I must travel to Mexico for business for a few days, and upon doing a few Google searches, I’ve become fairly concerned about my insulin and syringes which I must have - concerned enough that I would have cancelled my trip if I did not already have tickets.
I keep reading conflicting information on the net - things such as you need a Mexican doctor’s approval to have ANY prescription medication on you, that the US doctor’s note is not acceptable, that syringes are a “controlled substance” and will get you 5 years in prison without a Mexican doctor’s prescription, that they are “prima facie evidence of drug trafficing”, etc.
Good freaking grief, if that’s even partially true, I’m not sure what to do. I cannot find an official list of what is or isn’t a “controlled substance” in Mexico, and from what I’ve read the police there essentially don’t know either. I’m going to be there for less than 48 hours total, and it’s really not possible for me to take time off to see a Mexican doctor and get approval to carry my syringes. Should I cancel my tickets at this point and eat the cost? Is there any factual statement by Mexican authorities that I (essentially) should not expect to be arrested and thrown to rot and be raped in prison for months simply for having my insulin and syringes?
I can’t speak authoritatively, but you seem to be in a jam.
Remember that only controlled meds in Mexico need a prescription. I can’t say anything about your insulin, but I’d say it’s fine on its own – the Mexican government allows people to use their own brains for a lot of medicine purchases, and there’s not a whole lot of controlled medicines, relatively speaking.
Have you tried contacting the Mexican embassy to see what they can tell you? Given that Mexico’s fairly hungery for tourist dollars, I’d think that they’d have the information you need, plus I’d imagine that for something like your condition, I’d imagine that they’d have fairly simple requirements for you to get into the country.
I think that the authorities are most likely to be concerned about people bringing controlled substances into Mexico. Insulin isn’t on the list of controlled substances defined by articles 234 and 245 of the Mexican health law (see http://www.cofepris.gob.mx/pyp/estpsic/es.htm), because those are all either narcotics or psychotropics.
The caution from the US Embassy in Mexico (which you’ll have already read no doubt) says this “The U.S. Embassy cautions that possession of any amount of prescription medicine brought from the United States, including medications to treat HIV and psychotropic drugs such as Valium, can result in arrest if Mexican authorities suspect abuse or if the quantity of the prescription medicine exceeds the amount required for several days’ use.” This suggests that the problem lies mainly with medication on the controlled substances list.
In looking for advice for diabetics planning travel to Mexico, I see a lot of advice regarding taking enough medication, watching your blood sugar carefully while on your trip, etc and nothing at all that says you should be wary of taking insulin or syringes to Mexico, in fact, that site even says “Most medicines that regulate blood sugar are available in Mexican pharmacies without a prescription”.
I think that if there were a serious concern about syringes and insulin, there would be more clear warnings.
From what I’ve read, if you were bringing tranquilisers or heavy duty painkillers with you, you’d have something to worry about.
well in monterrey, mexico i have seen syringes in the local grocery store not even behind glass or anything. i would imagine you could just waltz up and buy them if you so cared. if have bought my albuterol inhalers and antibiotics without any prescription, and never been hassled. YMMV. i don’t think you have anything to worry about. yeah, i suppose they could get you in trouble if they caught you in the red light district , drunk off your ass with needles on your person, but in normal circumstances i would not worry about it. this is just my opinion, so check first anyway. i travel there quite frequently to visit family so that is my take on it.
Una, I used to help fill out the paperwork for drug addicts legally cross international borders with methadone prescriptions. You think insulin is a problem? How about a script that screams “HEROIN ADDICT!!!”
Contact a Mexican embassy for the rules for taking syringes/insulin into and out of Mexico. Have copies of your scripts with you at all times - including back up scripts. There are thousands of diabetics in Mexico, just like the US - you’re not talking about isolated tribespeople in the Amazon basin or anything like that. Take only a reasonable amount - and for this sort of travel that might be 2-3 times what you’d normally use, to allow for lost luggage, breakage, etc. Scripts + insulin + plus all the lancets, glucometer, etc. required for maintenance of your health says “diabetic”, not “drug addict”.
