ADHD prescription

[Thisismyusername]

Running out of my vyvanse prescription, has anyone had a hassle free experience getting a substitute here? My Psychiatrist can send his notes and RX.

 

[SinPulgas]

It's impossible to get amphetamines here. Amphetamine is illegal in Argentina. Unless you can find a way to get them sent from the states, you can forget it. I tried for years and years before giving up. I tried to talk to doctors in Chile, but that didn't work out. You may be able to talk to someone in Brazil. I think they have vyvanse there, but it was too expensive for me, so I didn't bother trying there. Amphetamines are ridiculously tightly controlled in this hemisphere from the Mexican border to Antarctica. They treat all amphetamine as if it were methamphetamine.

Ritalin is available here if that works for you. It puts me to sleep. Long ago I just resigned myself to not having my medication. When I travelled to the states in 2017, I was able to work with my psychiatrist to get a six month supply by getting prescriptions for the maximum amount possible and carrying them back with me. Six good months out of twenty years. Oh, well. Now with my blood pressure, I couldn't take it even if I wanted to.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Thisismyusername]

It's impossible to get amphetamines here. Amphetamine is illegal in Argentina. Unless you can find a way to get them sent from the states, you can forget it. I tried for years and years before giving up. I tried to talk to doctors in Chile, but that didn't work out. You may be able to talk to someone in Brazil. I think they have vyvanse there, but it was too expensive for me, so I didn't bother trying there. Amphetamines are ridiculously tightly controlled in this hemisphere from the Mexican border to Antarctica. They treat all amphetamine as if it were methamphetamine.

Ritalin is available here if that works for you. It puts me to sleep. Long ago I just resigned myself to not having my medication. When I travelled to the states in 2017, I was able to work with my psychiatrist to get a six month supply by getting prescriptions for the maximum amount possible and carrying them back with me. Six good months out of twenty years. Oh, well. Now with my blood pressure, I couldn't take it even if I wanted to.

I wish you the best of luck.

How difficult was getting access to Ritalin/concerta? Kinda absurd they allow that but not others.

 

[SinPulgas]

How difficult was getting access to Ritalin/concerta? Kinda absurd they allow that but not others.

I got easily. I had two different doctors (a psychiatrist and a neurologist) that prescribed it for me. Both treated ADHD patients. Unfortunately, the neurologist disappeared on me five or six years ago; just seemed to vanish. It's almost 20 years since I saw the psychiatrist, and I'm searching and I can't find him now, either.

You need a psychiatrist or a neurologist, preferably that deals with ADHD. There's a lot of skepticism about ADHD in Argentina and Latin America in general. But you should be able to get a prescription fairly easily. Ask the doctor which pharmacy or pharmacies to go to, because it's a very uncommon medication here.

If I can find the doctor, I'll let you know.

 

[Thisismyusername]

I got easily. I had two different doctors (a psychiatrist and a neurologist) that prescribed it for me. Both treated ADHD patients. Unfortunately, the neurologist disappeared on me five or six years ago; just seemed to vanish. It's almost 20 years since I saw the psychiatrist, and I'm searching and I can't find him now, either.

You need a psychiatrist or a neurologist, preferably that deals with ADHD. There's a lot of skepticism about ADHD in Argentina and Latin America in general. But you should be able to get a prescription fairly easily. Ask the doctor which pharmacy or pharmacies to go to, because it's a very uncommon medication here.

If I can find the doctor, I'll let you know.

Great thank you so much for the information. I’m seeing that vyvanse is offered in Chile and Brazil. If it’s not too much to ask, what were the main barriers for trying to procure it from a neighbouring country, was it just cost prohibitive? Not sure how much it would run me to fly for a supply or how much of a logistical nightmare that would be.

 

[SinPulgas]

Great thank you so much for the information. I’m seeing that vyvanse is offered in Chile and Brazil. If it’s not too much to ask, what were the main barriers for trying to procure it from a neighbouring country, was it just cost prohibitive? Not sure how much it would run me to fly for a supply or how much of a logistical nightmare that would be.

I didn't try Brazil because it was too expensive, so I don't know what types of problems you might face there. But minimally, you'll have to go there and see a doctor at least once, and while I'm not positive, I'm quite sure that they'll never ship the medicine here, even after you get established with a doctor there.

I talked by phone with several doctors from Chile. The only one that even considered helping me was insisting on 6 in-person sessions, in Chile, before he would prescribe anything. And he told me that he wasn't promising anything. And this was after I sent him a letter from my neurologist, with my detailed history with him here, confirming the diagnosis of ADHD from my doctor in the states and the other doctor here. The doctor seemed very nervous. I just decided it wasn't worth all the cost and the trouble.

I would suggest getting a phone plan that lets you call Brazil cheaply, and make a lot of phone calls and try to find Brazilian doctors that speak English (unless you speak Portuguese). If you speak Spanish, you may find some that speak Spanish, but doctors that specialize in ADHD have a high probability of speaking English. That first doctor that I saw here used to travel to Boston two or three times a year for ADHD conferences. I think his name is Quirós, and I thought that would be enough to find him again, but unfortunately I have found that it's going to be more difficult. Especially since the doctor who managed the Covid problem for the city and is now famous here is also named Quirós, and it seems to be a common name.

Your problem is bringing back a lot of bad memories for me. Adderall had changed my life for a couple years. Then I moved here, presuming naively that I'd have no problem getting my medication. One of the million big errors in my life.

 

[Thisismyusername]

I didn't try Brazil because it was too expensive, so I don't know what types of problems you might face there. But minimally, you'll have to go there and see a doctor at least once, and while I'm not positive, I'm quite sure that they'll never ship the medicine here, even after you get established with a doctor there.

I talked by phone with several doctors from Chile. The only one that even considered helping me was insisting on 6 in-person sessions, in Chile, before he would prescribe anything. And he told me that he wasn't promising anything. And this was after I sent him a letter from my neurologist, with my detailed history with him here, confirming the diagnosis of ADHD from my doctor in the states and the other doctor here. The doctor seemed very nervous. I just decided it wasn't worth all the cost and the trouble.

I would suggest getting a phone plan that lets you call Brazil cheaply, and make a lot of phone calls and try to find Brazilian doctors that speak English (unless you speak Portuguese). If you speak Spanish, you may find some that speak Spanish, but doctors that specialize in ADHD have a high probability of speaking English. That first doctor that I saw here used to travel to Boston two or three times a year for ADHD conferences. I think his name is Quirós, and I thought that would be enough to find him again, but unfortunately I have found that it's going to be more difficult. Especially since the doctor who managed the Covid problem for the city and is now famous here is also named Quirós, and it seems to be a common name.

Your problem is bringing back a lot of bad memories for me. Adderall had changed my life for a couple years. Then I moved here, presuming naively that I'd have no problem getting my medication. One of the million big errors in my life.

Thank you again, if I ever find a legal and at least semi-efficient avenue, then I’ll be sure to let you know.

 

[SinPulgas]

Thank you again, if I ever find a legal and at least semi-efficient avenue, then I’ll be sure to let you know.

It's too late for me. I'm back to red wine now. It doesn't help my ADHD, but it let's me not think about it as much.

Good luck! And let us know how you make out.

 

[Thisismyusername]

In case anyone in the future has the same issue, I got a prescription from a psychiatrist here for concerta. It wasn't difficult, just look for one who speaks english as they have probably dealt with digital nomads and others who are in the same situation. They have to have a specific booklet for this type of prescription so just check ahead.

 

[PaddyO]

Modafanil is widely available in Colombia. Not sure about Argentina though.