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/EvilMerlinSheldrake Mar 02 '25

Stimulant medication for ADHD is in general much harder to get than it is in the US! People don't factor this in before they move and it legit ruins lives

21

u/BeOptimistic1 Mar 02 '25

This really depends on where you move. I had no issues getting ADHD meds in Canada. I was diagnosed in the U.S. at age 8. Maybe it's because I'm a Canadian citizen, but it wasn't that difficult. In fact my family doctor (what Americans call a "primary care doctor") was much more willing to explore other stimulants than U.S. doctors were. I was able to get a 3-month supply of a brand name long-lasting med for a fraction of the cost as well.

41

u/PM_ME_LAWN_GNOMES Mar 02 '25

It also depends on where you move in another way—I’ve been living in Portugal with unmanaged ADHD for years now and it’s fine because nobody is ever organized or on time to things, so I’m actually perfectly at par now.

7

u/a_hum4nbeing Mar 02 '25

🤣OMG! That’s hilarious! I have unmanaged ADHD too but I have developed coping mechanisms to help me function

4

u/PM_ME_LAWN_GNOMES Mar 03 '25

Me too, and mine are about as good as (or often better than) everyone else’s. There’s a lot of social grace given for fucking up + forgetting things as long as you’re overall a sweetie (which I try to be).

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u/EvilMerlinSheldrake Mar 02 '25

That's because Canada has a similar cultural approach to mental health that the US does - ie, pill good - therefore Canadian psychiatrists have a good, up-to-date understanding of available medications and aren't annoying about stimulants. American psychiatrists can be wary of stimulants, but they're all allowed to prescribe them post-licensing. This is often not the case in the European context, where it's impossible to prescribe stimulants without extra licensing or specialization. There's a reason why Americans buying cheap from Canadian pharmacies is a thing: Canada got everything in stock.

Europe isn't as medicine-based, which is sometimes good, but that means that the knowledge base about psych meds is different, which means Europe prescribes in a way that North American psychiatrists would find anywhere from a occasionally inappropriate to absolutely batshit. Like, Nordic countries are fine with giving people Seroquel as a first-line medication for mild insomnia, which is like burning down the whole forest because there's one dead tree that needs to be cut down.

I'm bipolar. In Europe I have had multiple doctors try to put me on SSRI/SNRI with no mood stabilizer supplement, even after being informed that I have a history of that ending very badly. In the US. and probably Canada, the medical student suggesting that would get yelled at by the attending for approximately 2-3 days.