Expat Exchange
Free MembershipSign In

Belize Expat Forum

Strong medications

New Topic Newest First
peacock1
  9/3/2016 09:38 EST

Hi, im in the UK and I'm new to this forum. I am seriously considering retiring to Belize with my husband. The only real problem is that I'm disabled and on some pretty strong meds ( I believe the equivalent is Vicodin in the USA). Does anyone know if I can get this if I need it (I'm seriously hoping the good weather and healthier diet will counteract the need for it).

JohnPBelize
  9/3/2016 16:24 EST

I would bet you can. The pharmacies seem to be well stocked. But sometimes it is called something else or is labeled in Spanish.

GeoBlueGeoBlue
Get Quote

GeoBlue is a trusted leader in international health insurance. Wherever your destination, GeoBlue can keep you and your family covered with the right health insurance. Get a GeoBlue Quote Today!

GeoBlueGeoBlue

GeoBlue is a trusted leader in international health insurance. Wherever your destination, GeoBlue can keep you and your family covered with the right health insurance. Get a GeoBlue Quote Today!
Get Quote

FrostyMug
  9/3/2016 18:02 EST

I am disabled too. I inquired and investigated pain med's in Belize. All I can say is, "I am sorry". Belize is no go for narcotics easily. This is why my wife and I will be relocating to the Yucatan, Mexico.

For 4 years my pain management program has been 10/325 Norco (close but stronger than Vicodin), 10/325 Percocet, 30 mg MS Contin ( morphine) and 8 mg Dillaudid (over 10 x strentgh of morphine). I take these daily. I cannot get even one in Belize. I have authentic scripts. Nogo.

I suggest if you continue with a Belize plan, of any long duration type, you rent first and try to get meds in that locality. Buying a residence is a big mistake unless you have been proven pain meds can be made available!!! Vacationing in Belize should be no issue as long as you bring your own supply of medication.

FrostyMug
  9/3/2016 18:12 EST

Forgot to say. Even local doctors in Belize will not write scripts for Narcotics in my investigation. Too risky and the country is yet to embrace Narcotics for pain management. A few countries are cautious like this. Even the USA is getting tough. Due to people using them recreationally and abusing them. It is ten times more difficult for me to fill scripts now as opposed to 5 years ago. The DEA is trying to punish the street dealers of narcotics...yet the honest non abuser, lije me, gets punished more:(:(:(

mgammo
  9/3/2016 19:55 EST

You can walk into a pharmacy with out a Dr.'s prescription and get some pretty heavy duty codeine, Now how much o a regular basis I do not know....

mgammo
  9/3/2016 19:57 EST

I have had two Dr,'s write me a prescription for pain meds i Corozal... One guy gave me a bag of Codeine 20's, 40"s and 60's.. These contained no Tylenol. 100% codeine....

GeoBlueGeoBlue
Get Quote

GeoBlue is a trusted leader in international health insurance. Wherever your destination, GeoBlue can keep you and your family covered with the right health insurance. Get a GeoBlue Quote Today!

GeoBlueGeoBlue

GeoBlue is a trusted leader in international health insurance. Wherever your destination, GeoBlue can keep you and your family covered with the right health insurance. Get a GeoBlue Quote Today!
Get Quote

heidistock
  9/3/2016 21:52 EST

Please consult with your doctor before making any changes in your medication or any move.

mcagun
  9/4/2016 03:43 EST

Hi there Iam also from UK and have been coming to Belize/Corozal for last 14 year
What the UK name of the medication you are prescribed

Kenubelizeit
  9/5/2016 22:21 EST

I do believe if you are requiring narcotics you can always email the local doctors to find out about availability. You can also check with one of my buddies who owns a local pharmacy and can obtain any difficult ones of course with a doctors prescription which are usually duplicated by local doctors in Belize. I know this for a fact because I have friends who are doctors.

