ddssew

My husband and I are flying to London this next Tuesday and from there are taking the train to Paris. I know we have to take our prescription drugs in their original bottles but can we take vitamins and herbal supplements in one of those weekly pill containers?

Thank you for any input.

platzman

Don't. Or you might have some 'splainin to do.

PalQ

Yes, unless it's contraband why not? In 36 years of European landings i've never been searched or asked anything about prescriptions or the many herbals i've been carrying. It's not illegal and you won't be hassled or checked. Don't worry about this at all.

Robespierre

I've always wondered about this &quot;original containers&quot; thing. I mean, it's not as if you couldn't put <u>any</u>thing in a bottle and say it was a prescription drug. Given that this is possible, how does having the label matter?

Does anybody have a theory?

PalQ

Well you can also buy anything in Europe, herbal wise, they're as hip or Americans as to herbals, in places like Germany, Switzerland, UK, Scandianavia, France and Holland perhaps even more so - but you'll pay predatory prices in most countries for your herbal fix - the UK excepted - only about twice as much there. I always take a supply for my whole trip without any worry at all.

Travelnut

Supposedly, there are times you are not supposed to 'mix' medication (some ingredients could leach into another pill?)... but I've thrown my allergy and Ibuprofen in a bottle together, various vitamins in a baggie, etc. But that and all our other 'first aid/med'items fit into a small cosmetic bag, so doubt it raises much interest anyway.
Instead, they much prefer to fuss over my metal canister hair balm stuff.

indytravel

For years I've taken my meds in a weekly pill container without original containers. Never had a problem.

Robespierre is right. You could put anything in a bottle.

If they're going to get picky they'll have to pull out their PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) and look up the picture of the pill to make sure what it is.

My opinion it's a matter of volume. Two week supply of some pill what are you really going to do with it? On the other hand two thousand pills? I'd be asking questions too.

indytravel

Travelnut I've asked my pharmacist if there are any pills in my daily regimen I can't mix in a container. For me the answer was no.

ddssew

Thank you for all the advice - it is really appreciated!

PalQ

It's really a non-factor - you will not be searched 99.99 % of time and if you do you're doing nothing illegal. Mace, however, is often confiscated by UK security officials at airports and at places like Buckingham Palace which have airport-like metal detectors and hand search luggage. But this is illegal in Britain to possess - they just confiscate not prosecute - so really there is absolutely no reason to worry about this at all. None at all.

StCirq

I always take a ziplock bag full of vitamins and herbal supplements with me and have never, ever had a problem. I usually fly United (God help me!), and they have a policy of stopping every 20th customer for a full search, and I am ALWAYS the 20th customer. And still, no one has ever questioned my baggie full of supplements. Now, the herbs and spices, that's another matter

indytravel

StCirq don't tell me you're trying to take that 11 herbs and spices top, top secret of Kentucky Fried Chicken out of the country!

loisco

Well we are going for 7 weeks!That would be a pretty full baggie with all the vitanins we take... So my follow-up question is, knowing we will take presecription stuff separately...will we be able to find things like aleve, zantac...easily. I mean the over the counter stuff. Also, what about my contact solution.

nukesafe

I always put enough of each medication into a little ziplock bag along with a note, written on a yellow stickum, that names the drug and the dosage. Those smaller bags go in one or two larger ones. That way a customs inspector can readily see what I am carrying and I have the information handy.

Never had a problem. If they want to take my little yellow pills that I say are baby asperin away and test them for date rape drug -- have fun fellas.

ira

Hi Lois,

Anything that you can buy OTC here you can get there.

However, many times the names are different.

When I go to Europe, I stock up on Tylenol &amp; Codeine.

platzman

I don't think the problem lies with getting OUT of the country or traveling around Europe with bags of pills. The problem will potentially be getting back IN the country. If US Customs &quot;red tags&quot; you for some reason, be prepared to answer a lot of questions.

melissa19

ira,

what would tylenol + codeine be called in paris?

thanks!

Patrick

I still remember going through Customs at Samos, Greece, from Turkey, where two innocent looking women were being given the third degree as they went through their stuff. This guy kept pouring out her &quot;Shower to Shower&quot; powder and looking, sniffing, and even tasting it, then calling over a colleaque to do the same thing again. The poor woman turned to her friend and said, &quot;I don't think there's going to be any left when they're done with it.&quot;

Meanwhile, they looked into our bag of our various prescription medicines and over the counter stuff and never even glanced at a label. So who knows?

janis

All the folks above who say &quot;I've never had a problem&quot; won't be of much help if you get the one TSA agent who says it isn't OK -- or a customs agent in London who objects.

I haven't had a problem w/ OTC things either - but I HAVE stood next to folks in line at the airport who were given the complete 3rd degree and had everything examined and taken out of line to the dreaded &quot;behind the screen&quot;.

So you will PROBABLY be OK, but just be prepared to have a thorough looking over and possibly having to replace your vitamins/supplements in Europe. That is probably the worst case. You also might fly through w/o a second glance.

wantagig

We were leaving for a month long vacation and were waiting around for our jet to depart. I asked a security person in LAX who was standing nearby if I could potentially have problems at other airports with my vitamins. I showed her a couple of big baggies filled with pills. I take 6 calcium/day and my multis require 3 per day. Then there's my primrose oil, some enzymes, etc. I mean it looked suspicious to ME, but she shook her head and said &quot;No, you'll have no problem.&quot; I haven't worried about it since.