Going through customs with vitamins and HC pills - Thyroid UK

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Going through customs with vitamins and HC pills

Joeyis7 profile image
9 Replies

Hello. I am flying to Italy in a few days' time. I am about to pack my week's supply of thyroxine, hydrocortisone, Nutri Adrenals, Betaine, and vitamins A to K2. I have decanted them into little plastic bags for convenience. It struck me that it might look as if I was carrying illegal drugs. Has anyone recently flown with a large array of supplements and hormones like this and was it ok in Customs?

Thanks!

Joeyis7

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9 Replies
galathea profile image
galathea

Just spoke to my husband who flies alot, he says they won't look twice at a weeks worth of meds... and going into an eu country presents no real problems. He says the only time the customs really bother is coming out of places which have known drug problems like Columbia.

xx g

Joeyis7 profile image
Joeyis7 in reply to galathea

Galathea,

Thank you very much! You have settled my mind. Seeing all the pills, incidentally, drives it home how ill I have been, and none of those pills is NHS supplied! I'm hoping a week in the sun will help my Vit D and cortisol.

Joeyis7

spongecat profile image
spongecat

Personally I would keep the POM drugs (thyroxine and HC) in their original packaging. At least they won't (or shouldn't) run the risk of being confiscated.

If you get a twitchy security/customs officer they may keep pills with no ID because they are in plastic bags for analysis if there is no packaging for them and it can be deeply uncomfortable being asked probing questions even though you are completely innocent. If the vitamins get pulled it's no massive hardship but the thyroxine and HC are a different matter.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to spongecat

I would definitely agree - keep things in their original containers/packaging. If you have a bottle of 60 pills and you will take one a day during a week's holiday, I would take 14 with me in the original packaging, and leave the rest at home.

And make sure that you take your meds on the plane with you in hand luggage, just in case you get separated from your suitcase.

Joeyis7 profile image
Joeyis7

Thanks, Humanbean and Spongecat!

Joeyis7

spongecat profile image
spongecat

Have a lovely holiday!

Afaghieh profile image
Afaghieh

Hi

I go to Belgium every other week, and been to Turkey I leave everything in their containers.

Joeyis7 profile image
Joeyis7

Thank you very much!

Joeyis7

Martina profile image
Martina

Hello, I don't know if you have already left for your holidays. I'm Italian, but I live abroad so I regularly fly back to Italy. I carry supplements in my suitcase, the one I drop off at check-in, except for the liquid ones which I carry in my cabin bag. Everything has worked fine till now. Once, flying back from Italy, I put all my supplements in my cabin bag, and NO problem at customs:-))

Wishing you a safe trip and a pleasant stay

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