Rainforestbelize
  9/6/2016 11:48 EST

I just asked your question to a local Pharmacy here and they said "Yes, if your bring your prescription as it is a controlled medication"

FrostyMug
  9/6/2016 14:34 EST

I am not calling anyone a liar here that says, "no problem getting them and yada yada". However, i would confirm it first hand. My investigations yielded codeine type drugs. Lol, in Canada those are over the counter. Try to get any of the ones I mentioned below though and see what happens. Test it before buying any real estate. Talk is one thing and execution is another. The O.P. is asking about Vicodin. It is an opiate. Also known as hydrocodone. I would be delighted if a Belize doc or pharmacy could get those...especially with an out of country script. I had over a dozen people working on my behalf checking into this. Docs, lawyer, real estate agents, etc. NO GO.

I challenge anyone to post a photo of a narcotic ( not codiene) pill bottle filled in Belize from a Doc or pharmacy. Black out the name and private information for privacy. I would like to see proof or it simply did not/cannot happen imo:(

GeoBlueGeoBlue
Get Quote

GeoBlue is a trusted leader in international health insurance. Wherever your destination, GeoBlue can keep you and your family covered with the right health insurance. Get a GeoBlue Quote Today!

GeoBlueGeoBlue

GeoBlue is a trusted leader in international health insurance. Wherever your destination, GeoBlue can keep you and your family covered with the right health insurance. Get a GeoBlue Quote Today!
Get Quote

peacock1
  9/7/2016 06:23 EST

Hi,
Thanks for replying. I'm on ocycontin, if that helps, although I'm visiting in March and hoping not to need this

peacock1
  9/7/2016 06:26 EST

Thanks for responding. Would you be able to supply contact details for your friend in the pharmacy. I want to find as much as possible before I fly out in March too.
Sue

5allan1
  9/7/2016 09:11 EST

I worked with the health system there for several years. Narcotics are next to impossible to acquire outside a hospital situation, and then only for cancer pain primarily

FrostyMug
  9/7/2016 09:11 EST

Wow. First you said Vicodin. That is a weaker version of Norco which I take. Now you included oxycontin. Way more stronger and addictive tgan any hydrocodone pill(norco or vicodin). I really wish you well but you have a better chance finding weak Vicidin tgan Oxycontin. I take Oxycodone, or Percocet, which is similar to Oxycontin but safer from overdose. I cannot locate those anywhere in Belize.

My investigation results are Belize eill medicate people maybe in the main Beluze hospital with narcotics.. Not once you leave though or at a clinic. Sure you can get codiene, that is not near anywhere a chronic pain sufferer, like me, requires to have kind of a normal daily life. Weekly I also receive acupuncture, lower back traction, 3 hour pain management class, physical therapy, tens units, etc. Every 4 montgs radio ablation injections...so for me codeine is not suitable and moving to Belize is no longer an option:(

GL in your investigations! Make sure you have proof. I can easily see dome Belize pharmacy saying, " yeah, yeah...we have pain medication. No problem" Then you find out it is Codeine:(

terrific
  9/7/2016 14:22 EST

If 5allan says not able to get the narcotic drugs I am 100% sure thats is correct He worked in Belize for several years as an MD so that is feet n the ground information. Thanks Allan I really like it when you are helpful :-)

bobbyveee
  9/7/2016 19:37 EST

It worries me somewhat that people come on here and say oh yes you can get this. Obviously havent a clue and give a person who is reliant on getting a powerful pain killer, WRONG info. then Allan % who is critised so much , but who was a Doc and knows his onions says NO WAY will you get. To many ifs and buts , answers on here need to be YES, NO or DONT KNOW. This kinda question needs to be answered by those who really know the answer, not people trying to be helpful. If your military the answer to your Col. was just that Know, Dont know or willing to learn Sir. Nough said, Ex Marine officer.

heidistock
  9/7/2016 23:35 EST

BobbyV you are always strong and to the point

peacock1
  9/8/2016 04:07 EST

Thank you for the honest reply.

CentraltxTom
  9/8/2016 17:16 EST

You sure can. Might need to check out a few pharmacies, but they had 7.5/500

BobJJ
  2/4/2018 18:08 EST

Hi. I'm Bob. I'm wondering the same thing you are. I was wondering if you've learned anything. I take oxycodone from a bad accident I was in, in 2010. Any info you could share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

terrific
  2/4/2018 22:36 EST

Sorry to say Nothing has changed in the pharmacy rules in Belize. since the las post here in 2016.
The prescription of oxycodone is not going to be filled by a local Pharmacy, If you are assured otherwise either they are honestly mistaken, or some one has a batch of fake/possibly dangerous drugs they are trying to get shot of.

