a place to obtain drugs I would need a prescription for in the USA, but on plenty of trips I've ended up taking one or both of my kids, or a relative or friend, to the doctor for anything from itchy eyes to 13 stitches in the forehead. European doctors love to prescribe all kinds of medications, many of them what we would consider homeopathic remedies. I believe in the efficacy of the drugs European doctors prescribe, and after standing in line at a pharmacie or farmacia and purchasing a bag full of drugs, many of which are prescribed to be taken longer than I'm going to be in Europe, I've always taken them home with me. I do take the receipts with me as well, in case anyone ever asks, but no one ever has. <BR>