I am unable to visit Japan.

SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz to ADHD@lemmy.world – 125 points –

I head up a small community for fans of a niche indie brand. The founder is doing an event in Japan with an exclusive item for people who attend! I was so excited and was looking into booking a plane ticket to go!

However.. turns out that Japan has a law that absolutely forbids stimulant medication in the country. And, no, I don't really want to upend my regimen of 8 years and risk going on a new medication for the trip.

I'm really shattered, as I wanted to attend this cool event and meet up with other enthusiasts. It really hurts to be barred from an opportunity like this.

I hate ADHD. I really do.

90

Intuniv, Strattera, Concerta, and Vyvanse can be prescribed for ADHD in Japan. Ritalin is also available but not for ADHD, though travelers can bring a maximum of 2.16g of methylphenidate. Other stimulants such as Adderall are not allowed.

https://interacnetwork.com/navigating-stimulant-therapy-for-adult-adhd-in-japan-regulations-and-considerations/

Most doctors would be willing to prescribe a different medication for the duration of your trip. It of course won't be ideal, but it would be a temporary hiccup that might be worth it considering you seem to be really excited for the trip.

Op mentioned they do not want different medication for the trip though.

And, no, I don't really want to upend my regimen of 8 years and risk going on a new medication for the trip.

I did read that which is why I noted in my comment that I realize it won't be ideal but may be worth reconsidering for the opportunity. I also wanted to provide some more complete information for the people in the comments who were gleaning false conclusions from misleading information.

I agree the reply is informative, just that OP had asked to avoid other medications as a suggestion.

It does not say that in the OP. They said "I don't really want to... risk going on a new medication for the trip" which is not the same as "please don't give me advice on alternative medication" and was also preceded by a false claim that no other stimulants would be allowed.

EDIT: Defending one's point while trying to be polite is "being aggressive".

k

Do all the drugs OP. Fuck your regimen. /s

As I stated in my previous comment, it was not clear. You told me I was wrong, you continue to reply to me with false information, and you wonder why I respond defending myself. OP does not seem to have hard feelings about this, so I don't understand why you seem to.

Why are you being aggressive? They didn't state which medication they are actually taking so it could be one on the list mentioned.

Classic ADHD troupe of only reading the title / skimming. Lol

Please do not imply that I did not fully read the post because you did not like my answer. I noted in my comment that I realize the situation is not ideal, and I provided information that I thought might be worth reconsidering. I'm sorry I did not realize that adjusting your medication is such a hard no for you.

However, it is disingenuous to claim that Japan "absolutely forbids stimulant medication in the country" when that simply isn't true, and this was causing multiple people in the comments to come to false conclusions. Many other people would consider a temporary adjustment agreeable, and it is unfair to lead people to believe that this isn't possible unless they can tolerate non-stimulant medication.

Nah, not at all. Just ribbin'.

Yeah, every single website I've pulled up on the matter says everything is a hard "no" and that no accommodations can be given.

When you see 4 or 5 sites saying the same thing, you tend to come to that conclusion. But I'm happy to see that's not necessarily the case!

No hard feelings. I did notice that the ministry documentation was written rather confusingly, so I can see how it could be twisted. It does say you can email them with inquiries at least.

Tbh it sounds like thats what you did rather than them. They gave you options and acknowledged your concerns and your response was "lol they didnt even read my post." Yes. They. Did.

I read that and was thinking of non-amphetamine alternatives. I kinda lump most of the amphetamines together.

OP: I hear you on not trying different meds, but one of these things is barely different from adderall (still very much a stimulant). Vyvanse is basically adderall xl, just in prodrug form. Apparently other commentors say it is allowed in japan. Prodrug just means that an enzyme plus the drug means your body creates the basically the same exact drug as adderall when ingested. If vyvanse is allowed but adderall is not that’s strange although one of vyvanse’s strengths is that it can’t be snorted, which might make some nations feel better about the drug’s potential for abuse, since it must be ingested to work.

Adderall didn't do a whole lot for me, but Vyvanse made me actively sick. People can have weird reactions to medications.

You’re absolutely correct that a medication isn’t going to react the same for every person. People can have weird or even fatal reactions to medications. Any local pharmacist should be able to answer questions about medications and interactions.

To be clear, I am just saying that if adderall works for someone, vyvanse is likely to work for that person as well, because the drugs are so similar. Vyvanse’s biggest difference from adderall is that it’s a prodrug, meaning that starts off as a drug that has no effects on the body until it reacts with an natural enzyme we have in our colon which causes the drug to turn into what is basically adderall.

Adderall is mixed amphetamine salts.

The mixture is composed of equal parts racemic amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which produces a ratio between dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine, the two enantiomers of amphetamine.

Compared to vyvanse:

Lisdexamfetamine is an inactive prodrug that is converted in the body to dextroamphetamine, a pharmacologically active compound which is responsible for the drug's activity.

So technically, Adderall is dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine. I can’t speak more to this because of my lack of knowledge but “dextro” and “levo” are “right” and “left”, basically meaning something like the left and right “versions” (wrong word) of the molecule. Vyvanse on the otherhand is just the right “version” (wrong word) of the molecule.

I went to Tokyo 6 months ago and took a bottle of Vyvanse with me.

You need to clear it with the authorities before you head over. You'll need your doctor to write a letter. It can be done though.

... Or just get hooked on $1.50 cans of coffee boss instead.

Vyvanse is so much better for me personally. But it's expensive af

I loved Vyvanse. I was able to advance at work because of Vyvanse.

And then out of nowhere my insurance decides, not it's $350 a month. Back to adderall I went.

Yeah, it's $250 a month for me. No thanks, I'll just be all over the place.

The Vyvanse patent expired recently and generics are available now for cheaper. My insurance is willing to cover the generic, it's possible yours will too

Hello from France where Vyvanse still isn't approved! Every day I read about how amazing it is and I cry

Sorry to hear that friend. Someone else commented that the patent expired recently and generic versions exist now, perhaps that is worth looking into.

Which is ironic since the original Vyvanse manufacturer, Takeda pharmaceuticals, is based in Tokyo.

Apparently Vyvanse is the only one that's allowed. Sounds like regulatory capture to me.

It's actually an interesting history that goes back to WWII. Japan distributed amphetamines to both soldiers and civilian workers to support the war effort. After the war, it turned into a serious problem of abuse. That in turn led to the country banning amphetamines outright in 1954-1955 and they have never really reconsidered.

Here's an article from 1957 on the topic: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1957-01-01_3_page003.html

Yeah, I'm lucky enough that mine is only really debilitating for study so I didn't have an issue not taking my meds for the trip. Really feel for you. :(

Wow, so...they just don't treat ADHD over there?

Of course they do. They just don't allow Adderall because it contains amphetamine.

4 more...
4 more...

If it's a visit, then just take your meds and your prescription. I've never had any issues taking meds into Japan that cannot be prescribed there. You probably won't even be asked.

This is an absolutely terrible idea, and a great way to get arrested and/or unable to ever enter the country again.

Absolutely not.

Bringing adderall into Japan carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison under the Stimulants Control Law. Your prescription means nothing once you are on Japanese soil.

This is truly idiotic advice, and I don't say that lightly.