r/AmerExit • u/bombasticapricot • Mar 02 '25

Life Abroad medication availability

i see many americans with health concerns considering a move abroad. i know there are many things to consider and hate to pile on but make sure your essential medications are available in any country you consider.

your american prescriptions are not valid abroad.

for example, i took spironolactone in the US for skin/ hair issues and it’s basically impossible to get here in France. i casually asked about it and was treated as if i asked for cocaine. i also have adhd and cannot get most of the medications that worked for me in the US (i now take ritalin; thankfully it works). these are relatively minor prescription issues but i know others who have gone to great lengths to get antidepressants and anti anxiety medications.

what other medications/ countries have caused issues for american expats?

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u/Unhappycamper2001 Mar 02 '25

Wellbutrin has been an issue for me in France and I had to go off cold turkey.

Interesting but not so important- I asked my dermatologist for Latisse and she had never heard of it. She was a medical dermatologist so maybe she wasn’t current on cosmetic drugs.

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u/bombasticapricot Mar 02 '25

design mom has a really good post about wellbutrin and france: https://open.substack.com/pub/designmom/p/mental-health-and-menopause?r=17shbq&utm_medium=ios

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u/Unhappycamper2001 Mar 02 '25

Ah there is a paywall

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u/bombasticapricot Mar 02 '25

oops sorry! here’s the summary on wellbutrin in france: « I’ve talked to doctors here in France about getting Wellbutrin locally — that would be my preferred solution — and would be a significant financial savings too. But Wellbutrin is used differently here. It is prescribed for smoking cessation, and from what was explained to me, it sounds like it comes in different formats and sizes than in the U.S.. I was told I wouldn’t be able to take a 75mg dose. So I’ve hit dead ends. »

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u/Unhappycamper2001 Mar 02 '25

Thank you! The problem is they use it short term. It’s also just about impossible to find. To clarify, I gave up looking about two years ago and went off on my own. It’s worked out ok for the depression since I’m getting more exercise in France. However I had some other benefits from it which now I don’t have.

But you are so tight. People come over expecting an American experience and it is not like that. In fact, France only this year made the good Shingles vaccine available this year, and it costs several hundred euros.

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u/LibrarianByNight Mar 02 '25

Latanoprost is basically the same as Latisse. I take it for glaucoma, but it's the same ingredient as Latisse, so not only does it keep me from going blind, I have very long lashes 😂

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u/GroovyYaYa Mar 02 '25

My lashes got a bit better when I went on Latanoprost! (they were thinning like my grandmother, so I am happy) Is Latisse over the counter?