Sudafed in Cozumel with prescription?

[drrich2]

i find this to be avery interesting conversation. funny i have never heard any talk online about this before.

Oh, it's been discussed before. When I was researching Cozumel for a dive destination I did some reading about it. And, well, I 'know this guy' who went and had some in his baggage, who had a hairy moment in baggage claim when the drug sniffing dog checked his bags. The question, which this guy's advance research had not answered, was would a drug sniffing dog alert on a big that had Sudafed in it?

From what this guy had to say, the dog did not, and things went smoothly. That's an anecdotal case of one.

Interestingly, there's an old 2018 thread discussing it regarding going to the Philippines. A 2016 Insider article said products containing pseudoephedrine were illegal in Japan.

 

[BRT]

Oh, it's been discussed before. When I was researching Cozumel for a dive destination I did some reading about it. And, well, I 'know this guy' who went and had some in his baggage, who had a hairy moment in baggage claim when the drug sniffing dog checked his bags. The question, which this guy's advance research had not answered, was would a drug sniffing dog alert on a big that had Sudafed in it?

From what this guy had to say, the dog did not, and things went smoothly. That's an anecdotal case of one.

Interestingly, there's an old 2018 thread discussing it regarding going to the Philippines. A 2016 Insider article said products containing pseudoephedrine were illegal in Japan.

We used to go to Canada to buy Sudafed or the equivalent because nobody stocked it in our town. In Canada, at least pre-covid, there were no restrictions. Crossing the border back I would tell them I got some cold and allergy medication. Every time I did that the custom guy changed the subject. I suspect they didn't want to know. I suspect that if I am not giving the Mexican customs and immigration guys a bad time that they don't want to know either. Looking through an older american tourists pill supply might turn up a number of pills in the pillbox without included prescriptions. I take down at least 3, make that 4. As well as a bunch of other pills that are not prescription that they would have to sort through. Customs can always find something to harass you for, but I suspect they really don't want to mess with personal use amounts of drugs that are legal in the USA. Maybe you will read about me in the papers.

 

[gopbroek]

Sudafed was totally banned in Mexico about 15 years back due to the embarrassment of the industrial multi ton import of the precursor chemicals being imported, legally, to supply the cartel Mega labs to produce Methamphetamines' for export to the US. The Chinese / Mexican gentleman at the center of the scandal was found innocent but of course his 200M + USD had disappeared. For public relations Sudafed was banned with the added benefit of reducing competition for domestic Meth sales.

Zhenli Ye Gon - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[mediumone]

Oh, it's been discussed before. When I was researching Cozumel for a dive destination I did some reading about it. And, well, I 'know this guy' who went and had some in his baggage, who had a hairy moment in baggage claim when the drug sniffing dog checked his bags. The question, which this guy's advance research had not answered, was would a drug sniffing dog alert on a big that had Sudafed in it?

From what this guy had to say, the dog did not, and things went smoothly. That's an anecdotal case of one.

Interestingly, there's an old 2018 thread discussing it regarding going to the Philippines. A 2016 Insider article said products containing pseudoephedrine were illegal in Japan.

No, the dogs don't know or don't care.
Now those Beagles in IAH and oranges.....
As I've already admitted, I smuggle, but as a gray haired scrawny old fart, the only profile that I fit is that of a gray haired scrawny old fart.
I highly doubt that I'd set off any alarm bells to those looking to keep drugs and drug manufacturing out of the country.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Wow..... Cozumel has really changed since I was last there in 2001. On that trip, we stayed at the Coral Princess and my wife and her girlfriend took a moped into town to the Pharmacia Azul and were able to buy Percodan and Valium over the counter with no limit.... Now they are cracking down on Sudafed?? Unbelievable!

 

[DandyDon]

Unbelievable!

They survived the moped!

 

[ggunn]

Wow..... Cozumel has really changed since I was last there in 2001. On that trip, we stayed at the Coral Princess and my wife and her girlfriend took a moped into town to the Pharmacia Azul and were able to buy Percodan and Valium over the counter with no limit.... Now they are cracking down on Sudafed?? Unbelievable!

The availability of those other compounds may not have changed. The law concerning pseudoephedrine is specifically targeted against methamphetamine production.

 

[Hoyden]

Be careful when shopping alternatives. It's worth care to be mindful these different medications are often very different.

Pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic; it acts on hormone receptors on cell membranes. Think of it like a key/lock, or push/button approach for a hormone to trigger a reaction. Medicines that work this way may take action quickly.

Flonase is a steroid medicine. Steroids are often slower acting, though their effects may last longer (I don't want to over-generalize). From the Flonase website:

"Most achieve relief within 12 hours of starting their FLONASE nasal spray. But remember, it’s important to keep using it every day during allergy season as it takes three to four days before any FLONASE nasal spray builds up to full effectiveness—which means once a day allergy symptom relief."

So someone used to taking a pseudoephedrine product 'morning of' might better start Flonase days before.

Pseudoephedrine doesn't seem bad about rebound effects when taken continuously in the way some nasal sprays such as Afrin can be.

Phenylephrine doesn't have a good reputation as a decongestant; it's been likened to placebo.

Thanks for that explanation. I take OTC allergy medicine daily during allergy season. I tried Flonase, but it did not work for me... but I only did two days of it because it wasn't working. I may try it again and give a longer time to kick in.

Jackie

 

[BRT]

Thanks for that explanation. I take OTC allergy medicine daily during allergy season. I tried Flonase, but it did not work for me... but I only did two days of it because it wasn't working. I may try it again and give a longer time to kick in.

Jackie

Flonase is a long term med.

 

[gopbroek]

Be careful when shopping alternatives. It's worth care to be mindful these different medications are often very different.

Pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic; it acts on hormone receptors on cell membranes. Think of it like a key/lock, or push/button approach for a hormone to trigger a reaction. Medicines that work this way may take action quickly.

Flonase is a steroid medicine. Steroids are often slower acting, though their effects may last longer (I don't want to over-generalize). From the Flonase website:

"Most achieve relief within 12 hours of starting their FLONASE nasal spray. But remember, it’s important to keep using it every day during allergy season as it takes three to four days before any FLONASE nasal spray builds up to full effectiveness—which means once a day allergy symptom relief."

So someone used to taking a pseudoephedrine product 'morning of' might better start Flonase days before.

Pseudoephedrine doesn't seem bad about rebound effects when taken continuously in the way some nasal sprays such as Afrin can be.

Phenylephrine doesn't have a good reputation as a decongestant; it's been likened to placebo.

My doctor read me the riot act when I told her I took Sudafed. I have high blood pressure and she said this will make it worse.