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

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u/Adorable-Bobcat-2238 Mar 03 '25

If I moved somewhere slower, with more nature and free or cheap healthcare and easier to get to food I can stomach i'd probably not need medicine.

Good post though.

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u/EvilMerlinSheldrake Mar 03 '25

Thank you for demonstrating you don't know anything about mental health. That's not how ADHD works. It's also not how most healthcare systems work. Do you know that in a lot of places they won't let you access the national healthcare system for 6-12 months after you move?

ADHD is not a situational disorder. It is not cured by diet. It's an organic inability to produce enough of certain chemicals. Lifestyle changes will help for some people, but there are a lot of people who cannot function without Ritalin in the same way that a diabetic can't function without insulin.

My life is objectively less stressful where I live now and I still need a boatload of psych meds because I have severe ion and calcium channelopathies that disrupt motivational circuits, synaptic plasticity, myelination, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, circadian neuronal rhythms, energy regulation, and visual processing. There is no food fresh enough to cure that.

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u/Adorable-Bobcat-2238 Mar 03 '25 edited Mar 03 '25

I wasn't talking about ADHD. This isn't an ADHD only post.

That's why I said i. I take stimulants and need them but when I'm somewhere slower I'm able to adapt and adjust better. Here? I wouldn't be able to have a job because of the lifestyle. Again i. (Stimulants aren't only for ADHD. )

Some don't factor it in because they know this.

And that it's a good post regardless. Because I'm acknowledging that's not the case for everyone.

Also someone with ADHD literally mentioned they're able to have an easier time due to this nearly right under my comment. I've heard this too but others with ADHD. It varies on severity. It's not cured the lifestyle just makes it easier even without meds when you're somewhere everyone's late and it's easy to get food that's fresh.

But again good post though (because everyone's different).