Living abroad and in need of my medicine

Flying to Quito or Lima or some other distant city every few months seems like a cumbersome way to deal with your disorder.

1.  Colombia has some of South America's best hospitals and other medical facilities.  Have you fully investigated whether there is an alternative form of treatment there besides your current meds?

2.  If you have done such investigation and found that the disorder cannot be treated without leaving Colombia, would you consider moving to a place (once known) where the meds can readily be prescribed?

In Quito, Ecuador, brain altering meds -- namely, psicotrópicos y espeluznantes -- can be prescribed via a receta especial by a specialist who may charge $20 more for an office visit than a GP does.  My doctor (I do not have your disorder) is such a specialist in Quito named Ney Dolberg.

His local phone numbers are 2223047 and 2223015.  Typically his receptionist picks up during office hours and speaks español only.  If necessary, press her to put you through to Dr. Dolberg, who knows more English....

Si el doctor está, favor de permitirme a hablar con él ahora.  Es importante. 
If the doctor is in, please let me speak to him now.  It's important.

cccmedia in Quito

Thank you so much for your reply.  I did find that they do have them in Lima but I just got off the phone with my father who suggested that I just stay in Ecuador a couple of weeks and try to find work there.  He thinks that there is a larger community of Expats their and thinks I'll have better luck finding a job.

Thanks for your help about the doctor though I will call him when my roommate returns.

What's Quito like?  Do you have any suggestions for someone who may be making it his next home.  Especially any suggestions about how to go about finding work?

There are more Expats in Ecuador than Peru, but that doesn't mean it's a decent environment for finding work here.  The language barrier, the preference for hiring Ecuadorians, the different business culture make it tough for those not fluent in Spanish.

To learn more about Quito (or Ecuador), visit the welcome-page of the expat.com forum of that name and use the search function off the forum page.  Or do some web searching starting with the Wikipedia pages for Quito and Ecuador.

You can always ask about specific aspects of life here by continuing in this meds thread or asking questions on other relevant threads.

cccmedia in Quito

Thanks man...no meds are definitely still my main concern...where I can get my meds is going to be the same place I move and or find work....I've been in Colombia 4.5 months and as much as I love this place it's been basically impossible to concentrate.

Thanks again for everyone's help

Wish that I could help you.  My medecine is not available in Ecuador - for osteoporosis, also for a very low dosage of thyroid meds, the low dosage is the problem.  Why the osteoporosis med is not available is anyone's guess.

HelenPivoine

I tried both of those #s  twice with no answer...I'm sure I'm not doing it right

Hi Dixieman55
If you can let me know precisely which ADD medicine you require I will see if it is available in Ecuador. I need to know the exact product name. Russell

Also tell Russell the potency, usually stated in milogramos.

Are you still in Colombia, or did you enter Ecuador?

cccmedia in Quito

Russell I am looking for adderall in 15mg tablets in ecuador. Can you help me?
Terry

hegenbartt wrote:

Russell, I am looking for adderall in 15mg tablets in ecuador. Can you help me?
Terry

Dear Terry,

Welcome to the Ecuador forums of expat.com ...

I see that Russell has apparently not posted on our forums for over a year and nobody had posted on this thread since 2016.   So I will step in and see what guidance I can give.  Russell has been one of our most erudite posters, so I encourage his input when he is active on this forum.

----

Adderall can induce euphoria, among other conditions, so it is likely one of the pharmaceuticals that is considered a controlled substance -- mind inducers.  They are known as estupefacientes or psicotrópicos.  These drugs are not sold over the counter unless a specialist doctor has prescribed them in a document called a receta especial.

In recent years, a visit to such a doctor in Quito has carried a fee of $50 to see the specialist, which may be up to $20 more than is charged by a general practitioner.

Any good pharmacy should be able to tell you whether they stock adderall.  If that is the case, most farmacistas will likely confirm that a prescription is required.

If you are in a smaller town and adderall is not available, you might ask the specialist to prescribe an alternative med.

Bring your foreign prescription with you, if you have it, to assist the doctor in preparing the document.  Since many meds go by a different name in Ecuador, the doctor may search a medical site on the Web to determine the relevant name.

cccmedia

Ccmedia
Thank you for your input, it was very helpful.

@ccmedia adderall is basically amphetamine. Getting that in Ecuador is going to be very difficult. They most definitely do NOT prescribe it as freely as in north America. There is 0% chance you find it in small towns. The only way will be Quito / Guayaquil. Even offering to just pay for the prescription is unlikely to work as the Dr will probably just not agree it is necessary - as it is just not something prescribed here really for anything.

Question if i have ADHD and im taking adderall in the usa and  i move  to  Ecuador Quito and bring all my medicatin that im on in the usa will i be able to find good doctors psychiatrist that will prescribe me the meds them taking like one is Adderall for my ADHD as an adult ? also xanax for my anxiety and wellbutrin for bipolar ??? i really need my medication to feel normal and functun corectly and feel normal .

@dracorune999

You will "hopefully" find the Spanish equivalent of those drugs.  In the U.S. there is a lot of trash talk about non-US meds.  It is simply that.  Case in point:  I take 2 meds twice a day every day, one of them since I was 7, and even the doctor in the U.S. was unhappy to learn that while living in the U.S. I had to switch to generic (due to insurance not covering brand med fully).  However, I was quite stable on it, considering that constant consistent levels were required.

