Can some of you fine folks advise me on what is required for med's and inoculations.Will we need proof and what kind of proof?

My wife and I both have to take meds each day.

We got our tetanus and Hep B shots today. Do we need some kind of proof?

Any advise you can tell us would be very appreciated.

Go to the CDC website http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/ and they can give you specific recommendations by country.

Generally, it's shots for yellow fever, hepatitus, tetanus, and sometines rabies, plus pills for malaria.

I've never been asked for proof.

Where are you going?

If you decide to take antibiotics with you let me know. I took prescriptions for upper and lower type antibiotics with me last month and never opened them. I'll make you a deal on them!

Just keep all prescription medicine in their original container as you had received them from the pharmacist. This will avoid hassles at customs.

A couple of years ago I took a bottle of nitroglycerin for my heart to Africa and I had a couple of second-looks by TSA until they saw the description of the medicine.

Namibiahunter

quote:

Originally posted by namibiahunter:
Just keep all prescription medicine in their original container as you had received them from the pharmacist. This will avoid hassles at customs.

Yes, keep your meds in original container with the prescription info listed. I also take a letter from my doctor since I am a diabetic and have to carry syringes and needles so I do not have any trouble carrying them on the plane. But nobody has ever asked or looked twice at me.

quote:

Originally posted by DC Roxby:
Where are you going?

what he said

We are going to KwaZulu-Natal.

Make certain that none of the meds have expired. I've seen them confiscated in AMS because of that. (Don't know if you're going through there, of course, but it's a good idea, just the same.)

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Make certain that none of the meds have expired. I've seen them confiscated in AMS because of that. (Don't know if you're going through there, of course, but it's a good idea, just the same.)

I am curious as to what was confiscated. I usually have 3 weeks worth of BP and heart meds in one of those multi-compartment plastic cases, no labels, keeping one case in my pants pocket and another in luggage, and have never had anyone look at them. It could easily cause a stroke or heart-attack to miss a few doses!

If any prescriptions are for narcotic pain meds, it's a good idea to have some kind of documentation from the doctor. My wife is a migraine sufferer and needs them as a rescue drug. Also a good idea in case of injury in a remote camp.
As far as antibiotics, I usually bring cipro. Cheap (now) and pretty much good for what ails you. Operators really appreciate it when you leave it behind. The same goes for doxycyline, which I bring as back-up malaria prophylaxis in case one of us develops a problem with the Larium.

I'm penicillin-allergic so I also always take my own "emergency" 10-day run of Cipro or Levaquin, also 10 or so percosets in case somebody gets hurt. And a bunch of OTC stuff, zantac, benadryl, neosporin, motrin, and ESPECIALLY immodium.

Usually whatever doesn't get used (98% of it) I leave behind because I can get it so much easier than they can (especially when in Zimbabwe).

And I've never been asked about it by TSA or Customs in 7 countries.

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Make certain that none of the meds have expired. I've seen them confiscated in AMS because of that. (Don't know if you're going through there, of course, but it's a good idea, just the same.)

I am curious as to what was confiscated. I usually have 3 weeks worth of BP and heart meds in one of those multi-compartment plastic cases, no labels, keeping one case in my pants pocket and another in luggage, and have never had anyone look at them. It could easily cause a stroke or heart-attack to miss a few doses!

I don't know what the med was. Guy ahead of me clearing through had something that had expired.

I also carry a double compartment pill cutter, but I have the original prescription bottles in my carryon. It's obviously not a good idea to check necessary meds.

I had the Canadians give ma a hard time about the pill cutter in Regina airport, returning from a deer hunt in Saksatchewan. It is a prescribed device, but I had it loose in my pocket instead of in the box it came in. They forced me to regain my checked bag, dump all the pills back into the original bottles in my carry on, and check the pill cutter. They were just being assholes. Must be taking lessons from TSA.

Since then, I keep the pill cutter in it's original box and haven't had a problem.