Travelling to US with Thai NDT - anyone done it?

Hello,

I have Hashimotos and currently self treat with NDT due to poor care from my gaslighting GP. I'm flying to New York on March 1st, and according to the notes which arrived with my little boy's shiny new passport, I might have a problem.

The advice is that, when travelling abroad, any medications should be accompanied by a prescription. Obviously I wasn't prescribed the NDT (both GPs in my practice refused to increase my Levo from 50mcg after 7 months despite my symptoms being ongoing) and I buy it from Thailand. So, no prescription.

The NDT comes in a big plastic tub, and the labelling hardly looks legit. What do I do? Take the tub in my hand luggage and hope for the best? I don't think taking the tablets loose inside another container is a good idea either. Do I just dig out my old Levo and take that for the week (the prescription's well out if date and probably lost) but at least the Levo's in a proper blister pack. Although I don't think jumping between meds is the wisest move.

To avoid any trouble at the airport, do I just stop taking thyroid hormones altogether until I get home? Again, I really don't think that's the way to go either. I KNOW it isn't. And then there are all the supplements: iron, vit C, B12, B complex, D3 spray, selenium, magnesium, zinc. Do I have to carry all those bottles? Would a 7 day break from all those be too much?

Apologies if I sound clueless. I rely completely on this wonderful community for support, knowledge and advice.

Please help!

[LivingWithHT]

I have travelled to the US (and other countries) several times before with Thai NDT kept in its original packaging and packed in my checked in luggage and I never had an issue. However, I don’t know if the rules for that have changed. Last time I travelled to the US was about 2 years ago but you’re right in that it would be a bad idea to remove the pills and put them in another container. Honestly, I highly doubt anything bad will come of it. Thyroid medication for personal use is very rarely a priority on airport security’s list of illegal or restricted medication, unless you have several bottles of it which would make them wonder if you’re trying to re-sell them. You could try to take less pills in the actual bottle and keep the rest at home before traveling, just to be safe.

Any way, in addition to scanning luggage, they probably use trained security dogs to sniff out illegal substances so thyroid medication would definitely pass the test.

[helvella in reply to LivingWithHT]

The issue might not be the fact that you are carrying a medicine but that you are taking an animal product into the country.

The combination of African Swine Fever and the latest coronavirus issues might result in a significant tightening of restrictions, or their application.

Check with the USA embassy and also USA websites (e.g. Center for Disease Control).

[LivingWithHT in reply to helvella]

Yep, good points, that’s why I said the rules might have changed.

I have read somewhere online (maybe here) that some people based in the US who have ordered Thai thyroid meds online have had their mail delivery parcels confiscated by US customs before it could reach them but this was a few years back. I don’t know if this was due to it containing porcine and coming from Asia (where the swine flu was starting to become an issue in China and neighboring countries) or because they wanted people to start paying more money for the locally supplied NDT medications. Now, though, it would likely be due to swine diseases that has caused a worldwide shortage of porcine NDT, and the coronavirus.

There’s almost always some major virus going around nowadays 😩.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

I'll do that. Thank you.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

This is a nightmare. US Embassy (couldn't have been less helpful btw) sent me to US Customs website. Impossible to contact them by phone. Same for email enquiries - you just get directed to a 'Question Finder Tool'. There's no actual email address to contact. My particular question doesn't appear in the search results. I tried contacting the FDA as their website says you can only take medications with a doctor's prescription, in its original packaging. Again, unable to contact them by phone.

I have no idea what to do at this point. I feel exasperated and completely defeated.

[helvella in reply to Hidden]

So sorry if I set you off on a wild goose chase. (They are probably restricted imports as well. )

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

I'm thinking I'll just have to switch to my old Levo for a week. I've got some left. No idea how that will affect me but I can't see any way around it. I've spent hours trying to sort this out and feel horribly stressed Who would have thought it would be so much trouble?

[Hidden in reply to LivingWithHT]

Yes, I thought I'd take just enough to see me through the holiday. Thanks! That's reassuring.

[Hidden]

Thank you! We live in the Hebrides but we're flying from Manchester. I don't have any letters from my GP(s) and avoid any dealings with them as far as possible...

I'll take your advice and hope the very large tub of NDT doesn't cause me any problems!

Thanks again, this has been a very reassuring start to my morning 😊