When I moved to Ecuador, I first researched to see what the drug was called in Ecuador.  Then I visited,  purchased some (no prescription needed, just walked in), and returned home to try them out.  Again, no problems.

So, my advice is, first, you can go online and see what the equialent of your drug is in Ecuador (if we have it here).  Since you are dependent on these meds, visit first, purchase their equivalents and take them home to try out.  You can buy just about anything without a prescription.

Now here's the MAJOR downside to this, which I recently experienced.  Been living here 3+ years, buying the same med all this time, no prob.  I send a text to my pharmacist to request more (he delivers), and was told he's having a hard time finding it.  So then I asked a friend who's a doctor to do some searching.  She said the drug was no longer being sold in Ecuador!I then contacted my doctor, who confirmed it.  Now I'm in the process of weaning off this, and increasing the other med in the hopes in will compensate.  I am appalled at this, the drug is decades old, very inexpensive, little to no side effects, and isn't a controlled substance.  This is just another one of those 'welcome to Ecuador' moments that you have to learn to live with, and if you can't, well then too bad.  I hope this helps you.

Just a thought from a newbie...

Food, culture and everything else is quite different in Ecuador.

US approach to treatment is put you on a drug for this or that.  US citizens are way over medicated in general and a better approach to ailments in life is through food science.  Foods that are actually good for you!

I have read of many moving down and after a few months of a healthier lifestyle (healthier food and exercise) getting off most of the medications they were on.

As far as for ADHD, Nootropics and food science are a much healthier route long-term than amphetamine based treatment.  In fact, I have a friend who is getting results doing exactly this in the US.

Well it's certainly true that a healthy diet and regular exercise can promote better health, and in some cases even eliminate the need for 'certain' meds.

That said, there are many of us, myself included, that need particular medications.  It could be they stop a fault that's not supposed to happen but does.  Others provide chemicals that the body is either not producing or not doing so effectively.

A healthy diet creates a better environment for the body to work, but it won't repair certain conditions, and it is unwise to suggest  someone get off their meds because of a mistaken idea that good food cures all ills.

Age and altitude.

Older Expats need to consider the high elevation in Quito

and the highlands before moving there, especially if

contemplating a property purchase.

When I made the decision 20 years ago to buy my

Quito condo,  I did not realize how big a difference

to my reducing energy level being at 9500 feet elevation

would make two decades later.

cccmedia

@workingwithcoffee ... thank you for that. Saved me from a rant that was building in response lol. It's very important to discuss your personal health condition, and any challenges, with a professionally trained medical expert with a holistic view of health, nutrition, and understanding of the medical interactions between food, supplements, and other drugs…

It doesn't take much Internet searching to find some nutritionist from the “alternative medicine” world who is claiming that some herbal ingredient has the power to cure cancer. Some of these people are scam artists, but many of them truly believe that they have a superior understanding of health and physiology. There are many people who trust these self-proclaimed experts, and there is no doubt that some have paid their lives for it.

Tragic examples of this can be found in medical journals from the last 2 to 3 years, during and after the pandemic... One tragedy in particular in my own family reveals how dangerous this generalization and misrepresentation of the safety and benefits of "natural" cures, supplements, and reliance on nutrition can be…

Anything you can ingest is a "chemical", composed of atoms, forming elements, forming compounds and chemical solutions; Science. One of the most insidious of these seemingly innocuous compounds, is activated carbon (only used by the medical community to treat extreme cases of alcohol poisoning); Touted by the natural supplement world as having a multitude of healthy benefits… Unfortunately it's affects were seen in widespread tragedies during the pandemic to many family members suffering from depression, anxiety, emotional and psychological trauma. Activated carbon actually diminishes and even negates the effects of antidepressants, as well as the bodies natural endorphin production which most people rely on, before they even try antidepressants. Imagine that, and imagine the consequences…  Again, speak to a professionally trained medical professional before presuming that "natural" cure, "healthy eating" alternative to medicines or vaccines, or magical "supplement" is the cure all for your condition.

@rkg695

I recognize my earlier post probably brought up sensitive issues and probably personal experiences with people here.

I don't trust doctors anymore than I trust holistic healers.  I didn't start off that way, they have earned that mistrust.

While it is technically illegal for doctors to get paid commission to prescribe medications, more than half of all US doctors get money from Pharma every year:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/10 … each-year/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-your- … -find-out/

https://www.fiercepharma.com/marketing/ … scriptions

With regards to the Pandemic, it was stated the treatment does not prevent infection.  Nor will it prevent you from spreading it:  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articl … ne-options

Since I am a healthy individual, I chose not to take the risk of taking something that went through very accelerated testing.  Instead I took things which boosted my immune system and made lungs more resistant to infection.  Everyone made their choices during that time, some under more pressure of mandates than others.  Whatever people's choice, I don't judge them either way.   

I will say that how the whole situation was handled made me trust our healthcare system less, not more.

Hello everyone, 

Please note that @dracorune999 is in search for information regarding his prescribed medications in Ecuador. I would suggest member to refrain from posting analysis on medications etc on the forum. We are an expatriation forum. We are not competent in giving medical advice neither should we.

Thank you in advance

Bhavna