Cruisetraveler83
  4/17/2019 19:53 EST

I literally JUST got back from Belize on a Cruise (April 14th, 2019) and I DID get 8mg Hydrocodone at one pharmacy inside the port of Belize. They are White, round pills (A little smaller than the size of a nickel) with the imprint "BL" on one side & the number "8" on the other (With a score in the middle)

terrific
  4/17/2019 21:38 EST

What is the name of the pharmacy ( on the bottle label) and where exactly do you mean " in the port of Belize" I can not work out where you mean, the tourist village the cruise ships island or in Belize city.
Maybe it is a special pharmacy just for cruise ship tourists that has its own set of rules.

terrific
  4/17/2019 21:44 EST

What is the name of the pharmacy ( on the bottle label) and where exactly do you mean " in the port of Belize" I can not work out where you mean, the tourist village the cruise ships island or in Belize city.
Maybe it is a special pharmacy just for cruise ship tourists that has its own set of rules.

5allan1
  4/18/2019 06:36 EST

My pharmacist friend works at Cleo White clinic in BZE. The pill u got is codeine phosphate 8mg and paracetamol 500mg ( tylenol)
Very common. Not heavy duty.

Conmurphy
  4/18/2019 09:43 EST

The Pharmacy regulations got much stricter 2 years ago and where once you could walk into a chemist and get any heavy duty painkillers you wanted, now most pharmacies require a prescription for the same.

Gypsy110
  4/24/2019 12:57 EST

You must check with the pharmacy close to your new residence. I found out that each one is different. I spoke to a pharmacist in Corozal. He told me that oxycodone is not a problem.

Gypsy110
  4/27/2019 22:20 EST

While in Corozal I saw a pharmacist. I showed him my bottle of oxycodone. He said he can get it. I think it depends on the pharmacist. You may want to ask elsewhere.

mgammo
  5/7/2019 21:49 EST

When I was in Corozal I broke my arm. I had no trouble getting codeine from the pharmacist. One guy told me he could order what ever I needed. The drugs may be made in say Belgium, but they work...

mgammo
  5/7/2019 21:55 EST

Well, a Dr. in Belize gave me a brown paper bag with codeine tabs on a silver card. They were 20, 40, or 60. I was staying at Tony's Inn on the Bay where a group of visiting doctors were staying. I had to get the anesthesiologist from Stanford to put the pills on my dresser with the times to take them written down. I was afraid I would OD...They did not come with directions....

GeoBlue
GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlueGeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Living in Belize GuideLiving in Belize Guide

Anyone thinking about moving to Belize should carefully consider the pros and cons of expat life in Belize. The article includes insight from expats about the cons (crime, limited healthcare, poor road conditions and more) and the pros (beautiful beaches, friendly people, low cost of living and more).

Belize Forum Belize Forum
Join our Belize forum to meet other expats and talk about living in Belize.

Contribute to Belize Network Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Belize.

Best Places to Live in Belize Best Places to Live in Belize

If you're considering a move to Belize, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in Belize in 2023.

Healthcare in BelizeHealthcare in Belize

Expats in Belize share tips and advice about healthcare and health insurance in Belize. While some expats advise those with serious health issues not to move to Belize, other expats choose Corozal for its proximity to doctors and clinics over the border in Chetumal, Mexico.

Cost of Living in BelizeCost of Living in Belize

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in Belize.

Moving to BelizeMoving to Belize Guide

Expats that move to Belize learn to enjoy a breathtakingly beautiful setting without some of the essentials they may have taken to granted in their home countries.

Real Estate in BelizeReal Estate in Belize

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in Belize.

Pros Cons of Living in BelizePros & Cons of Living in Belize

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Belize.

Retiring in BelizeRetiring in Belize

Advice for people retiring in Belize.

10 Tips for Living in Belize10 Tips for Living in Belize

If you've recently arrived in Belize, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in Belize.

GeoBlue
GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlueGeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Contribute to Belize Network Contribute
Help others in Belize by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Belize.

GeoBlue
GeoBlue

Copyright 1997-2024 Burlingame Interactive, Inc.

Privacy Policy Legal