If you’re still super concerned leave your itineray with someone stateside, along with a lawyer’s phone number to call if you’re delayed with no contact. Keep lawyer phone number with you, too. That’s a really unlikely possibility, but hey, extra backup is good, right?
I have a diabetic uncle from the US who comes to visit every year for 2-3 weeks. He needs a daily insulin injection and brings his supplies with him.
Neither syringes nor insulin will cause you any problems. Insulin is not a controlled substance, it isn’t considered any different than antibiotics you may carry for an infection. Syringes and insulin can be bought without a prescription.
I would still recommend bringing the box, specially if the syringes aren’t marked. I know several people whose insulin comes in single-dose, preloaded syringes which actually say “insulina, somany mg.”
Insulin syringes are about the only sharp item you can carry on board a plane, since it’s necessary medication and you really don’t want to lose it if your baggage takes a trip to Rio without you. You need to give it to the stewards. Let the people in the check-in counter know that you have a few insulin doses and you’d like to bring it on board, they’ll let the stewards know.
I’m not concerned about on the plane - I fly nearly once every two weeks average, and have only ever had a problem when a TSA agent tried to take my syringes by force, even when I had two signed doctors letters saying I was diabetic and needed it.
Thank you all for the advice which you provided. If you see me post again about Mexico, it probably will be asking for Mexican legal help… I’d ask some more about the country and such, but I’m going to be in about the most non-tourist area I can think of, inspecting a Mexican coal mine and teaching a short class down there, and won’t have time to do anything outside of work anyways. Would be nice if I spoke the language; hopefully the people attending the class speak English…but oh well.
Huh, something here in GQ that I actually know something about.
You have nothing to worry about. My wife is an insulin dependant diabetic, and we’ve been to Mexico 3 times. Her carry on bag has been inspected by the Mexican security at the airport…just say “diabetico” and they’ll understand. We’ve driven all the way across Mexico from Cancun to Acapulco stopping in some pretty out of the way places, and never had a problem. None of the military police blinked twice when they had the random vehicle searches and found her diabetic kit. It’s pretty obvious what is is, and I highly doubt they’ll give you any grief.
I would recommend that you test your numbers a lot more often than you normally do. The heat and humidity can really drop your sugar levels pretty quick. Although it doesn’t sound like you’ll be hiking through the jungle, so you may be ok. Have a good time and try and relax. I suspect that you’ll probably be in some of the more mountainous areas, and those are some of the places we drove through. So if you can give the region that you’ll be in, perhaps I can provide some more information.
I can’t really say quite where I will be, because the client does not want their competitors to know they are developing further…things…with their coal resources. But I will have no tourist time at all, so essentially I will see most of the scenery from a car, on the airplane, or underground.
Hmmm…a quick look into Mexican coal production leads me to believe that you’ll most probably be in the Coahuila region. Which is up near the border with the US. If so, I’d be more cautious of the ‘bribe looking police’. From what I can tell, those types of situations are more prevelant close to the border, or in heavy tourist areas. If not there, the only other coal producing region I can find is a mention of one someplace in the Guerrero region. This is just up the coast from Oaxaca, around Acapulco. So again close enough to a tourist area that I doubt you’ll have to worry about anything. I would make sure you have those recently dated letters from your doctor just in case, but I doubt highly that you’ll have trouble. Just remember to smile and be polite to the authorities, and try and pick up at least a few phrases in Spanish.
Have fun.
I know this is anecdotal, and I therefore feel appropriately guilty posting it in GQ…
I met a gal when I was in Mexico many years ago who was a diabetic. She said she went through customs and the whole she-bang with no problems at all. Never once asked about her kit.
Also, and again this is just my experience, but I brought my prescription for my anti-depressants with me as I was bringing in a supply of 60 tabs in the pharmacy bottle. Never got asked about that, either.
I’d ask some more about the country and such, but I’m going to be in about the most non-tourist area I can think of, inspecting a Mexican coal mine and teaching a short class down there, and won’t have time to do anything outside of work anyways. Would be nice if I spoke the language; hopefully the people attending the class speak English…but oh well.